If the data is collected for ascertaining the caste, the investigator has to go round a number of castes identified with different code numbers.. Before that, the GoI and state governments have to streamline the castes to an equivalent common group and code which need to be same for all states. For instance Saxena, Mathur, Nigam, Srivastava Bhatnagar, etc castes, in UP and Rajasthan need to coded with Chowdhry, Reddy, Naidu etc in Andhra Pradesh. Within Andhra Pradesh Naidu caste in Chittor district is different from Naidu caste from Visakhapatanam, Srikakulam, East Godavari districts Already census officials are facing difficulties in collecting sub castes among ST and SC during census operations.
India is declared as secular and democratic country without distinction between caste and creed why the bogie of caste has started. In fact there are a number of parents who are not attaching their caste like Chowdhry, Reddy,Sharma,Sastri, in their sons and daughters names. In fact GoI and state governments and progressive academicians should advocate for dropping caste in their children’s names. On one side politicians belonging to parties like Congress, TDP, CPM SP.RJD, blame BJP as non secular. Why can not these politicians remove caste tag at the end of their names and get their children marry outside their castes there by showing their secular credentials. Why these politicians visit temples, take baths in river Ganges at Allahabad, Hardwar on Kumbh mela days etc. These politicians are mokaterains or opportunists or selfish and are not selfless. In the name of getting opportunities to make their clan prosperous these opportunist politicians are forcing the GoI to collect caste data. Once such data is collected no politician will advocate family planning and instead advocate their family tree to grow and spread far and wide like a Banayan tree. If the politicians are interested in making the country great and super power like China let MPs and MLAs start removing their caste against their names and show their large heartedness and work for the country’s economic and social progress .
Problems that arise due to collection of such data is that the country will be divided into groups and sub groups. Tomorrow the same politicians will insist on reservation of seats in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha on the strength of their castes. Even today the politicians select candidates for contest based on the caste, their caste based voters, money and lung power. In such a scenario strength of castes in each district would be known and there would be infighting.
It is time to build a united India free from castes barriers and identify economically backward persons for their upliftment. Nowadays educated persons and social reformers are encouraging or showing no objection their children to marry persons of their choice irrespective of caste and religion.
Since the Finance Minister is still getting the views of other political parties before finalising the government stand, the government needs to examine all pros and cons and its long term effect on India’s integrity from academic and social institutions .The desirability of collecting the data may be postponed to 2021 census instead of taking a hurried step.
(The writer is a social activist)
