Months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Bihar government, in a significant move, released the statistics pertaining to its controversial caste-based census 2022 on October 02, 2023.
The caste-based census, also known as ‘Bihar Jati Adharit Janganana’, revealed that the other backward castes constitute a total of 27 per cent of the population of the state while the extremely backward castes constitute a lion share of 36 per cent of Bihar’s population.
The census figures released by the government revealed that the scheduled castes and tribes constitute a majority of 20 per cent, while the Savarans constitute a combined population of 15 per cent in the state.
Click here to download the detailed Caste Based Census of Bihar
While breaking up the figures further, the census revealed that the Rajput castes constitute 3.65 per cent of the population while the Brahmins and the Bhumihars stand at 3.66 per cent and 2.86 per cent respectively. On the other hand the figures pertaining to the census suggest that the Yadav caste constitute a 14 per cent majority in the population while the Kurmi caste make up 2.87 per cent of the total population.
After the release of the much hyped census figures Chief Minister Nitish Kumar while taking to the X (Twitter) said that “on the auspicious occasion of Gandhi jayanti, the figures of the caste based census of Bihar has been published.”
“A proposal was passed by the constituent assembly for the same with all the political parties on board. The caste census has not only revealed the castes but it has also provided information about the economic condition of everyone. On the basis of which further action will be taken for the development and upliftment of all sections”, tweeted further chief minister Kumar.
Further while interacting with the media the Chief Minister said, “After doing everything the result came out. We have taken the financial condition of every family. Tomorrow in all party meetings we will keep everything in front of everyone, the government will take all the necessary steps after taking everyone’s suggestions in the meeting.”
#WATCH | On the caste-based survey report, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar says, "After doing everything the result came out. We have taken the financial condition of every family… Tomorrow in all party meetings we will keep everything in front of everyone…The government will take all… pic.twitter.com/9WeOmciGJm
— ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2023
Meanwhile after the disclosure of the report of the caste census Union Minister Giriraj Singh while slamming the grand coalition said that “the caste census will do nothing more than spreading Bhram among the poor and public of the state.”
They should have given a report card that Nitish Kumar ruled the state for 18 years and Lalu Yadav ruled the state for 15 years but what they did for the upliftment of poors, how many people they gave employment to, how many people’s condition they uplifted, that should have been the report card. Now this report of caste based census is nothing but an eyewash, said further the union minister.
#WATCH | Begusarai, Bihar: Union Minister Giriraj Singh says, "Caste Census will do nothing more than spreading 'bhram' among the poor and public of the state. They should have given a report card that Nitish Kumar ruled the state for 18 years and Lalu Yadav ruled the state for… pic.twitter.com/TKUYxYyxpk
— ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2023
Another senior leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), National General Secretary of BJP OBC Morcha, Dr. Nikhil Anand in a detailed statement said that “The caste census process in Bihar was a unanimous and collective decision of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government. It’s another thing that the counting process took place when BJP is not in power courtesy the U-turn of Nitish Kumar.
The Narendra Modi government at the centre has worked a lot for the welfare of subaltern communities especially the SC, ST and OBC as well as the poors in general. The constitutional status to NCBC, the reservation for OBC in NEET, the PM Vishwakarma Yojana and different schemes to economically promote the SC, ST, OBCs and poors in general. The PM Vishwakarma Yojana is going to cater the interest of more than 50% of the OBC population.
PM Narendra Modi is the legacy holder of Shyama Prasad Mukheree ji and Deen Dayal Upadhyay ji but if you analyse his work on a serious note, he is also one of the greatest legacy holders of late B.P. Mandal ji, Karpoori Thakur ji and Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar ji.
The RJD and JDU are trying to play politics on the basis of casteism but they will bite the dust. The way the SC, ST, OBC, the Vaishya community and the general caste people are being killed, butchered because of law and order collapse in Bihar will not let RJD-JDU combine serve its political purposes.
What message does the Nitish government want to give to the people of Bihar and India with this caste census? Only the number of different castes and communities have come out. Why don’t the government come out with the detailed comprehensive and extensive data of economic status, educational status and class- profile of different castes and communities.
The approach of the grand alliance Government in Bihar is very much casteist. Just because the Nitish Kumar led JDU- RJD- Congress government has failed on all fronts, they want to open a Pandora Box on the basis of caste. Caste is not the Panacea for all the ills, the society of Bihar or India is facing
It is to be noted that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)and Janata Dal United (JDU) led government has been at loggers head with the main opposition BJP over the caste based census in the state where the former coalition has been continuously advocating for a caste based census while the BJP on the other hand while supporting the move has been alleging the Nitish led coalition for playing caste politics.
