जाति जनगणना को मंज़ूरी

कई महीनों की बहस और अनिश्चितता के बाद आख़िर केंद्र के मंत्रिमंडल समूह ने जाति आधारित जनगणना को मंज़ूरी दे दी है.
वित्तमंत्री प्रणव मुखर्जी के नेतृत्व वाले मंत्रिमंडल समूह ने निर्णय लेने की समय सीमा ख़त्म होने के बाद हुई एक बैठक में इसे मंज़ूरी दे दी है.
फ़ैसला किया गया है कि जाति आधारित जनगणना बायोमिट्रिक जनगणना का दौर शुरु होने के साथ ही शुरु होगा.
बायोमिट्रिक जनगणना का दौर दिसंबर से शुरु होने की उम्मीद है. इसमें 15 वर्ष और उससे अधिक उम्र के लोगों की फ़ोटो, उंगलियों के निशान और आँखों की पुतलियों की तस्वीरें ली जाएँगी.

जातिगत गणना पर सहमति के आसार

देश में बहस का कारण बने जातिगत जनगणना के मुद्दे पर यूपीए सरकार और विपक्ष में आम सहमति बनने के आसार हैं। इस मुद्दे पर विचार के लिए सोमवार रात कांग्रेस कोर गु्रप की बैठक हुई। समझा जाता है कि प्रधानमंत्री मनमोहन सिंह और कांग्रेस प्रमुख सोनिया गांधी की उपस्थिति में आयोजित इस बैठक में जातिगत जनगणना पर आगे बढ़ने का फैसला हुआ है।

प्रमुख विपक्षी दल भाजपा ने भी लंबे उहापोह के बाद जनगणना में जाति को शामिल करने पर रजामंदी जताई है। गौरतलब है कि संसद के बजट सत्र में सपा, जद (यू) और राजद ने जाति आधारित जनगणना की पुरजोर मांग की थी। इस मुद्दे पर राजनेताओं की अलग-अलग राय से मामला उलझ गया था। सरकार ने आम राय बनाने के लिए मंत्रियों के समूह (जीओएम) को यह मुद्दा सौंप दिया था। वित्त मंत्री प्रणब मुखर्जी की अध्यक्षता वाले जीओएम ने जातिगत जनगणना के मुद्दे पर लगभग सभी दलों से राय जानी है। जीओएम अब विचारों पर चर्चा के लिए जल्द ही बैठक करेगा।

सभी दलों को सात अगस्त तक इस मुद्दे पर राय देने को कहा गया था। क्या कांग्रेस ने अपने विचारों से जीओएम को अवगत करा दिया है, इसका सीधा जवाब देने से बचते हुए मुखर्जी ने कहा, ‘मैं कांग्रेस का प्रतिनिधि हूं। मैं कांग्रेस से बाहर नहीं हूं।’ इसके यह मायने हैं कि जीओएम की बैठक से पहले मुखर्जी, कांग्रेस के विचारों से अवगत करा सकते हैं। भाजपा ने राष्ट्रीय महत्व के किसी मुद्दे पर शायद पहली बार अपने मातृ संगठन आरएसएस से अलग रुख अपनाया है। लोकसभा में विपक्ष की नेता सुषमा स्वराज ने कहा कि जाति आधारित जनगणना के मुद्दे पर गठित जीओएम के अध्यक्ष प्रणब मुखर्जी को पार्टी की ओर से पत्र संघ से बातचीत के बाद लिखा गया। उन्होंने कहा कि इस मुद्दे पर पार्टी की संघ से असहमति है। संघ का मानना है कि अनुसूचित जाति और अनुसूचित जनजाति की तरह अगर ओबीसी श्रेणी में जनगणना होती है तो इससे समाज में और दरार पैदा होगी।

Caste count may figure at last stage of Census

Digvijay Singh, the AICC general secretary, on Thursday called for caste census as the proponents of caste enumeration in the national headcount moved to nudge the Centre ahead of a decision on the contentious issue by a group of ministers headed by Pranab Mukherjee.

Digviajy Singh was upfront in demanding caste census as he said that all political parties had accepted caste as a reality with Mandal commission. Releasing a book "Caste Census: Towards an Inclusive India" by S Japhet and Chandan Gowda of National Law School University, Bangalore, Singh said the country wished a "casteless society" but could not wish away the fact that caste remains a ground reality. "I do not understand the opposition to it," he said.

Singh's advocacy of caste census came as chairman of National Commission for Backward Classes MN Rao said opposition to the move could be a ploy to get the reservation policy scrapped. He said the Supreme Court has repeatedly sniggered at backward reservation being implemented without ascertainable data of the target groups and not holding the census could lead to scrapping of reservation altogether.

Sources said Congress is likely to settle for caste census. The caste enumeration may be included at the time of collection of biometric data in the decennial census, the last stage of the exercise. The inclusion of caste at the biometric stage will also allay fears that a motivation to inflate figures among the interested caste groups will compromise the important census data. Till then, Congress is keeping silent on the issue in view of divisions within.

RSS shows BJP the way out on caste census

A way out seems to have opened up for the Bharatiya Janata Party, which was caught between its own stand in Parliament favouring a caste-based census and that of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which had come out strongly against the proposal.
With four days to go before the BJP leadership responds to the government's query on its stand — which it wants from the party in writing — it seems the RSS may not, after all, stand in the BJP's way of its favouring a caste-based census.
At a meeting of Sangh Parivar associations chaired by the RSS two days ago, members from different Sangh affiliates expressed their views in some detail on the caste question. The meeting was of its cultural department — and it was decided that there might be no harm done if an “all-caste census” was undertaken.

Caste census: BJP, RSS narrow down differences

NEW DELHI: Narrowing down their differences, the BJP and the RSS may agree on the inclusion of the caste column in the Census 2011.
According to sources, while earlier the RSS was opposed to the inclusion of caste as well as the OBC column in the census, it is now veering around the view that it may agree on caste, but not the OBC column. The final view would be taken at the core group meeting of the party, convened by BJP president Nitin Gadkari on Friday. What compels the party to take a stand on the issue urgently is that it has to send in its views to the GoM on caste census, headed by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee by Saturday.
The issue of caste census figured in the BJP parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday, chaired by parliamentary party chairman L K Advani.
Two party MPs, Raghunandan Sharma and Sumitra Mahajan, who attended a Sangh Parivar brainstorming recently, informed the party leadership that the Sangh view was not to accept an OBC-based census, as it would create confusion. If the choice is on having columns for the SC, ST and the OBC, or merely to have a caste column, the party should go in for the latter option of seeking a caste column.
The Sangh view is that there is no uniformity in the OBC list. Naik, for instance is tribal in Maharashtra, while in other states it is listed under OBC. As such, it may only lead to greater confusion.
Initially, when the BJP supported the caste-based census, the RSS openly made known its opposition to it. The RSS opposition was articulated by a top RSS functionary Bhaiyaji Joshi. After that, there were several meetings within the party to sort out the issue. The Sangh also has been discussing the issue. Now that the Sangh has indicated its line, the BJP is expected to toe the same.
In his letter of July 7 to Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj, Pranab Mukherjee indicated a four-week timeframe for the BJP to respond by sending in the party’s views to the GoM on the issue.
So, the BJP has to respond by August 7. The GoM was set up after the Union Cabinet failed to arrive at a view on the issue. The GoM, at its first meeting on July 1, decided to seek the views of the political parties represented in Parliament, before finalising its report to the Union Cabinet.
“The replies received from the political parties will be taken into account by the GoM before it submits its report to the Cabinet,” Pranab Mukherjee informed Sushma Swaraj.

SP, RJD protest ‘sabotage’ of caste census, stage LS walkout

The SP and RJD staged a walkout from the Lok Sabha on Monday accused the government of dithering on caste census.

Speaking during zero hour, SP member Shailendra Kumar attacked the government for not going ahead with a census of OBCs and called it a step backward. He said it was a unique opportunity to acquire important data on the backwards. He said the government seemed to be in two minds on the issue.

As soon as he finished speaking, SP and RJD members began shouting slogans decrying the government’s attempt to ‘sabotage’ caste census. “Either enumerate the backwards or stop census,” they shouted. SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav led the walkout. The RJD side was led by Raghuvansh Prasad Singh since Lalu Prasad was not present.

Meanwhile, with political parties expected to respond to the Centre’s inquiry on their views regarding inclusion of caste in the ongoing census by August 7, BJP is expected to stick to its stated position supporting the move to enumerate caste. Sources said the BJP core was expected to meet on August 6 to take a final view on a divisive issue which has seen the RSS oppose a caste based census. Within the BJP, the divisions are clear enough as is the case in Congress with OBC leaders supporting the move and others being lukewarm.

March against caste-based Census

NEW DELHI: Hundreds of intellectuals, writers, artists, students and leaders representing various walks of civil society took out a protest march against the inclusion of caste in the census 2011 on Wednesday.

The march was led by Dr V P Vaidik, founder and national convener of Meri Jati Hindustani Movement. The march was taken out from Barakhamba Road and culminated at Jantar Mantar, where a public meeting was convened. Former ministers Balram Jakhar, Ram Jethmalani, Arif M Khan and former chief of joint intelligence, R K Madhok, and dancer Uma Sharma among others also joined the protesters.

Addressing the gathering, Jethmalani said that he was ready to shed the last drop of his blood to fight for this noble cause. He also quoted a letter of erstwhile leader of East India Company, Lord Clive, who had said that as long as caste system is alive in India, there is no threat to the British Empire. "The caste in the census will create a new monster which will demolish a modern India. Every right-thinking Indian must oppose this regressive idea,'' said Jethmalani.

Khan said that caste enumeration is a case of bad mathematics. It is unscientific. It will not benefit the poor. It will serve the narrow purpose of the creamy layers of the backward people. Other speakers noted that to divide India on the basis of caste would be a big embarrassment for an emerging world power like India.