In a big shift from its earlier stand, the Union government has decided to include caste details in the upcoming census. Though the date of the census is not yet announced, this move marks a major policy change — especially as it comes just ahead of elections in Bihar, a state where caste plays a major role in politics.
Political expert Manisha Priyam believes the decision is a strategic one. “This is a political move. The BJP is now challenging old socialist parties like the Janata Dal, who always supported caste-based politics. With Bihar elections coming up, BJP wants to show that it also supports backward communities,” she said.
Opposition parties like the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) have long pushed for a caste census. The Congress even made it a key part of its election promises. But BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had earlier criticised this demand.
Back in July 2021, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai had clearly stated in Parliament that the government had no plans to count caste-wise population except for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
However, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has taken a careful stance, supporting the idea but warning against its misuse. Desh Ratan Nigam, a political analyst aligned with the RSS perspective, cautioned, “The caste census should not be used as a political weapon… it should only be a data-based affirmative action plan, not a tool to divide society.”
Nigam pointed out that while Congress and other Opposition parties have been pushing for this to counter the cultural nationalism of the BJP and RSS, the goal should be social harmony. “One has to be careful that it does not create new fault lines… the motive should be data for welfare, not politics,” he added.
Sandeep Shastri, VP at NITTE Education Trust, said the announcement buys the government more time. “By saying a caste census will happen, they’ve pushed the issue back by a year or two. Discussions around caste surveys across the country may now slow down,” he explained.
Shastri also pointed out that the BJP has taken over an issue long championed by the Opposition. “The ruling party has, in a way, taken the political clothes of the Opposition by adopting their demand,” he said.
He added that caste remains a key identity in Indian politics despite efforts to move beyond it. The promise of a caste census raises new hopes, but the timeline remains unclear — there’s still no date for when the census will actually take place or when the results will come out.
For the entire discussion, watch the accompanying video
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(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
