06-09-2010, 01:13 PM
Caste Census should have been done in 1990s
Shyamlal Yadav
New Delhi, May 14, 2010
Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan says that the caste Census is the need of hour to know the status of development among various communities and it could have been done just after the implementation of Mandal Commission report in 1990.
That time the Census-1991 exercise was ongoing since it could have been done then only. But, when asked that 'you were holding key role in the VP Singh government, why did you not push for such Census' he responded "If we had pushed for caste based Census that time the implementation of the Mandal report could have been delayed.
If any doubt was raised on the 52 per cent data of the OBCs estimated by Mandal the implementation could have been delayed by the courts." He said that after nearly two decades of Mandal implementation the country needs to know the status of progress among various castes.
Paswan thinks that the caste based Census will not aggravate casteism rather it will help policy makers. While talking to India Today at his residence Paswan ruled out that the casteism will increase in the country due to this Census.
He said, "Discrimination on the basis of caste is a reality in our country and one can change religion, government, poverty and many things but it can not change its caste."
He suggests an idea that if the country really wants to create the casteless society the inter-caste marriages must be encouraged and such youth could get at least 10 per cent reservation in the government jobs, "If it is implemented, the inter-caste marriages will be increased and the society will march towards a caste-less society." He says that as of now everything is decided on the basis of caste.
Paswan is not a member of any house since he lost the last Lok Sabha election. But he was on the forefront to create atmosphere for the dalit reservation in private sector during UPA-I. He says that the caste Census is need of hour and government should take this decision quickly.
"The governments have been implementing number of schemes to uplift the backward communities. The new data gathered out of this new census will only help the government machineries and the policy makers to get clear picture of development." Without clear data many of such schemes have become ill-implemented.
Shyamlal Yadav
New Delhi, May 14, 2010
Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan says that the caste Census is the need of hour to know the status of development among various communities and it could have been done just after the implementation of Mandal Commission report in 1990.
That time the Census-1991 exercise was ongoing since it could have been done then only. But, when asked that 'you were holding key role in the VP Singh government, why did you not push for such Census' he responded "If we had pushed for caste based Census that time the implementation of the Mandal report could have been delayed.
If any doubt was raised on the 52 per cent data of the OBCs estimated by Mandal the implementation could have been delayed by the courts." He said that after nearly two decades of Mandal implementation the country needs to know the status of progress among various castes.
Paswan thinks that the caste based Census will not aggravate casteism rather it will help policy makers. While talking to India Today at his residence Paswan ruled out that the casteism will increase in the country due to this Census.
He said, "Discrimination on the basis of caste is a reality in our country and one can change religion, government, poverty and many things but it can not change its caste."
He suggests an idea that if the country really wants to create the casteless society the inter-caste marriages must be encouraged and such youth could get at least 10 per cent reservation in the government jobs, "If it is implemented, the inter-caste marriages will be increased and the society will march towards a caste-less society." He says that as of now everything is decided on the basis of caste.
Paswan is not a member of any house since he lost the last Lok Sabha election. But he was on the forefront to create atmosphere for the dalit reservation in private sector during UPA-I. He says that the caste Census is need of hour and government should take this decision quickly.
"The governments have been implementing number of schemes to uplift the backward communities. The new data gathered out of this new census will only help the government machineries and the policy makers to get clear picture of development." Without clear data many of such schemes have become ill-implemented.