[url="http://www.hindustantimes.com/Census-2011-to-include-caste/H1-Article1-540793.aspx"]Census 2011 to include caste[/url]
Quote:The government on Friday took the historic decision to include caste in the ongoing census. ââ¬ÅCaste will be included in the present census,ââ¬Â finance minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters on Friday.
A caste-based census was last carried out in 1931. Independent India had shunned counting the numbers of people belonging to each caste ââ¬â barring an omnibus figure for the scheduled caste ââ¬â with the objective of moving towards a casteless society.
Earlier, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said: ââ¬ÅI am aware of the views of members of Parliament belonging to all sections. I assure you the Cabinet will take a decision shortly.ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬â¢
Though Singh had not made any explicit commitment to include caste in the census, the Yadav trio ââ¬â Samajwadi Partyââ¬â¢s Mulayam Singh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dalââ¬â¢s Lalu Prasad and Janata Dal-Uââ¬â¢s Sharad Yadav ââ¬â who had been pushing for the step, thumped their desks and congratulated him.
Mukherjeeââ¬â¢s assertion is seen as a reflection of Congress president Sonia Gandhi endorsing a caste-based census and a rejection of the problems in conducing such a survey, as listed by the registrar general, whom home minister P Chidambaram quoted.
The delight with which the Yadavs welcomed Singhââ¬â¢s statement led to speculation of backroom understanding between the government and the SP and RJD whose 25 MPs can provide a numerical cushion to the UPA, which is working with a razor-thin majority in the 543-member House.
Appointed PM of India, just bent on destroying India, inplace of removing caste, idiots are promoting caste. Babu is worst than file pusher. Italian had no clue about India, just to stay in power these idiots just want to go backward.
Quote:This is a lesson that should have been imparted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and those responsible for the horrific decision to include caste enumeration in the Census.
That a fundamental reversal of a 60-year-old policy should have been taken without any consultation with civil society and any meaningful debate is itself scandalous. What compounds the offence is that a decision of this magnitude should have been taken for the flimsiest of reasons. In 1990, VP Singh decided to accept the Mandal Commission report because he wanted to puncture a public rally that his troublesome Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal was planning. Last week, the Congress president grandly signalled her acceptance of caste enumeration in the Census because that would iron out the rough edges of the partyââ¬â¢s troubled relations with caste-based parties, both inside the UPA coalition and in the larger ââ¬Ësecularââ¬â¢ world.
A decision that will change the basic structure of Indian politics, the Hindu faith and even have a bearing on the economy was taken remarkably casually. The final decision was left solely to an individual who was perhaps unaware of the earlier turbulence in India when caste was superimposed into the Census. Civil society was neither consulted, nor did either the Government or the Opposition suggest that such a decision shouldnââ¬â¢t be taken in a hurry and for petty, collateral considerations. The political class acquiesced in a step that will legitimise caste as a unit of political and economic decision-making, without even knowing what they have enthusiastically endorsed. A most debilitating social regression was put into effect because Indiaââ¬â¢s leaders were too intellectually lazy to comprehend the consequences of what they had done.
The re-definition of Hindu society along officially-recognised caste lines will alter the landscape of India. The use of caste numbers to drive a hard political bargain was earlier based on bluff, now it will be based on tangible numbers -- an escalation in the stakes. For 60 years and more, a galaxy of Indian modernists tried to either rise above caste or keep this social institution confined to the rituals of marriage and mourning. Now, at a stroke, Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi have put caste into the centre-stage. From now on, Indians will once again be defined by their caste and politics will follow the mobilisation of caste.
[size="6"]Just when India seemed poised for bigger things, a hidden hand emerged from nowhere to drag the country down again. The country will pay a huge price for the Congressââ¬â¢ coalition management skills. It may be so high that there wonââ¬â¢t be much of an India left.[/size]
Caught in a cusp between old and new worlds, Indiaââ¬â¢s interface with caste remains schizophrenic 60 years after adopting a republican Constitution
Three events last week painfully underlined the complex matrix of caste in Indian politics and society. First, the Government succumbed to combined Opposition pressure and agreed to enumerate citizens by caste in the ongoing Census operations. Second, DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, having run out of all weapons in his armoury to defend the brazen actions of Telecom Minister A Raja, came up with the astounding theory that the Minister was under attack from ââ¬Åvested interestsââ¬Â only on account of his Dalit origins. Third, the mysterious death of a young Delhi journalist at her parental home in Jharkhand, apparently because she wanted to marry her lower caste boyfriend, jarred enlightened sensibilities throughout the country.
Thousands of years after the sub-system of caste emerged out of the original Varna system, and more than 60 years after we gave ourselves a democratic, republican Constitution pledging equality to all citizens, India is still to come to grips with this unique social construct. Over time, it has acquired new dimensions and ramifications: Some would argue that past oppression of the lower orders has been replaced by the tyranny of numbers, painting the ritually superior sections into a corner. At the same time, mediaeval orthodoxy coexists almost in perfect harmony with modern, legally ordained directives. For example, a draconian law has been written into the statute books to severely punish those committing atrocities on Scheduled Castes, but that does not prevent upper caste landlords from wreaking terrible vengeance on ââ¬Ëdefiantââ¬â¢ Dalits and their families. Mostly, they get away with it, even in Uttar Pradesh ruled by a Dalit woman.
The case of Nirupama Pathak, the journalist allegedly killed by her mother (although the story is undergoing new twists every day) would seem particularly bizarre. Here is an educated family, headed by a nationalised bank officer father, which sends their daughter to study and practice journalism in faraway Delhi. There she develops a relationship with a classmate and they apparently decide to get married. The boy belongs to a ritually inferior caste, which incidentally counts among the so-called Forwards in North India. But such is the orthodoxy of the Brahmin girlââ¬â¢s family that they refuse her permission to marry and, allegedly, smother her to death or (if new speculation is to be believed) push her into committing suicide. The familyââ¬â¢s outrage at the idea of inter-caste marriage is documented in a long, hectoring letter from the father to his daughter in which he quotes scripture and verse to establish the immorality of such a union.
I could not believe my ears when, during a TV discussion on a Hindi news channel last week, an obscurantist pandit kept reading out Sanskrit texts and Manu Smriti to denounce inter-caste marriage per se and the marriage of a Brahmin to a lower caste in particular. He ventured to declare all such union to be against Sanatan Dharma and, therefore, illegal. For me, this was especially galling as, coincidentally, I happen to be a Kayasth, the same caste as Nirupamaââ¬â¢s boyfriend, while my wife is a Brahmin. The ostensibly learned pandit has a right to his views even if they fly in the face of the Constitution and borders on advocacy of social apartheid. I also agree that most marriages in India are arranged by parents, ensuring the partner belongs to the same caste. Just as they can choose a match for their children, the latter too have the right to marry of their own choice under the law provided they are adults. And such marriages cannot be derided as immoral, illegal, irreligious or invalid. Those who prevent it are criminals in the eyes of the law and should face prosecution. But in schizophrenic India, caught in a prolonged cusp between the old and the new, this would be too much to expect. So Nirupamaââ¬â¢s isnââ¬â¢t the first such case, nor will it be the last.
Over the years, caste has also acquired new political uses, evident from the way the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister handled the tornado of corruption charges engulfing ââ¬Ëservice providerââ¬â¢ A Raja. If we logically extend his argument that the Minister is being targeted only because he is a Dalit, we shall be forced to reach the conclusion that laws of the land should not be applicable to members of a particular caste or community. The day may not be far off when there will be a demand to insert the following clause at the end of the Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, Prevention of Corruption Act and other relevant statues: ââ¬ÅNotwithstanding anything contained in the above Schedules, none of the provisions of this Act shall be applicable to members belonging to the following castes/communities...ââ¬Â!
It is remarkable how quickly politicians, when cornered on charges of graft, misuse of office and other forms of criminal misappropriation of authority slip into invoking caste in their defence. When The Pioneer conducted a relentless campaign to expose the misdeeds of the arrogant, authoritarian and venal former Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, he too shot back saying, ââ¬ÅI am being targeted because I am OBCââ¬Â!
Invariably, they all accuse the media of being dominated by upper castes and thus motivated by vengeful feelings towards OBCs and Dalits. Not for a moment does it cross their mind that Independent Indiaââ¬â¢s biggest media success was on the Bofors scam in which the principal accused was the son of a Kashmiri Pandit mother and Parsi father ââ¬â by no stretch of the imagination Dalit or OBC. The mediaââ¬â¢s latest victim is Mr Shashi Tharoor, neither Dalit nor OBC. Indiaââ¬â¢s vibrant media has been completely even-handed in exposing corruption in high places. Mr Karunanidhi, Mr Raja or Mr Ramadoss may not believe this, but in the national media we hardly know which caste they belong to unless it is voluntarily disclosed.
In this background it hardly comes as a surprise that there was near-unanimity among political parties for inserting caste into Census enumerations. Long before the results are disclosed next year, I can confidently predict that there will be a huge spurt in the numbers declaring themselves as OBC. Many people do not know that the British Indian Government had to reject the findings of the 1941 Census after the enumeration process was completed because of the false claims entered by people regarding their caste and mother tongue.
Held in the backdrop of the Muslim Leagueââ¬â¢s Pakistan Resolution of 1940, there was a concerted attempt by Muslims to enter Urdu as their mother tongue although most did not know what the script looked like. Similarly Hindus in Punjab determinedly averred that Hindi, not Punjabi, was their mother tongue. Further, the influence of Sanskritisation (as described by sociologist MN Srinivas) was at its peak at that time; castes now called OBCs randomly claimed upper caste, especially Rajput, status then. When officers started tabulating the figures they found statistically impossible spurts to have taken place in certain linguistic and caste categories. Eventually they recommended scrapping the Census altogether. I hope the same fate does not await the Census of 2011.
05-09-2010, 11:44 PM (This post was last modified: 05-09-2010, 11:48 PM by sai_k.)
I always think how many in India really does not want caste (realistically).. talking is one thing, and implementing that one follows is entirely a different thing. When we have a cultural issue that is just jinxed with a secular-socialism, and a don't-care-attitude, how in the world we can expect a solution only from babooze.
I am not talking about a few.. but the larger aam junta in the general sense. How many of them would really like this caste be removed. There is also this general equation that proper education and such thoughts are directly proportional. From a way of living to a way of fighting is what we see.
Regulated privization, improving commerce, and least gov interference in all walks of life, can eradicate many of these issues, where it only belongs where it should [within the walls of family life].. nothing more this should affect, in a sense, that all living outside home, must think about advancing the society and looking forward.
Only a handful understands.. so, the grass-roots are the problem, and not the babooze., especially in caste case im my opinion.
05-11-2010, 09:08 AM (This post was last modified: 05-11-2010, 09:09 AM by acharya.)
Quote:[size="6"]
Just when India seemed poised for bigger things, a hidden hand emerged from nowhere to drag the country down again. The country will pay a huge price for the Congressââ¬â¢ coalition management skills. It may be so high that there wonââ¬â¢t be much of an India left.[/size]
This hidden hand is connected to what is happening in other countries - Liberal govts in UK, democrats in US and other places which are nothing but false liberal facade for western govts.
So there is deep Indian NRI connection which are in the US/UK who are now inside the Indian govt who can influence the polcies which we have never seen in the last 60 years. An entire generation has a view point which has been brainwashed with western false psy ops on human rights and false equality
Agenda is identity politics, divide community and pitch them against each other, End result will be long term control over divided community. Liberals or socialist always have this agenda. India's current appointed Prime Minister is a staunch Socialist and he is busy destroying every single bit of India. Congress Party is run by NRI elite class.
Quote:Regulated privization, improving commerce, and least gov interference in all walks of life, can eradicate many of these issues
Caste base census sole purpose is to introduce reservation in private sector. Another way to destroy private sector so that these socialist can control people by keep them poor.
NEW DELHI: A group of prominent people on Saturday launched an initiative against caste-based census and urged people to mention "Hindustani" (Indian) as their caste.
PATNA: Had Tulsidas composed his Ramcharitmanas in modern India, he would have landed in a jail on the charge of plagiarism as his book was nothing, but a copy of Valmiki's Ramayan.
Making this observation at a two-day national seminar on Dalit literature, jointly organized by the Sahitya Academy and Patna University (PU) Hindi department at the geology auditorium here on Sunday, JNU professor Tulsi Ram said that the orthodox Hindu society popularized Tulsidas creation because he was a Brahmin. But Valmiki's creation was ignored by the people simply because he was a Dalit.
He further observed that the ancient Gurukul system was also meant to provide education only to the wards of Brahmins and Rajputs. No Gurukul ever allowed the entry of Dalits and other weaker sections of the society. The then society had conspired to keep the downtrodden away from education, he added.
Omar Khalidi was killed in a freak train accident near Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, on Monday.
According to Khalidi's wife Nigar, the writer, who was suffering from diabetics and insomnia, fainted and fell before a train that was approaching at the MIT railway station.
