Caste Census: A ray of light instead of shooting in the dark

India has had the good fortune of having some exceptional founding founders. Of all these eminent personalities though, two leaders have the distinction of being called “fathers” in juxtaposition to their contribution to our great nation. Mahatma Gandhi has been rightly anointed as the “Father of the Nation” and Dr. Ambedkar has been often referred to as the “Father of the Constitution”.

Both these great leaders considered the caste system to be a horrible social evil that needed uprooting. While Gandhi ji and Dr. Ambedkar had differences of opinion, it is a matter of fact that Gandhi ji relied on Dr. Ambedkar when it came to understanding the burden of caste. Gandhi ji displayed genuine interest and concern for the backward castes but it was Dr. Ambedkar who lived it. This was evident in an interaction between the two towering personalities after the signing of the Poona Pact in 1932. When Dr. Ambedkar visited Gandhiji, the former spoke in detail about the struggles and ignominy that Dalits faced. He is reported to have told Gandhi ji that” "You may not know what even I have to face. I do not get any other place to live in Bombay except the Port Trust chawl. In my village, I have to stay in the midst of the Mahars. In Poona, all others stay with their friends. I have to stay at the National Hotel and have to spend Rs 7 and transport fare.” Gandhi ji displaying his characteristic empathy responded with unequivocal support telling Dr. Ambedkar while talking about the evils of caste that “The main thing still remains to be done. I am ready to give my life for it. All the injustices you mention ought to end.”

This interaction is telling because it lays bare stark facts. The first is that despite being an intellectual force of nature and a man of unquestionable ability, Dr. Ambedkar suffered the ignominy of caste-like many others in his community. The second is Gandhi ji’s characteristic desire to first understand and then react.

Fast forward to today, close to nine decades since that fateful conversation, and it is apparent that the evils of caste remain far from being vanquished. It is in this context that the recent debate and discussion on the caste system needs to be had.

The evils of caste are most apparent when talking about acts of violence against individuals from lower castes, especially those from the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe. Data from the National Crime Records Bureau, for example, record a trend of increasing violence against those from the backward caste. The act of Pravesh Shukla urinating on a tribal man, though, shows that these acts of violence are not just mere statistics but a painful reality for members of the backward caste.

While physical violence is the most visible form of such discrimination, the systematic manner in which individuals from the OBC, Scheduled Caste, and Scheduled Tribe communities remain unrepresented is a form of violence that kills with a thousand cuts. Consider the following: as of 2019, out of a total of 6,043 teaching positions in IITs, only 2.81 % are teachers from the SC and ST community. Similarly, amongst Group A officers (the highest tier of bureaucrats), the number of individuals from the SC community is 12.86% against a legally mandated reservation of 15%, individuals from the ST community are 5.64% against a legally mandated reservation of 7.5%, and those from the OBC community are at 16.88% against a legally mandated reservation of 27%.

The air gets rarer still when we go higher up the bureaucratic structure. It is a travesty, for example, that (as of 2022) out of 91 Additional Secretaries, only 14 come from the SC/ST and OBC community in total. Similarly out of 245 Joint Secretaries only 55 come from these communities. The parallel is not restricted to the government or educational institutions but to our society in general. As yourself, for example, how many prime-time news anchors come from these repressed communities? How many people from these communities become CEOs in India Inc.? How many top doctors or lawyers or judges are from these communities? Data reflects the true state of affairs.

It is in this backdrop that the Congress party has made demands for a caste census. Prime Minister Modi, while responding to the demands, is reported to have said that the only caste for him is the poor. The Prime Minister’s statement follows a familiar tune. One that seeks to avoid the uncomfortable question of a lack of representation for these communities by ignoring their unique identity. It also displays an alarming lack of awareness of a real likelihood that individuals from these backward communities are unable to be adequately represented because of systematic discrimination and not because of a lack of resources (although this is a symptom of discrimination) or a lack of ability (a ridiculous argument). The fact that individuals from these communities are within the bureaucratic structure but still remain underrepresented when it comes to top jobs is proof that Prime Minister Modi is shifting goal posts.

Mr. Modi’s reluctance to adequately deal with calls for a caste census from the Congress and members of the INDIA alliance is understandable when you understand that the moral center of the BJP is the RSS, an organization that itself has a troubled history with caste. Gowalkar, the RSS’ ideologue, for example, said that “God” manifests itself through caste. A Wikipedia search of the sarsanghchalaks, or heads of the RSS, displays an uncomfortable uniformity of upper caste men as well. The BJP cannot evade this ingrained philosophy, despite its best efforts. An example of this was the “all vegetarian” meals given to delegates as part of the recent state G20 state functions. This is despite the fact that “vegetarianism” is deeply linked with issues of caste and is in fact contrary to how the rest of the country consumes its meals. It is a microcosm of a philosophy that makes Prime Minister’s reluctance to adequately address the opposition’s demands for a caste census unsurprising.

It is important to understand that the alarming underrepresentation of individuals from these communities in all facets of public life is not due to a lack of ability but a lack of opportunity. The United States offers a limited parallel in this regard and the American Civil Liberties Union’s Amicus brief before the United States Supreme Court, captures this beautifully. The brief, while detailing the data showcasing the large disparity between the “white” community and the “black” community in various spheres, states that “the inescapable conclusion is that this is not a “color blind” society where opportunity is singularly determined according to individual ability. Rather, it is a socially-constructed racial hierarchy with whites firmly on top. The only other conceivable explanation – that this gross inequality is the consequence of a natural order of black inferiority and white supremacy – is, of course, wholly unacceptable.”

A caste census, therefore, is the first step to recognizing that there is a problem. Only then can we, as a nation, hope to find a solution.

Article by Dr Ajoy Kumar, Former IPS and Former  Member of Parliament, Member of Congress Working Committee

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are of the author, and are not associated with DNA English.