HC stay on Bihar caste survey strengthens our case, puts ball in Centre’s court: Oppn

Many of the Opposition parties feel the next census may not be held until the completion of the Lok Sabha elections.

One of the points made by the high court is its order is that the state government has “no power to carry out a caste-based survey, in the manner in which it is fashioned now, which would amount to a census, thus impinging upon the legislative power of the Union Parliament”.

Sources in the Opposition camp said the high court has thus in a way put the ball in the Centre’s court by making it clear that a state cannot carry out a caste-based survey. “It strengthens our demand that the Central government release the data of the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) conducted under the UPA-II government and include caste in the next census,” a senior Congress leader said. “We will continue to demand that,” another party leader said.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav said what the Bihar government was doing was not caste census but a caste-based survey. “We all are committed to carrying out this survey. It was in the interest of the people. There was also a demand from the people,” he said, adding the survey would have helped the government to direct its welfare programmes to the “last person in society”.

Tejashwi said the caste survey was aimed at ascertaining the economic situation of the people. “This survey was not aimed at any particular caste. It was for all…and sooner or later it will have to be done,” he said. He also said without a caste headcount, neither ensuring equitable development is possible nor poverty and backwardness could be rooted out.

Tejashwi also said the Bihar government’s next move will be decided after going through the verdict. Asked whether the government will challenge the verdict, he said, “Let’s see the verdict…what is the scope..that option is always there. One thing is clear: this (OBC headcount) is bound to happen. In every state we are also committed to it,” he said.

Senior RJD leader Manoj Kumar Jha said the high court’s decision was “unfortunate”. “Such decisions increase the gaps (faasla). The country needs an inclusive model, Bihar needs it more. So the entire legislature, Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister decided to go ahead with it. After all, what else is development? We know one party is happy today that there is a stay on it. We know that whenever the issue of social justice comes up, there are hindrances, sometimes individuals, sometimes parties. But when institutions become ‘avarodak’ then it is painful. Because we have many expectations from institutions,” he said.

Jha was taking aim at the BJP which, wary of the upheaval it may cause, is now not in favour of holding a caste census. Sensing the Modi government’s reluctance, the Opposition is keen to use the issue to create fissures in the BJP’s Hindutva consolidation, thereby seeking to revive the Mandal sentiments afresh. Many in the Opposition feel caste is the best antidote to the BJP’s Hindutva push.

Sources said some of the Opposition parties are in touch with each other to try and work out a common stand on the issue arising out of the court’s stay order.

The SP’s Rajya Sabha MP Javed Ali Khan said, “We have been in favour of a caste-based survey. It is absolutely necessary because in India most of the welfare schemes are fashioned on the basis of population. The last OBC survey was carried out in 1931, there has been no authentic data since then. If a caste survey is conducted, the people belonging to various categories will get their right share what is due to them.” He hoped that they will get relief from the Supreme Court over the high court’s order.