With the Narendra Modi-led NDA government announcing the inclusion of caste enumeration in the forthcoming population Census, all eyes are now on how this decision would play out in the Bihar Assembly polls due in October-November this year. Both the ruling NDA and the Opposition INDIA alliance are claiming “victory” for the Centre's move. In an interview with The Indian Express, JD(U) working president and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha spoke on various aspects of the issue. Excerpts: How do you see the Modi government's caste census announcement? We welcome it. Our party and our leader (Nitish Kumar) have always been demanding this. Nitish Kumar was the first Chief Minister to even implement this in Bihar. We are part of the government at the Centre and it is an NDA decision. This will be a huge boost to the socio-economic condition of the disadvantaged in the country. Based on caste data, central schemes can be planned in a better and more targeted way. We have done this in Bihar. But the BJP was hitherto seen to be dragging its feet over the Opposition's caste census demand. What did then change? It is not true that the BJP has been opposed to caste census. It is a misinformation spread by the Congress. Yes, Nitish Kumar has been raising it for a long time. He even met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021 over this. But, the decision to do a caste survey in Bihar was taken by a Cabinet of which the BJP was a part. In Bihar, the BJP has always supported it. But the Opposition is now claiming it has forced NDA’s hand? They (Opposition) should not fool people. Why didn’t they do it when they were in power at the Centre. Eventually, PM Modi had to do it. And that’s what people will remember. In fact, Nitish Kumar left the INDIA alliance precisely on this issue. Nitish Kumar had proposed in its Bengaluru meeting that the issue of caste census be included in the alliance’s agenda. Congress then said it would be discussed at the Mumbai meeting. When it was pushed again in the Mumbai meeting, the TMC opposed. Congress then put it on backburner, saying it would be taken up later. Nitish Kumar had then told me, 'They won't be able to do it.' That was the trigger for him to walk out. The lists of backward classes differ between states and are also different at the Centre. Should they be merged into a Central list following the Census? You are right, the Centre and states have different lists and having a common list is a complicated affair. But it is too early a stage to talk about it. Let the Census happen first. Once the details come, we can sit and decide how the nitty-gritty of it is going to be worked out. I am sure there will be a wider consultation involving all parties and all states. In Bihar, following the caste survey, you increased reservations to 65%. Do you propose the same at the central level following the caste census? Once the headcount is done, we will all sit together and decide what kind of affirmative action needs to be taken. I am sure, whatever is required for the upliftment of the marginalised sections of the society will be done by the government. But the decision to increase reservations in Bihar has run foul of the courts? The legal battle for reservations in Bihar is going on. As far any such legal issues are concerned at the central level, I am sure the government has already thought about it. If the government has shown the political will to do a caste census, it will also find its way around any legal issues.
