NuzTube INDIA
In India, caste remains a paradox—at once an undeniable social reality and a conveniently ignored subject until election season returns. Over the past three decades, political parties have leveraged caste dynamics to win elections under the guise of social justice. However, this strategy has often evolved into superficial “social engineering”—offering selective representation without restructuring access to real power, institutions, or resources.
While marginal political shifts occurred, structural inequalities stayed intact, benefiting dominant communities disproportionately. The proposed caste census, now approved by the government after sustained opposition pressure, could finally offer a clear view of how skewed representation truly is in modern India.
Historically, caste enumeration has been a politically charged issue. During British rule, census operations stirred anxiety among upper-caste Hindus concerned about their shrinking numerical dominance, as reflected in U.N. Mukherji’s 1909 essay A Dying Race. This anxiety still echoes in contemporary caste politics.
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar aptly noted that India’s census had become more about political arithmetic than demographic truth. Communities have often sought to inflate their numbers to gain greater political leverage, often at the expense of marginalized groups like the Scheduled Castes.
Ironically, while SCs/STs are counted because they benefit from reservations, upper castes, enjoying inherited privileges, have remained largely “casteless” in public policy. The Other Backward Classes (OBCs)—despite being recognized by the Mandal Commission for reservations—have long remained absent from official caste counts.
Adding complexity is the EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) reservation category introduced by the current government. It moved the debate from caste-based to income-based reservations, challenging the foundational logic of India’s affirmative action framework. Yet, the recent announcement to include caste in the census—despite earlier resistance—signals strategic electoral recalibration as major states like Bihar, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Kerala head to polls.
This development is also linked to broader reforms like delimitation and the Women’s Reservation Bill. The caste census could reshape political representation and resource distribution in profound ways—if its data is respected and acted upon.
Ambedkar, in Thoughts on Linguistic States, warned that caste is not just about inequality but graded inequality, where caste hierarchies are ranked by both hatred and contempt. Only a caste census can reveal the depth of this social gradient.
Now that caste is back in the political spotlight, the real question is: will governments and civil society have the integrity to use the data for true reform—or will it be buried again under electoral expediency?
