Bihar caste census: ‘Eye-wash’, says BJP; ‘need at all-India level’, say INDIA allies; top reactions
- As per the report, around 85 percent of the state's population is comprised of EBCs, OBCs, SCs and STs.
The much-awaited caste census report was released by the Bihar government on October 2, which highlighted that the Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) comprise 63 percent of the state's 13 crore-population.
The General category forms 15 percent, Scheduled Caste 19 percent and Scheduled Tribe 1.6 percent. In terms of religion-wise breakup, 81.9 percent of the population are Hindus and 17.7 percent Muslims.
The report, released by the Nitish Kumar-led government, has evoked widespread political reactions, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its NDA allies describing it as an “eye-wash” and “divisive tactic”, whereas, the members of INDIA coalition called it “historic” and demanded the release of a pan-India caste census report.
Here are the top reactions:
“Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar play caste-based politics. Backward class plays a vital role but Nitish Kumar has not done anything for the backward class... Bihar CM has done nothing for the development of the state,” Bihar BJP President Samrat Choudhary said.
Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Giriraj Singh said the caste census will do nothing more than “spreading 'bhrahm' (misunderstanding) among the poor” of the state. "They should have given a report card that Nitish Kumar ruled the state for 18 years and Lalu Yadav ruled the state for 15 years but did not develop the state. Report card of caste census is just an eye wash"
Lok Janshakti Party chief Chirag Paswan said the Janata Dal (United), headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is trying to “divide” the people of Bihar. "We had said earlier that JD(U) will be segmented and in the coming days, JD(U) will be wiped out...Some people in Bihar are creating a divide on the basis of caste and religion. People of the state do not trust CM Nitish Kumar due to his policies."
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), a constituent of the INDIA coalition, said a similar caste census report should be released on a national level. "Caste census should be done across the country. If you (Centre) want to do justice with backward classes and minorities in the country, you must have caste census," AAP MP Sanjay Singh.
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, while speaking to reporters in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, said the exercise would be replicated if the party wins the state elections later this year. “I have always supported this. If Congress comes to power in Madhya Pradesh, we will also get a caste-based census done in Madhya Pradesh,” he said.
Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Bihar CM and chief of the RJD, a constituent of the state government, said the release of the caste census report is a “historic” moment in the country's history.
“Despite many conspiracies of BJP, legal hurdles and all the conspiracies, today Bihar government released the caste-based survey. These figures will set an example for the country in making holistic planning for proper development and progress of the deprived, neglected and poor and in giving representation to marginalized groups in proportion to the population,” Yadav said.
A section of analysts on social media expressed their support for the exercise undertaken by the Bihar government. “Hopefully, it will catalyze another spiral of social justice politics, which learns from past mistakes and takes the questions of Bahujan cultural-ideological diversity and internal inequalities seriously. Bihar leads the way,” Khalid Anis Ansari, Associate Professor of Sociology, Aziz Premji University, tweeted.
"Congratulations Bihar. We need caste census on all India level," veteran journalist Nikhil Wagle posted on X.
“This is the biggest thing in a while. Bihar has released caste survey figures. The first census data of 'all' castes in a state since 1931. Data confirms what anti-caste scholars and politicians have been saying for a while: UCs only 15% of population. Bahujans 85% (sic),” tweeted Shireen Azam, who is pursuing a PhD on caste among Muslims at the Oxford University.
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Business NewsPoliticsBihar caste census: ‘Eye-wash’, says BJP; ‘need at all-India level’, say INDIA allies; top reactions
First Published:2 Oct 2023, 04:03 PM IST
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