05-05-2025
India After Caste Census Will Face Many Questions: What Congress Is Likely To Push For Next
In the Congress' scheme of things, the caste census should be taken to a logical end by removing 50 percent ceiling on jobs and education quota, setting up of a separate backward classes ministry, job reservation in the private sector, and proportional representation – 'Jiski jitni sankhya bhaari, uski utni hissedari' at all levels of political, social, professional hierarchies.
The idea of forcing a caste census was crystallised in the 'Delhi Declaration' adopted at a National OBC Conclave held at the Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi on December 21, 2021. This conclave was organised by the Samruddha Bharat Foundation, a trust sympathetic to the Congress ideology and programmes. Speakers from six parties and across sectors spoke at the event. These included Sharad Yadav (former union minister, since deceased), Lalu Prasad Yadav (RJD president), Chhagan Bhujbal (now with NCP-Ajit Pawar), D Raja (CPI General Secretary), TKS Elangovan (DMK MP), Prof Manoj Jha (RJD MP), Shyam S Yadav (BSP MP), Capt Ajay Yadav (former Haryana minister), Rajesh Lilothia (former MLA), Manikrao Thakre (former Mumbai Congress unit president), Madhu Yakshi Goud (former MP), Rev. Sunil Sardar (President, Satyashodhak Samaj), Prof Dilip Mandal (former Managing Editor, Outlook Hindi, now a BJP supporter), Dr Arvind Kumar (Assistant Professor, Jamia Millia Islamia), Dr Laxman Yadav (Assistant Professor, Zakir Hussain College), Prof Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd (Director, Centre for Studies of Social Exclusion, Maulana Azad National Urdu University) and Pushparaj Deshpande (Director, Samruddha Bharat Foundation).
