Let us all Say in Census: I am a Dalit
Posted on 08. May, 2010 by Ajay Goyal in All Write, India
India is set do a national census and for the first time in its independent history on caste basis. Every Indian has to find and reveal his or her cast. I fear this will set the stage for a generation of conflict in India.
Just as the some segments of middle India were beginning to move away from centuries old divisions of caste, Manmohan Singh-Sonia Gandhi government will institutionalize caste divisions and stigma forever. As if the numerous social and economic divisions of India were not enough, they have decided to resurrect the plague of India just as it was about to be banished by educated Indians.
Caste adherence today determines which part of India is still in stone age. Only the most primitive of India determine their relations with fellow Indians based on caste. Only in the most backward regions of the country caste based discrimination is still practiced. It is fueled by politicians and the policies on reservations and caste based favours.
Indians would have done away with caste long ago – it is the politicians who have kept the caste system alive. Now, a census that includes caste will make caste system constitutional. India is moving straight into the 10th century of this census goes ahead.
It is rare for middle class Indians in nations’ metropolises, students in national universities, workers at swank software companies or in general any educated Indians to now know or care about the caste of their fellows citizens. Now they will.
The last time a caste based census was done in India was 80 years ago and it was conducted by the British. The British rulers needed to know how they could divide and rule. They figured early that the only way for them to rule India was by accentuating the regional, religious and caste differences. Congress party rule has been formed on the basis of British manual on divide and rule. But even by the mean and divisive standards of Congress, a caste based census goes too far. Sonia Gandhi and her allies in government want to know how they can pander to some castes, do proper and scientific “social engineering,” carve our new states, create new vote banks and perfect their divisive skills to stay in power. They claim to have given into demands from caste leaders like Lallu Yadav and Mulayam Yadav whose whole political careers are built on caste. I suspect this is complete nonsense. Manmohan Singh risked fall of his government when he had to stand up for American nuclear lobby in the Indian parliament. He can take a stand if he wishes to. If there is one issue on which he could honorably resign – it is this one. To give in would be a most shameful surrender to caste demagogues of India. His own Home Minister did an about face within an hour after telling the parliament that caste based census was against the basic spirit of the Indian Republic. Now he thinks it is not.
I do not know what caste my neighbors are. Most urban Indians don’t. For the first time in my life they will not just be male and female or certain ages, good or bad people – they will be distinguished by a pre-historic caste system that has been the longest lingering shame of India. The implications are far reaching and disturbing.
This will set the stage for modern India to be demographically divided in caste. It will rekindle old animosities and reactions. It will weaken and divide India forever. We will be the laughing stock of the world to allow such tribal thinking to be used in a national census. There is only way for India and Indians to go forward in the face of such divisive policies — Satyagraha and non-coperation.
I intend to say in the census ” I am a Dalit.” Let all Indians rise up and say “I am a Dalit” in response to this divisive politics. Let us end this politics of division, of reservation, of favour and corruption now. Let us acknowledge what shameful legacy of caste we Indians have been given by our forefathers and refuse to reenact it through the census. Let us once and for all all face it down and bury it. If the leaders of ruling party have a stand on this, now is the time to take it. If puppet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his puppet master Sonia Gandhi truly really wish to demolish the caste system, let them advise the first citizen of India, President of the Republic to either refuse to answer the question in census or declare – I Am a Dalit.
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