Will caste census open a Pandora’s box for Nitish in Bihar?

A day after the Supreme Court upheld the validity of the 103rd constitutional amendment, which provided 10 per cent reservation for the economically weaker sections (EWS), a new debate in the country has erupted over the continuation of the quota system for those who are economically backward as well as those who are socially and educationally marginalised.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, while lauding the Supreme Court ruling, was arguably the first leader from the Hindi heartland to demand that the 50 per cent reservation ceiling be raised. He also pitched for a fresh caste census. For, only a fresh caste census will estimate the population of the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Castes (OBCs), and Extremely Backward Castes (EBCs), which together constitute a large chunk of the population (nearly 85 per cent) compared to the upper castes (around 15 per cent). The last caste census was conducted in 1931, nearly 90 years ago.

Read | Explained: What is the EWS quota? Who can benefit from it?

“The Supreme Court ruling is a welcome sign. But it is high time to raise the 50 per cent reservation ceiling. The cap (on the 50 per cent quota) deprives the OBCs and the EEBCs of their opportunities in proportion to their population,” said Nitish, who has already ordered a caste census in Bihar.

This caste census, likely to begin within the next month, will collect information, including estimating the population of various castes as well as their economic status. “Based on their economic status, we will meticulously plan how to uplift the marginalised sections and provide succour to them through budgetary provisions. In fact, we have demanded the caste census be held throughout the country. This will help in planning for each and every section that has been left behind so far,” said Nitish, making a fresh appeal for a caste census at the national level.

The Bihar Cabinet, headed by Nitish Kumar, has already passed a proposal in June itself to conduct a caste-based census in the state. Interestingly, Nitish was then part of the NDA and running a government in Bihar with the help of its former ally, the BJP. The State BJP had then reluctantly agreed to Nitish’s proposal as the Central leadership of the BJP in general and Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai in particular had clearly ruled out holding such caste census, with the latter even making a statement in the Parliament ruling out caste-based census.

Incidentally, it was Nitish who took the initiative and led an all-party delegation from Bihar to meet the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August last year and demand a country-wide caste census. The demand was, however, never accepted, nor did the BJP give any indication that it appreciated Nitish’s idea for a caste-based census. It was this delicate issue that brought the two arch-rivals, the JD (U) and the RJD, closer, as both were on the same page on the issue of the caste census. That the two regional forces eventually aligned and formed a government in Bihar in August, after Nitish dumped the BJP, is now part of history.

The Nitish regime, meanwhile, has allocated Rs 500 crore for conducting the caste-based census and set the target to finish this arduous task by the end of the current financial year. The task has been assigned to the General Administration Department (GAD), which, in turn, has appointed the district magistrates (DMs) of every district as the nodal officers for conducting the caste-based census in their respective districts. In the process, all castes and subcastes will be counted and notified during the mammoth exercise.

Challenges ahead

But there are many challenges waiting in the wings for Bihar, which has a population of over 12 crore. “The real challenge is to generate scientific and authentic data on such a large number of castes and sub-castes through self-declaration. The biggest apprehension is that, with little education base and awareness on socio-economic indicators, this exercise, if carried out by untrained manpower, may lead to more social chaos and heartburn,” opined noted educationist Prof Shankar Kumar of the Patna University.

Nitish is already in the line of fire by the upper castes, as his biggest ally, the RJD, has publicly expressed its displeasure over the apex court ruling, which upheld the validity of the 103rd constitutional amendment carried out to provide 10 per cent reservation for the EWS among upper castes. The recently-held by-election in Bihar also provided clear evidence that Nitish’s popularity, compared to 2005, 2010, and 2015, is at an all-time low, and the social group or caste whom he backed has not stood by him like it used to do a decade ago. While one of the Grand Alliance candidates romped home in Mokama by a slender margin, the BJP won the second seat in Gopalganj, despite the fact that it was pitted against the Grand Alliance, which has seven political parties under its umbrella: the JD (U), RJD, Congress, CPI, CPM, CPI-ML, and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM.

“The bypoll results also indicate that a large chunk of EBCs are upset with the OBCs, particularly the Kurmis (Nitish’s fellow castemen) and Yadavs (Lalu’s castemen), who, over the last three decades, have cornered the benefits of reservation and extracted their pound of flesh while prospering socially, educationally, and economically in the post-Mandal era,” argued veteran political commentator Ajay Kumar.

“It’s good that a caste-based census is being carried out in the state. It will shed much light on who has benefited the most, particularly among the OBCs, while the EBCs continue to be marginalised. The data will also show whether such backwards who have thrived (in the name of reservations) should continue to avail the quota system or allow those left behind to avail the benefits and prosper,” opined the political analyst.