Caste will be the focal point of discussions in the upcoming RSS Samanwaya meeting — the biggest annual coordination meet of the Sangh and its affiliates along with BJP — in Kerala later this month, with the organisation entering a recalibration phase. All affiliated groups have been instructed to present ground reports on the emerging caste fault lines across states, News18 has learnt.
In the wake of LoP Rahul Gandhi’s persistent thrust on caste issues and growing demands from various allies of the NDA for a comprehensive caste census, the debate over the publication of caste data has resurfaced. Despite the shifting focus, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) remains opposed to the idea of caste census or publication of caste data.
The three-day-long meeting assumes huge significance, given the BJP’s slides in some important states, including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and West Bengal in the Lok Sabha elections. Apart from the political post mortem of elections and the results, the functionaries and representatives of all RSS affiliates and the BJP are likely to discuss the future course of action as four states — J&K, Haryana, Jharkhand and Maharashtra — will be going to polls this year.
A senior RSS functionary said the coordinating meeting is about all kinds of social and cultural work that RSS and its affiliate organisations do. Apart from that, in the meeting, presided by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, the organisations discuss contemporary political situation and talk about increased cohesion among its cadres.
Not in favour of ‘caste data’ publication
With Rahul Gandhi upping the ante against the Modi government over representation of SC, ST and OBCs in several spheres of social, organisational, professional sectors, specifically in government jobs and in the structure of politics, caste has been emerging as the most defining and polarising factor in the current political scenario, said a senior RSS functionary.
“In the RSS, we have always dismissed all caste-related biases. We have always talked about casteism as a dividing tool in Hindu society. Our volunteers work hard across villages to bring people together irrespective of caste and religion. We have always advocated, in some places we spearheaded movements, for everyone to get entry in temples. However, the RSS never wants the caste data to go public as this may create further division in the society,” said the senior functionary.
This renewed focus brings all political parties back to the drawing board about caste census and the events surrounding the 2011 Census, a landmark exercise that has since been a topic of considerable discussion and controversy.
What happened in 2011
During the 2011 Census, India embarked on a significant demographic survey, which included the collection of caste data. This was the first time in decades that such data was systematically gathered, providing a crucial snapshot of the country’s social fabric.
However, the process of compiling and publishing this data has been fraught with complexities. During the elaborate process of Census, the government collected detailed information on the socio-economic status of various caste groups, sub-groups and the data on Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) was released. However, the data on Other Backward Classes (OBCs) was withheld, citing political and administrative concerns.
There were fears that the publication of detailed caste data could lead to increased demands for reservations, further fragmenting social cohesion and leading to political instability. Consequently, despite the extensive data collection, the specifics regarding the OBC population were not made public, leading to widespread criticism from various quarters.
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