Anand Sharma has written a letter to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge.Congress leader Anand Sharma today expressed his opposition to Rahul Gandhi’s promise for a caste census asserting that the party never endorsed identity politics. In a letter addressed to party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sharma said that the Congress party does not align with nor advocate for identity politics, emphasising its potential harm to the democratic fabric.
A demand for caste census may be misinterpreted as disrespecting the Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, he added.
“In my humble opinion, this (caste census) will be misconstrued as disrespecting the legacy of Indira ji and Rajiv ji…” Sharma wrote.
The senior Congress leader quoted Indira Gandhi’s statement of 1980 “Na jaat par na paat par, mohar lagegi haath par”; Rajiv Gandhi’s “…We have problems if casteism is going to be made a factor for parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies…” to explain his point.
“Congress as a mass movement has always encouraged internal discussion and debate on issues of national importance and formulation of policies on social issues….social and economic backwardness has always been the sole guiding criteria for affirmative action,” Anand Sharma wrote.
Caste census, a caste-wise tabulation of India’s population which is an election promise of the Grand Old Party, can’t be a panacea or a solution for unemployment and prevailing inequalities, Sharma added.
“A fundamental departure from time honoured policy on this critical and sensitive subject has major long-term national implications,” the letter added.
“As a party with inclusive approach, the Congress should strive to reclaim its role as builder of national consensus and build a harmonious society. The articulation of Party position should be balanced and eschew the radical posturing of regional and caste based organisations,” Anand Sharma wrote adding that his letter is in the spirit of transparency, democratic discussion and freedom of expression that the Congress always believed in.
Caste census is a major poll plank for Rahul Gandhi ahead of the Lok Sabha election 2024. In his recently concluded Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, spanning from the East to the West of the country, Gandhi raised the issue several times.
The caste census has been included in the party’s poll promises. Mallikarjun Kharge has also promised that a nationwide caste census, termed ‘Ginati Karo,’ would be conducted to comprehensively evaluate the socio-economic and political standing of all communities.
The Congress has also pledged a constitutional amendment to raise the current 50% cap on reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Bihar, under the Mahagathbandhan coalition, and the Congress-ruled Karnataka have already undertaken caste census initiatives.
Anand Sharma, a lifelong member of the Congress party, said that while certain alliance members have long pursued caste-based politics, the Congress’s approach to social justice is rooted in a mature and nuanced understanding of the intricacies within Indian society.