Either Implement Now or Wait for Next Prime Minister...: Rahul Gandhi’s Caste Census Warning
Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, has issued a strong statement urging the government to implement a comprehensive socio-economic caste census aimed at ensuring social justice. Gandhi emphasised that the census is essential to fulfil the Constitution’s promise of justice and equality for all Indians.
“Over 90% of our population is excluded from growth and opportunity,” he said, referring to the Bahujans, Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs, minorities, and the general caste poor, who make up the vast majority of India’s population.
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The caste census, Gandhi asserted, would go beyond simply counting the population. “Like an X-ray, it will reveal who has access to wealth and assets, identify the most marginalised communities, and highlight families lacking basic needs and opportunities.” This data would guide the development of more inclusive policies, including the revision of the current 50% cap on reservations, he asserted.
He concluded with a warning to Prime Minister Narendra Modi: “The people of India have already made their voices heard. Either implement [the caste census] now or wait and watch as the next Prime Minister does so.”
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Addressing the Samvidaan Samaan Sammelan today, Gandhi said that caste census was his mission and he was prepared to pay even a political price for that, noting that it was directly linked to protecting the constitution.
The Raebareli MP asserted that caste census was not merely about counting people, but identifying the level of participation and the control of country’s resources.
The Congress leader then stated that his vision was that wealth should be properly distributed among people and not among five or ten percent people of the country, and underlined his dream that the Dalits, the backwards and the adivasis should also have equal participation and say in country’s affairs and control over its resources.
Underscoring the important of taking everyone along for the progress of the country, the Congress leader gave the example of cylinders in an engine of a vehicle. “I want all the ten engines and not just one, to work”, he remarked as the audience hailed the analogue with applauses.
Reiterating his stance that the fifty percent bar on reservations was not acceptable to him, the Congress leader said that representation and participation should be on the basis of the proportion and percentage of the population, adding that his party will put an end to the fifty percent bar on the reservations.
During his speech at the event, the Congress leader also repeated his allegations that the BJP government was trying to do away with the reservation by way of lateral entry and contractual appointments.
