MoS Maken asks young MPs to oppose caste census

Giving a fresh twist to the caste headcount controversy,a new pressure group of young MPs aligned against caste-based Census...

Giving a fresh twist to the caste headcount controversy,a new pressure group of young MPs aligned against caste-based Census appears to be in the making,spearheaded by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Maken. The junior minister,who incidentally,has Census operations under his charge with the Office of the Registrar General and the Census Commissioner reporting to him,on Thursday wrote an informal letter to all young MPs strongly opposing the idea of caste-based Census and its implementation in the ongoing Census 2011 exercise.

Makens move,coming a day after the Union Cabinet referred the issue to a GoM,has come as a surprise to many. But political observers say it might have the backing of the party leadership as he is unlikely to venture on such an initiative without clearance from the powers that be especially when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has cautioned ministers against speaking out of turn.

The last word is yet to be said in the Congress on the politically sensitive issue with both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi,to whom the letter was also sent,yet to reveal their minds on it.

If we were to accept the proposal to accept caste as a parameter in the Census,we would,for at least the next 10-20 years institutionalise caste rather than development as the national political agenda, Maken said in his letter sent to 67 young MPs,aged between 25 and 45.

He invoked the names of Mahatma Gandhi,Jawaharlal Nehru,Sardar Patel,Ram Manohar Lohia,Indira Gandhi,Rajiv Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee to claim that none of them advocated caste-based Census.

As young,conscience-driven individuals we have served the people and thrived politically on the all inclusive development agenda. After having been vindicated by a decisive mandate for this agenda as late as last year,a regression into the realm of caste being the political agenda for the next decades will not only be disastrous for political practitioners like me,but will also be detrimental for all parties with a developmental agenda, says Maken.

Illustrating worst case scenarios,Maken points out that one of the direct fallouts of the caste-based Census would be a demand from every caste/community to be recognised and enumerated as OBC.

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We are peoples representatives,mandated by them to practice politics in the realm of development aimed to benefit them. Let us implement our mandate and lead,rather than being led by divisive agendas for short-term political gain, Maken says.

Like Mandal,the caste Census will give impetus to sectarian politics,Maken argues. I shudder to think as to what I would do if in a politically surcharged atmosphere,my community demands of me to stand up and ask for an OBC status for them, he says in his letter.

I wrote to my young colleagues in Parliament as I felt strongly about the issue. I hope they take it up with their respective parties,who will,in turn,reflect this view to senior leader Pranab Mukherjee,when he resumes the exercise of holding discussions with political parties, Maken told The Indian Express.

The Finance Minister,who has been entrusted the task of talking to parties on the issue,is likely to hold a second round shortly.

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Within the Congress,there is a strong backward lobby and a number senior ministers who have pro-actively supported the need for a caste headcount. They include Law Minister Veerappa Moily,Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy,Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and Overseas Affairs Minister Vyalar Ravi. But there is also a sizeable section who contend that the step will not only be regressive but also politically damaging for the Congress in the long run.