New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the conduct of a caste-based census. A delegation of ten political parties was also present in the meeting. "Prime minister listened to all members of the delegation on caste census in the state. We urged the PM to take an appropriate decision on it. We briefed him on how resolutions have been passed twice in the state assembly on caste census," said Nitish Kumar after the meeting.
"People in Bihar and the entire country are of the same opinion on this issue. We are grateful to the PM for listening to us. Now, he has to take a decision on it," added Kumar.
"Our delegation met the PM today not only for caste census in the state (Bihar) but in the entire country. We are awaiting a decision on this now," said Tejashwi Yadav (Rashtriya Janata Dal leader). The caste-based census will help in preparing welfare schemes for people from different sections of society, he added.
"Two resolutions have been passed in Bihar Assembly for caste census in the state. With such a census we can get data that can help in preparing relevant benefit schemes for people from different sections of society," Yadav said addressing media.
Prominent members of the delegation included Minister for Education and Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Kumar Choudhary (Janata Dal-United), former chief minister and president of Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) Jitan Ram Manjhi, Ajeet Sharma (Congress), Minister Janak Ram, Mahboob Alam (Communist Party of India -Marxist), Akhtarul Imam (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen), Minister Mukesh Sahni (Vikassheel Insaan Party), Suryakant Paswan (Communist Party of India) and Ajay Kumar of CPI(M).
It should be noted that the state's consistent demand for the caste-based census was not yet acceded by the Centre. Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, in a written reply in Lok Sabha on July 20 had said, "The Government of India has decided as a matter of policy not to enumerate caste-wise populations other than SCs and STs in the census."
"The Office of the Registrar General, India had provided logistics and technical support in conducting the SECC-2011. The raw caste data has been provided to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) for the classification and categorization of the data. As informed by MoSJE, there is no proposal to release the caste data at this stage," as per Home Ministry's statement based on caste-related details from the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011.
Meanwhile, the Bihar government has been pressing on the demand. "The demand of the caste census is not just the demand from Bihar but other states also. The Opposition parties in Bihar also wanted to meet the Prime Minister with us. We had written a letter to the Prime Minister regarding this," said Nitish Kumar.
"We want a caste-based census and it is our long-standing demand. A caste-based census will help all castes to get their exact numbers so that policies can be made accordingly. Caste census is in the interest of all. It is for the benefit of the country. It is the job of the central government to take a decision regarding the caste census. It is not a political issue but a social one," Kumar said earlier.
CM Kumar had also said a resolution regarding the caste-based census was passed unanimously in Bihar Legislative Assembly as well as the Legislative Council in 2019. A resolution was passed unanimously once again in 2020 in the state Legislative Assembly.
Also read: We will ask PM to conduct caste census in Bihar: CM Nitish Kumar
