Priyanka Tiwari
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Suspense crime, Digital Desk : Political tussles between the NDA and Opposition have surfaced after the Indian government approved the inclusion of caste enumeration in the next national census. While the BJP claims it’s a sign of Modi’s decisive leadership, the Congress along regional parties argue it was the infringement of ruling opposition which led to this decision.
Congress: From Reservation Critique to Social Justice Champion
OBCs and Dalits who are members of the Other Backward Class, along with women were encouraged by Rahul Gandhi to actively participate during the voting in the Women’s Reservation Bill debate held in 2023. Moreover, he emphasized that these groups need more representation which makes it necessary for caste enumeration to ensure equitable participation.
However, this statement is indeed a stark contrast to the strategy the party had prior. During the assembled debate over the Mandal commission, Rajiv Gandhi who is the father of Rahul and the former Prime Minister of India openly denounced reservation based on caste identifiers. The opposition was in favor of implementing the recommendations and Rajiv used his background as a commanding force to oppose VP Singh’s controversial decision to endorse the Commission’s recommendations.
Only a splinter group in India under V.P. Singh acted on the Mandal Commission Report over a decade after it was received. The Congress government received it in 1980 but did nothing with it. This political move by Rahul Gandhi highlights a social justice engagement shift to mend a recalibrated endeavor toward reconciliation politics.
BJP and RSS: Defending Their Positions and Making Adjustments
Previously opposed to caste enumeration, the BJP changed its approach to embrace this practice. In 2021, they stated in Parliament that they would not be gathering data on castes below SC and ST. As a response to losing the majority for the first time since 2014 due to decreased support from OBCs, the BJP shifted their position after the 2024 general elections.
Came this change, the more pragmatic approach taken by the ideologically guiding force to the BJP, the RSS, which in 2023 witnessed its chief, Mohan Bhagwat, acknowledge the potential value of data pertaining to welfare schemes with a caution against political misuse. His meeting with the Prime Minister the day prior to the announcement suggests a coordinated strategy aligned on this pivot.
Regional Parties Also Stake Claim
Regional heavyweights like the Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal also took the credit. They underlined the roles played by Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad Yadav in sustanng caste politics and advocating for enumeration.
These parties regard the pronouncement as a response to the call for decades-long census of comprehensive caste headcount inThesc policies and social welfare policies.
Political Stakes and the Road Ahead
The moving forward with census of a caste based headcount is a game changer in India’s political story. In the case of BJP, it is a way of trying to grab back their OBC support and undermine the Mandal 2.0 narrative that ate into the votes of the suffering Dalit-OBC-Muslim alliance dominant in the opposition in critical hindi heartland states.
In the case of Congress and INDIA bloc, the agenda shifts to defending the representation against BJP Hindu consolidation and pushing the agenda of development without discrimination. Since access of data on caste will shape discourse on reservations and policy frameworks of welfare between political parties, they are adjusting to the new narrative to be shaped.
