What's Need For OBC Headcount?: Sushil Modi Explains Why A Nationwide Caste Census Is Unnecessary

Calling the conduct of a caste census extremely challenging at the national level, former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi cited the difficulties faced by previous caste census in an interview with Indian Express.

"Even in 1931, data of all castes was not collected — only a limited number of castes were counted. A caste census happened in 1941, but the data was never released. While withholding the data, the census commissioner said there were huge logistical problems in its enumeration," he said.

He pointed out that in 1951, the Nehru government decided to enumerate only SCs and STs, as they already had political reservations proportional to their population. The decision was reaffirmed in 2010 by then-Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, he claimed.

"Moreover, the Registrar General of India – which conducts the Census – has held that it (caste census) is logistically not possible. The central Urban and Rural Development ministries conducted the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) in 2011 under pressure from UPA constituents (the data was never released)," he added.

"When the Centre attempted a caste census in 2010-11, it found there are 46 lakh castes, whereas if you add the Mandal Commission findings with the various state lists, you will get hardly 5,000 castes. That is why the government did not release the data," he explained.

Questioning the need for a caste census, Modi pointed out that OBCs do not have political reservations. He asserted that counting castes, even at the state level, is intricate due to the myriad identifiers like sub-castes, clans, and titles.

Pointing towards caste census in other states like Karnataka and Telangana, which never released the data after conducting surveys, he called it "a humongous exercise" that needs "a lot of groundwork".

Asking the caste survey to limit up to SCs and STs, he said, 'It is easier among SCs and STs, as the lists are ready and all that is required is the coding and entry of the data. Schemes and plans are also made for the category as a whole, and not for individual groups within the SCs and the STs."

Modi pointed out that OBCs are winning elections in large numbers without political reservation. "Nineteen out of 40 Bihar MPs are OBC, which is almost 50 per cent. OBCs don’t need political reservation; all they need are job and education reservation, which is already available," he said.

Despite not having a caste census, the Modi government has implemented various OBC empowerment schemes, especially the EBCs, according to him. He explained that the BJP supports the idea of a caste census but opposes using it for societal division.

"It hardly matters whether OBCs are 52 per cent or 63 per cent of the population; if you want to devise schemes for their empowerment, you can do it. OBCs are with the BJP in the largest numbers, because we have worked for them even without a caste census," Sushil Modi said.

Claiming that the opposition wouldn't benefit from caste census, he said, "This isn’t the BJP of 1991. The BJP’s PM and face is Narendra Modi, an OBC. The BJP has a large OBC component among its legislators. It is the favourite party of the OBCs."