RSS oppose caste-based census

RSS flag

Even as its political wing, the Bharatiya Janata Party, is rooting for counting of the other backward castes (OBC), the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Sunday came out strongly against caste-based census.

Its general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi said here on Sunday that any move to classify people on caste lines would deal a blow to social harmony and fabric.

"Since its inception, the RSS is striving for establishing a casteless society. But the recent demand for identifying people on caste basis, especially with a view to ascertaining OBCs strength, will cause social friction and nullify all efforts of RSS and other social organisations to bring about social harmony in the country," said Joshi.


"Even the architect of Constitution Babasaheb Ambedkar had envisioned a caste-free society and the demand for OBC count will go against the letter and spirit of Constitution and lead to social tensions," Joshi told a hurriedly called press conference.

He was quick to point out that the Sangh was per se not against granting reservation to the OBCs. "But that issue needs to be debated at national level. An OBC in one state does not enjoy the status in another state. There is at present no fixed and defined criteria for OBC classification. The criteria need to be standardized before the next step of granting privileges is taken up," said Joshi. As long as census restricted itself to the SC and ST, it was fine with the RSS, he said.

Asked why the RSS had failed to communicate its feelings to BJP, Joshi said it would do so but sought to dismiss the aggressive stand taken by BJP leaders like Gopinath Munde as 'political view of some party.' He said the RSS was firmly against castebased identification because of its social ramifications.

"It would nullify the efforts of organisations working for social unity," Joshi maintained.

The RSS functionary also pointed out that no provision was made in census to identify illegal migrants and keep them off the official count. "This is a worrisome matter. Because the census figures will also form the database for the National Population Register (NPR) on which the multi-purpose Unique Identity Documents (UID) are proposed to be issued. The Sangh believes that integrating such illegal migrants through the census process would compromise with the national security. Any individual should be included in the census only after ascertaining his or her nationality," Joshi stressed. Instead of relying on the NPR data, the UID should use the National Register of Citizens that the government set up in 2003, he added.