Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Anand Sharma, in a letter to party president Mallikarjun Kharge, has questioned the party’s poll promise to hold a nationwide caste census, and said it could be construed as contradicting the position taken by late Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
Ms. Sharma said the caste census cannot be a panacea nor a solution to unemployment and inequalities in society, and held that “the Congress has never engaged in nor endorsed identity politics”.
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The CWC member’s letter, written on March 19, has been sent to all CWC members, leaders of the Congress Legislature Party and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chiefs. Mr. Sharma mentioned that the party’s leadership should have strived for internal consensus among party workers at the district-level as well as the State units.
He also quoted Indira Gandhi’s slogan, Na jaat par na paat par, Mohar lagegi Haath par [Neither caste or creed but the vote will be for the hand symbol], and Rajiv Gandhi’s call to eschew “casteism in politics”.
“Departure from the historic position is a matter of concern for many Congressmen and women across the country. It calls for reflection. In my humble opinion, this will be misconstrued as disrespecting the legacy of Indiraji and Rajivji,” Mr. Sharma said.
He mentioned that the last national-level caste census was done in 1931 and since then, every successive government had avoided undertaking such an exercise.
“All Census Commissioners, after Independence, have recorded their reasons and disapproval of a national caste census citing overlap, duplication, data lacking in accuracy and doubtful authenticity. In my considered view, a caste census cannot be a panacea nor a solution for unemployment and the prevailing inequalities. A fundamental departure from the time-honoured policy on this critical and sensitive subject has major long-term national implications,” Mr. Sharma said.
He added that the Congress should strive to reclaim its role as builder of national consensus and build a harmonious society. “The articulation of party position should be balanced and should eschew the radical posturing of regional and caste-based organisations,” he noted.
‘Decision taken last year’
Reacting to the letter, Chandan Yadav, a secretary in the All India Congress Committee (AICC), said the decision to hold a caste-based census at the national level was a “historic one” that was taken at the Raipur Plenary session in February 2023.
“By questioning that decision at this moment, Anand Sharma is undermining the massive outreach to the subaltern class by Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party,” Mr. Yadav said, adding that such leaders had always refused to acknowledge the legitimate aspirations of the marginalised majority.
