Press Release
WPI demanded OBC Caste Census
New Delhi
August 27th,2021
Welfare Party of India calls Modi government’s opposition to caste census -“hypocrisy” and demanded OBC enumeration with full-fledged caste census.
Dr SQR Ilyas National President of Welfare Party of India strongly opposed the Modi government’s stand not to make caste a part of the census and said Other Back ward Classes (OBC) represent a major chunk of country’s populations, and many welfare schemes and other affirmative action programmes are based on caste.
He pointed out the landmark Indra Sawhney judgment of the Supreme Court which directed the government to hold census every ten years in order to screen out the privileged castes from the benefits of reservations .
He questioned the intention of Modi government as well as the previous governments in failing to collect data on educational and economic profile of castes even though, they claimed to be the actual benefactors of OBC but in real have done little to ensure social justice by seperating the “grain from the chaff” as many genuine OBC categories are omitted from the list.
He said even those who believe that educational and job opportunities are based on ‘class’ and not on ‘caste’, must not oppose but welcome caste-wise enumeration in the census and said if reservation must be based on verifiable empirical evidence then Census is the only way to do it.
Dr Ilyas said, the denial for caste census by Modi government is politically implicated as there is a fear that the OBC support may shift and regional parties may become strong competitors in mobilisation of OBC, if census figures are revealed.
Issued by
Media Coordinator
