In a significant move, Chief Minister M K Stalin has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to conduct a caste census along with the Devadasi population census. This request comes after a resolution was successfully moved in the Tamil Nadu State Assembly on Wednesday.In his official letter to the Prime Minister, Stalin enclosed a copy of the Assembly resolution and sought Modi’s personal intervention to integrate caste-based census data with the national decadal census, advocating for the immediate commencement of census operations.
Highlighting the importance of inclusive development, Stalin remarked, “As a developing country, the fruits of development must reach all sections of society, particularly the most marginalized.” He emphasized that census data has historically been crucial for framing policies and targeting specific interventions aimed at the socio-economic upliftment of the underprivileged.
Stalin further argued that the social structure in India, where caste plays a significant role in determining social mobility and economic prospects, necessitates the availability of caste-based socio-economic data in the public domain. “In a country like India, the social milieu influences the mobility of various communities across economic levels. As caste has historically been a key determinant of the prospects of social progress in our society, it is essential that caste-based socio-economic census data is made available in the public domain,” the Chief Minister asserted.
He also pointed out the legal importance of such data, stating, “When laws and acts are enacted based on verifiable socio-economic indicators drawn from the decadal Census Report, it gets legal validity. However, no contemporary data is available since the last caste census, which was conducted in India in 1931.”
Stalin highlighted the Supreme Court’s emphasis on the need for quantifiable data relating to the socio-economic and educational status of various castes, communities, and tribes. He noted that several judgments have underscored this need for the classification of Backward Classes and Most Backward Classes.
