Caste census about rights, representation, not just numbers: Randhawa | Chandigarh News
Chandigarh: Senior Congress functionary and Gurdaspur Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said on Tuesday that the caste census was not merely a matter of numbers but a question of rights and representation.He said accurate enumeration of castes was essential to determine the actual share of OBCs, extremely backward communities, and other disadvantaged sections, and to ensure social justice and fair participation for deprived sections.Randhawa said the concerns raised over the existing caste census process in a joint letter by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were completely justified.He said Congress supported a caste census, but the process must be conducted in an accurate, transparent, and authenticated manner so that every section gets rights and representation in proportion to its actual population.The Congress MP said the use of open-ended questions to record caste details in the current process was a serious cause for concern. If the same caste is recorded under different names, local dialects, or sub-castes, the data will become fragmented, and OBCs, extremely backward communities, and disadvantaged sections will suffer the most as a result, he added.Randhawa said that Congress’s demand was very clear – the existing questionnaire should be withdrawn, and a new questionnaire should be prepared based on a verified caste list.At the same time, a broad consultation should be held with political parties, social experts, backward-class organisations, and the general public to establish a process that commands the confidence of all stakeholders, he said.
