http://timesofindia
OBC leaders bat for caste census, question 50% ceiling on quota
TNN, May 7, 2010, 01.46am IST
NEW DELHI: It needed the blunt wisdom of former prime minister H D
Deve Gowda to put the matter in perspective. A caste census was
needed, he said, as it would determine whether the current 50% ceiling
on reservations imposed by the Supreme Court could be sustained at all
or needed to be breached.
The "humble farmer", in one of his rare appearances in Lok Sabha, and
even rarer on the front row next to that doughty caste warrior Lalu
Prasad, said the rising aspirations of backward castes could not be
accommodated within the 27% OBC quota that had been fixed post-Mandal.
"It cannot be done... the ceiling is not realistic," he said.
Deve Gowda has never really shied from being upfront about his quota
politics but it was Lalu who stole the show with his vintage mix of
humour and aggression. He advised a BJP MP who interrupted him of his
plans to pray that he be reborn a Yadav in Bihar. "Did not Krishna
tell Arjun that the soul is eternal," the RJD chief asked.
It was time, said Lalu, that "hamari counting ho jaye". A proper
headcount of OBCs would really set into motion delivery of social
justice to those who have been on the sidelines of society for
hundreds of years. Though he imbued it with a degree of mystery, there
was not much doubt about what Lalu thought the results of a caste
census would be.
The undertone of the caste debate that drew support from every corner
of the House with even CPI veteran Gurudas Dasgupta acknowledging the
"reality" of caste, was highly political as OBC heavyweights saw a
census as the launchpad for more agressive backward mobilisation.
Their target was clearly the SC's 50% bar which has withstood poltical
pressure while frustrating the political class's efforts to enhance
quotas.
For leaders like Lalu, JD(U)'s Sharad Yadav and Samajwadi Party's
Mulayam Singh Yadav, quotas are perhaps as reflexive as waking up but
interestingly, with no party immune from the pressure of backward
politics unleashed by the Mandal revolution, virtually the entire
House supported caste census.
It was left to BJP -- not to differ -- but add the party agenda for
indentification of illegal immigrants to the debate though it fielded
OBC leader and former Maharashtra deputy CM Gopinath Munde to argue in
favour of a caste census. Munde made the point well and received a
round of applause from RJD and SP benches.
The Yadav duo of Mulayam and Lalu sought to make the debate their
show, cheering on those who supported a caste census. It was left to
former SP man-turned-Congress MP Beni Prasad Verma to take a dig at
"OBC chieftains". He pointed out that social revolts had thrown up the
Yadavs as well as BSP leader Mayawati. "A census will tell how many of
us are there," the Kurmi leader said, in an obvious crack at Yadav
domination.
In his inimitable style, Lalu pointed out that with surveys of all
manner of wildlife being conducted ranging from "tigers to peacocks",
he did not see why caste should not be enumerated. He said it was not
too late to include caste in the current census. "The forms are not
printed, if they are, tear them up," he said.
Mulayam stressed that getting caste certificates was an uphill task at
present. But if caste is enumerated, benefits would accrue faster.
Perhaps looking to ameliorate his image as "anti-woman" due to his
opposition to the women's bill, the SP chief rose at one point to call
for a 50% quota for women in medical and engineering colleges.
Congress's Sandeep Dikshit said the census should include sub-castes
while also mapping other indicators like property and goods. NCP's
Sameer Bhujbal said OBCs were not getting their dues and TDP leader
Nama Nageshwar Rao said the census must not miss out the homeless.
More than one speaker alluded to reports of a division in the Cabinet
on the caste census.
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