Cast caste out!

Its time for the new census.. census 2011 which will yield a new data base regarding our population. But the government and its machinery has come in for criticism on account of including 'CASTE' as a category in the criteria. How long are we going to make caste the most important characteristic of our population. Our Constitution talks of the Right to Equality as a fundamental right and states that discrimination can not be made on the basis of caste, class, religion etc. among the citizens of India. The question is then why does one need to have caste as a criteria for census 2011. Is it just to further certain political interests? It does not seem that averages worked out in this manner would help the cause of the most deprived. The various commissions over the years, like the Mandal Commission engaged in this act to no end. The condition of the most deprived has remained the same while those in the creamy layer are enjoying better life. Again this criteria does not seem consistent with the India of the 21st century. For an India trying to claim a place in the Security Council, for an India which looks forward to being a developed county, for an India which sees it self as a world power in software, caste sounds like a limiting factor trying to pull it back to the condition the erstwhile colonial rulers had left us with!

Sadly, we are still so centred on this feature that even our sources of entertainment centralise this issue. So whether you are watching 'Pratigya' or 'Sajan Ghar Jaana Hai' you will always be confronted with caste..and really it has become a disturbing thing! The matrimonial section of the daily papers is another place where caste rules. Its more important than a person's qualitfication or other qualities.

It's high time that politicians stopped playing with this marker to further their own ends! And it's time that the citizens of the country raised their voice against such criteria which gives an inaccurate account of our socio-economic conditon.

Comments

G said…
good one mam.
quite true.
if we realise whats happening , then the politicians wont be able to trick us
May 14, 2010 at 2:26 AM
Professor Shanker Dutt said…
The problem here is between equality before the law and equal opportunities before the law. To group unequals as equals is injustice. But instead of treating this as a developmental issue by providing free and compulsory quality education and other social benefits to the disprivileged,it is being strategised into sectarian politics. And this will continue to happen with the cultivated perpetuation of ignorance. I shall lead you saith the devil from light to darkness.
May 14, 2010 at 6:48 AM
Dr. Smriti Singh said…
If devils wear sparkling whites, they are all around! Some make policies, some implement them and the others run away with the credit of maintaining darkness that not even a speck of light may penetrate it!.
May 24, 2010 at 10:13 AM
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