Regressive step

Union Cabinet has given its nod for caste census, which will start from June next year. It is regressive, retrograde and politically motivated step. It will give birth to sharp division in society on caste lines. UPA government must rethink on the issue to save society from breaking up into pieces on caste lines.When the world is moving forward, we are going backward because of the shortsightedness of our political leadership. The division created by political parties on caste, community and religious lines weakens the country. They do it to build up vote bank.Our political leadership also cares little about what our great social reformers would be thinking over their action guided by vested political interests. This is the first time after Independence to have undertaken Caste census. All political parties including BJP and the JD(U) have reacted cautiously to the Cabinet’s decision to carry out an independent caste census, while the Congress welcomed the move saying it is with the government on the issue.RJD chief Lalu Prasad described as a ‘victory’ of the political parties which pressed for it. Congress is of the view that casteism is the reality of India. If the government of India has recognized this reality and agreed to inclusion of caste in census, nobody should have any objection. It means that our great social reformers fought against reality. And if the reality breeds evil elements, should we allow to continue? Is this the belief of the Congress Party?, which is boasting of having a young leader like Rahul Gandhi to lead the party and the government, whenever possible, in 21st century.The BJP has also said it would have been happier had the caste been included in the on-going census process.The caste must not be mentioned at any level of census. As our nation is secular and all citizens are free to practise the religion of their likening and all are free to adopt the caste they like, there must not be any government’s binding on the matter of caste and religion. Government has nothing to do with any body’s caste , creed and religion. All are Indian and should only be registered in National Political Register as such for which the nationwide census exercise is going on. It is only the political ploy of casteist parties like SP, RJD and BSP which advocate strongly for the inclusion of caste. But now the Congress or the BJP are behind and all appear to be in unanimity on the issue for political reasons.The castes in our country are expoilted to the hilt during elections from Panchyat to Parliamentary level for political benefit. As long as the successive Central governments continued to play the politics of reservations on the basis of caste, the state level political parties which are basically dependent on their fellow castemen to be in political reckoning must be discarded. Caste, creed and religion are the matter of individual and personal likening. As to live in society is necessity, so it is to run on caste and religion without any interference from the government in a secular nation. The foremost duty of the Union government is to see that every religion is respected in a secular country.The last caste census was carried out in 1931. The political parties are groping in dark for issue, which could yield them votes without doing anything for the people. And the UPA government is doing the same thing.