New Delhi [India], May 6 (ANI) — Congress General Secretary in-charge of Communications, Jairam Ramesh, announced on Tuesday that party president Mallikarjun Kharge has sent a second letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reiterating three key demands concerning the caste census.
The Congress party is pushing for the inclusion of a comprehensive caste-based census questionnaire in the national census, the removal of the 50 percent reservation cap, and the implementation of reservation policies within private educational institutions.
According to Ramesh, the second letter was dispatched on the night of May 5, after the Prime Minister did not respond to Kharge’s initial letter dated April 16. In the earlier letter, Kharge emphasized the urgency of conducting the delayed 2021 national census and called for the inclusion of detailed caste data.
Ramesh stated, “The Congress President had written to the Prime Minister insisting that a caste census must be undertaken alongside the national census, which has already been delayed since 2021. Since no reply was received, Kharge ji has sent another letter last night.”
He pointed to deficiencies in the current census format, specifically citing the 13th question in the existing 34-question census questionnaire. “The current form merely asks whether the respondent belongs to a Scheduled Tribe (ST), Scheduled Caste (SC), or ‘Other.’ This oversimplified question is not adequate to capture the complexities of caste in India,” Ramesh explained. He added that Kharge has requested a more thorough and carefully crafted questionnaire that moves beyond basic categorization.
As a model for a comprehensive approach, Ramesh referenced the “Telangana model” of caste enumeration, which included 56 questions designed to assess not only demographic identity but also the social and economic conditions of respondents. “That model aimed to understand the lived realities of people so their constitutional rights could be better protected,” he said.
The second demand from the Congress party is the abolition of the 50 percent ceiling on caste-based reservations, a limit established through a 1962 Supreme Court ruling. Ramesh proposed a constitutional amendment to remove this cap. “This ceiling limits the extent to which affirmative action can be provided. We are urging the government to amend the Constitution to eliminate this restriction,” he stated.
The third demand focuses on implementing reservations in private educational institutions for SC, ST, and OBC communities. Ramesh highlighted that Article 15(5) of the Constitution, which provides for such reservations, has already been upheld by the Supreme Court. However, it was never implemented due to the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct during the 2014 general elections. “The Supreme Court gave its decision on January 30, 2014, affirming the constitutionality of Article 15(5), but the model code of conduct was already in place, so then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh could not move forward with it,” Ramesh noted.
He also took aim at the Prime Minister and the current administration for what he described as a reversal of their earlier stance on the caste census. “You took a U-turn on the caste census. Suddenly, in the midst of a national tragedy like the Pahalgam terror attack, you announced support for it — not because of conviction but because you were caught off guard,” Ramesh claimed.
Further criticizing the government, Ramesh recalled previous statements from BJP leaders. “You labeled leaders like Kharge and Rahul Gandhi as ‘urban naxals’ and accused the Congress of trying to divide society with caste data. You mocked our calls for justice — and now you’ve acknowledged the same demands,” he said.
In his first letter to the Prime Minister, Kharge had written, “I wrote to you on April 16, 2023, presenting the Indian National Congress’ demand for a caste census. Unfortunately, there was no reply. Meanwhile, your party continued to attack the Congress for raising a valid and constitutional issue. Today, even you admit this demand is essential for meaningful social justice and empowerment.”
(ANI)
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