SECC reveals two Indias, but government refuses to disclose caste data

Even as the Union government shied away from releasing the caste data collected in 2011, the rural socio-economic survey data put out on Friday speaks of two Indias – that of the affluent and the poor.

Around 73 % of the country's people live in villages, with the majority extremely poor and subsist on very low incomes. Over 50% of rural households get the bulk of their incomes from manual casual labour and 56% do not own any land, the data shows. However, it is the caste data that would have revealed the actual number of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) – put at 54% of India's population, based on the 1931 Census figures used by the Mandal Commission – resulting in granting of 27% reservation to them.

The Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC), jointly released by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Chaudhary Birendra Singh, gives a limited picture of the socio-economic status of the rural population. Repeatedly pressed for the caste data, Chaudhary wriggled out, saying the caste census was carried out by the Registrar General of India, who enumerates the population every tenth year, and so he would decide when to release it. Since the rural development ministry falls under him, he was releasing the socio-economic data, he added.

Even though the government has shied away from releasing caste-wise data, a careful analysis suggests the OBC population making upto 66.48% of the total 17.92 crore rural households. If correct, it will be much higher than 54% decided by the Mandal Commission in 1980 on the basis of the 1931 census. The SECC survey has put the overall population of Scheduled Castes at 18.46% and Scheduled Tribes 10.97%. The rest are clubbed under the head "other households" numbering 12.27 crore which works out to 68.52%. It puts 2.04% of these in the category of "no caste & tribe households. If deducted from the "other households", it gives a percentage of 66.48%.

The SC/ST households have been put at 21.53% of the rural population. The data on the caste/tribe status of the rural households shows Maharashtra accounting for SCs 12.07%, STs 13.40% and others 73.15%. Rajasthan has 18.50% SCs, 17.60% STs, and 63.60% others. In Madhya Pradesh, SCs total up 15.21%, STs 25.31% and others 59.05%. The only other state having higher percentage in terms of "no caste & tribe households" is Assam at 35.52% while having 8.7% SCs and 14.28% STs. Gujarat has 6.26% SCs and 21.44% STs.

In terms of the SC rural population, West Bengal tops with 28.45%, followed by Tamil Nadu 25.55%, Uttar Pradesh 23.88%, Puducherry 23.86%, Andhra Pradesh 18.58%, Karnataka 18.06%, Odisha 18.04%, Telangana 17.99%, and Bihar 16.97%.

Jaitley said the data, "reflecting the reality of India" will help the government in better targeting of its policies. However, he didn't answer why caste data was not released, while many reservations in employments and higher education were extended on the basis of caste. "It is after 7-8 decades that we have this document after 1931 caste census. It is also a document which contains various details... who are the ones who have qualitatively moved up in terms of life, which are the ones both in terms of geographical regions, social groupings which future planning needs to take into consideration," Jaitley said.

Chaudhary was more specific, declaring his rural development ministry's decision to use the data in all its programmes, be it housing for all, education and skill thrust, national food security, MGNREGA, poverty reduction plan, interventions for differently-abled, women-led households and schemes for those suffering deprivation.

In 2010, when the UPA government decided to conduct the caste survey, it was fiercely opposed by the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS). "The RSS is following the principles of Dalit leader late B R Ambedkar. Right from the beginning, RSS is in favour of a casteless society and any attempt to dilute it will hurt the sentiments of people," said the organisation's general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi.

But those in favour of such a census say it was necessary to find actual figures till caste-based reservations remain in vogue in the country. "The opponents of the caste census tend to give the impression that caste system has ceased to exist and that census will make it raise its head again. But if you look at the matrimonial advertisements in the newspapers you will find that not only caste but even sub-caste is stressed upon," says former police officer SR Darapuri. He said upper castes were allergic to the census just because they fear it will expose their low numbers and the share of development and national wealth they have at the cost of lower castes.

According to 1931 census, used by the Mandal Commission, upper castes comprise 15% of total population, and enjoy 66% representation in politics, 87% in services, 94% in trade and 92% of them are land owners. The rest 85% has just 13% share in services, 6% in trade and 8% are land owners.