Don’t mention caste in census: Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee

Sikh religious and political bodies in Punjab have opposed a caste-based census.

Top religious body Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) has asked Sikhs not to mention their castes or sub-castes while filling up the census form.

SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar said that if a Sikh does so, it would be a violation of the tenets of the religion since the gurus always wanted a caste-less society.

Makkar also appealed to all Sikhs to mention their mother tongue as Punjabi. Then only will the census will give the exact number of Sikhs in the country, he said.

The SGPC chief also blamed the previous census for not giving a correct Sikh headcount.

Makkar said in case of Sikhs from other parts of the country, local identities were given preference over basic religious identities. This was particularly true of Sikhs in far-flung states like Bihar, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, he said.

Makkar also seemed to be in a doubt over backward class Sikhs. Condemning the Centre for adding the caste column on the census form, he said: “Even in Punjab, Sikhs should desist from identifying themselves according to their castes, particularly those who belong to the backward classes.”

Many other Sikh organisations like Dal Khalsa and Akali Dal (Mann) have also asked community members not to mention their caste identities in the census form.