'Whatever ingredients you want to include in the format (of the caste-based census), finalise it and give to us. We will look into all those aspects,' leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee said.
After a gap of several months, the controversial issue of caste-based census resurfaced in the Lok Sabha today leading to an uproar, prompting the government to promise consideration of inclusion of social, education and economic status in the exercise.
"Whatever ingredients you want to include in the format (of the caste-based census), finalise it and give to us. We will look into all those aspects," leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee said.
He was responding after various leaders including Gopinath Munde (BJP), Sharad Yadav [JD(U)], Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP), Lalu Prasad (Rashtriya Janata Dal) and HD Devegowda [JD(S)], demanded that the social, economic and educational status of various castes be included in the enumeration exercise.
Home minister P Chidambaram said, "The government has got the sense of the House. All your suggestions will be carefully considered and appropriate decision taken."
When the impromptu debate began, he said the decision to have a caste-based census had been taken earlier and was part of the budget speech by Mukherjee. "The RGI (registrar general of India) is a statutory authority which will decide as to how to carry it (census) out".
Speaking on the issue, Sharad Yadav wanted the economic, social and educational status of various castes to be reflected in the census, saying that only mentioning caste would "only help in elections and not serve any real purpose".
Mulayam Singh Yadav dismissed the "propaganda" that the Yadav trio, including Lalu Prasad and Sharad Yadav, wanted caste-based census to promote their caste and said this kind of census would help reduce the rich-poor gap.
Munde regretted that after 1931, there has been no caste-based census, while Lalu said it was done away with as part of a conspiracy. "It will help understand the actual status of various castes, their financial conditions and also identify the creamy layer," the RJD leader said.
TR Baalu (Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam) said historically, Indian society has been identified by different castes and he did not think the government would be averse to such a census.
Basudeb Acharia (CPI-M) said the census should reflect the socio-economic and educational backwardness of various sections of society, while Dara Singh Chauhan (BSP) said justice would be done only when these vulnerable sections get all facilities in accordance with their strength.
M Thambidurai (AIADMK), Sudip Bandopadhyay (Trinamool Congress), Bhratruhari Mahtab (BJD), Nama Nageshwar Rao (TDP) and Sanjeev Naik (NCP) also supported the move.
SD Shariq (National Conference) alleged that some people carrying out the enumeration "deliberately" wanted to show lesser number of some sections of the people, while SK Bwiswmuthiary (Bodoland People's Front) wanted proper representation of the condition of tribals in the census.
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