Congress’ big plans on caste census issue, to hold nationwide rallies

New Delhi:  The Congress party has asked its leaders to aggressively take up the caste census issue during the ‘Samvidhan Bachao (Save the Constitution)’ rallies in the country.

Congress has been holding the Samvidhan Bachao rallies in all the states across the nation since April 25, and now wants its leaders to take up the CWC resolutions on the caste census also.

The party on Saturday issued a circular, named “Implementation of CWC Resolution on Caste Census – during the Scheduled Samvidhan Bachao Rallies” to its state chiefs, Congress legislature party leaders, general secretaries, secretaries and all of its frontal organisations.

The circular issued by party general secretary K.C. Venugopal said that after “sustained and principled pressure from the Indian National Congress, the Modi Government, which had long ridiculed, delayed, and dismissed the demand, has now been compelled to accept the genuine and democratic call for a caste-wise census”.

It said that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had formally written to the Prime Minister on the issue, reiterating the party’s demand for an updated and comprehensive caste census. Rahul Gandhi has also firmly asserted that social justice requires a caste census.

On May 2, the Congress Working Committee held detailed deliberations on the issue of the caste census.

The CWC Resolution passed in this meeting demanded: immediate implementation of Article 15(5) of the Constitution to enable reservations for OBCs, Dalits, and Adivasis in private educational institutions; the caste census be conducted without delay, avoiding any pretext or bureaucratic evasion; a transparent, time-bound process, including immediate Parliamentary debate and full budgetary allocation; a participatory and inclusive approach in designing the questionnaire, enumeration, classification, and publication of data; and the use of updated caste data to review and strengthen policies on reservation, education, employment, and targeted welfare.

The party has also listed action points for its state chiefs — to raise this demand “vocally and visibly” in the upcoming Samvidhan Bachao Rallies scheduled to be held across all states and districts.

It has also asked the party cadre to particularly demand the immediate implementation of Article 15(5), also constitute state-level control rooms under the PCCs to monitor implementation, and to appoint dedicated observers at the district level to oversee and coordinate all activities and reporting.

The party has asked its leader to undertake activities during the Assembly-level Samvidhan Bachao rallies and house-to-house campaigns scheduled till May 30.

These include: organising Chaupal meetings with active participation from social activists, civil society activists, teachers, lawyers, shopkeepers, SHG members, and Bahujan communities; disseminating the Congress Party’s historical and ongoing commitments at the grassroots level, including the leadership role played by Rahul Gandhi; exposing the BJP’s anti-Bahujan ideology, its resistance to caste enumeration, and its efforts to suppress social justice; mobilising broad-based public support for the caste census and full implementation of Article 15(5).

It has also asked the party leaders to hold state-wise press conferences in each Assembly constituency, with regular media briefings at the Assembly level, coordinated with the AICC Communication Department. All PCCs must work closely with the AICC Social Media Department to ensure that party workers, youth leaders, and elected representatives actively post on all platforms, amplifying — the Congress Party’s demand for a caste census, the leadership role of Rahul Gandhi and the CWC resolution, and the BJP’s record of caste denial and anti-Bahujan actions.

Venugopal has also asked the leaders to treat this campaign with top priority and submit weekly reports on the progress of each action point.

Recently, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government gave its nod to conduct a caste census in the upcoming national enumeration.

–IANS