RJD leader Manoj Jha says the caste survey in Bihar will form the basis of future affirmative action in the state. In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, he says if the opposition alliance wins the election, it will replicate the exercise nationally. In his view, the ongoing debate around merit in the country is farcical. Excerpts:
Why do we need a caste census?
The last caste census was carried out in 1931. After that, partition happened, but the data was not revised. We had the first backward castes commission— the Kaka Kalelkar Commission—in 1953, which after doing a lot of work, discarded its own report. Then came the Mandal Commission, which after a lot of anthropological work and extrapolation of data from 1931, derived a figure of 52 per cent OBCs and recommended a reservation of 27 per cent for them. The backward caste communities feel they need representation based on contemporary data.
Will caste census be the main election plank for the opposition?
If we win the election, we will do it. If we don’t, we will still stick to it. So this is not an electoral issue for us. It is about commitment to constitutional values, to the subalterns. Beyond political representation, has there been a change in institutional representation? No. Look at the judiciary or the bureaucracy.
A caste survey has been conducted in Bihar.
This story is from the October 15, 2023 edition of THE WEEK India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 15, 2023 edition of THE WEEK India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Trump And The Crisis Of Liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
