Abstract: The call for a Caste Census in the run up to General Elections 2024 has opened wide the fault lines in India’s socio-political milieu. Termed as the Second Mandal Moment, the national debate is over whether India should paint a contemporary self-portrait to assess how gracefully or otherwise she has aged since 1980. The concern of a drastic change stems from the fact that the Mandal Report was based not on the 1971 national census, but on the 1931 caste census. Consequently, a 2024 census would capture a nine-decade difference in India’s caste numeric. The potential that this accords for a wide differential in caste population percentages has caused polarised opinions for or against a Caste Census. On one hand is the scheduled and backward castes call for jitni abaadi, utna haq; and on the other hand, is the liberal’s caution that a caste count will officialise social divides thereby entrenching casteism instead of eliminating it. The responses to a Caste Census reaffirm the adage that caste is not just a social fact, but also a political relationship. The politicisation of caste and the casteisation of politics is complexified by certain characteristics of the Indian electoral system. These include the First Past The Post system of electoral winner determination; Caste-based affirmative action in the allocation of seats in legislatures; and the influence that Judicial pronouncements hold over caste quotas. Those who call for a Caste Census have rationalised their demand as a Welfare oriented policy. In effect however, it may prove to be a sophisticated form of electoral Gerrymandering.
About the speaker: Dr. Sindhujaa Iyengar is Deputy Director (Programme Development and Outreach) at the Centre for National Security Studies under MS Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences. She has a PhD in Political Science from Bangalore University and has been teaching Political Science in academic institutions. She has been an Independent Strategy Consultant specialised in Politics, Public Policy, Governance, and Government Advocacy. She has worked with political parties and politicians, government and elected representatives, non-government organisations and advocacy groups. Earlier she was a political sub-editor in print media. Presently she is studying Law in Bengaluru.