Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has renewed his call for a nationwide caste census, highlighting a lack of representation of women from Dalit, Tribal, or Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities in the "Miss India" pageant.
Addressing the Samvidhan Samman Sammelan in Prayagraj on Saturday, Gandhi criticized the pageant for excluding women from marginalized communities, stating, "I checked the list of Miss India to see if there would be any Dalit or tribal woman in it, but there was no woman from Dalit, tribal, or OBC communities." He also took aim at the media for focusing on entertainment rather than pressing issues affecting farmers and laborers. Gandhi remarked, "The media talks about dance, music, cricket, Bollywood, but does not address the concerns of farmers and laborers."
Gandhi emphasized that if Congress forms the government, they will conduct a caste census and challenge the 50 per cent cap on reservations. "We will conduct a caste census and remove the 50 per cent cap on reservations, which I do not accept. We need data on the participation of different castes in various institutions," he said. He argued that while talks of reservation are frequent, opportunities for marginalized communities are still limited.
He criticized the Narendra Modi-led Central government’s recent lateral entry advertisement, suggesting, "I guarantee you will not find anyone with the required 90 per cent in lateral entry." Gandhi asserted that the INDIA alliance's push for a caste census is crucial because it addresses the exclusion of 90 per cent of the population despite their skills and talents. He said, "90 per cent of the people are not part of the system. They have the required skill and talent but are not connected with the system. That’s why we are demanding a caste census."
He described the caste census as foundational for policy-making and stressed that it’s not just about collecting data but also understanding wealth distribution and the participation of OBCs, Dalits, and workers in key institutions like bureaucracy, judiciary, and media.