The Caste Census
The caste census. Not to be confused with the population census. The last caste census was conducted in 1931 under British rule. If it wasn’t conducted for almost a century, why is it being conducted again now? Advocates for it say it is necessary to know the right numbers to serve as the basis for upliftment schemes and reservations. Opponents say it would only entrench the caste-based identity even further; that it would foment sub-divisions within caste as each group tries to grab a bigger share of the scheme/reservation pie. Anand Teltumbde wrote a book on the topic titled The Caste Con Census . I haven’t read it and have only read Pranay Kotasthane’s review of the book . Kotasthane says he read the book because the author is a “data science professor, a Marxist”. In other words, a person who understands data and how it can be used, and with a worldview that most of us (Kotasthane included) do not subscribe to. Always good to read the views of someone you do...