Pressure mounts on Kerala government to decide on long-pending demand for caste census

With the Bihar government releasing caste survey data, the CPM government in Kerala is under pressure to take a decision on the long-pending demand for caste census as well as socio-economic caste census.

The Kerala government has been delaying a decision on the demand by some sections of upper castes for conducting a socio-economic caste census for revising the OBC list for reservation, even as the petitioners have sought contempt procedures by the Supreme COurt and the Kerala High Court.

Representatives of many minority outfits that took part in a sitting of Kerala State Commission for Minorities in Thiruvananthapuram the other day reiterated their demand for conducting caste census.

The commission member Saifuddin Haji told DH that it was not only forums representing the Muslim community, but other minority communities have also stressed the need for a caste census.

Welcoming the Bihar government decision to publish the caste survey data, Kerala-based Muslim outfits stated that a caste census was essential to clarify the general assumption that Muslim community was getting disproportionate reservation benefits.

Jamaat-e-Islami's political outfit Welfare Party stated that it was a welcome move that the Bihar government published the caste census data and announced that OBC reservation would be increased. Kerala should also soon conduct a caste census, Welfare Party state president Rasak Paleri said.

The Kerala Cheramar Christian Sangham also demanded that a caste census should be immediately conducted in Kerala to address the disparities in the existing reservation.

At present 84 communities are in the OBC list of Kerala and Hindu-Ezhava and Muslim communities enjoy the highest reservation.

The demand for conducting the socio-economic caste census to revise the OBC list has been pending before the CPM government over the last many years.

A section of upper caste communities including Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Nair and Ambalavasi were among those who approached the court demanding the socio-economic caste census. The petitioners had even moved the Kerala High Court and Supreme Court seeking contempt proceedings. But the state government has been buying time as a policy decision was required on the sensitive matter.

Kerala SC/ST welfare minister K Radhakrishnan recently told the Assembly that a policy decision of the ruling front was required on the matter considering all social aspects.