At that time, during the debate, Additional Advocate General Mukherjee stated in full court that yes, the government should conduct an OBC census. Now when a census is being conducted after 2007, why is an OBC census not being carried out? Mr. Speaker, an OBC census is needed because our honourable member Bhakta Charan Das was just saying that we need a casteless society, that justice in society should be based on merit. You appear to me as a second Manu. Where is equality in today’s society? You were elected from an open seat despite being a Dalit, an SC; I congratulate you for that. But if our constitution did not have SC/ST reservations, could the other members have won? Your thinking is far from the truth. And just because you alone received justice, don’t push everyone else into injustice.
Mr. Speaker, has untouchability ended today? No, it has not. Are Dalits allowed to enter temples today? Not Babasaheb Ambedkar, but every Ambedkar (Dalit) is being denied entry. Let’s forget yesterday’s news – weren’t Dalit homes burned in Haryana the day before yesterday? In Maharashtra’s Khairlanji, a sister, daughter, mother, and an entire Dalit family were stripped naked, paraded, and burned. I am not blaming any government; I am describing the reality of society. Every day we say from the podium that untouchability has ended, that we are all equal. This is just talk; there is a difference between saying and doing. The reality is completely the opposite.
You want to create a casteless society? I want to ask: in India—I don’t believe in rebirth—but if I have to be reborn in India, and I have applied to God for birth “without caste”—to be born in a home without any caste, is this possible? Which home exists without a caste? (Interruption) Alright, next time I’ll be born in a Yadav home, and Yadav will be born in a Munde home. OBC is not a caste; it is a class. Scheduled Caste is a class, Scheduled Tribe is a class, and OBC is also a class because many castes fall under these categories.
The Constitution gave reservations to SCs and STs, but not to OBCs. The Kaka Kalelkar Commission was formed [in 1953], and various states were given the authority to provide rights to OBCs in their regions…(Interruption)… It wasn’t there before, but an amendment came. I want to say that Madras and Karnataka are states in this country that had given reservations even before independence. I am from Maharashtra, where Shahu Maharaj had given reservations to OBCs and SCs before independence, and Shahu Maharaj had given scholarship to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar from Baroda.
I do not believe that the caste system has been disturbed because of power, but the reality is that caste never goes away. Those who accepted Christianity, those who became Muslims during the Mughal era, they took their caste with them. A census based on caste is necessary because backwardness is linked to caste, and caste is linked to backwardness. Backwardness is based on birth. Poverty is based on birth. Those who are backward live in villages, don’t have drinking water, haven’t seen roads, haven’t seen electricity. Those who don’t even have clothes to cover their bodies. These people are backward.
After 63 years of independence, you still don’t want to give them justice? Not counting OBCs in the census is denying social justice to OBCs. The government doesn’t want to give social justice. If Babasaheb Ambedkar, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Shahu Maharaj had not existed, this class would not have been organised. They would not have had the strength to fight their battle. And they put forward the idea of equity, the idea of equality. We hold the idea of uniformity, of society.
In our country, despite various castes, what’s wrong? What does it mean that there are different castes? Is this good or bad—this is not the time to think about that. In caste diversity, different castes, different attire, different languages, different states—yet we are one country. Therefore, it is wrong to express doubt about the patriotism of backward classes. They are ready for any work. This backwardness has existed for years, for centuries.
In a welfare state government, do you want to give them justice or not? That is the question. After the Kaka Kalelkar Commission came the Mandal Commission. The Mandal Commission found the total number of castes—3,743. There are so many castes, so many sub-castes. Now they say that there is “roti-beti vyavahar” (social interaction through food sharing and marriages). Doesn’t it happen? Should it happen? There are so many castes that Jayaprakash Narayan launched a ‘Break the Caste’ movement.
Many people had inter-caste marriages; I did too. Now those who had intercaste marriages have a different caste. The Mandal Commission said that 52 percent are OBCs, they should get 52 percent reservation, but the court decided on 50 percent reservation. Why? For those who have not received social justice until today, who are not equal to others, reservation came to give them justice. On what basis are they given reservation? They are given reservation only on the basis of caste, which is why the census is necessary.
Mr. Speaker, the Renke Commission was formed in 2004 during Atal Ji’s government. The commission submitted its report in 2008 when our Speaker was the Social Welfare Minister. That report stated that 47% of people from the OBC community do not have ration cards. Many people’s names are not on the voter list. And they had planned for Nomadic Tribes, but the report was not implemented. The Renke Commission report should be implemented, and OBCs should be given justice. They don’t have homes; they don’t have land.
Mr. Speaker, three—Kalelkar, Mandal, Renke Commission—the result of all these is that nobody has any idea of the number of OBCs, their population estimates. And what scientific basis will be prepared, no one has the right to say. What scientific basis will be prepared to determine that this is the population, and based on this population, reservations can be given in various states?
Now, in the Constitution, there is a schedule for Scheduled Castes, there is a schedule for Scheduled Tribes. Just as in the Constitution there is Parliament, there is a schedule for it; there is the State Government, there is a schedule for it. Rajiv Gandhi amended the Constitution to include Panchayat Raj. My demand is: there is a schedule for Scheduled Castes, there is a schedule for Scheduled Tribes, so there should also be a schedule for OBCs in the Constitution.
Their ministry—they should have a separate ministry. We talk a lot—all castes are equal, all are equal. The creamy layer applies to OBCs but not to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. My son cannot avail OBC benefits; Yadav Ji’s son cannot avail OBC benefits. The creamy layer has been created, which prevents them from getting their benefits. I want to say only one thing about the facts mentioned here, the facts about OBCs. There is 13 percent reservation for Scheduled Castes, 9 percent for Scheduled Tribes, and in some states, 7 percent reservation. Are that many people in service?
The Sachar Committee has assessed the situation of Muslims. I demand that for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and OBCs—did they get reservations in 63 years of independence? They didn’t. There was 13 percent reservation but only 4 percent was achieved; OBC’s is only 2.4 percent while the reservation is 27 percent. But how much has been achieved? Just making decisions on paper and in the cabinet has not given them justice. Justice will be said to have been done when they get their rights. Then it will be called justice. And that justice has not been achieved till today. Therefore, this is a fight for social justice, not just for being counted in the census.
I don’t want to repeat, you are counting everything—buffaloes, houses, everything—why aren’t you counting caste? Caste cannot be hidden by saving it. I don’t understand what the government is thinking. And we are also struggling. Now the gap between the rich and poor has increased. Backward castes—63 years—who is responsible for this? I want to ask you, Charandas Ji—if everyone had equal status in 63 years, if everyone had opportunities, then OBCs would not demand reservation. But why? They became more backward. If they remain backward in education, in politics—at every level—if 54% of the population remains away from development, facilities, and progress, how will the country move forward?
I believe that OBCs should be brought into the national mainstream, and they should be given reservation, facilities, and their census should be conducted. OBC census—this is why we are demanding it, this opportunity has come to the government too. This chance… you should not lose it, Narayana Swamy Ji. Veerappa Moily Ji, if they don’t listen to your voice in such a cabinet, why are you sitting there? Let there be a fight for OBCs. People will lift you on their shoulders.
Mr. Speaker, this is a matter of population. For 80 years, the OBC population has not been counted. One column needs to be filled—Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, OBC. And OBC will write their caste. What loss does the government face in this?
All OBC organisations in the country are demanding that a population census should be conducted. This demand is rising. Your government—is it deaf? Are they not hearing that OBCs are raising their voice?
Today I want to say to the government—when the minister replies today, he should announce that there will be a separate OBC census. If you don’t do this—ST, SC, and OBC—if you don’t, you will face the anger of 75% of the population.
Today, at this time, the government is yours. Whichever government it may be—it is the government’s job to give justice to society.
You should do the work of delivering justice. Fulfil the duty of delivering justice. A constitutional responsibility has come upon you. And that constitutional responsibility is, in the Constitution where Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar wrote the role of giving justice to backward classes, that dream of Babasaheb Ambedkar, and a hope, an aspiration of all poor people of India is that we will get justice in democracy. With this belief, they have lived for 63 years. Fulfil that belief some day.
Not asking for much. Just conduct our census. We are citizens of this country. Count us too. Count us once.
Jai Hind. Thank you.
