Cabinet Divided on Caste Count, PM Defers Decision

With country’s biggest census exercise getting underway, the government has deferred decision about caste count because of sharp division in the cabinet, said media reports.

Majority of cabinet ministers appeared to be supporting the idea in Tuesday’s meeting but the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh deferred the decision following objections shown by two ministers, P Chidambaram and Anand Sharma, reports said.

The two ministers said that the census is not an ‘ideal instrument’ for a caste survey, said reports.

Chidambaram suggested that the more appropriate body for a caste count would the backward commission at the Centre or State, reports said.

Similarly, Sharma expressed doubt about reviving a practice that was discontinued 70 years ago, while Social Welfare Minister Mukul Wasnik said that more time was needed for discussion on the issue, said reports.

Nevertheless, more ministers supported the idea of caste count. They include Urban development Jaipal Reddy, Cabinet Minister for Law Veerappa Moily, Farooq Abdullah and A Raja all reiterated the need for a caste based census.

(Based on media reports)