Shinde Indicates Caste Census in Maharashtra

Mumbai: A day after an RSS functionary expressed his opposition to the caste-based enumeration, Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde has sung a different tune on the issue. An appropriate decision will soon be taken on a caste census in Maharashtra after taking the opinion of all sections of society, the CM said on Wednesday.

Shinde asserted that Maharashtra is a progressive state and its culture and traditions are different from other states. “There’s a progressive outlook among people here and all the communities live, work and celebrate together here. We have to ensure that the social harmony and law and order in the state should not be disturbed (on the caste census issue),” he added.

Hence, the Maharashtra government will take an appropriate decision by considering views of all sections of society and keeping sentiments of the people in mind,” said the CM, who visited the memorials of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) founder K B Hedgewar and second ‘sarsanghchalak’ MS Golwalkar in Reshimbagh in Nagpur.

His statement on the caste census came a day after a senior RSS functionary Shridhar Ghadge said that his organisation was in favour of the caste-based census. “Such an exercise may benefit some people politically as it will provide data about the population of a certain caste, but it is not good socially. There should not be a caste-based census, if we want to eliminate racial discrimination from the country,” he had said.

Meanwhile, independent MLA Bacchu Kadu, who supports the Shinde-led government in Maharashtra, has extended his support to the caste-based enumeration in the state. “Even an animal census is held in the country, then why not a caste census (of people)?” he asked.

We support the caste census in Maharashtra. It will reveal the share of every community in the population, Kadu added.

In Maharashtra, Minister Chhagan Bhujbal of the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) has pitched for a caste census to quantify the population of each community, including the OBCs and Marathas.

Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis too had said the state government was not opposed to the idea of a caste census per se. “Our government is positive. But it does not want to conduct any hasty exercise ,” he had said.