The RSS has saved the Bharatiya Janata Party from a dilemma by showing a positive stance on the caste census. The RSS has indicated its support for it on Monday. However, it also said that it should not be used for political or electoral purposes. The RSS also said that no step should be taken towards the sub-classification of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes without the consent of the concerned communities. RSS Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar gave this information while talking to the press in Palakkad, Kerala on the last day of the three-day All India Coordination Meeting.
There is a constant talk of conducting caste census from the parties of India Alliance. Even the constituent parties of NDA are showing a positive attitude towards caste census. JDU and LJP (Ram Vilas) are part of the government but like the parties of India Alliance, they want that caste census should be done in the country. Many leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party have also said from time to time that they are in favor of caste census.
Perhaps this is the reason why the party never officially opposed the caste census. But the opposition tried to give the message to the public by promising caste census in its manifesto in the Lok Sabha elections that the Bharatiya Janata Party is against caste census and caste-based reservation. The opposition created such confusion on this issue that the message went among the public that if the Bharatiya Janata Party comes to power, it will abolish reservation. This was the reason why there was a big decline in the seats of the BJP. Now since the RSS has given a green signal on this issue, it is obvious that very soon there may be indications that the central government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party may come up with some format of caste census.
1- Have the RSS’s views on caste changed now?
Generally, RSS has been a believer of the Varna system. This is the reason why many people have also seen the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh as a supporter of the Brahminical system. But what the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said at a book release ceremony in 2022 must have shocked those who have such an opinion about the RSS. Bhagwat said that concepts like Varna and caste should be completely discarded. Bhagwat said that everything that causes discrimination should be out of lock, stock and barrel.
Mohan Bhagwat also said that the caste system has no relevance now. The RSS chief cited the book ‘Vajrasuchi Tunk’ written by Dr. Madan Kulkarni and Dr. Renuka Bokare and said – Social equality was a part of Indian tradition, but it was forgotten and it had harmful consequences. If one asks about them today, the answer should be ‘This is the past, forget it.’ The RSS chief said – ‘Anything that causes discrimination should be eradicated.’ He also said that previous generations have made mistakes everywhere and India is no exception.
It is the result of continuous change in RSS that today the Sangh also agrees on the issue of caste census.
2- BJP has also been harmed by the anti-reservation statements of RSS leaders
In an interview given to RSS mouthpieces ‘Panchajanya’ and ‘Organizer’ in September 2015, Mohan Bhagwat had said that there is a need to ‘review’ the reservation system. He had proposed to form a ‘non-political committee’ whose job would be to see who should get the benefit of reservation and for how long.
Bihar assembly elections were held just after his statement. Lalu Prasad Yadav’s party RJD made it a big issue and said that ‘RSS wants to end reservation’. It is said that this statement also played a big role in BJP’s defeat in Bihar assembly elections. Perhaps both BJP and RSS learned a lesson from this mistake.
Perhaps this is the reason why on 23 September 2023, during a program, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat supported the continuation of reservation for SC, ST and OBC. Bhagwat said that as long as there is discrimination in the society, reservation should also continue. The people of the Sangh support as much reservation as is constitutional. Obviously, people were shocked by this statement of Bhagwat.
3- If BJP wants to win the elections then RSS will have to change its ideology
Today, the Bharatiya Janata Party has made a lot of changes in its policies and structure just to win elections. The party which was once called the party of Brahmins and Baniyas is now becoming the party of backward classes. On the other hand, no chief of RSS has been from backward caste or Dalit caste till now. Most of the heads of RSS have been Brahmins till now. The participation of women in the main roles has also been negligible. Whereas BJP has passed a law to provide reservation for women in the Parliament. This is the reason that RSS has got such an image that its ideology is anti-women. RSS stops women from progressing. It does not allow women to go to the branch. To deal with its anti-women image, RSS has started a new initiative. Till now there used to be a women’s organization in the Sangh by the name of Rashtra Sevika Samiti, but now the Sangh has started a branch by the name of Mahila Samanvay. But all this is like a drop in the ocean. Times have changed. In the age of social media, women now decide their vote themselves. Not only this, women are also making their children and husbands vote as per their wish.
Perhaps this is the reason that the decisions that the RSS is taking regarding women, Dalits and backward classes seem to be different from its old ideas.
4-BJP is now moving towards becoming a party of backwards and Dalits
The Bharatiya Janata Party has changed itself at a faster pace than the RSS. The party which was considered a party of the upper castes and the rich has now turned into a party supporting the backward classes. In the last 10 years, the number of pro-poor schemes that the BJP government has started is more than what the Congress and Samajwadi governments could launch. Senior journalist Dilip Mandal gives some arguments in this regard which are really interesting. Mandal writes…
– For the first time this government has made a President from the tribal community. He is the pride of the nation.
– For the first time, this government appointed 27 OBC ministers at the centre. Congress ruined Lalu Yadav’s political career. He was not left fit to contest elections. The minister of the ally DMK was put in jail. A case of disproportionate assets was filed against Mulayam Singh.
– Vajpayee ji made the first governor from SC community in UP. Congress never made one.
– For the first time a tribal has come to the post of CAG in this government. He is capable.
-The government is putting so much pressure that now there are four SC judges in the Supreme Court. This has happened for the first time in history. The Law Minister is also a Dalit.
– OBC is the Prime Minister.
– Many important ministries and departments are with OBC.
– The chairman of the National Highway Authority with a huge budget is an OBC. The list is long.
– For the first time a Dalit artist reached Rajya Sabha from the nominated category. Ilaiyaraaja is Bharat Gaurav. You people have never seen these people.
– Padma awards are now being given to SC, ST, OBC in large numbers.
– When Rajiv Gandhi implemented All India Quota in NEET in 1986, he did not provide reservation. OBC quota was also introduced in it during this government. Thousands of OBCs are becoming doctors.
– Till the time of Congress, there was reservation only in Assistant Professor. Now there is reservation in Associate and Full Professor as well. This also happened recently.
– Congress had not given OBC quota in Navodaya. Now it has been implemented there too.
5. For Hindu unity, the gap of caste divisions will have to be bridged afresh
Actually, the idea of RSS has always been Hindu unity. For caste unity among Hindus, the Sangh can be ready to do anything. This is an example of the fact that the Sangh is giving a green signal to the caste census. There is no doubt that the concern expressed by the Sangh in this regard is justified. The demand for caste census is being made only so that Hindus can be divided. Sunil Ambekar says that the RSS believes that certainly, for all welfare activities, especially those targeting those communities or castes who have been left behind – for whom special attention is required. The government can prepare data for this through caste census. But this should be done only for the welfare of those communities and castes. It should not be used as a political weapon for elections.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)