The Bihar government has released the results of its recently concluded survey of castes in the state, which reveals that Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) constitute more than 63% of the population of Bihar. The data found 36% of the 13.07 crore people in the state are from the extremely backward classes, 27.13% is from other backwards classes.
Every Census in independent India from 1951 to 2011 has published data on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, but not on other castes. The last census to include data on caste was of 1931, and to date, we use this estimate.
CM Nitish Kumar congratulated the entire team involved in the caste survey process and said: “Resolution on caste-based survey was passed in the Bihar legislature through consensus. Nine political parties had taken a call in the Bihar Assembly on the state government bearing expenses of the caste survey.
Now, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik-led Odisha government has undertaken an OBC (Other Backward Classes) survey. According to the details, the state government is now mulling to soon release the report.
On the other hand a major row erupted after former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi hailed the Bihar’s caste-based survey and pitched for ‘jitni abadi utna haq’.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday led a strong counter to the Congress and INDIA bloc’s OBC push by asking if the Opposition wanted the numerically strong majority to pocket all benefits and rights at the cost of minorities, particularly the Muslims.
At a poll rally in Chhattisgarh’s Jagdalpur, Modi said poor had the largest population in the country and they had the first right on national resources no matter which caste they represented, be it SC, backward, tribal or general.
The report – released months before a general election in a state that has 40 parliamentary seats, 39 of which were won by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in the 2019 election – will ramp up tension as states push for similar exercises and push for nation-wide count.