The Indian National Congress is not just an election fighting political Party. It is also a movement that involves all the people of India in a march towards the promise of Justice, Liberty and Equity as enshrined in the Constitution. As India has progressed on this journey, our society has changed and naturally, the challenges confronting society and politics have also changed along the way. In every step of this process, the Indian National Congress has played the role of understanding the needs of society and identifying the political work needed in the time to make sure India stays on the path of Gandhi, Nehru, Ambedkar, Patel and Azad.

It is in this role as custodian and guide of Indian politics that the Indian National Congress has now advocated the need for a ‘Caste Census’. India’s progress has brought opportunity, prosperity and advancement to many. But the progress has not been uniform. Many have been left behind and especially in the last 9 years of the Modi misrule, inequality has reached alarming proportions and crores have been pushed into poverty. Modi ji has also presided over a government that has handed over to a chosen few the control of a range of National institutions such as industry, media and academia.

India has a long hard struggle ahead to rectify the alarming inequality of status, opportunity and wealth that the Modi Government will leave behind. Our effort to tackle this disparity must begin with an understanding of how assets, opportunities and political power are distributed today. This is why a measurement is needed. We need two types of measurement. The first is a census that tells us how many people of various castes, classes and identities there are in the Country. This allows us to judge if each group has a fair representation in society. The second is a measurement of which group has what share of wealth, land, jobs and presence in positions of power. This will allow us to understand where the disparities are, who is being left behind and what we can do about it.

As expected, the Modi government is running away from the census. This is not surprising. Data and the facts they show are very threatening for anyone who builds their politics on lies. But the Congress will keep pushing forward till India has the information it requires to deliver justice, participation and equity to those Modi ji has left behind.

Jai Congress. Jai Hind. Jai Jagat.