Caste Census: A Diabolical Exercise

Bhopal/Chandigarh: As the nation still mourns the devastating terror attacks in Pahalgam, where Hindus were massacred in a calculated assault, the Central government has delivered what can be called a Second Blow with the announcement of a caste census. The move, conveniently timed before the Bihar assembly elections, reeks of political expediency. It seems that BJP has chosen short term electoral gains over long-term civilizational integrity despite its stated claims of Hindu unity and national cohesion.

Two pivotal events have defined the Hindu experience in 2025 so far. First was the Mahakumbh Mela the world’s largest spiritual congregation that offered a rare and powerful vision of Hindu unity. Caste distinctions momentarily dissolved in the sacred waters of the Ganga as millions from every corner of India took the holy dip. It created for us a moment of shared memory, spiritual awakening, and cultural rejuvenation. It was rekindling of a dying flame, that our civilization is.

Then came the Pahalgam massacre , a ruthless, targeted act of terror. Hindu  tourists  (unarmed)  from Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Odisha, West Bengal, Gujrat and other states were gunned down, after being identified by religion. Attackers demanded their victims recite Islamic verses before pulling the trigger. It was a grim reminder that Hindu identity, fragmented by caste and region in life, is united only in death and tragedy.

And yet, instead of consolidating this tragic unity and presenting a counter narrative to Caste census ,the government is choosing to resurrect and deepen old divisions. Die-hard supporters of BJP argue it will expose caste hierarchies among other communities such as Muslims, or provide data for more targeted welfare. A more optimistic faction even claims the BJP has some strategic plan to use this data for the Hindu good. This is nothing but peak delusion.

Such arguments collapse under the weight of history. In the last ten years, the BJP has often retreated in the face of resistance, choosing populism over principle. Why should this time be any different? Farm laws and CAA were all done with good intent but everything came to naught.

It invokes historical deja vu to me. Remember V.P. Singh’s fateful implementation of the Mandal Commission report that irreversibly altered Indian politics and deepened the fault lines within Hindu society ? This is Mr Modi turning into VP Singh bringing a second rupture in the Hindu society and we are foolishly hoping it would result in something good.

Must national cohesion be sacrificed for one state’s vote bank arithmetic?
Must the rest of India be transformed into another Bihar, where caste defines every interaction, every vote, every life?

For many Hindus, especially those from the General Category who continue to place their faith in Mr. Modi, this is a moment of reckoning. The caste census is not the end-game. It is merely the beginning. What starts with data collection will inevitably lead to deeper, irreversible cracks within Hindu society. Along the way, your children and grandchildren may confront caste-based reservations not just in public institutions, but in the private sector as well. Don’t complain about the quotas tomorrow, if you support the caste census today. Those who seek to weaken the Hindu community will win elections. We, as a people, will lose something far more enduring.

“Batogey to katogey” , divided, we fall prey was a credible counter-narrative, a call for solidarity in the face of targeted violence against our community. But rather than strengthening this message and building on the newfound Hindu unity, the government has chosen instead to appease the most regressive elements of Indian politics by conceding to the demand for a caste census.

Crucially, there was no widespread public demand for such a move, only murmurs from politically vested groups seeking to exploit identity divisions for electoral gain. Yet, modern Indian politics has increasingly become a game of short-term calculations, where winning the next election outweighs safeguarding the long-term interest of the nation or the Hindu community. It even more distressing to note that while Narendra Modi and the entire Sangh parivaar expects Hindus to maintain cordial relations with Muslims by propagating devious theories of same DNA, they dont mind dividing the Hindu society for political gains.

*Dr. Narresh Purohit-MD, DNB, DIH, MHA, MRCP(UK), is an Epidemiologist, and Advisor-National Communicable Disease Control Program of Govt. of India, Madhya Pradesh and several state Health organizations.    He’s  the Principle Investigator – Association of Studies In Behavioural Science),                 Dr. Purohit is also Advisor-National Mental Health Program .