Tejashwi Yadav writes to PM Modi on caste census; urges systemic reforms

Patna, May 3 (IANS) Bihar Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Tejashwi Yadav has written a detailed letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, welcoming the Centre’s decision to conduct a nationwide caste-based census along with the general census. However, in the letter he also sharply criticised the past stance of the NDA and urged the government to use the data for comprehensive social justice reforms.

In his letter, Yadav reminded the Prime Minister of the opposition and hurdles created by NDA leaders and institutions during the 17-month tenure of the Grand Alliance in Bihar, when the state government undertook its own caste-based survey.

“For years, your government and NDA have dismissed calls for a caste-based census as divisive and unnecessary. When the Grand Alliance government decided to conduct one, central authorities and your party colleagues actively questioned its necessity and created obstacles,” Yadav wrote.

He noted that the Bihar caste survey had revealed that OBCs and EBCs constitute about 63 per cent of the state’s population — a finding that “shattered long-standing myths” and demonstrated the urgent need for inclusive governance.

“Similar patterns are likely to emerge nationally,” Yadav said, “and the revelation that disadvantaged communities form an overwhelming majority while being underrepresented in positions of power should lead to a democratic awakening,” he said.

While supporting the Centre’s decision, Yadav cautioned that data collection alone is insufficient.

He called for the caste census to serve as a basis for revisiting reservation policies, including the arbitrary cap on quotas, redrawing electoral constituencies during delimitation based on caste data to ensure proportional representation and enhanced political representation for OBCs and EBCs in state assemblies and Parliament.

Yadav also emphasised the need for economic justice, arguing that the private sector, which has long benefited from government subsidies and public resources, must be part of the inclusivity discourse.

“It is entirely reasonable to expect private companies to reflect the social composition of our country across organisational hierarchies,” he said.

Quoting the Directive Principles of State Policy, Yadav urged the government to design targeted interventions using the caste data to reduce economic inequalities and ensure equitable distribution of resources.

“Prime Minister, your government stands at a historic crossroads. This decision can be a transformative moment — if used as a catalyst for systemic reforms rather than being filed away like past commission reports,” Yadav concluded.

The letter signals the political intensification surrounding the caste-based census ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, with both the NDA and Grand Alliance claiming moral and political ownership over the issue.

--IANS

ajk/rad