Rahul Gandhi praises Telangana model for caste survey, says national census will broaden perspective

Rajgir, Bihar: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said that Bihar, which once guided the world's civilisations with its wisdom and philosophy, has now turned into the ‘crime capital of the country.’

Addressing the ‘Samvidhan Suraksha Sammelan’ here on Friday, he said, “Bihar was once considered the land of truth, justice and non-violence. It showed the path to the entire world; people from across the globe used to come to study at Nalanda University.”

Unemployment issues

But today, he added, the situation has completely changed. “People from Bihar are now forced to migrate to other states and even abroad because there are no employment opportunities here,” he pointed out, while remarking, “Bihar has now become the crime capital of the country.”

Reiterating and reaffirming his commitment to the caste census and removing the 50 per cent cap on reservations, he said he will ensure both are done. And once done, there will be a paradigm shift in the way development is carried out in the country.

‘No real representation’

He disclosed that after joining politics, he learnt that “90 per cent of the country’s population has no real representation anywhere”. The backward classes, Dalits, Adivasis, and extremely backward communities lack meaningful representation in key areas such as the corporate sector, judiciary, bureaucracy, and among the owners of private hospitals and other institutions.

On the other hand, Gandhi added, these 90 per cent people can only be found among the MGNREGA and the gig workers. He said, while Dalits, backward classes, Adivasis, extremely backward communities, and the poor from the general category make up 90% of the population, they control less than 5% of the country’s resources. “You have 90 per cent shareholding in pain and suffering”, he remarked about the 90 per cent population.

Caste census

Reiterating that the BJP and the RSS come under pressure very easily and they take no time to surrender, he said, he had told Prime Minister Modi in the Parliament that the caste census would definitely be conducted. He also questioned PM Modi’s statement that there are no castes in the country. “If there is no caste, then how come Modi Ji becomes an OBC at the time of elections?” he asked sarcastically.

He said, while the BJP agreed under pressure to carry out the caste census, he was not sure whether they will do it the way it needs to be done. He referred to the Telangana model, where the questions were framed by about 3 lakh people, unlike the BJP model, where the questions are framed by a select few officers behind closed doors with no representation from the “90 per cent population”.

Barrier to reservation

Gandhi also reiterated his commitment to break the fifty per cent barrier on reservations. He asked, if the population of the marginalised communities is 90 per cent, why is their reservation limited to only fifty per cent? He said, the Telangana government has already broken the barrier, and wherever a Congress government is formed, this barrier will be removed there.

Referring to the Constitution, he said, it is not merely a 75-year-old book, but a collection of thoughts and philosophy of thousands of years. “The Constitution embodies an ancient philosophy — the thoughts of Lord Shiva, Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Ambedkar, Periyar, Narayana Guru, and Basavanna,” he said, while adding, “this ideological battle has been going on for thousands of years as on one side stands Mahatma Gandhi and on the other, Godse”.

Gandhi said, once the caste census is conducted properly, it will not just be an X-ray but an MRI, leading to a new paradigm of development. “The beginning will be made from Bihar; you have been doing it for thousands of years, and you will do this also as this is in your DNA”, he remarked amidst thundering applause.