Census Delays Unprecedented: Kharge Calls for Action
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Synopsis
Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress President, has raised alarms about the unprecedented delays in conducting the national and caste census. He urged the government to commence the census immediately, highlighting that past crises did not hinder this essential process.
Key Takeaways
- Mallikarjun Kharge expresses concerns over census delays.
- Census has been conducted during wars historically.
- Majority of countries completed census despite Covid-19.
- India's census has been ongoing since 1881.
- Call for simultaneous caste census with the general census.
New Delhi, April 1 (NationPress) The Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge expressed his worries regarding the significant delays in the execution of the national census and the caste census, urging the government to initiate the process immediately.
Kharge highlighted the government’s lack of communication on this matter, noting that throughout history, even during wars and crises, the census has never been postponed.
During his remarks in the Rajya Sabha, Kharge stated, "The census was carried out even amidst the World War and the Indo-Pakistan war, but now we are facing an unparalleled delay".
He pointed out that despite the difficulties brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, 81 percent of countries globally managed to successfully conduct their census.
According to Kharge, India has been performing its decennial census since 1881, continuing even in the face of significant adversities such as wars and emergencies.
He reminded that the 1931 census commenced on January 26 and spanned an entire year, during which a caste census was also undertaken.
Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, Kharge asserted: "Just as we must undergo periodic medical examinations, a nation also undergoes the most critical assessment in the census."
He emphasized that a considerable number of individuals are engaged in the national census process, which gathers essential data on population, employment, household conditions, and socio-economic factors.
Additionally, he remarked, "The census was executed even during the Second World War and the 1971 India-Pakistan war. It is alarming that, for the first time in history, the government has delayed the census for an unprecedented duration."
Kharge urged the government to conduct a caste census concurrently with the general census. "If data on Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) can be collected, then information on other castes should also be obtainable," he questioned, pointing to the government's silence on this critical issue.
He reiterated that while many nations successfully completed their census during the Covid-19 pandemic, India continues to fall behind.
