Christian body writes to PM on flaws in caste census

Drawing the Prime Minister's attention to the deficiencies in the enumeration process in the national census on Caste, the All India Christian Council (AICC) said the flaws in enumeration will have "serious impact" on the interests of the Christian community in general and on the rights of those who trace their origins to Dalit and OBC groups.

The failure to ask caste of those declaring Christianity as their religion is a major procedural lapse that introduces an avoidable error in the data and will skew the statistical computations, Dr John Dayal, Secretary General of AICC, stated in a letter to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Registrar General of India will not be able to determine the caste diversity in the Christian community with any exactitude, he expressed.

Dr Dayal, who is also a member of the National Integration Council, Govt of India, noted that Article 341 (iii) of the Constitution or its predecessor the Presidential Order of 1950, which the community has challenged through Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court of India, cannot be used as an excuse, as this is a mere enumeration exercise and does not pre-suppose any consequential benefits at this stage.

"The Dalit Christians have, of course, for more than half a century repeatedly urged the government to grant them Schedule Caste status, a demand supported by various national Commissions, a large number of State governments and national and regional political parties," the Christian leader recalled.

Dayal in his letter urged the Prime Minister to immediately direct the Census Commissioner and Registrar General of India to ensure that in the on-going exercise, Christians should be enumerated for their caste origins.

"For many, this is an assertion of their Identity. Individuals can, should they so want, will continue to have the right to say they do not want their caste to be recorded. The enumeration staff should be appropriately instructed and trained in this matter," he said.