An Incomplete Caste Census: Not Data, but Illusion
N. Singh · ·1 min read
An excerpt from ‘Ginti Se Satta Tak’, translated from Hindi
An incomplete caste census is not data — it is an illusion. If a caste census merely counts how many people belong to each caste, it will yield only statistical information, not social reality.
In nearly 80 years since independence, the country’s social, economic and educational conditions have changed profoundly; today’s India is not the India of 1947. Without comprehensive data on income and assets, any idea of social justice will remain incomplete and misleading.
What we need beyond the count
To understand the real condition of society, alongside the population of each caste we also need:
- The average income of each person
- Details of homes, land and other assets in rural and urban areas
- Actual participation in the public and private sectors
- Levels of education and occupational structure
- Social mobility across generations
Without this, a caste census could become a basis for social conflict rather than an effective tool for social reform.
If you want to understand India, you will have to understand its society — and to understand society… perhaps you will have to count it too.
If you want to understand India, you will have to understand its society.