Farmers Movement Archive

Dipankar favours caste census

PATNA: CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharyya on Thursday reiterated his stand that caste census was necessary in the country as it would provide logical edge to the job quota. He said caste census should be conducted for all social groups and Hindu-Muslim difference, as was being referred to by some people, was not at all a factor. “The caste census of all the people of the country should be conducted,” he said. Bhattacharya, who was talking to mediapersons, said the Centre has brought in the issue of population control, but it was being done only to divert attention of people from the main issues. “In the last several decades, population growth rate has come down. Hence, population is not an issue now,” he said. “The caste census will help in updating the job quota, because the Mandal Commission recommendations were made on the basis of the 1931 census figures,” Bhattacharya said. He added job avenues in the government sector were shrinking, and, therefore, the job quota should be provided in the private sector also. Bhattacharya said the Centre has not been paying heed to the demands of the agitating farmers with regard to the repeal of the three farm laws. “The central government has been conducting itself in the mould of the British colonial government in the country,” he added. He said the CPI (ML) will organise a “people’s parliament” on health issues here on Friday. Bhattacharya also condoled the death of former Patna University teacher Daisy Narayan and described her as a “source of energy” for the democratic struggle of the people of the state. Narayan had died last week due to brain stroke.

The Times of India

2021-08-13

Patna