The Opposition in Kerala has demanded an extensive caste census in the state to identify the socially, economically and educationally backward sections as the Left government dithers on any such exercise in the near future.

M.K. Muneer of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a Congress ally, made the demand on Thursday by way of a calling attention motion in the Assembly, citing the state government’s recent affidavit in the Supreme Court ruling out any such exercise for now.

The state government had on Monday filed the affidavit in the apex court in response to a contempt petition filed by the Minority Indians Planning and Vigilance Commission Trust that accused the Union and state governments of ignoring court orders to revise the backward classes list.

The state had informed the Supreme Court that the Kerala-specific contents of the 2011 caste census data it had secured from the Centre were not helpful at all in determining the backwardness of various castes and communities. The matter has been posted to February 6.

Minister for the welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and backward classes K. Radhakrishnan, in his reply to Muneer, said that the government had no immediate plans to conduct a caste survey and a decision would be taken only after the Supreme Court verdict on the pending case.

However, Muneer contended in the Assembly that the state government was not exercising its responsibility although it is now empowered to conduct a socio-economic survey. He pointed out that the 105th Constitutional Amendment Act allows states to maintain their own list of backward classes which may be different from the central list.

He reminded the Left Democratic Front government that it often repeats its commitment to safeguard the interests of every community but what it must do is
uphold the rights of the people. “What you need to understand is that giving us our rights is more important than merely promising that you are there to protect us,” said the former minister.

His assertion was apparently based on the Congress’s promise to conduct and implement caste census wherever it is in power.

“Rahul Gandhi had said that every Congress state is duty-bound to conduct a caste census. (Bihar chief minister) Nitish Kumar did it because of the Congress. But now that he has gone with the BJP, the caste census (of Bihar) will go into cold storage,” said Muneer.

The lawmaker reminded the Left government that it was the Congress-led UDF government helmed by Oommen Chandy that held the first-ever caste census in Kerala in 2012. But that census was binned after a controversy over its allegedly erroneous method of data collection.

The demand by a Congress ally in Kerala comes at a time the party’s government in Karnataka is gearing up to release the socio-economic and education survey.