Census was conducted even during wars, now an unprecedented delay: Kharge

New Delhi: Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday raised concerns over the delay in conducting the national census and the caste census and urged the government to start it as soon as possible.

Kharge pointed out the government’s silence on the issue, saying that despite wars and crises in the past, the census was never delayed.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Kharge noted that “the census was conducted even during the World War and the Indo-Pakistan war, but today, it is facing an unprecedented delay”.

He emphasised that despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, 81 per cent of the countries all over the world have successfully completed their census.

Kharge said that India has been conducting its decennial census since 1881, continuing even through facing adversities like wars and emergencies.

He noted that the 1931 census began on January 26 and lasted a year, during which a caste census was also taken up.

Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, Kharge said: “Just as we must undergo periodic medical examinations, a nation also undergoes the most critical assessment in the census.”

He stressed that a vast number of people are involved in the national census process, which collects vital data on population, employment, household conditions, and socio-economic factors.

He further remarked, “The census was conducted even during the Second World War and the 1971 India-Pakistan war. It is deeply concerning that, for the first time in history, the government has delayed the census by a record time.”

Kharge urged the government to conduct a caste census along with the general census. “If you can collect data on Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), then data on other castes can also be gathered,” he said, questioning the government’s silence on the issue.

Providing further details, he reiterated that while many countries managed to complete their census during the Covid-19 pandemic, India continues to lag.

IANS