Tribal Congress Terms Caste Census Victory for Rahul Gandhi

Shimla, May 8 – The Himachal Pradesh unit of the Tribal Congress has hailed the Central Government’s decision to conduct a caste-based census as a victory for Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who has long championed the cause. Tribal Congress Working President Sher Singh Negi emphasized the urgent need for the census to begin and for a strict timeline to be set for its completion.

Negi criticized the BJP-led central government for initially ignoring the demand, stating, “Rahul Gandhi campaigned tirelessly across the country, pushing for caste census, which finally compelled the Modi government to act.” He mocked Prime Minister Modi’s earlier remarks reducing caste identities to just “women, youth, farmers, and the poor,” calling them superficial in the face of structural inequalities.

He pointed to Telangana as a successful example of caste census implementation and urged that detailed questions be included to reveal the actual representation of Dalits, OBCs, and Adivasis in institutions and power structures.

Negi also reiterated Congress’s commitment to extending reservations to private educational institutions under Article 15(5), as promised in their manifesto. “In corporate management and top-level jobs, there’s near-total absence of representation for marginalized communities,” he said, adding that gig economy jobs are disproportionately occupied by Dalits, OBCs, and Adivasis.

He thanked Rahul Gandhi for his relentless campaign, saying the caste census would ensure justice and rightful representation for historically neglected communities.