By IANS,
New Delhi : A group of concerned citizens from various walks of life have come together to build pressure on the government against a caste-based census.
The eminent citizens including former civil servants, politicians, scientists, artists, industralists and journalists have decided to form a group, `Sabal Bharat’ (strong India), to mobilise the people against the caste based census.
“We will use online petition and other modes of technology to reach out to people to mobilise opinion against the highly divisive move,” J. C. Sharma, a former secretary in the external affairs ministry and a member of the coordination committee of Sabal Bharat, told IANS.
He said a few citizens got together after the government showed it might consider a caste-based census after political pressure from the Yadav trio – Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad and Sharad Yadav.
“The government almost announced that it was going for caste-based census on the last day of budget session. We felt that the concerned citizens must raise their voice. The move (caste-based census) has strong divisive potential. It is not good for the country,” Sharma said.
He said former Lok Sabha secretary general Subash Kashyap, columnist Ved Pratap Vaidik, industralist Sanjay Dalmia, senior journalist Shravan Garg, theatre artists Gopal Sharman and Jalabala Vaidya, filmaker Loveleen Thadani and social activist Alka Madhok were among those who took part in the initial meetings of the group.
The group has received support from senior politicians across the political spectrum including former speaker Balram Jakhar and former union ministers Jagmohan, Vasant Sathe, Ram Jethmalani and Arif Mohammad Khan. Cultural historian Kapila Vatsyayan, MP, eminent scientist M. G. K. Menon, senior journalist Dileep Padgaonkar and eminent dancer Sonal Man Singh have also come out in support, he said.
Sharma said that spiritual leaders such as Swami Ramdev, Satya Narayan Goenka and Pranav Pandya have also assured them of their support.
“The caste-based census negates the vision of the founding fathers of the constitution. It is a retrograde step which will take India backwards,” he said.
The group of eminent citizens has opened an office on Barkhamba Road and has scheduled a press conference Friday.
Sharma said they will give copies of their memoranda to the Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee which is looking into the issue of caste-based census.
The government had referred the contentious issue of caste-based census to the GoM following lack of consensus on the issue in the cabinet.