The report of Bihar caste survey (BCS)released at politically extremely sensitive time. It is the time when the elections of the state assemblies of five states-Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram are so close. The parliamentary election of the country is also going to be held just after few months. I focus this piece on the pertinent question-whether the Bihar Census report, its data and politics emerged from it, are going to affect drastically the elections which are going to be held in few days and weeks.
The Bihar caste survey gave (BCS) two big massage-firstly, that the poverty is still dominant in the society of Bihar. It is prevalent across the caste and communities in the state. The socio-economic details revealed from Bihar caste survey suggested that’ poor’ constitute a ‘class’ which contains the poor of various castes which come under various social groups such as scheduled castes, scheduled tribe, other backward castes and upper castes etc. However, the politics of Bihar remained mostly centred on caste and could not pay much attention on a notion of class which is dominant social reality with the phenomenon of castes in the state like Bihar. Secondly, Within OBC, the social realities of extremely backward castes (EBC)which is also called MBC (Most Backward castes) have been not addressed properly since around 75 years of post-independent era. In terms of education, political participation and development the communities are far behind than many others in the society of Bihar. It is the situation when the political ruling class of Bihar remained mostly Backward castes. The Lalu Yadav and Niteesh Kumar both belongs from backward castes remained chief minister since almost around 35 years of the political history of Bihar. However, there are multiple readings of Bihar caste survey by various political interest groups now a days. Based on this Bihar caste survey , Bihar assembly unanimously passed bill for insuring 75 percent reservation in the government jobs in the state.
It is true thar Bihar caste survey and politics derived from it by the political parties like JDU and RJD may affect the electoral mood of the voter at certain extent in the states where election is going on. It may raise aspiration among backward classes in these states for the increase in reservation like Bihar which may reflect politically too. But it is difficult to say that it is going to affect the electoral results in these states directly. It has two reasons-firstly, Congress who is trying hard to garner OBC support in these states as main opposition by supporting the caste-based census in India is new claimant in the politics of acquiring socio-political base among OBC. It has to compete with a party who has deeply inroads among OBC communities by doing symbolic as well as substantial politics of representation of OBCs castes and communities. Secondly, Congress yet to go deeper among communities to cultivate trust value among them. As we know, the OBC politics emerged in India since colonial time as no Congress sphere. During Independence movement -Triveni sangh a political association of the three major OBC castes-Yadava, Kurmi and Koiree in Bihar, emerged to fracture Congress hegemony in the politics of Bihar. After Independence, Ram Manohar Lohia tried to reshape the political psyche of these communities against Congress from very beginning. Now there is challenge for the Congress to convert this non-congress political psyche of the OBC political class in to pro congress political psyche.
The ‘Garibi’(poverty) as electoral in this election are being importantly discussed but not via Bihar caste survey but through Garib Kalyan schemes which BJP is proposing as one of the main electoral discourses in these ongoing elections. So Gareeb as a community are not emerging here as reservation aspirant community but as beneficiary community. It is true that BJP and Congress both have evolved their own beneficiaries. We need to see who is mobilising more of beneficiary public in its own political side.
The issues of EBC and MBC are going to emerge as new narrative of Indian politics slowly. The Home minster Amit Shah has hinted recently in one of his public lecture in Bihar that BJP may certainly focus on their cause in coming days. But it will take some more time to emerge as electoral issue. The BJP may try to highlight their comparative backwardness in comparison to dominant Backward castes such as Yadavas and Kurmis, on the other hand, the political parties mobilised as I.N. D.I. A. alliance may demand increase in reservation slab by highlighting the overall backwardness of OBC castes.
The election time always become politically sensitive time. A minor and small looking issue sometimes do change electoral waves. The Bihar caste survey seems to be planned politically to cultivate favourable condition for INDIA partners. Lets see how is going to unfold in coming months.