Caste Census is Critical But Not Synonymous with Social Justice: Sociologist Satish Deshpande

Delivering a lecture in Bengaluru, the eminent sociologist raised critical questions about representation and treatment of minority castes, complexities of political mobilisation around caste identities, and the broader implications for social justice.

Sethu C.A. and Sai Chandan Kotu

Bengaluru: A ‘caste census’ is a tool, a vitally necessary one, in the struggle for social justice, but it is not a goal in itself, said eminent sociologist Satish Deshpande on Thursday, February 8.

He was delivering a lecture on the theme “Will a ‘Caste Census’ Deliver Social Justice?,” organised by the Bengaluru Collective in association with the Law and Development Committee of the St. Joseph’s College of Law.

Deshpande, currently M. N. Srinivas Chair Professor at the Institute for Social and Economic Change in Bengaluru, pointed out that a ‘caste census,’ more accurately termed a socio-economic census, is not a mere head count of numbers.

“Not conducting a ‘caste census’ will not lead us anywhere in the direction of social justice. But it is not true that if you do a ‘caste census’, you will necessarily get social justice out of it,” he said. He asserted that it is critical to not conflate the concept of justice with majoritarianism and the morality that is associated with large numbers.

Deshpande highlighted the dual challenge of addressing the needs of smaller or numerically minor castes from the middle of the spectrum, without losing sight of the broader goal of social justice. The lecture delved into the historical context, the contemporary relevance of caste data, and the potential of such data to influence social and political dynamics. Deshpande raised critical questions about the representation and treatment of minority castes, the complexities of political mobilisation around caste identities, and the broader implications for social justice.

Deshpande emphasised that publicly available socio-economic census data from a ‘caste census’ could lead to a transformative “awareness of numbers,” that could generate a social force in its own right, potentially reshaping the political and social landscapes. Crucially, however, this force is but of tangential relevance to social justice, he pointed out. Drawing from historical precedents and recent developments, he unpacked the layered dynamics between caste enumeration, social justice policies, and the concept of majority versus. minority statuses within Indian society. The professor discussed the difference between knowing the numbers in an arithmetic sense and knowing it in a political sense, and the role of mechanisms like a census in crystallising identities and generating political programmes.

Deshpande argued against the tendency to conflate the notion of social justice with empirical data or evidence alone, and urged citizens to be mindful so that they do not get lost in the numbers. Illustratively, he spoke of the necessity to worry about the potential risks for the smaller castes located in the middle of the social spectrum, in the grand calculus of social justice—how they might fare when the numbers reveal the realities of “majority” versus “minority”. He pointed out that the relationship between the many/few and good/less-good are socially constructed, not naturally occurring in the real world.

“Can we afford to have the claims of certain caste groups to be toned down in some way merely because they are smaller in number?” asked Prof. Deshpande. This is of particular importance in the current political climate, he argued, where there is no room to speak of minority rights. Yet, he made his conviction unmistakably clear by asserting that “not doing a ‘caste census’ will certainly not lead us in the direction towards social justice.”

The lecture was a call to look deeper, an invitation to “think about the associations we make, political and moral, between many-ness and few-ness, considering that the census is primarily a device to identify many-ness and few-ness.”

The professor expressed his concerns on whether merely recognising the numerical strength or weakness of certain castes could lead to reparative justice, or result in risking further reinforcement of existing prejudices. Responding to questions on why the headcount alone may not produce change, Deshpande said the audience to not forget that justice and injustice is not a matter of numbers alone. He argued that the demand for social justice does not come from belonging to any particular caste, but from the social reality that persons belonging to a particular caste are treated in a particular unjust way.

Addressing the tension between economic status-based reservations (EWS) and caste-based reservations, Prof Deshpande reiterated the distinct nature of caste injustice that cannot be equated with economic disadvantage alone, emphasising the need for caste-sensitive policies. The nature of caste politics under Hindutva was discussed as well. Regarding the promise of a broader Hindutva umbrella under which caste would ceases to matter, Deshpande said, “Caste will not be defeated by Hindutva, given that it has been around for a few thousand years more than the Hindu identity.”

Dr. Awanish Kumar, a member of the faculty at the School of Development, Azim Premji University,  who chaired the event, set the stage for the debate on the ‘caste census’ in India. He questioned its terminology, highlighting its historical roots and current relevance, notably through early 20th-century efforts and recent Bihar survey findings. He underscored the importance of such data for understanding societal structures and for formulating development strategies.

The event’s discussions illuminated the critical role of socio-economic census data in crafting informed social policies, while acknowledging the challenges and limitations inherent in using it alone to address India’s deep-rooted social inequalities. This dialogue underscored the ongoing need for a thoughtful engagement with caste dynamics, social justice, and the pursuit of equitable solutions in one of the world’s most diverse societies.

Courtesy : The Wire

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