Rahul’s Caste Census Push: More Talk, No Substance

Rahul Gandhi’s claims of being a champion for caste-based reservation through the push for a caste census feel disingenuous to me. While he presents himself as an advocate for social justice, I can’t help but feel that his past actions tell a different story.

Take, for instance, his visit to the United States. During a private conversation, some of his latent inclinations against reservation reportedly came to the surface. It’s as if his public persona doesn’t fully align with what he truly believes. One glaring example that stands out to me is his support for striking off Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, hand-in-hand with an election promise made alongside the National Conference Party. The absence of Article 370 has had serious consequences for marginalized groups like Dalits, Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Shia Muslims, effectively denying them the protections and reservations they were entitled to.

This isn’t an isolated incident. Congress, as a party, has a long history of opposing caste-based policies. Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi, Rahul’s own predecessors, consistently resisted the idea of a caste census and reservations. The records of their opposition are right there in the minutes of parliamentary sessions, quietly reminding us of the party’s reluctance to fully back measures that would uplift oppressed castes and communities.

When I hear Rahul Gandhi’s recent statements about supporting reservation, it strikes me as nothing more than political rhetoric. If he was truly serious about this cause, wouldn’t he have already released the results of the caste survey in Karnataka? Or at the very least, directed Congress-led governments in Himachal Pradesh and Telangana to conduct their own caste census to ensure that the deprived and oppressed get their due?

It reminds me of a story about Mahatma Gandhi, one that I often think about. Before advising a young boy to stop eating sugar, Gandhi gave it up himself, leading by example. The message is clear: actions speak louder than words. If Rahul Gandhi truly believes in reservation, I can’t help but wonder why he hasn’t acted first before speaking so loudly about it.