'A caste census cannot achieve social justice'

In his new book The Caste Con Census, Anand Teltumbde argues that enumerating castes in the 2026-27 census is a retrograde step that will only solidify boundaries

- Dhrubo Jyoti

his is your third book in almost a year, after your release from jail. How did you get any writing done in what must have been difficult conditions?

This was a difficult period because it came as something like a bolt out of the blue. I never imagined I would land in jail. For a short time, it was a shock, but the human organism adjusts to an environment. I thought I might not come out alive; so be it. I had done enough; I could call it a day. But then I adjusted and came out in one piece. There were deaths in the family —I lost one uncle and then my brother. But I carried on.