The Paradox of Ushering in Mandal 2.0

BJP's volte face on caste census surprised many within the party, too. It remains to be seen how the party communicates the significance of its action down the line

- RADHIKA RAMASESHAN

Every now and then, India witnesses a politically momentous event arising from the internal compulsions of the ruling establishment. Often masked in utilitarian jargon, suggesting that these decisions are meant for the greatest good of the greatest number, the cynicism at the root is unmistakable.

Demonetisation was announced in November 2016, before the Uttar Pradesh polls. The run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha election was marked by the criminalisation of 'triple talaq', the reading down of Article 370, amendments to the Citizenship Act, and air strikes on Balakot inside Pakistan—all of which whipped up the poll season's volatility.

Six months hence, Bihar, an electorally significant heartland state, will elect its next legislature. Until last week, it seemed that the dominant issue would be the Centre's anticipated retaliatory punch on Pakistan to avenge the Pahalgam carnage. Narendra Modi's red-blooded personality embedded in the larger theme of the BJP genre of nationalism was believed to shape the overriding narrative.

Indeed, when the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) met on April 30, as it did in 2019 before the Balakot air raids, an announcement of a counter-assault by India was expected. To the surprise of many, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnav, the official spokesperson, informed that the government would include caste enumeration of all groupings, including the other backward classes (OBCs), in the impending census that was deferred because of the pandemic. However, no timeline was given, stoking the opposition's charge that this decision would be in limbo, like the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.