Why This Appeal Matters: Buddhists Urged to Declare True Identity in Census 2026 to Protect Rights & Benefits

Mumbai – The Buddhist Society of India (BSI) has issued a strong appeal to the Buddhist community across the country to correctly declare their religious identity, caste origin, and language during the upcoming 2026 National Census.

In a formal statement in March, the organisation had emphasised the need to ensure the true population of Buddhists is reflected in the census so that the community does not lose out on constitutional safeguards and welfare benefits.

The appeal recalls that under Article 341 of the Indian Constitution, the power to notify Scheduled Castes rests with the President of India. Accordingly, the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 was notified on August 10, 1950.

It further states that Advocate Prakash (Balasaheb) Ambedkar, grandson of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, had extended political support to former Prime Minister V.P. Singh after he left the Congress, on the condition that Buddhists would be granted Scheduled Caste benefits once his government was formed. To fulfil this commitment, the V.P. Singh government issued the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 (Amendment) on June 4, 1990, thereby including Buddhists in the Scheduled Caste list and extending SC benefits to them.

Why Population Matters

The statement highlights that Central and State Governments allocate funds for social, educational, and cultural development schemes under the Social Welfare Departments based on the population of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Political reservations in Lok Sabha, State Assemblies, Municipal Corporations, Municipalities, Zilla Parishads, Panchayat Samitis, and Gram Panchayats are also determined according to population proportion.

“If the population of Scheduled Castes is shown less, the funds and benefits for the community will decrease proportionately,” the appeal warns, adding that the Buddhist community could be deprived of welfare schemes and political reservation.

The Buddhist Society of India has given the following specific guidelines to all Buddhists while filling the census form:

1. In the Religion column, clearly write “Buddhist”.

2. In the Caste column, mention the original caste (pre-conversion caste) such as Mahar, Mang, Chambhar, Dhor, etc.

3. In the Languages Known column, Pali language must be mentioned along with other languages, as the Government of India has granted Classical Language status to Pali, and all Buddhist prayers, rituals, and recitations are performed in Pali.

The organisation has strongly disagreed with certain letters and advisories issued by self-proclaimed leaders on the census issue, stating that such misleading guidance should not be followed.

The statement concludes: “Considering all these important aspects with wisdom and discretion, every Buddhist should ensure that in the census, they write Buddhist in the religion column, their pre-conversion original caste in the caste column, and include Pali in the languages known column. This will protect our self-respect, constitutional rights, social development, and access to benefits and reservations.”