"Only Brahmins Escape Discrimination": Prof Thorat Reveals True Purpose of Caste Census

New Delhi - Eminent economist and social justice expert Professor Sukhadeo Thorat has stated that the purpose of caste-based census should not be limited to just allocating reservations, but should help identify economic, educational and political problems of various groups to formulate specific policies for them. He urged the Central Government to carefully implement this process with the help of expert committees rather than rushing through it.

Professor Thorat, who is currently part of an expert panel reviewing Telangana's caste-based survey, told The Hindu in an interview that India has extensive experience in large-scale data collection and census operations, making this task feasible. "We can improve this process by learning from previous attempts like the 2011 Socio-Economic Caste Census and surveys conducted in Bihar, Telangana and Karnataka. Since the errors from these attempts have already been identified, we know the problems and they can be overcome," he said.

He explained that demands for reservations arise due to the hierarchical nature of the caste system. "Every caste except Brahmins faces discrimination, so demands for reservation are natural. However, all castes are not equal in their situation," he clarified.

Professor Thorat emphasized that caste census should systematically collect data on discrimination as well. He pointed out that constitutional and legal frameworks like the Protection of Civil Rights Act already define 20-30 categories of discrimination which can form the basis for data collection.

He believes caste census will help formulate precise policies for social justice - some groups may need reservations while others might require economic or educational support instead.

Thorat acknowledged that while conducting caste-based census involves many challenges, India is fully capable technically and administratively. Citing the country's vast experience in large-scale data collection and census operations, he stressed the importance of completing this process with expert review and technical preparation.

Professor Thorat said India has previously conducted extensive census and socio-economic surveys, so there's no reason for apprehensions about caste-based counting. However, he clarified that this work must be done carefully and systematically to maintain data reliability.

Slapped for Touching a Well, Barred from Temples: Thorat's Personal Experiences with Caste Discrimination

Sukhadeo Thorat is an economist, academic and author. He is former chairman of the University Grants Commission and currently serves as Professor Emeritus at JNU's Centre for Regional Development. He has been a research fellow at Washington DC-based International Food Policy Research Institute since 1992. From January 2003 to February 2006, he was Director of Indian Institute of Dalit Studies, New Delhi. He served as UGC Chairman from 2006-2011.

Thorat was raised in modest circumstances as a member of the Mahar Dalit community in northeastern Maharashtra (then Bombay). In his autobiographical essay "Passage to Adulthood", he has described the daily humiliations faced by Mahars in his village. He also writes about the social awakening that began in the 1950s under the inspiring leadership of B.R. Ambedkar, architect of India's Constitution and himself a Mahar.

As a child, Thorat experienced humiliation when an upper-caste child slapped him for inadvertently touching a community well. In his teens, he felt anger when he and other local Dalits were insulted in gatherings, socially ostracized, and barred from entering religious temples.

In the 1970s, Thorat's proposed PhD thesis topic on "untouchability and occupational relations" was rejected by JNU's Economics Department as being "too far from mainstream". He later got admission for doctoral studies at JNU's Centre for Regional Development to work on a conventional topic in agricultural economics. "I joined that center but couldn't research the issues I wanted to work on... so I lost ten years," he recalled in an interview, many years ago.