DMK MP asks PM to shift Census from Union to Concurrent list

CHENNAI: DMK Rajya Sabha MP P Wilson on Sunday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to shift census from the union list to the concurrent list by enacting a Constitutional amendment to break the deadlock in implementation of OBC reservation in local bodies for the last 30 years.

Referring to several Supreme Court verdicts striking down reservation for OBCs in local bodies in states for want of empirical data, Wilson, in his letter to the PM, said, "There is a Constitutional deadlock prevailing in granting reservations to OBCs in local bodies. The judicial declarations restraining grant of OBC reservations in local bodies has created obstacles in achieving the object of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments."

Claiming that the Union, for its part, has so far taken no steps in seeking review of the judicial pronouncements before the SC, as it had promised earlier, the DMK MP said, "It would be more useful if the Union just shares the caste census data that it has collected 11 years ago." Suggesting a three-pronged approach to remedy the problem and set right the injustice being done to OBC communities, the senior advocate asked the Union to "move the entry 'Census' falling under Entry 69 of the Union List to the Concurrent List giving both union and state concurrent power to conduct census."

"Simultaneously, bring necessary Constitutional amendments in Art 243 (D) (6) and Article 243 (T) (6) to compulsorily grant OBC reservations in local body elections on the basis of empirical data," Wilson said.

Requesting the PM to look into the matter with urgency and enact the proposed Constitutional amendments to remove the prevalent Constitutional deadlock, Wilson asked the PM to release the caste census data forthwith and set right the historical injustice done to OBCs by giving them due representation in local governments. He also reasoned that if census is moved to the concurrent list, it would enable states to conduct its own census and aid the state in maintaining an accurate list of backward classes contemplated under article 342 A (3) and have empirical data of OBC communities local body wise. State can grant reservations in accordance with this data and there can be no challenge before Constitutional courts and shadow fighting in the legal arena can be avoided, he added.