The main issue concerns words included in Punjab’s official list of Scheduled Castes, which are associated with the Valmiki community of sanitation workers. These words have been in use for a long time, but the community now considers them derogatory.
New Delhi/Chandigarh – The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has taken cognizance of a complaint regarding the use of allegedly casteist words in the official list of Scheduled Castes being used in the upcoming census. The Commission has directed the Punjab Census Director and the Principal Secretary of the Social Justice and Empowerment Department to submit a detailed action taken report (ATR) in this matter within 15 days.
The Commission’s recent notice states that it has taken cognizance of a complaint submitted on May 6 by Hardeep Singh Gill, Vice Chairman of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis. The complaint describes certain words used in both English and Punjabi in the Punjab government’s Scheduled Caste list (specifically Entry No. 2 relating to the Valmiki community) as casteist and derogatory.
The Commission has informed both officials that if a response is not received within the stipulated time, it may, invoking the powers of a civil court under Article 338 of the Constitution, issue summons to the concerned officials to appear before it either personally or through a representative.
The main issue concerns the inclusion of words associated with the Safai Karamchari community (Valmiki/Balmiki) in the official list of Scheduled Castes in Punjab. These words have been in use for a long time, but the community now considers them derogatory. These words are included in the proforma being used during the preparation of the 2027 Census.
Census Operations Director Navjot Khosa has clarified that this list is not new. It has been in existence for decades, and the same proforma was used in the 2011 Census. It is used only for caste enumeration, not to insult anyone.
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes has taken this complaint seriously and initiated an investigation. Community representatives have demanded the removal of these words and action under relevant provisions.
Geetha Sunil Pillai
Courtesy: Hindi News