The recently declared Caste Census may go down as the biggest ideological betrayal of the Hindu cause in modern politics. Caste was a British social tool planted to weaken Hindu society from within. Unfortunately, Indian politicians have successfully revived it with vigor and dangerous consequences.
The idea that Hindus must once again be boxed into caste compartments runs directly against the soul of the Hindutva movement. The right-wing think tanks are trying to make Hindus rise above caste, united in loyalty to Sanatana Dharma. At such a time the Caste Census declaration is a black cloud on Bharat’s horizon with a bleak silver lining. Â
Caste Census: A Colonial Weapon Rebranded
Let’s not forget that the first formal caste census was a British colonial invention. The British used fissures in society to control Bharat. Unfortunately, their formula of pitting Hindus against Hindus worked for centuries. Today, in 2025, Indian politicians across the spectrum want to sharpen the same weapon. The so-called social justice warriors who preach caste upliftment are ensuring caste entrenchment. They want a country where people don’t rise as citizens or Sanatanis but remain trapped in caste labels.
Thereby, ensuring that Hindus are forever divided along misunderstood varna categories and dependent on the State for welfare schemes.
Caste censuses in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and other parts of Southern India were all quietly executed. The released lists displayed huge discrepancies in numbers and lacked data transparency. The silence of the State administration on these exercises proves the intent was not policy-making but vote-bank manufacturing. Yet, the mere promise of a national “Caste Census” gave Congress 99 seats and the Samajwadi Party 37 in the Lok Sabha elections, proving that Identity Politics is the new opium.
BJP’s Gamble: Smart Politics, Ideological Suicide?
When BJP announced a combined Population + Caste Census, it was seen by many as a surrender to vote-bank politics. However, such a caste survey was done 15 times till 2011. For a party that built its base on the Ekta (unity) of Hindus, this was a risky move. Even BJP’s ideological partner and guide – The RSS – warned that such a census has the potential to be a divisive tool. Moreover, the common Hindu voter is no longer blind.
Sanatanis know the difference between varna – a philosophical framework of duties, and jAAt – a corrupted caste identity frozen by colonial census tables.
By endorsing the Caste Census, the BJP risks alienating a large base of ideological Hindus. Many Hindus chose to rise above their caste in several elections across the nation. They choose leaders based on dharmic ideals as well as development models, not caste identity.
The very spine of Hindutva – that Hindus should vote as one – seems bent under political pressure.
But politically, the move has strategic depth. By taking away the caste card from Congress and its INDI Alliance, the BJP blunts its core electoral tool. Once the BJP owns the data, the Opposition can no longer run the same game.
The Silver Lining: NPR, NRC, UCC, and Exposing the Deep Rot
Yet, hidden within the same caste census is a powerful counter-narrative – a reason for cautious optimism. The population census is now tied with caste data. This will enable long-overdue moves like NPR (National Population Register) and NRC (National Register of Citizens).
UCC, NPR, and NRC are not just administrative tools – they are essential weapons in securing Bharat from infiltration, fraud, and corruption.
- Fake Aadhar, ration cards, and voter IDs will be easier to expose.
- Inflated caste numbers aimed at hijacking welfare schemes will be corrected.
- Illegal Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, and Rohingyas hiding under forged identities, can finally be located and deported.
- Identification of creamy layer manipulation in lower castes. Prevention from exploiting reservations meant for the genuinely disadvantaged.
So while the caste data may hurt Hindu unity temporarily, the long-term structural reforms possible through UCC, NPR, and NRC may just balance the scales. However, the intent and political will of the BJP is under test by this census!
A Tough Choice for HindusÂ
The atman of Sanatan Dharma does not recognize permanent caste divisions. The Varna system was always fluid, based on work, not birth. What modern caste warriors are doing today is not justice but the fossilization of caste lines. They are freezing society into rigid blocks, where people are told who they are, what they deserve, and whom they must vote for – based on nothing but birth.
Continued casteism in the form of a census is not social upliftment – it is engineered segregation.
The Caste Census may give the BJP a short-term electoral advantage, but it has opened an old wound in Hindu society. The risk is simple and evident to all. Modi’s Viksit Bharat cannot be build Ram Rajya while its foundation is based on caste boxes. India needs unity, not social fragments. Moreover, Bharat needs Sanatan Dharma, not British leftovers legacy of castes. Caste Census is a poison, however, any poison in a curated small doses is a cure.
Let’s hope that Modi 3.0 knows how to use the poison of the Caste Census to cure the nation’s fragmented Hindu Unity!Â