New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) The CPI(M) on Wednesday demanded immediate scrapping of the demographic committee, saying that combined with the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, Census and delimitation, it has “potentially far-reaching consequences for citizenship, representation, democracy, federalism and social and communal harmony”.
In a statement issued here, the Politburo of CPI(M) alleged that the intent behind the High Level Committee on Demographic Changes (HLCDC) is “suspicious”.
“The suspicious intent behind the constitution of the HLCDC has been unravelled through media reports about various questions asked by the HLCDC. The CPI(M) had expressed strong opposition and apprehensions when the committee was constituted,” the Left party said in a statement.
It said reports from states where it is undertaking the exercise indicate that its questionnaire seeks religion-wise data and data on various issues that include: the increase in school enrolment, conversion of STs, land ownership changes, enrolment as voters and issuance of Aadhaar cards.
“These have only confirmed our apprehensions that this was being done with a predetermined focus on RSS/BJP’s pet agenda of minority bashing,” it alleged.
CPI(M) said the exercise cannot be viewed separately from the ongoing SIR exercise and the proposed delimitation.
“The HLCDC also sought information about the religion of voters deleted from electoral rolls. The SIR, Census, delimitation and the demographic committee combined have potentially far-reaching consequences for citizenship, representation, democracy, federalism and social and communal harmony,” it said.
“That this exercise was being undertaken in the midst of the ongoing Census makes it even more murky. Ideally, the Census is the basis to establish demographic trends. Any changes to demographic patterns should emerge from the Census data,” the Left party said.
CPI(M) demanded that the present exercise undertaken by the HLCDC should be immediately stopped and the Committee itself scrapped.
The HLCDC under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has sought from the states and Union Territories details on “visible changes” in religious demography in districts, industrial clusters and border districts for the last 15 years, officials said.
In a letter to the states and UTs, the committee has sought “time series data” indicating changes over the years, other administrative data sets, and the assessment of state governments on “major trends” in demographics, along with data on the religious composition of tribal populations since 2011, they said.
The letter asks the states and UTs to ensure that data is collected from districts to “the extent available in official records”.
States are finding it difficult to collate such huge data segregated on religious lines, as data is not collected on these parameters, sources said.
Highly placed sources said data collection is in a “preliminary stage” and the states will not be forced to provide data that does not exist. PTI AO RUK
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