Hyderabad: The household survey being conducted by the Telangana government has received mixed reactions from people in Hyderabad.
The survey aims to collect details of families to understand their social, financial, educational, employment, political, and caste status. While a few people were apprehensive of sharing their details, others cooperated with the enumerators.
Following the preliminary phase of door-to-door visits to fix survey stickers, the enumerators began gathering information. However, some residents refused to provide full details, citing privacy concerns and expressing frustration with what they viewed as an intrusive questionnaire.
Some people felt that the 75 questions including details on household assets, finances, bank accounts, land ownership, and loans were invasive. In areas like Musheerabad, enumerators encountered resistance.
Residents questioned, “Why do you need to know about our properties? What benefit will we get by sharing this information?” Some went so far as to tear down the stickers placed on their homes, while others simply refused to open their gates.
Challenges for enumerators included logistical issues, such as delayed delivery of survey forms and difficulty locating some addresses. Enumerators reported that the lengthy survey format, with intricate coding requirements, added further complexity.
On November 6, Telangana deputy CM said that the details collected during the caste census will be kept confidential. He appealed to the public not to worry and urged them to furnish information to the enumerators without any apprehensions.
A total of 80,000 enumerators and 18,000 supervisors have been trained to facilitate the process.
In Greater Hyderabad alone, 18,723 enumerators and 1,870 supervisors have been appointed to ensure thorough coverage of households.
Significance of the Caste Census
The Telangana government sees caste census as a crucial step towards ensuring equitable representation in local governance and addressing the needs of backward classes in the state.
The results will influence decisions regarding reservations in local bodies based on community demographics.
The establishment of a dedicated commission for the caste census aims to streamline the process and address any legal concerns raised by various groups. The government has allocated Rs 150 crore for this initiative, emphasizing its importance in shaping future socio-economic policies.
Telangana Household Survey: Muslims raise concerns, call for transparency, data security
Consider no caste, no religion options: HC
As the Telangana government began the caste census, the high court asked the State to consider no caste, no religion columns for the survey. Justice Surepalli Nanda asked the Telangana Backward Class (BC) Commission to consider the request made by the Kula Nirmulana Sangham (KNS).
The KNS is advocating for the inclusion of an option in the upcoming BC census for individuals who wish to identify as having no caste and no religion. However, Justice Nanda declined to mandate the creation of a separate column in the census questionnaire at this late stage.
In his ruling, Justice Nanda emphasized that Article 25(1) of the Indian Constitution guarantees individuals the right to practice and propagate their chosen religion.
This provision implicitly includes the freedom to declare oneself as not belonging to any religion or caste. He directed the authorities to review the representations submitted by KNS on October 29 and November 1 and make decisions following legal provisions before adjourning the case until December 4.
