The Caste Con Census

Anand Teltumbde

9788198697035

Language: English

252 Pages

5.5 x 8.5 Inches

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Price INR: 499.0 Not Available

About the Book

It is the C word that counts.


It has been almost a hundred years since the last nation-wide caste count. The 1931 Census, a British exercise, accounted for 4,147 castes. The Socio-Economic and Caste Census of 2011 returned over 46 lakh caste names. Castes are countless. Caste, by definition, divides. And in the modern period, castes have only multiplied.


Many advocates of social justice believe that counting castes will help redress inequalities. Is this true? What will a more detailed headcount reveal? How will the data be used? In an age when the state often fudges truth and numbers, what are the consequences? Will there be a quota for everyone? Can annihilation of caste ever be a reality?


Anand Teltumbde wades through the history, maths and dynamics of this debate, and lays bare all that is at stake

Anand Teltumbde
Anand Teltumbde is a civil rights activist, political analyst, columnist and author of many books. He has had a long association with peoples’ struggles, spanning over three decades. Trained in technology and management he marshals his insights of the modern techno-managerial world to sharpen strategies of struggles. His recent books are Mahad: The Making of the First Dalit Revolt (Aakar, 2016), Dalits: Past, Present and Future (Routledge, 2016), Persistence of Castes (Zed Books, 2006), Anti-Imperialism and Annihilation of Castes (Ramai, 2004). A long-time opponent of Hindutva forces, he has been incarcerated by India’s right-wing government since 2020 on charges that appear fabricated.

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