UP: Varanasi residents celebrate Centre's nod to caste census with colours, drums

Residents of Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi on Thursday celebrated the Union Cabinet's approval for a caste-based census, hailing it as a "historic decision" and expressing their joy with the traditional playing of drums and smearing of gulal (coloured powder).

Locals gathered in various parts of the city, especially in Hukulganj and Pandeypur, to mark the occasion with festivities.

Chandrakant Singh, a resident of Hukulganj, welcomed the move, saying, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to conduct a caste census is in the interest of the nation. It is a landmark step. We are extremely happy with this development and are celebrating by applying gulal and beating drums to express our happiness."

Echoing similar sentiments, Vinay Rai from Pandeypur said, "This is a historic decision by the government. The demand for a caste census had been pending for a long time, but no decision was being made. We fully support and applaud the step taken by PM Modi." Citizens across the city were seen rejoicing, with many calling it a long-awaited measure that would pave the way for more inclusive policymaking.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had on Wednesday announced that the government had decided to include caste-based data in the upcoming national census in a "transparent manner." He stated that while the census is a central subject, some states had attempted caste surveys under different names.

The national census, originally scheduled to begin in April 2020, was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.