The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh said on Monday it has no objection to collecting data on specific communities or castes, provided that the information is used for their welfare and not exploited as a political tool for electoral gains.
Addressing the media in Palakkad, Kerala, after a three-day coordination conclave called Samanway Baithak in this district, Sunil Ambekar, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh, said caste and caste-relations were a "very sensitive issue" for the Hindu society and it is an important issue "for our national unity and integrity".
He was responding to a query on caste census.
So, it should be dealt with "very seriously" and not just on the basis of elections or politics.
"So, as RSS thinks, yes, definitely for all welfare activities, addressing to the particular community or caste which is lagging behind and so special attention is needed to some communities and caste. So, for that the government needs the numbers. It is very well practiced. So, the government needs numbers, it takes. Earlier also it has taken. So, it can take it. No problem."
"But it should be only to address the welfare of the those communities and caste. It should not be used as a political tool for electioneering. And so we put with a caution line for everyone," Ambekar said.
Ambekar's statement comes amidst campaigning by the opposition parties-- the Congress, Samajwadi Party and other INDIA bloc allies, seeking to hold a caste census for effective policymaking.
In response to a query on the recent Supreme Court order regarding the sub-classification of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Ambekar said that no steps should be taken without the consensus of the concerned communities.
"We always see that the Constitutional reservation is very important and it is always supported by RSS," he said.
Asked about the violence in Manipur, Ambekar said RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has already spoken about it and urged the government to take swift action.
"We are watching it," he said, while expressing hope that the situation will be addressed effectively, resolved soon, and peace will be restored in Manipur.
Addressing a gathering of RSS trainees in Nagpur on June 10, Bhagwat had expressed concern that peace had eluded Manipur even after one year and emphasized that the situation in the strife-torn northeastern state must be prioritised.
