May 11, 2010 Cathnews --Some Christian leaders in India have welcomed a government decision to include caste in the national census, saying it will help poor people enjoy state benefits.

The federal government began the once-in-10-years exercise April 1. Billed as the world’s largest census, it aims to list the income, employment and educational details of some 1.2 billion Indians.

On May 7, the last day of parliament’s Budget Session, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee proposed incorporating castes in the ongoing census and obtained agreement from all political parties.

“We welcome the decision. It is important to have the actual number of people belonging to a particular caste in an area,” said Father Babu Joseph, spokesperson of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India.

The census, first conducted in 1881, collected caste data until 1931. This data collection was dropped because of plans to outlaw caste discrimination, reports said.

“Caste divides society and it is not desirable for a modern and democratic society,” Father Joseph said, adding that since caste remains a social reality, it is important to have the “actual picture of people belonging to a particular caste.”

However, such data should be used for “our long term aim of removing caste” from society, he said.

Catholic lay leader John Dayal said enumerating the caste and economic status of Christians and Muslims will help show how dalit (former “untouchables”) suffer social and economic poverty.

Government benefits meant for these people are denied to dalit Christians and Muslims on the grounds that their religions do not practice the caste system.

Dayal said the census will show “the full strength of those kept out of the development process” and will help allocate more resources for deprived communities, especially for their women and youth.

Christian leaders say some Christians of dalit origin officially list themselves as Hindus as they fear that revealing their religion would make them ineligible for statutory benefits their families now enjoy.

Dayal, a member of the National Integration Council, said people hide their religious identities because of fear. If their “rights are granted, as demanded, they will never hide their identity, he said.