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On April 30, 2025, the Modi government announced caste data in the census to assist in positive action. Rahul Gandhi claimed credit for this decision, contrary to his father’s opposition, opposed to the implementation of Mandal Commission recommendations in 1990
New Delhi:
30 April, 2025: The Narendra Modi government says that caste figures will be part of the next census and this step will help in positive action for the upliftment of backward classes of the society. Shortly thereafter, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, claims credit for advancing the Center for taking decisions.
September 6, 1990: The National Front government headed by VP Singh had already decided to implement the recommendations of the Mandal Commission, started 27 percent reservation for other backward classes (OBCs), which increased the total reservation to 49.5 percent. The move was opposed by Rajiv Gandhi of Congress, former Prime Minister, Leader of the then Opposition and Rahul Gandhi’s father.
As the ruling BJP and opposition Congress fight for credit on caste census, there is a look here how the Grand Old Party responded to the Mandal Commission report 35 years ago and on the basis of which it opposed the move.
A Kashmir Parallel
The Narendra Modi government’s decision to include caste data in the census comes after a heinous terrorist attack in Pahgam in Jammu and Kashmir with 25 tourists and a Kashmiri Pony ride operator. The tension between India and Pakistan is at an all -time high level and the clock is standing for the response to the terrorist strike that has shocked the nation.
Interestingly, the VP Singh government’s 1990 decision also had the backdrop of Kashmir. The Militency Valley was at its peak and in the first few months of 1990, many Kashmiri Hindus were killed, leading to a minority community migration. VP Singh was under pressure on the situation in Kashmir and forced migration of Kashmiri Pandits, who would snow in a major political issue after decades.
Divisional commission
The Mandal Commission was formed in 1978 after the Janata Party won a crushed victory for the Indira Gandhi -led Congress in the years after the Emergency. The mandate of this commission under the chairmanship of BP Mandal was to identify socially or educationally backward classes. The report was presented in 1980; By then, the Janata Party was out of power and Mrs. Gandhi returned as Prime Minister. In the next decade, the separatist movement in Punjab, including major national developments, including Operation Bluestar, was seen by the Indian Army in Amritsar Golden Temple and Mrs. Gandhi later killed by their security staff.
After his death, his elder son, Rajiv Gandhi, became Prime Minister with a large scale mandate, but there was no agitation on the Mandal Commission report. In the 1989 Lok Sabha elections, the Rajiv Gandhi -led Congress was routed and VP Singh became Prime Minister with the support of the Left and BJP. In 1990, VP Singh implemented the recommendations of the Mandal Commission, leading to a political storm in the country.
Mandal Commission recommendations and implementation
The Mandal Commission recommended 27 percent reservation for OBCs in government services and technical and professional institutions at the Center and States. In 1990, the VP Singh government implemented quota in government jobs, triggering nationwide protests. Rajiv Goswami, a student of Delhi University, was self-compelled on September 19, 1990 to oppose the government’s move and became the face of the movement against reservation. He faced 70 percent burning and died of health issues a decade later.
Sixteen years later, the Congress -led UPA government took another step towards implementing the Mandal Commission report and reserved 27 percent seats in higher education institutions including AIIMS, IITS and IIM for OBCs. The move also provoked mass protests by the so-called upper castes, who said that the government’s move abandoned merits and was inspired by vote-bank politics.
The BJP, then in the opposition, supported reservation, but argued that the benefits of reservation should also be extended to the economically weaker sections of the so-called forward castes and also emphasized the boycott of the “creamy layer”-which are relatively privileged within the backward classes.
Rajiv Gandhi’s 1990 Speech in Lok Sabha
On September 6, 1990, Rajiv Gandhi’s address in the Lok Sabha, as recorded in the Parliament records, questioned the government’s time of the government’s decision to implement the Mandal Commission report. “This is a time when the nation is going through very serious, perhaps serious problems. The situation in Kashmir is worse ever since independence. The situation in Punjab is worse again, as it has ever spoiled. It has been included in that list in Assam. The north-south tension is going on the question of language …,” He said.
Equalities between the background are then and now baffling. While Kashmir relatives are stressed after the period of calm, the center is closed in a language row with the southern states.
“Land is not ready”
Rajiv Gandhi said that “the ground has not been prepared” for a big step. “… there is evidence that the land has not been prepared, it is that people are being killed outside, buses are burning, trains are burnt and buildings are being destroyed. This is evidence.”
He said that on the one hand, the Prime Minister was asking the nation to be psychologically ready for war, and on the other, “he is creating a rift in our society”.
On the government’s move to implement reservation, he said, “The fact that you need a comprehensive plan. You need a comprehensive vision, you can not see these things in a different way. We, Congress, are in favor of a comprehensive action plan, which is a positive action plan for backward communities. We do not need it.
Rajiv Gandhi’s creamy layer logic
Mr. Gandhi said that the government should accept that there are people who are from socially and educationally backward groups, but “under any circumstances they cannot be described as socially and academically backward”.
“I will give an example. Stating that we have been a judge of the Supreme Court for many years, say 10 or 15 years and then join politics and become a cabinet minister, are he socially backward? Are he educationally backward? Does his children need help?”
When an MP asked how many such people were there, Rajiv Gandhi replied, “I am not saying how many are there. Even if there is any, that help should go to someone else instead.
Minority questions
In his Lok Sabha address, Rajiv Gandhi questioned why the government has not targeted to expand reservation benefits for backward classes in minority communities. “Sir, it should not only go for such disadvantaged groups and many others like them, but should go for people of all religions who are deprived and this is the place where I have a serious difference with the government. They are almost completely looking into caste.”
“If you look at Muslims, most of the Muslim community in India is backward, educational, socially, financially everywhere. The same thing is true for Christians. The same thing is true for Sikhs, which are big and still all groups, which are for almost every religion.
“Castles Society” argument
Rajiv Gandhi said that by implementing reservation, caste will return in Indian society. “Do we still have that goal of a caste society? … If you believe in a casteless society, every big step you take, should be that you move towards a casteless society. And you should avoid any step that leads you to a caste-torn society. Unfortunately, that step that we are putting today, we are in a casteist formula. They go away.
At one point, a swipe on VP Singh’s erstwhile royal roots, Mr. Gandhi said, “Sir, Raja Sahib is putting caste once again in our society. He is making sure that caste does not go out of this action … This government is creating a vestedithing interest in casteism and the country is going to pay a very heavy price for this,” he said.
Rajiv Gandhi demanded that the government would have to bring socially and educationally backward classes from other castes within Hinduism within the purview of reservation and under this, backward classes from other religions will have to be brought.
How VP Singh replied
In response to Rajiv Gandhi’s creamy layer logic, the then Prime Minister VP Singh said that the issue in the question is about the social and economically backward classes, not about individuals. “When a square goes up,, of course, exit can be there. But when the whole class is just under zero and one percent, this is not the issue. The issue is whether the whole class has gone up or not. It is the issue.”
The then Prime Minister also quoted Jawaharlal Nehru and said, “He (Nehru) says that half a dozen or ten so -called better castes dominate the Indian scene among Hindus … There is no doubt.
For this, Rajiv Gandhi replied, “Whether the Prime Minister believes in a casteless society or not? I do not want to know what was the faith in Panditji.”
Many twists and turns between Rajiv and Rahul
In protest against the VP Singh government’s decision to implement reservation between Rajiv Gandhi and his son Rahul Gandhi claimed credit for caste census, a lot of water has been washed away through the Ganges. At that time, the BJP was a part of the ruling alliance with 83 members. Despite being in opposition after the 1989 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress was the largest party. The story is now different. BJP, despite shocking in the Lok Sabha elections last year, is in its third consecutive term. The Congress, which was reduced to 44 seats out of 44 seats in the 2019 general election, posted a recovery last year and now kept 99 seats. Major players in the political scenario of caste, such as Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party and Lalu Yadav’s Restria Janata Dal, are now ally of Congress.
The BJP has also become adept at cracking caste arithmetic in elections and has taken advantage. The interesting thing is that the BJP, a section, which was once pushed for a creamy layer classification, is now back. After a Supreme Court verdict last year, in which Justice Bran Gawai – soon recommended a policy to identify the creamy layer – to take over as the Chief Justice of India, the government made it clear that he had no such plans.
With Bihar elections, the objective of the BJP’s move is to turn the tables on the opposition – RJD and Congress. On the other hand, the Congress called the announcement as its victory and insisted that Rahul Gandhi forced the government’s hand. But between 1990 and 2025, as party stand and conceptual positions are exchanged, it is less about ideology and more about practicality.
