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| India began a year-long census of its billion-plus population Thursday in which
it plans to photograph and fingerprint every citizen over the age of 15 to create a national database and then issue its first national identity cards. |
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| Secular democracy & social activism should guide new census to reflect the ‘common good’ transparently |
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief Avtar Singh Makkar has appealed to the Sikh community to abstain from mentioning caste in the Census survey. Makkar has said that caste has no place in Sikhism and the community members should not report their caste to the Census teams.
He has also appealed to all Punjabis to record Punjabi language as their mother tongue.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Makkar said Sikhism rejects caste system and if Sikhs mention their caste for government records, “they would be violating the basic tenets of their religion”.
However, a large number of Sikhs are unable to decide whether to report their caste during the Census survey or follow the directions of the religious authority.