5. Linguistic and Cultural Markers in Caste Enumeration

Renowned linguist and scholar Professor G.N. Devy has proposed using linguistic and cultural markers as a scientific methodology for the upcoming 2026-27 Census to resolve the complexities of caste enumeration. He warns that failing to explicitly enumerate Denotified Tribes (DNTs) could alienate a vulnerable population of over 10 crore people who have remained statistically invisible since 1931. • Methodology of Layered Scrutiny: Drawing from the \'Peoples’ Linguistic Survey of India,\' Devy suggests an open-field entry system where residents name their own caste. This \'raw data\' can then be refined through post-Census studies using markers like language, ancestry, lifestyle, and kinship to consolidate variants and spellings. • Linguistic Mapping for Caste: A single community often carries different names across states (e.g., Sansi in Punjab, Chhara in Gujarat). Devy argues that shared unique languages (like Bhaktu) can serve as a definitive marker to identify and unify these groups under a single sociological category. • The DNT Crisis: Denotified Tribes—formerly branded as \'criminal\' under colonial law—often fall into the \'unmapped\' or \'misclassified\' categories. Without a separate Census column and code, they remain subsumed under broader SC/ST/OBC lists, losing out on targeted welfare benefits. • Data Accuracy vs. Volume: The 2011 SECC returned over 46 lakh caste names due to spelling variations and local dialects. Devy’s model advocates for involving institutions like the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) to certify and filter this data into a manageable, credible list. • Social Justice and Recognition: Explicit enumeration is viewed as a prerequisite for constitutional recognition. As these groups were wards of the colonial state’s \'criminal\' registries, the modern state has a moral and legal obligation to provide them with a distinct political and administrative identity. Key Definitions • Denotified Tribes (DNTs): Communities that were notified as \'born criminals\' under the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871. Although the act was repealed in 1952 (Vimukti Divas), the social stigma persists. • Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes: Communities that do not have a fixed habitation and move from one place to another for livelihood. Semi-nomadic groups settle for part of the year. • Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC): A comprehensive• The Renke Commission (2008): Estimated the DNT population at approximately 10.74 crore, noting their deprivation of constitutional support compared to SCs/STs. • The Idate Commission (2017): Identified 1,262 communities as DNT/Nomadic but highlighted the lack of precise population data as a barrier to implementing schemes like SEED (Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs). Conclusion Integrating linguistic and cultural markers into the Census methodology is not merely a technical exercise but a tool for social inclusion. By adopting a scientific \'mapping\' approach similar to the linguistic surveys, the government can rectify historical omissions, ensuring that the most marginalized \'invisible\' citizens are counted, recognized, and brought into the ambit of formal development. UPSC Relevance • GS Paper I: Social Empowerment, Communalism, Regionalism & Secularism; Diversity of India and its linguistic/cultural landscape. • GS Paper II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections; mechanisms, laws, and institutions for the protection of these sections; issues related to the Census and federalism. • GS Paper IV: Ethics and Human Interface; the ethics of classification and the state\'s responsibility toward historically stigmatized populations. door-to-door survey (last conducted in 2011) to generate data on the socio-economic status of households and their caste. Constitutional & Legal Provisions • Criminal Tribes Act (1871): A colonial-era law that allowed the state to monitor and restrict the movement of entire communities. Its repeal in 1952 led to the term \'Denotified.\' • Article 341 & 342: Empower the President to specify Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. DNTs are currently seeking a similar separate constitutional Schedule. • Article 340: Relates to the appointment of a Commission to investigate the conditions of backward classes (e.g., Renke Commission and Idate Commission for DNTs). • Census Act, 1948: The legal framework for conducting the decadal Census. Currently, it only provides for the separate counting of SCs and STs.• The Renke Commission (2008): Estimated the DNT population at approximately 10.74 crore, noting their deprivation of constitutional support compared to SCs/STs. • The Idate Commission (2017): Identified 1,262 communities as DNT/Nomadic but highlighted the lack of precise population data as a barrier to implementing schemes like SEED (Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs). Conclusion Integrating linguistic and cultural markers into the Census methodology is not merely a technical exercise but a tool for social inclusion. By adopting a scientific \'mapping\' approach similar to the linguistic surveys, the government can rectify historical omissions, ensuring that the most marginalized \'invisible\' citizens are counted, recognized, and brought into the ambit of formal development. UPSC Relevance • GS Paper I: Social Empowerment, Communalism, Regionalism & Secularism; Diversity of India and its linguistic/cultural landscape. • GS Paper II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections; mechanisms, laws, and institutions for the protection of these sections; issues related to the Census and federalism. • GS Paper IV: Ethics and Human Interface; the ethics of classification and the state\'s responsibility toward historically stigmatized populations.