Srinagar, May 27: Members of the Civil Society on Thursday said they would press for inclusion of state subject clause in the Census to prevent counting of non-state subjects including troopers and tourists in the overall population of Jammu and Kashmir.
During the follow-up of the debate ‘Census-2010-Implication and Concerns’ organized by the Kashmir Centre for Social and Development Studies (KCSDC) the members comprising of academicians, columnists and retired government employees underscored the need to participate in the Census. However, they urged the people to remain careful and get themselves properly enumerated.
“In the past Census exercises our growth rate, fertility, literacy and other indicators have been projected on a declining scale. This has not only hit state’s demography but also the developmental activities,” the Chairperson of KCSDC, Prof Hameeda Nayeem said.
She said in view of larger political implications of the “wrong indicators,” it was high time for New Delhi to ensure transparent Census in JK. “There must be proper analysis and validation to project the true picture of the state. The enumerators and the people have to shoulder responsibility to ensure fair Census,” she added.
“As members of the Civil society we have some apprehensions regarding the process. If the army and tourists will be counted among the population of the state, it will not only give a wrong projection but will have serious ramifications. We want only the state subjects of Jammu and Kashmir should be counted as its population. The fluid population including troopers and tourists should be counted as non-state subjects,” said GK columnist Z G Muhammad.
“The Muslim population in JK has been projected to be shown as declining from 1942. For its fair projection we have to create mass awareness. But before that we need to build consensus and take everyone on board, including politicians and officials, who will be acting as enumerators,” he said.
But Zahid maintained that the members of the civil society have to act as catalysts and not as activists. 
Political analyst, Dr Javid Iqbal questioned the clause of permanent resident in the Census questionnaire. “The clause should have been mentioned as state-subject for conducting fair Census and ascertaining the population of the State.  
Former Director General Tourism, M Ashraf seconded Dr Iqbal. “When the Census department included category clause it should not have reservation to include the state subject clause. There is a provision for modifications in the questionnaire and it will be in larger interests of the state to get it included at the earliest,” he said.
Noor Ahmad Baba of Political Science department University of Kashmir said there was need to mobilize opinion leaders to make people aware about Census. “We have to distinguish between elections and census. We need to sensitize the Hurriyat leadership and involve the religious organizations like Jamaa’t which have strong cadre base at grass root level.”
Former official of JK Board of School Education, Bashir Ahmad Dar said there was a trust deficit between Kashmiris and New Delhi. “In 2001 when people boycotted Census it served as a deterrent for us. We have no option but to participate in the Census. At the same time we don’t have a mechanism to have a parallel agency to cross check the Census.”
Abdul Majid Zargar a Chartered Accountant said economic parameters indicate that population of Muslims should have been more as was being projected. “There is an alarming pattern which shows that population of Hindus in Jammu has registered an unprecedented growth while Muslim population in the Valley is not in tandem with the global pattern,” he said.
On the occasion, a former official of the Census department said the enumerators had an imperative role. “In the whole process, the enumerators are significant as the information obtained by them forms the very basis of the final Census report. They should be properly trained before undertaking the job. The enumerators have to take care to mention the mother tongue and place of birth in the respective columns,” he said. 
 “In 2001, the BJP and its allied parties had raised a hue and cry over the higher number of Muslims in the Census in the Valley. The troopers and others agencies had conducted random Census in some villages of Kupwara to cross check the Census and their fears vanished in thin air,” the official added. 

Lastupdate on : Thu, 27 May 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 27 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 28 May 2010 00:00:00 IST