Telangana govt. urged to release caste survey forms in English and Urdu

Civil society groups and individuals called for more transparency in the ongoing caste survey in Telangana, urging the government to release the survey forms in English and Urdu to enhance accessibility and avoid confusion among the public.

They underscored that Urdu is the State’s second official language, and English is widely understood.

ASEEM, a non-governmental organisation, stated that they had submitted a representation to the Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari, asking for the immediate release of the survey forms in these two languages.

“We also request that the government conduct a publicity campaign in Urdu and Telugu newspapers and collaborate with community organisations to stress the significance of the survey. A large section of Telangana’s population cannot read or write in Telugu, making the current format of the survey form a barrier to participation. Releasing the forms in Urdu and English would alleviate this issue,” ASEEM stated in its communication.

The group also recommended that the government provide a detailed list of the information respondents would need to ready, ensuring smoother interactions with surveyors.

Mufti Omar Abedeen from the All India Milli Council, too, echoed similar views. He demanded that forms in English and Urdu be made available quickly. “This will enable members of the public to understand the information required for the survey. There are some people who are still unaware of what information should be shared with the enumerators. If a the form is released both in Urdu and English, even as pdf, it would be of great help,” he said.

On Friday, residents of Banjara Hills said enumerators had come to their homes and affixed stickers, which is a part of the survey process. They said that there was confusion of what information the enumerators should be given. “While they did not ask questions or fill the survey form, there should be more clarity on what sort of questions we will be asked. I cannot read or write Telugu. So, it would be good if forms in English are made available. Privacy and data protection are also important,” said Zaindul Abedeen, an IT professional.