A caste census reopens old grudges in India

ON GANDHI JAYANTI, a national holiday, Nitish Kumar caused a stir. The chief minister of Bihar, a big and poor north Indian state, chose a day that honours Mohandas Gandhi (who fought against caste discrimination) to announce the results of a caste census conducted in his state. The findings, released on October 2nd, have put caste back at the forefront of Indian politics, unleashing a debate that is proving tricky for Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The result may be a rise in the use of caste-based quotas as tools for alleviating poverty—perhaps at the expense of more fruitful methods.