The census is one of the most important activities in the
country. It is important for us, our family, our parents and children, our local community, our county, our region and for our religion. This is high time to know our people through statistically analyses. It can achieve through proper census.
The Census is a unique event – it tells us who we are! It is
the one occasion, once every ten years, when each and every one of us gets the
opportunity to make our mark by putting on record who we are, where we are,
what we do, what we have to offer and what our current situation is. It doesn't matter if you are 1 hour old or 100 years old, it doesn't matter if you were born in Kolkata or Shillong, you are part of Indian society and you have a
right to equal opportunity in education, health, job etc. It will be batter if we conduct Barua Buddhist census internationally.
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| Barua Buddhist Community 2014 |
Uses of Census Data
The importance of
official statistics
Every country needs
basic information on its residents for purposes of planning, development and
improvement of the residents' quality of life. Good planning is based on
reliable, up-to-date, accurate and detailed information on the state of the
society in the country. This information makes it possible to plan better
services, improve the quality of life and solve existing problems. Statistical
information, which serves as the basis for constructing planning forecasts, is
essential for the democratic process since it enables the citizens to examine
the decisions made by the government and local authorities, and decide whether
they serve the public they are meant to help. For these reasons official
statistics are collected and published in all countries, world-wide. Thus, for
example, while planning to provide a scholarship to minority Buddhist
Community, the planners use information regarding the Buddhist population in
the respective places and helping uplifting poverty and social improvement;
Similarly, when planning a Pali school in our temple premises, there is a need
for a forecast of the number of pupils who are likely to need schools, in order
to ensure that they will be facilitated with Teachers, proper class room,
Library, reference books, intellectual guest faculties, government aids,
reorganisation, hostel facilities and fund with an appropriate number of
pupils.
Even our ancestors / senior
citizen / Monks were before planning for construction of temple they analyses
number of disciple/Buddhist family members near the temple premises. These
analyses is still helping our committee members for budgeting fund, organising social &
religious ceremony & maintenance of temple and other expenditure.
We lost control on our holy
place Bodh Gaya because we have very less Buddhist population in that area.
Every year crore of money comes through tourism and hospitality but all these
funds goes to other community. Here, we
need for analyses.
Need for Population census for Barua Buddhist Community:
The census is a special, wide-range activity, which takes
place once a decade in the entire country. Unfortunately, Barua Buddhist
Community is a small community in India and no any organisation have taken any
initiative to know about our community. On 8th to 10th March 2014 "Barua
Sammelan 2014" Dr. Bodhi Pal Bikkhu Secretary of Buddha Dhormankur Sabha,
Kolkata had mentioned about importance of census of our community in India. Its
purpose is to gather information about the general population, in order to
present a full and reliable picture of the population in the country - its
housing conditions and demographic, social and economic characteristics. The
information collected includes data on age, gender, country of origin, year of
immigration, marital status, housing conditions, marriage, number of children,
education, employment, travelling habits, etc. We Barua Buddhist Community are
scattered and living different corner of the states in India. Even in small
city like Shillong, we are living in scattered. Therefore it is difficult to
select our representative. The population census will be helping us in this
respect to select our social needs through our representative.
The population census is the most detailed information
source on the population at the level of small localities, neighbourhoods in
cities and small groups in the population. The data acquired forms a basis of
information that is available to public and private elements, at the national
and local level, for purposes of decision-making in a variety of areas of the
life of Barua's of the country.
For our community development Census is necessary. After
living more or less than 100 years in different cities / places in India with our job or
business, we are cornered in all respect from the standard of living in respect
of religious, ethnic culture, economic development etc. Even in some area
poverty is griping and forced to convert ancestral religion to other. But in
some states like West Bengal our Barua's are very progressive in education, economic,
government job etc.
If government of India spending so much revenue on census than here question comes, how much the census is authenticated or
real? Is there any prejudice? In other way, if I put the same question, does
Barua Buddhist minority community is merging with Hindu majority in the census? If our community merging with
Hindu majority than definitely the minority benefit would not be plan from
Government department and we will be deprived from these facilities. May be you
will raise a question, why I am suspicious on government population census? Most
of the time I have noticed whenever any government representative comes for
collecting data for census are knowing or unknowingly considered ourselves as a
Hindu! This is our bad luck! You belief or not, even if you go any hospital
/municipality/ census office etc our Birth registration/ land registration /
Marriage registration every thing in the name of Hindu community. Therefore it
is prove that government census having bias.
Our main objectives on the population and housing census:
1. Enumeration of
the Barua Buddhist population and households in the country.
2. Acquisition of demographic information used
for calculating Barua's estimates.
3. Data collection and production of
information for government ministries / Non Government Organisation and local
authorities, for budgeting purposes.
4. Collection of socio-economic information on
a large sample of people in the population, which makes it possible to acquire data and
information on poor, deprived on education & health, religious support,
wealthy people, businessman, iconic figure etc.
5. Production of
information which serves bodies, organizations and various other elements in
the fields of education, the economy,
business, research, religion, coordination, communication etc.
6. This census will
bring our community under one umbrella for development in all respect.
Who can make use of
the census information?
Everyone inside the country or outside it can use the census
data; accordingly, they serve for a great variety of uses. A great deal of
information is available on the Government, Non government organisation and its
committee members.
The information
provided by the residents is kept strictly confidentialFields of information
studied in the census, and their possible uses:
The information
produced by the census can be divided into a number of main fields; in each
field questions are asked which provide a picture of the population in this
field. The information collected makes it possible to received data on
socio-economic characteristics of the population and households.
Following is a list
of the fields of possible uses of the data:
Demographic features
Personal details:
Questions on demographic make it possible to learn about
age, gender, marital status, country of origin, year of immigration, parents'
country of birth, and the number of children born to the women.
Socio-Economic
characteristics:
A. Education
B. Work
C. Household incomes
D. Housing conditions and standard of living
E. Disability
F. Either Receiving scholarship from the government
G. Average charity giving to Temple
H. Having any religious degree/diploma/certificate
I. Any participation on religious/meditation education.
J. Knowledge of Pali language etc.
I am optimistic on the above topic and it will help us for
formation of new guideline for social development. It will definitely give some direction to our
community and 'Barua community' will be recognised in world population chart.
Here, just we need youth's & intellectual's initiatives from our institution. We are fortunate we will be writing a history,
the modern technology and education will help us to accomplish the above task
i.e. census on Barua Buddhist Community in India and abroad.
