The much-publicized ongoing train of the headcount of social teams in Bihar by the state authorities has run into contemporary controversy over the enumeration of members of ‘third gender’ as a separate caste. Castes in Bihar will now be recognized on the premise of codes, within the type of numbers, and every caste has been given a numerical code to be used through the month-long second part of caste-based headcount from April 15 to May 15.
For occasion, the sub-categories of Maithil, Kanyakubj, and different Brahmins have been merged right into a single social entity referred to as Brahmin, which may have caste code as 126. No separate enumeration of its sub-categories can be carried out. Similarly, the caste code of the Rajput is 169, Bhumihar (142), Kayastha (21), and for members of ‘third gender’ is 22. A complete of 215 codes have been allotted to totally different castes and ‘third gender’ has additionally been thought-about as a caste with the allotment of a separate caste code.
Uproar over ‘third gender’ caste
Terming the state authorities’s transfer of contemplating ‘third gender’ a separate caste within the ongoing train as a ‘legal act’, Reshma Prasad, founder secretary of Dostanasafar, a Bihar-based NGO, on Friday advised PTI, “How can gender identity of a human being, become his/her caste? Can ‘male’ or ‘female’ be considered as caste, similarly, how can ‘transgender’ be considered as caste. People belonging to transgender community can be of any caste”.
The transfer is towards the ‘Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Rules’ that speak in regards to the prevention of non-discrimination of transgender individuals, stated Reshma Prasad. “The social welfare department of the state government must intervene into the matter so that gender identity of a person should not be considered as caste. I will definitely write to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in this regard and seek his immediate intervention in the matter. It’s sheer injustice with people belonging to the transgender community”.
Trans activist reacts
As per the 2011 Census, the overall inhabitants of transgender individuals in Bihar is 40,827. Echoing the same view, Grace Banu, a identified trans individual rights activist and a software program engineer from Thoothukudi (Tamil Nadu), advised PTI over telephone, “The move of the Bihar government is simply ‘a social injustice’ with people belonging to transgender community. How ‘transgender’, which is a gender identity, can be considered as caste there are so many castes in transgender community. If the state government (Bihar government) does not know how to count the transgender people, we are here to help them”.
“In the path-breaking judgment in National Legal Service Authority (NALSA) vs Union of India (2014), the Supreme Court made an authoritative pronouncement that transgenders be treated as ‘third gender’ for the purpose of safeguarding their rights under Part III of the Constitution, as well as under the laws made by Parliament and state legislatures. This social injustice of the Bihar government needs to be rectified immediately….Gender of a person cannot be considered as caste at all,” stated Banu.
Justifying the demand of individuals belonging to transgender group, Vidyarthi Vikas, Assistant Professor, A N Sinha Institute of Social Studies (Patna), stated, “It must be rectified immediately gender identity of a person can not be considered as caste. There should be a separate column for transgender in gender categories. Freedom should be given to them (trans people), if they want to disclose their caste identities. In that condition, their caste should be mentioned in caste categories.”
Reacting to this, Bihar Social Welfare Minister, Madan Sahni, advised PTI, “If they (transpeople) have any issues with the ongoing exercise of caste-based headcount, including codes allotted to different castes, they must approach the department concerned and discuss with senior officials. The Grand Alliance government in Bihar has already taken several welfare measures for improving the socio-economic condition of the people belonging to transgender community”.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has all the time maintained that caste-based headcount would profit all sections of society. The enumeration train, which began on January 7, can be accomplished by May 2023. The state authorities will spend Rs 500 crore from its contingency fund for the train. The General Administration division is the nodal authority for the survey.
