Third gender denoted as a ‘caste’ in Bihar’s caste-based survey

The much publicized ongoing exercise of the headcount of social groups in Bihar by the state government has run into fresh controversy over enumeration of members of ‘third gender’ as a separate caste. Castes in Bihar will now be identified on the basis of codes, in the form of numbers, and each caste has been given a numerical code for use during the month-long second phase of caste-based headcount from 15 April to 15 May. For instance, the sub-categories of Maithil, Kanyakubj and other Brahmins have been merged into a single social entity called Brahmin, which will have caste code as 126. No separate enumeration of its sub-categories will be done.
Similarly, the caste code of the Rajput is 169, Bhumihar (142), Kayastha (21) and for members of ‘third gender’ is 22. Total 215 codes have been allotted to different castes and ‘third gender’ has also been considered as caste with the allotment of a separate caste code.
Terming the state government’s move of considering ‘third gender’ a separate caste in the ongoing exercise as a ‘criminal act’, Reshma Prasad, founder secretary of Dostanasafar, a Bihar-based NGO, on Friday told, “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 move is against the ‘Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Rules’ that talk about the prevention of non-discrimination of transgender persons, said Reshma Prasad.