Caste survey in state is a crime: Transgender leader

Patna: The ongoing caste-based survey exercise in the state has received protests from unexpected quarters — the transgender community people.Reshma Prasad, a prominent leader of the transgender community who served as a member of the Transgender Welfare Board, has strongly opposed the ongoing exercise in the state saying this was aimed at reviving the caste system. “Keeping the caste system alive is a crime. There can’t be a more heinous crime than this,” Reshma told a local news portal on Sunday, adding the people who came to power fighting against “Brahminical and patriarchal order” were now trying to revive the caste system. Laying stress on the economic survey of every caste, Reshma said there is only two castes in the society — rich and the poor. Reshma said those who try to keep the caste system alive are “men of criminal nature”. Curiously, the transgender community people have been identified as ‘OBC’ by the Bihar government in September 2014, according to Reshma.The CPI-ML, while welcoming the exercise, however, has demanded caste census at the national level. In a statement issued on Sunday, CPI-ML state secretary Kunal said everything, including religion, sect, caste as well as sub-castes must be counted. He said there are several castes in Muslim community, too. He also demanded that utmost care must be taken to ensure the data remains faultless.Kunal also described as unfair the government’s move to engage teachers in non-teaching works since it would affect teaching works.The opposition BJP has already opposed the caste survey launched across the state on Saturday and alleged that it will create caste tension in the society.