While the second phase of the caste-based census in Bihar is underway, the exercise has revealed some shocking details about a man having 40 wives. Yes, you read it right.
A report in India Today highlighted that around 40 women in a red-light area of Bihar’s Arwal district have declared a man named Roopchand as their husband. These women have also named Roopchand as the father of their children.
Since these women have no fixed address and only live in the red-light area of Ward No. 7, they named Roopchand as their husband.
What is Caste Census?
The month-long second phase of caste headcount is underway in Bihar from April 15 to May 15. The enumeration exercise, which started from January 7, will be completed by May.
The decision to conduct a caste survey was taken by the Bihar Cabinet on June 2, 2022. Resolutions in support of a caste census had been unanimously passed by the bicameral legislature in Bihar twice, in 2019 and 2020. An all-party delegation from the state had also met the Prime Minister in this regard.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has always maintained that caste-based headcount would benefit all sections of society. The state government will spend Rs 500 crore from its contingency fund for the exercise. The General Administration department is the nodal authority for the survey.
The Congress-led-UPA regime compiled the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) in 2011. The reports from the census have been published except that of the caste data.
“The numbers from the caste census in 2011 were not made available, after which it was found that it was not done properly. We started demanding that it be done properly. All parties in Bihar had the same view when we decided to have a caste-based survey and it is currently being conducted in the state,” the chief minister said.
“The ongoing caste survey is a good initiative taken by the grand alliance government. Data related to people’s economic status and their caste will be collected during the headcount so that the state government can know how many people are poor and what sort of steps should be taken to bring them into the mainstream,” Kumar said.
(With PTI inputs)
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