Amid caste survey in Bihar, education minister pitches for ‘casteless’ society

The Nitish Kumar government is racing to complete the caste-based survey, which was upheld by the Patna High Court recently.

Bihar education Minister Chandrashekhar, who has been lying low for some time now following a bitter turf war with his department’s additional chief secretary K K Pathak, on Wednesday advocated a “casteless society”, even as the Nitish Kumar government is racing to complete the caste-based survey, which was upheld by the Patna High Court recently.

Bihar education minister Chandrashekhar. (HT file)

Speaking at the 14th foundation day function of Simultala Awasiya Vidyalay (SAV) in Jamui district where he was the chief guest, Chandrashekhar said caste divide in the society was an impediment to growth and it was non-existent in most of the countries, except a few in the Indian subcontinent and beyond. “One should not get confined to the caste boundaries. When the human body is made of five elements, how come the caste factor cropped up?” he said.

No senior official of the education department, except regional deputy director (RDD), Munger, was present at the function. The local JD-U and BJP legislators and Jamui MP Chirag Paswan were also not present.

Later, talking to media persons, Chandrashekhar said, “We cannot take the nation forward by spreading communalism, regionalism and caste divides. Whoever feels they can benefit from it cannot take the nation too far. The nation needs harmony and social justice to prosper,” the RJD leader said.

Chandrashekhar had earlier kicked off a row with his comments that certain portions of “Ramcharitmanas” propagate social discrimination based on caste.

The minister also rejected talks of any differences with Pathak now. “The issue was the style functioning. That has improved. There is no issue anymore,” he said.

Asked about the absence of senior education department officials from the function, he said the question should be put to them.

He said the SAV had huge potential for development and all steps would be taken to address its problems. He also shared the government’s plans to have one residential school like SAV in every district of the state. In the first phase, it would be opened in eight of the nine divisions and a notification to this effect has already been issued, he said.

A dream project of chief minister Nitish Kumar, SAV’s “ashram” model for inclusive growth of students irrespective of caste, class or creed was started in 2010, but it still awaits its own campus and has been grappling with teachers’ shortage, which has resulted in big attrition after class 10. The appointment on sanctioned 127 seats is yet to start and instiruion is being run with the help of ad hoc and guest faculties.