BackLAW
Banchhada community: How a caste certificate can become catalyst for change
A marginalized Banchhada youth’s journey—from a childhood raid to joining the police—highlights how caste certificates and targeted interventions can unlock government jobs for people from stigmatized communities. The timeline traces early advocacy, legal action, and recent recruitment success spurred by institutional support.
Why It Matters
The cases illustrate how formal recognition of caste status, when linked to mothers’ names in certificates, can break cycles of stigma and exclusion and enable access to public employment for marginalised groups.
Timeline
10 Events
Activists urge government support for mother-name certificates
April 19, 2026
Rights activists urged the state government to issue SC certificates based on the mother’s name to accelerate change for Banchhada and similar communities, highlighting the link between documentation and social advancement.
Selected in police constable recruitment (last week before publication)
April 18, 2026
The 24-year-old narrator was selected in the police constable recruitment exam last week, reinforcing the possibilities opened by caste-certificates and supportive programs.
Nine community members clear police recruitment in three-year window
April 15, 2026
By 2026, nine men and women from the Banchhada community across Ratlam, Neemuch, and Mandsaur districts had cleared the police recruitment exam within the past three years, signaling a tangible shift in representation in law enforcement.
SC certificate issued to the narrator (two years after the raid incident)
April 19, 2024
Two years after the 2012 raid, a senior police officer helped him obtain a Scheduled Caste certificate, enabling greater access to government jobs and opportunities; the certificate was issued under his identity through procedures described in the piece.
Teena Malviya becomes nayab tehsildar
April 19, 2023
The breakthrough cited in the narrative occurred when Teena Malviya, whose parents had left the tradition years earlier, became a nayab tehsildar—marking a significant milestone for the community and signaling a possible pathway for others.
Honey Chauhan clears constable recruitment exam
2023
Honey Chauhan from Jaitpura village cleared the constable recruitment exam and became the first woman from the Banchhada community to join the police, following the example set by Teena Malviya.
Legal push: Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed
2017
Akash Chauhan, director of NGO Jan Shaurya, filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2017 seeking to end highway prostitution of girls from the Banchhada community; the case is pending before the court.
Neemuch reform begins under SP Manoj Kumar Singh
2016
In 2016, IPS officer Manoj Kumar Singh, then superintendent of police in Neemuch, began engaging with the Banchhada community to understand their realities. He observed division by gender dynamics and spearheaded initiatives, including forming a WhatsApp group to help youth prepare for government jobs and coordinating support from mentoring community members.
Childhood raid: policeman asks for father’s name; inspiration to join police
2012
At age 10, during a police raid in his village, a policeman asked for his father’s name. He replied that the uniform is the officer’s identity, not his father’s name, and this moment inspired him to pursue a career in the police.
Mystelle Brabbée involvement and Highway Courtesans (2004 documentary)
2004
A director from New York, Mystelle Brabbée, who documented the lives of three women for six years and made the documentary Highway Courtesans in 2004, was contacted to help convey a message: money alone cannot define dignity; true change means breaking free. This led to programs intended to instill faith in the system among the Banchhada community.