Chain (caste)
{{Short description|Caste in India}}
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{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}
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The Chain is a agrarian caste, found mainly in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. They have traditionally been associated with cultivation and fishery.{{cite book |last1=Mitra |first1=A. |last2=Census Operations and Joint Development Commissioner |first2=Indian Civil Service Superintendent |editor1-last=Land and Land Revenue Department |title=The Tribes and Castes of West Bengal |date=1953 |publisher=West Bengal Government Press |location=Alipore, West Bengal |page=77 |url=http://lsi.gov.in:8081/jspui/bitstream/123456789/5106/1/41834_1951_TRI.pdf |access-date=19 September 2021 |series=Census 1951: WEST BENGAL}}
West Bengal
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In West Bengal, although the Chain community is widely dispersed through the state, the Government granted Scheduled Castes (SC) status only to Chain members in four districts: Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia and Dakshin Dinajpur.{{cite news |last1=Indo-Asian News Service |first1=(IANS) |title=Panel wants SC status for Chain community across Bengal |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/panel-wants-sc-status-for-chain-community-across-bengal-115031001274_1.html |access-date=19 September 2021 |work=Business Standard India |date=10 March 2015}} Accordingly, the Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011 specifically reported the Chain only in these locations.{{cite book |last1=Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment |first1=Department of Social Justice & Empowerment Plan Division |title=Handbook on social welfare statistics |date=2018 |publisher=Government of India |location=New Delhi |page=101 |url=https://socialjustice.nic.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/HANDBOOKSocialWelfareStatistice2018.pdf |access-date=19 September 2021}} The total Chain population in West Bengal is more than thirty-five lakhs (3,500,000). And the Chain population in India is estimated to be around one crore (10,000,000). The National Commission for Scheduled Castes was reported in 2015 to be initiating a process to extend SC status to the community throughout West Bengal.