Paper short abstract:

This paper focuses on the 'counterfactual concept' of a community traditionally studied by the researcher presented through the photo elicitation method. It explores the deciding factor of the community whether they are assigned or not with a reserved caste category.

Paper long abstract:

This paper focuses on the 'counterfactual concept' of a community traditionally studied by the researcher which will be presented through the photo elicitation method. The researcher will narrate the story through the said methodology to depict the fieldwork experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. The studied population is the 'Netua' community found in the rural areas of Bihar located in the eastern side of India. According to the Bhiku Ramji Idate Commission report, the Netua community has been placed in the list 2A under the 'NONE' category meaning they do not belong to any caste category. The community dwells at the borders of certain villages and are still victims of the practice of untouchability (Abolition Of Untouchability Article 17, 1950 under the Indian Constitution). The paper explores the deciding factor of the community, that is, what if they are assigned to their caste reservation, will they be able to cope up with the rest of the reserved castes? How different will their lives be from today? On the contrary, if no status is assigned to them, will they lead the same stagnant lives as they have been for the last few decades? It should be taken into consideration that there is a limit to how much we can predict the impact of the reservation system on this mentioned community whose conditions have been undocumented for a long time. Owing to these unpredictable circumstances, this paper will thereby not provide an exact conclusion to the future of the Netua community.