India has the distinction of being
world’s largest functioning democracy. Ever since her independence, India has
been living and developing through a democratic system of governance involving
a self-rule of the people. The founding fathers of the Constitution were fully
aware of the challenges that Indian democracy was likely to face and they took
several steps for meeting these. The Constitution of India contains several
features which stand designed to initiate the process of meeting several
socio-economic challenges. It clearly lays down the goals to be secured as well
as the means to be used for securing them. The goals have been broadly defined
in the Preamble of the Constitution and elaborated by the Directive Principals
of State Policy. The means for achieving these goals have been laid down in
other parts of the Constitution.
However, it
must be admitted that along with all the achievements, there continues to be
present several socio-economic challenges before the Indian democracy. It has
been successful but mostly in its political dimension. In respect of its social
and economic dimensions, the success has been only partial and quite moderate.
Poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, rural under-development and slow development
of infrastructure continue to keep the Indian economy and polity under strain.
Several social and economic inequalities, gender injustice, regional
imbalances, social evils and a continued caste-based social system together act
as added limitations. This paper discusses casteism in particular as a major
hindering factor in the nation-building process of India and as a major
challenge in the smooth functioning of the Indian democracy.
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Caste continues to be a major
determinant of social and political life in India. Its presence as one of the
most ancient features of Indian society has been naturally acting as a factor
of social and political relations. J.P. Narayan once observed that caste has
acted as “the most major political party in India”. It has been a determinant
in political participation, voting behavior and almost all other aspects of
Indian politics.
Political
parties and leaders use caste to secure their objectives in politics. Caste
determines the nature, organization and working of political parties and interest
groups, legislatures and bureaucracies and in fact, almost all political
structures and functions. Caste-based voting, caste-based candidatures, caste
based riots, caste conflicts, caste violence and the issues of reservations
versus non-reservations have been factors of Indian politics.
Casteism, in
its true meaning, is not a negative word. Caste based behavior and caste based
decisions does not necessarily have to be against nation building or
integration of a democracy as it is intrinsic nature of people to look after
their own but it definitely becomes a problem any caste tries to promote
socio-economic interests of their own at the expense of other castes, which is
the case in India.
CASTEISM IN
INDIA
Let us have
a closer look at the nature and role of caste and casteism in India.
·
Caste and Political Socialisation: Different caste groups have their
loyalties behind different political parties and their ideologies. Right from
his birth, an Indian citizen inherits a caste and grows up as a member of a
particular caste group. He belongs either to one of the ‘high castes’ or to the
‘scheduled castes’. In the process of picking up his political orientations,
beliefs and attitudes, he naturally comes under the influence of caste groups
and casteism. ‘Caste values’ and ‘caste interests’ influence his socialisation
and consequently his political thinking, perceptions and participation. He
begins banking upon caste camaraderie for occupying and performing a leadership
role in society.
·
Caste and Leadership Recruitment: Caste influences the process of
leadership recruitment. This is particularly true of ‘caste conscious’ people
of states like Haryana, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. In Haryana,
leadership comes either from Bishnois or Brahmins. In Andhra Pradesh the
Reddy’s, or the Kammas and Valamas provide state leaders. Similar has been the
case of almost all the other states.
·
Caste and Party Politics: Caste factor is a constituent of
Indian party system. Some of the political parties have direct caste bases
while others indirectly rely upon particular caste groups. BJP has been largely
perceived as a party of Hindus. In particular, some regional political parties
stand predominantly influenced by the caste factor. The DMK and AIADMK are non-Brahmin
or rather anti-Brahmin political parties of Tamil Nadu. In Punjab, Akali Dal
has a Jatt based identity. It stands influenced by the issue of Jatts versus
non-Jatts. BSP banks upon the support of the scheduled castes. All political
parties in India use caste as a means for securing votes in elections.
·
Role of Caste in Electoral Politics: The caste factor continues to be a
major factor of electoral politics in India. All political parties give special
weightage to the caste factor in selecting their candidates, in allocating
constituencies to their candidates and in canvassing support for their nominees
in the elections. In constituencies predominated by Muslims, Muslim candidates
are fielded and in areas predominated by Jats, Jat candidates are fielded. Even
secularist parties take the caste factor into consideration while selecting
there candidates. In election campaigns, votes are demanded in the name of
caste.
·
Role of Caste in Government-Making:Since caste is major feature of
Indian society and acts as a key factor in various processes of politics, it
also plays a basic role in the decision-making process. Even the issue of
re-organisation of states is handled with an eye on the prevention of undue
predominance of a particular caste group or community in a particular
territory. Caste factor influences the policies and decisions of the state
government. The party in power tries to use its decision-making power to win
the favour of major caste groups. Most political parties always try to nurture
people belonging to scheduled castes as their vote banks. Dalit-Brahmin
approach has been adopted by the BSP.
·
Caste and Local Politics: In the Indian rural context, caste
has been a plank of mobilization. The role of caste in the working of
Panchayati Raj and other institutions of local self-government has been a known
reality. We can go to the extent of recording that caste based factionalism in
India has been the most hindering factor in the organisation and effective
working of Panchayati Raj and urban local institutions.
·
Caste Violence: Caste based violence very often
finds its way into Indian politics. The traditional differences between higher
and lower castes are often converted into a violent and fierce struggle for
power in society. The growing intimidation of the lower castes by the higher or
even the intermediary castes has been becoming a part of rural India’s
political reality. In states like Maharashtra, Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar
Pradesh, caste violence has raised its head even in some urban areas.
CASTE AND
THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION
Though the
spirit of secularism stands clearly affirmed in the Constitution, yet in a
limited and indirect way, it also recognizes the caste system in the form of
providing a caste for reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes in the Union Parliament and the State Legislative Assemblies (Art. 330
and 332). It also provides for separate commissions for Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes and also gives to them the responsibility to investigate
matters relating to the various safeguards and facilities provided to these
castes and tribes. The provision for the appointment of special minister-in
charge of looking after the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Other Backward
Classes (OBCs) in several states also reflects an indirect recognition of the
caste factor.
The
emergence of strong pro-reservation and anti-reservation groups in India has
been a direct consequence of these provisions of the Constitution.
CASTE IN
STATE POLITICS
Almost all states of Indian Union,
particularly the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Karnataka,
Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have been living with casteism, caste
conflicts, caste disputes, caste based violence and even caste wars. In Bihar,
both the higher as well as lower castes have organized armed sena’s to counter
these. Several caste based associations have been very active in Bihar- All
India Kayastha Conference, Bhumihar-Brahmin Mahasabha, Yadav Community and
Rajput Association. Adivasis constitute the dominant tribe in Jharkhand. Since
1970s, backward castes of Bihar, namely Kurmis and Koins, have been also
politically very active.
What is true of Bihar is also true
for many other states in India. In Kerala Namboodri Bralimins, Nairs, Ezhara or
Tilyar are major active caste groups. The society and polity there stand
sharply divided along Hindu, Muslim and Christian lines. In Andhra Pradesh, the
Kammas and the Reddy’s have been continuously involved in caste based struggle
for power. In Haryana, Jats, Bishnois, Brahmins and Ahirs are active caste
groups. In Karnataka, Lingayats and Ukkaligas and in Rajasthan Jats, Rajputs,
Gujjars, Meenas and Brahmin caste groups are the major groups involved in
struggle for power.
Rajni Kothari writes that “no society
lives without traditions and the essential challenge of modernity is not the
destruction of tradition but the traditionalization of modernity itself. In the
context of caste and politics, this means two things. First, those elements in
the caste system that have a secular and integrational potential should get
more strengthened at the expense of the more obscurantist and dysfunctional
elements. This, we have seen, is already happening. Second, the new dimensions
that secular democratic politics has provided to the social system must
themselves become enduring parts of India’s traditions. This has yet to take
place. The essential test of India’s strategy of social change lies in this
criterion of traditionalization of modernity….”
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