Caste in Indian Politics - 2 (CH-03)

Summary

This script explores the complex relationship between caste and politics in post-independent India. Despite the Constitution's egalitarian goals, caste identities have remained influential in politics. The script discusses the evolution from upper-caste dominance to the rise of middle peasants and the assertion of backward castes. It also delves into the impact of reservation policies and the emergence of caste-based political parties, highlighting the dynamic nature of caste in shaping Indian politics and the ongoing debate over its role in social change and justice.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ Post-independence India saw caste identity becoming more transparent in politics rather than declining.
• 📜 The Indian Constitution aimed to create an egalitarian society with provisions for Scheduled Castes, but one-party dominance by Congress was prevalent until 1977.
• 🌾 The rise of the middle peasants in North India, particularly after the Green Revolution, led to a shift in caste dynamics and political power.
• 🔄 The abolition of the Zamindari system led to the emergence of a new middle peasant class with significant political influence.
• 🎖️ Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's Republican Party and later the Bahujan Samaj Party played a pivotal role in mobilizing Scheduled Castes and reshaping political equations.
• 🗳️ The rise of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and the implementation of the Mandal Commission recommendations in 1990 marked a new phase in caste politics.
• 🏆 The policy of reservation, initially intended as a temporary measure, continues to be a significant and contentious issue in Indian politics.
• 🌐 The caste system's ritualistic features are diminishing, but caste identity in politics is becoming more assertive.
• 🌱 The caste dynamics vary across different regions of India, with unique patterns emerging in the north, south, and northeast.
• 🔄 Caste continues to be a powerful and dynamic category in Indian politics, shaping the nation's social and political landscape.

Q & A

How did caste identity evolve in post-independent India?

In post-independent India, caste as a system declined, but caste as an identity became more transparent. Despite constitutional efforts to create an egalitarian society, caste dynamics continued to play a significant role in politics and social structure.

What was the role of the Indian National Congress in shaping caste politics from 1950 to 1977?

From 1950 to 1977, the Indian National Congress was in a dominant position, with upper castes siding with the party. Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) did not have a pronounced identity in politics during this period, and their support was also inclined towards the Congress.

What significant changes occurred in caste politics after 1977?

After 1977, there was a rise of middle peasants, particularly in North India, due to policies like reservation, industrialization, urbanization, and the Green Revolution. This led to the emergence of new political equations and the rise of parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party, which disrupted traditional caste politics.

How did the abolition of the Zamindari system impact caste dynamics in India?

The abolition of the Zamindari system led to the creation of a middle peasant category, particularly in North India, who became economically resourceful and sought to wield political power, thus changing the traditional caste-based power structure.

What were the key recommendations of the Mandal Commission in 1979 regarding the Other Backward Classes (OBCs)?

The Mandal Commission identified over 3000 castes as Other Backward Classes and suggested reservations for them. However, these recommendations were not implemented until 1990 under Prime Minister VP Singh, which sparked significant controversy and debate.

Why was there controversy surrounding the implementation of the Mandal Commission's recommendations?

The implementation of the Mandal Commission's recommendations was controversial because it was seen by some as creating a 'creamy layer' within the Scheduled Castes and OBCs, potentially benefiting the more privileged within these groups rather than the most disadvantaged.

How has the policy of reservation impacted urban and rural populations differently?

The policy of reservation has been more successful in penetrating the urban sector, but its effectiveness in the rural areas is more questionable. This has led to debates on whether the policy needs to be reviewed or modified to better serve its intended beneficiaries.

What is the current state of caste dynamics in different regions of India?

Caste dynamics in India are not uniform across regions. While the North has seen a rise in middle caste dominance, Southern India has witnessed assertive politics from backward castes, and some states have seen anti-upper caste movements.

How does the script suggest caste should be utilized for social change in India?

The script suggests that caste should be used as a category for social change, aiming to break the historical ascendancy of upper castes and promote a more egalitarian society through affirmative action and political representation.

What is the future outlook for caste in Indian politics according to the script?

The script suggests that caste will continue to be a dynamic and influential category in Indian politics, potentially leading to the evolution of a new kind of Indian nation-state that establishes a unique form of indigenous justice and equality.

Outlines

00:00

🏛️ Post-Independence India's Caste and Politics

The paragraph discusses the evolution of caste dynamics in post-independent India. Despite the establishment of a democratic society, caste identity did not decline but became more transparent in politics. Upper castes largely supported the dominant Congress party, while Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) lacked a strong political voice. The paragraph also highlights the role of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and the formation of the Republican Party aimed at mobilizing Scheduled Castes. It notes the shift in caste politics after 1977, with the emergence of new political equations and the rise of middle peasants, particularly in North India.

05:05

🌱 The Impact of Green Revolution and Caste Politics

This paragraph delves into the impact of industrialization, urbanization, and the Green Revolution on caste dynamics. It explains how these developments led to the acceptance of lower castes into the new economic system and the creation of a powerful middle peasant class in North India. The paragraph also discusses the political changes initiated by the Indian system, such as the abolition of the Zamindari system, which led to a redistribution of economic and political power. The emergence of the Bahujan Samaj Party and the rise of the Yadav community in politics are highlighted as significant shifts in the traditional caste equations.

10:09

📜 The Mandal Commission and OBC Politics

The paragraph focuses on the role of the Mandal Commission in identifying Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and its recommendations for affirmative action. It discusses the controversy and resistance to these recommendations, which led to nationwide protests and debates. The paragraph also critiques the criteria used by the Mandal Commission for determining backwardness, arguing that they do not accurately reflect the social realities of India. The implementation of these recommendations in 1990 marked the beginning of a new phase in caste politics, characterized by increased caste consciousness and the rise of identity politics.

15:11

🔄 The Complexities of Caste and Politics in Modern India

This paragraph explores the complexities of caste dynamics in different regions of India and the challenges in understanding the relationship between caste and politics. It notes the diversity of caste politics across states, with middle caste dominance in the north, less prominent caste identities in the northeast, and anti-upper caste movements in the south. The paragraph emphasizes the ongoing nature of caste politics and the need for a nuanced understanding of its role in shaping Indian society and politics.

20:14

🏛️ Reservation Policy and Its Impact on Indian Society

The paragraph discusses the policy of reservation in India, its initial intent, and its evolution over time. It questions the effectiveness of the policy in achieving its goals, particularly in rural areas, and debates whether it has created a 'creamy layer' within the Scheduled Castes. The paragraph also considers the broader implications of reservation policy, including its role in providing education, employment, and social prestige to historically disadvantaged groups. It concludes by suggesting that the policy may need to be reviewed and modified to better serve its intended beneficiaries.

25:18

🌟 The Future of Caste in Indian Politics

The final paragraph speculates on the future role of caste in Indian politics, suggesting that caste will continue to be a dynamic and influential factor. It highlights the rise of caste-based organizations and political parties and the potential for caste to drive social change and the evolution of a new kind of Indian nation-state. The paragraph emphasizes the need to use caste as a tool for social transformation, aiming to break down historical inequalities and establish a more just and equal society, reflecting indigenous values and realities.

Keywords

💡Caste Identity

Caste identity refers to the social status and role that individuals derive from the caste system in India. In the video, it is discussed that despite the decline of the caste system post-independence, caste identity has become more transparent in politics and society. The video mentions that caste identity has not been erased and continues to play a significant role in shaping political alliances and voting patterns, especially with the rise of parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party.

💡Egalitarian Society

An egalitarian society is one that aims for equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities for all its members. The Indian Constitution's basic thrust, as mentioned in the video, was to create such a society. This concept is central to understanding the video's theme as it discusses how various policies and political dynamics have aimed to reduce caste-based inequalities and promote social justice.

💡Scheduled Castes

Scheduled Castes (SCs) are the lowest castes in the traditional Indian caste system, officially recognized by the Indian government for affirmative action benefits. The video discusses the role of SCs in politics, noting that they were not able to assert their identity until significant political changes occurred post-1977. The video also touches upon the policy of reservation for SCs in administration and education as a means to uplift their social and economic status.

💡One-Party Dominance

One-party dominance refers to a political scenario where one party holds a majority and dominates the political landscape. The video describes how the Indian National Congress enjoyed a period of one-party dominance from 1950 to 1977, during which caste dynamics were influenced by the party's policies and the support it received from various castes, including the upper castes.

💡Middle Peasants

Middle peasants are a social group that emerged economically resourceful due to policies like the Green Revolution and the abolition of the Zamindari system. The video highlights the rise of middle peasants, particularly in North India, who began to wield political power, thus altering the traditional caste equations in politics.

💡Bahujan Samaj Party

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is a political party in India that primarily represents the interests of the Scheduled Castes and other backward classes. The video discusses the formation of the BSP and its impact on traditional political caste equations, particularly in North India, as it disrupted the dominance of the Indian National Congress and brought new political dynamics into play.

💡Other Backward Classes (OBCs)

Other Backward Classes (OBCs) are a collection of castes in India that are socially and educationally disadvantaged but do not fall under the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes categories. The video discusses the Mandal Commission's recommendations for reservations for OBCs, which became a contentious issue in Indian politics, leading to a new phase in caste dynamics and politics post-1989.

💡Affirmative Action

Affirmative action refers to policies that aim to correct the effects of past discrimination by providing advantages to underrepresented groups. In the video, affirmative action is discussed in the context of reservation policies in India, which were initially intended to uplift the Scheduled Castes and later extended to OBCs. The video debates the effectiveness and implications of these policies in achieving social equality.

💡Sanskritization

Sanskritization is a social process where lower castes adopt the customs and practices of higher castes to gain higher social status. The video mentions this concept to illustrate how caste dynamics have evolved over time, with lower castes emulating upper caste practices to improve their social standing, thus challenging the rigidity of the traditional caste system.

💡Reservation Policy

Reservation policy in India refers to the constitutional provision for the reservation of seats in educational institutions and jobs in the public sector for certain socially and educationally backward sections of society. The video critically examines the reservation policy, discussing its impact on urban and rural populations, its ability to uplift the downtrodden, and the debate surrounding its continuation and potential need for review.

Highlights

Post-independence India has not seen a decline in caste identity.

Caste and politics relationship has become more transparent.

Caste as a system has declined, but as an identity it has become more prominent.

The Indian Constitution aimed to create an egalitarian society with provisions for Scheduled Castes.

From 1950 to 1977, the Indian National Congress dominated politics, with upper castes siding with them.

Dr. BR Ambedkar founded the Republican Party to mobilize Scheduled Castes.

1977 marked a shift with the rise of middle peasants, particularly in North India.

Centralized administration and reservation policy aimed to establish political equality.

Industrialization, modernization, and urbanization allowed lower castes to integrate into the system.

The Green Revolution created a new class of economically resourceful peasants.

Abolition of the Zamindari system led to a shift in economic and political power.

The Bahujan Samaj Party emerged in 1981, challenging traditional caste politics.

The rise of the Yadav community in North India brought new political leaders to power.

The Mandal Commission in 1979 identified over 3000 castes as Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

The implementation of Mandal Commission recommendations in 1990 caused nationwide controversy.

Critics argue that Mandal Commission's criteria for backwardness are inconsistent with social realities.

The policy of reservation has been extended to OBCs, sparking debates on its effectiveness and fairness.

Caste dynamics vary across different regions of India, with unique political manifestations.

Caste as a category is still powerful in shaping Indian politics, despite challenges to its relevance.

The policy of sanskritization shows caste's fluidity and adaptability over time.

Caste should be used as a category for social change, according to social and political scientists.

Caste organizations and parties are expected to give a new direction to Indian politics.

Transcripts

in spite of the ushering in of a

Republican democratic India in 1950 it

is not that post independent India

witnessed a declining trend of caste

identity in fact professor andry bethe a

noted sociologist pointed out that

outside family the relation between

caste and politics has become much more

transparent during this period the same

kinds of words we come to know from

Professor deepankar Gupta who also

pointed out that caste as a system has

declined in post-independent India but

cast as an identity has become much more

transparent and it is not that caste and

as an identity has been erased let us

look at this particular matter that is

the relation between caste and politics

in the post independent India in a

detailed manner we have noted that the

basic thrust of the Indian Constitution

was to create an egalitarian Democratic

Society for that purpose it has created

certain provisions for the Scheduled

Castes notwithstanding that we have

however noticed that from 1950 till 1977

there was a kind of one-party dominance

as described by WH Maurice Jones in

India although cracks to the Indian

National Congress could be noticed since

the days of the late 60s when some of

the states of India voted non-congress

parties into power still overall we may

say that the Congress was in an

overwhelming dominant position during

1950 to 1977

if we look at the dynamics of caste we

find that at that time also the castes

the major political situation was that

the prominent castes or the upper castes

sided with the Congress and even the

Scheduled Castes and the other backward

castes were not in a position to

pronounce their identity in a very

detailed manner and so it could be

surmised that their support was also

towards the Indian National Congress but

since 1977 some major changes appeared

in this field although we should mention

dr. BR Ambedkar founded the Republican

Party whose major aim was to mobilize

the Scheduled Castes and to get some

concessions from the Indian government

for their economic upliftment they are

after dr. Ambedkar however totally

renounced the caste system and embraced

Buddhism and asked his followers to do

that but still Republican Party was a

major creation during this period for

the Scheduled Castes for their

mobilization for their upliftment since

1977 some different kinds of equations

could be noticed so far as caste and

politics is concerned one major aspect

is the rise of the middle peasants

particularly in North India and in U P

and Bihar we know that some changes were

deliberately created by the Indian state

again in order to bring in an

egalitarian society one major kind of

invert intervention was the

existence of a centralized

administration with scope for people

belonging to the Scheduled Castes to be

accepted as members of that

administration but through the policy of

reservation so this centralized

administration was created by the Indian

state to establish a kind of political

system where at least some kind of

equality could be noticed

the second major thing was the kind of

industrialization that the Indian state

initiated with industrialization with

modernization with urbanization and with

the penetration of although limited at

that time of market economy people from

the so called lower castes also began to

get they get accepted into this new kind

of a system the third major aspect was

the Green Revolution we all know that

major agrarian policies were introduced

by the Indian government with some

scientific and agricultural incentives

that ushered in a green revolution that

is an agricultural boom boom

particularly in North India in punjab

haryana in yupi this created a very

large section of peasants who although

did not have that much of land in their

possession but by virtue of being

agriculturalists they could build a kind

of power during that period so this was

another important aspect during this

phase and finally another change that

was initiated by the Indian system was

the abolition of the Zamindari system

now this abolition created a kind of

people who could not hold land beyond a

particular ceiling so the earlier

Zamindari class which controlled both

economic resources as well as political

resources came down to a very limited

number and they were deprived of their

land and as well as their political hold

so these

Changez created a middle peasant

category particularly in northern india

who became economically resourceful and

by virtue of that they try to wield

their power in the political scenario -

in 1981 and the occasion of the death

anniversary of dr. BR Ambedkar cassie

rom formed a party which later became

the Bahujan Samaj Party in 1984 now the

arrival of this particular party

disturbed the traditional political

caste equation in North India along with

it

the Yadav's became prominent both in

yupi and in bihar and the rise of the

Yadav's in these two states leaders

arose and leaders like Mulayam Singh

Yadav and Lalu Prasad Yadav they also

began to wield political power which was

not seen during the early phase of post

independent India now while describing

these features one should keep in mind

that the creation of these parties and

their political manipulations did not

presume that a particular caste the

members of a particular caste all vote

for a one particular party or all the

backward castes all all the Scheduled

Castes voted for one particular party we

have to keep in mind that there have

been enormous divisions within a

particular caste and also amongst

different backward castes so there was

both intra caste and Inter caste

divisions but it is true that from 1977

there emerged the second phase of Indian

politics so far as caste is concerned

the although the Republican Party was

formed prior to this that phase but from

77 till 89 we can say that this is the

second phase why we are considering 77

as the starting point and 89 as the end

point of this particular phase because

in 1977 we all know that the first non

Congress government at the Union level

in India was formed at that formation

Charen Singh had a major see whose party

from UPI also belong to the middle

peasant category who became very

powerful during that time following the

features that were initiated by the

Indian state during the first phase and

it continued till 1989 and 1989 to me

appears to the endpoint of this

particular phase because at that time

another classification area believe in

caste emerged and that was the other

backward castes or what we call OB C's

now regarding Obi C's we have to mention

certain things when the Constitution was

adopted the makers of the Constitution

we're of the opinion that apart from the

Scheduled Castes there were also some

other castes who required some kind of

protective intervention by this state

they were not at par with the Scheduled

Castes because like the Scheduled Castes

they did not experience the kind of

social humiliation social atrocities but

at the same time unlike the upper castes

they were deprived of many resources so

they were like a kind of middle castes

between the upper castes and the

Scheduled Castes so unlike the shader

caste they did not experience that kind

of humiliation and again unlike the

upper castes they were they were not at

the receiving end of so much of

resources but the Constitution at that

time did not make special provisions for

them in 1979 the BP Mandal Commission

came out with certain suggestions for

the other backward castes and identified

more than 3000 castes as belonging to

that category the recommendations were

however not implemented during that time

it was in 1989 when VP Singh was the

Prime Minister of India that talks were

going on regarding implementation of the

recommendations of the Mundell

Commission and it ultimately came out

that in 1990 the recommendations were

implemented this created a nationwide

furor many years in fact committed

suicide against these recommendations

actually they were scared of this kind

of Poli

CAES and they were skeptical about

whether these kinds of reservations were

really beneficial for those who actually

needed them apart from this kind of fuel

there are some sociologists they were

also criticizing the recommendations of

the Mandal Commission here also we must

mention the names of an Roberta and

dipankar Gupta who pointed out that the

kind of recommendations that the Mundell

Commission suggested are not consistent

with the Indian social system primarily

for two reasons first was the criteria

that were created by the Mundell

Commission for determining backwardness

are not consistent with the real

identification of backwardness the

criteria like whether the women of a

particular caste go outside their homes

and take jobs this is a kind of

criterion which does not exist in many

castes this is related to the issue of

gender so this criterion is not

conducing to a proper identification of

backward caste or this was a first

reason and the second reason was that

apart from the 12% or around 12% of

upper castes and the 15% of the tribal

population and the 22% of the Scheduled

Caste population the rest belong to this

category so if someone really wants to

give some suggestions and

recommendations for the upper back other

backward castes all the remaining

population in fact belong to this

category

which is not getting clear from these

suggestions of the VP Mandal Commission

so this created an academic debate on

the one hand and a kind of political

debate and the other so the Mundell

Commission recommendations created a new

kind of cast dynamics in Indian politics

that is why from 89 onwards the third

phase of the dynamics of caste and

politics began and during this phase we

come across several kind of conjunctions

correlations interrelations between not

only caste and politics but caste gender

class on the one hand and politics on

the other

coming to the third phase or rather the

phase which is which I believe is still

continuing we have to keep in mind that

the the evolution of the caste dynamics

in India is not uniform there have been

different kind of caste dynamics in some

states of northern India in some states

of southern India while West Bengal

Assam Kerala they provide a different

kind of caste dynamics so the third

phase in fact provides us a very

challenging task to find out the

relationship between caste and politics

while on the one hand we find a kind of

middle caste middle peasant dominance in

northern India are not so prominent

caste identity in northeastern part of

India and not so prominent upper caste

dominance and anti cos up upper caste

movements in some parts of western India

but a very prominent anti upper caste

movement and identity in southern India

this is the phase of affirmative

identity politics where the ritualistic

features of the caste system are

gradually slowly but steadily dying down

but the identity aspect of the caste

politics likewise slowly and gradually

coming up so it is becoming a very

interesting aspect of Indian politics

now if we discussed caste and politics

one aspect needs to be addressed

separately and thus that aspect is

the kind of politics that goes on with

the policy of reservation reservation

the time of adoption of the Constitution

was thought to be a ten-year policy that

it was argued at the Constituent

Assembly that after ten years we need

not we will not have to address this

issue because the policy of reservation

will be able to penetrate into the

farthest corner of the caste system and

there will be no need of reservation

after ten years but it has been found

that the reservation polity policies and

the issues remained almost unheard of

even by the members who really deserve

them even after the expiry of the ten

years that is why the reservation policy

continued it is continuing till today

and the reservation policy now

encompasses not just scheduled Castes

and Scheduled Tribes but the OB seas or

the other backward castes - the point is

is it the policy which needs to be

sustained is it something which is

beneficial for those four egg for a

which it aimed at these in fact created

a kinds of debates on the one hand it

has been found that the policy of

reservation has been able to penetrate

into the urban sector but so far as the

vast rural population is concerned it is

really doubtful to what extent this

policy of reservation has really been

able to achieve what it aimed at again

on the other hand it has been argued

that the policy of reservation instead

of creating an egalitarian society is

creating a creamy layer within even

the Scheduled Caste population so is it

time has come to review this policy to

what extent how far it requires some

kinds of rectifications or modifications

these are the issues that need to be

addressed urgently on the other hand it

has been argued that the policy of

reservation has been able to bring

people from the totally downtrodden Pro

totally neglected castes and families

into the four it has been able to give a

kind of education the kind of public

employment and thereby to give a kind of

social prestige and status which these

people would never been able to achieve

if the policy of reservation does not

exist

finally coming to the issue of the kinds

of politics that caste is playing there

in these this time or during

particularly during the 21st century

some people are questioning that whether

caste which is a traditional category is

competent or consistent even in 20th

century India which is trying to be

modernized in every aspect of life

sociologists are of the opinion that

that traditional caste category no

longer exists in fact noted sociologist

Emmons renovage even during his study of

castes in early twentieth-century

pointed out that the the ritualistic

immobility of caste did not exist even

during that time he in fact coined a

very famous term which has become very

popular nowadays that is the the policy

of sanskritization where the so called

lower castes tried to emulate certain

features of the upper castes in order to

be attaced

at status at par with those casts so

caste is a traditional ritualistic

immobile social category began to lose

those features even from the early 20th

century

so naturally those features no longer

exist

to that extent during the 21st century

but caste as a dynamic category in

politics exists it has a it is a very

powerful category which in fact is

shaping Indian politics and at the same

time it is getting modified it gets

transformed and

it changes its major features from time

to time

Miron Viner a noted social and political

scientist once remarked that it was not

the the objective of the Constituent

Assembly neither is it feasible for the

Indian state to totally erase our ni he

let caste as a category caste like

religion is a part of the daily

existence of every Indian individual so

we cannot just wish to be annihilated or

is wish to have a system where caste

simply does not exist on the contrary we

should use caste or it is in fact the

objective or it should be the objective

of the Indian state to use caste as a

category for social change caste should

be instrumental in bringing about social

change in India

the rise of the middle castes the

assertive politics of the backward

castes the kinds of the kinds of

education and the public employment that

the Scheduled Castes have been able to

extract and thereby to gain the social

ascendancy these are required to break

down the ascendancy or the once

monopolistic ascendancy of the upper

castes which the Indian state or the

Indian civilization has noticed for

several centuries so it remains a very

dynamic and a very challenging field of

study and in fact with the rise of so

many caste organizations caste

associations caste based political

parties in the Indian political scenario

we could definitely ex

affect that cast in the coming days will

be giving a new kind of Philip to the

Indian politics a new kind of thrust to

the Indian politics and thereby a new

kind of Indian nation-state would evolve

which will definitely establish a kind

of equality and justice may not be like

the kind of justice and equality that

the western states and the Western

civilization have noticed but a new kind

of indigenous justice and equality would

be able in the Indian state would be

able to assure in through the dynamics

and the interplay of these various

categories and politics and particularly

the caste

[Music]