Caste in Indian Politics - 2 (CH-03)
Summary
TLDRThis 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
🏛️ 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.
🌱 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.
📜 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.
🔄 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.
🏛️ 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.
🌟 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Caste Identity
💡Egalitarian Society
💡Scheduled Castes
💡One-Party Dominance
💡Middle Peasants
💡Bahujan Samaj Party
💡Other Backward Classes (OBCs)
💡Affirmative Action
💡Sanskritization
💡Reservation Policy
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
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