Caste in India

Gov 1255Politics of India

Prof Prerna Singh

Caste in India

1. Societal structure of caste: The four varnas2. Political implications of caste: Caste Mobilization Why, when and how did castes mobilize in

North versus South India?3. Caste in Everyday Life

Caste Hierarchy

• Brahmins• Kshatriyas• Vaishyas• Shudras---------------------• Untouchables

Caste Hierarchy & Demography

• Brahmins• Kshatriyas• Vaishyas• Shudras ---------------------• Untouchables Scheduled Castes/ Dalits: 17%

• Scheduled Tribes/ Adivasis: 6%• Non-Hindu Minorities: 18%

Upper Castes: 16%

Other Backward Castes : 43%

Caste Mobilization

North India• Rise of Intermediate/ Backward Castes– Reservations– ‘Silent Revolution’

Social Background of Legislators elected in the Hindi Belt (1952-2004)

1952 1967 1977 1989 1998 2004

Upper Castes

64 55 48 38 35 33

OBCs 4.5 10 13 21 24 25

SCs 16 18 18 17 18 18

STs 5 8 7 7 7 8

Caste Mobilization

North India• Rise of Intermediate/ Backward Castes• Rise of Lower Castes– Surge in political participation– Rise of Dalit Parties

Bahujan Samaj PartyBahujan = People in majority

Samaj = Welfare

ELEPHANT MOVES: A man drives past a wall painted with BSP's election symbol the elephant.

BSP Leader & UP Chief Minister - Mayawati

Statue of Dr Ambedkar erected by the BSP in UP’s capital, Lucknow

Caste Mobilization

South India• Kerala• Tamil Nadu

Causes for Differences in Lower Caste Mobilization in North & South

Caste Demography Caste Relations% upper vs. lower castes Steepness & strictness of hierarchy

↓ ↓ Barriers to mobilize Incentives to mobilize

Causes for Differences in Lower Caste Mobilization in North & South

Caste Demography Caste Relations% upper vs. lower castes Steepness & strictness of hierarchy

↓ ↓ Barriers to mobilize Incentives to mobilize

Causes for Lower Caste Mobilization in South India

Caste Demography Caste Relations

Small % of upper castes

↓ ↓

Highly polarized caste structure characterized by strict rules of pollution

Barriers to mobilization by lower castes are lower Incentives to mobilize by lower castes are higher

Critical juncture: Changes in agrarian society and economy + Activity of Christian Missionaries Time period: Mid-late nineteenth century and early twentieth century in Kerala Early-mid twentieth century in TN

Caste in Everyday Life

• Rural India

• Urban India

Marriages

• Historically, endogamous social groups• Today: • Caste Matrimonials • Is Inter-caste marriage acceptable? No 74%, Yes 20%

“Couple hanged for forbidden love” BBC World News: Thursday, 14 September 2006

Police in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh have arrested seven people after two young lovers were hanged because they came from different Indian castes.

The boy and girl's parents were among those arrested.

The brutal deaths highlight the problems of the rigid caste system in India.

The couple, 19-year-old Vishal and Sonu, who was 18, were hanged one after another from the roof of a house in their home village in the Muzafarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh.

Their crime - to fall in love and come from different castes.

Vishal was a high-caste Brahmin and Sonu was a member of the lower caste Jat community.

Hundreds watched as the couple died.

“India in low caste marriage plan” BBC World News: Thursday, 14 September 2006

The Indian government has suggested financial incentives of $1,100 should be offered to people who marry members of the lowest Hindu castes.

Many Indian states already pay money to those who marry Hindus from the lowest castes who are also called dalits.

But the amount differs from state to state -

in Gujarat a couple gets the full $1,100 (50,000 rupees) - whereas in West Bengal state the amount is $45.

The government says it now wants the sum to be the same throughout India.

"In our caste-ridden society if someone breaks out of the mould and marries outside of the caste, we want to give them this money as a token of our appreciation. We want to make an example of them so that others will follow them“Social Justice Minister Meira Kumar