Gender, Religion

& Caste

By Mr. Siddharth Chandrasekar

What Disadvantages Do Women Face?1) Literacy Rate - 54% for women.76% for men showing disparity2) Smaller proportion of girls go for higher studies3) Preferential treatment meted out to boy`s education rather

than for girls4) Proportion of women among highly paid and valued job is

small5) Equal wages Act provides equal wages but discrimination

continues in sports, cinema, factories and fields6) Preference to have sons and abortion of girl child7) Sex selective abortions have led to decline in child sex ratio8) Various types of harassment, exploitation and violence 9) Urban areas too have become unsafe for women

Solution To This Problem…

1) To make it legally binding to have a fair proportion of women in elected bodies

2) Reservation of 1/3 seats in local bodies3) 10 lakh elected representatives in rural and

urban local bodies4) Demand for 1/3 seats in Lok Sabha and

State Assemblies

Give A Few Instances That Involve Relationship Between Religion & Politics.

1) Gandhiji believed that politics must be guided by ethics drawn from religion

2) Human rights groups demanding the Government to take special steps to protect religious minorities

3) Women`s movements want Government to change family laws to make it equitable

Communalism…

• To place ones community above everything including the nation

When does it begin?• When religion is seen as the basis of the

nationWhen does it become acute? • When religion is expressed in politics in

exclusive and partisan terms• When one religion and its followers are

pitted against the other

Communalism…

What factors promote communalism?1) Beliefs of one religion are presented as superior

to those of other religions.2) When demands of one religious group are

formed in opposition to another.3) When state power is used to establish

domination of one religious group over the rest.What is Communal Politics?• It is based on the idea that religion is the principal basis of social community.

Communalism…

What Do Communalists Think?

1) Followers of one religion must belong to one community.

2) Their fundamental interests are same.3) People who follow different religions cannot

belong to the same social community.

Communalism…What forms can Communalism take in Politics?

1) It involves religious prejudices, stereotypes of religious communities and belief in the superiority of one`s religion over other religions.

2) Communal mind leads to a quest for Political dominance of one’s own religious communities.

3) If it is a Majority community – Majoritarian Dominance.4) If it is a Minority community – It forms a separate Political

Unit.5) Political mobilisation – using symbols, religious leader`s

emotional appeal and plain fear in order to bring the followers of one religion together in political arena.

6) Communal violence.

Secular State…

1) There is no official religion for India. Constitution does not offer special status to any religion.

2) Constitution provides to all freedom to profess, practice and propagate any religion.

3) Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion.

4) State will intervene in matters of religion to ensure equality within religious communities. It bans un-touchability.

Caste & Politics…

• Hereditary occupational division sanctioned by rituals.

• Members of the same caste group formed similar occupation, married within the caste and did not eat with members from other caste groups.

Efforts Taken to Check Casteism…

1) Political leaders and social reformers like JOTHIBHA PHULE,GANDHIJI,AMBEDKAR and EVR PERIYAR have done a lot to check casteism.

2) Socio economic changes have brought in a check.3) Large scale urbanisation.4) Literacy and education.5) Occupational mobility.6) Weakening of the position of landlords.7) Constitution prohibited caste based discrimination.

Caste & Politics…

Why is there a disproportionately large presence of Upper Caste among Urban Middle Class ?• Groups that did not have access to education

were prohibited from acquiring it have lagged behind.

Caste can take various forms in Politics…

1) During the choice of candidates before an election , care is taken that the composition of electorate and nomination of candidates from different castes to muster support to win elections.

2) During formation of Governments, political parties take care that representatives of different castes and tribes find a place in it.

3) To make appeals to caste sentiment to muster support.

4) Universal adult franchise - one person one vote.

Elections are all about Caste & nothing else…

1) No parliamentary constituency has a clear majority of one single caste. Every candidate /party must win the confidence of more than one caste and community to win elections.

2) No party wins the votes of all voters of a caste /community.

3) Many political parties may put up candidates from same caste.

4) Ruling party /sitting MP losing election could not have happened if all castes and communities were frozen in political preferences.

What forms does Caste take when it is Politicised?

1) Caste group becomes big by including neighbouring castes.

2) Party enters into a coalition with other castes.

3) Rise of backward caste and forward caste group.

Effects of Exclusive Attention to Caste…

• Is negative.• Politics based on caste identity alone is not

healthy.• Diverts attention from poverty ,development

and corruption.• Leads to tension, conflict and even violence.

Popular Struggle & Movements

Nepal…• Won democracy in 1990. • Formal power was with the King.• Real power with elected representatives.• 2001 – Massacre of Royal Family, Gyanendra took charge.• 2005 – Dissolution of Parliament.• 2006 - Popular control over Govt. headed by the King.• 7 Party alliance called for a 4 day strike. Maoists & other

organisations joined.• 21st April, King conceded to all demands leading to :1) Restoration of Parliament.2) Seizure of power from the Ruler.3) To make Koirala Prime Minister.• Maoists & SPA came to an agreement about a new constituent

assembly to be elected.

Bolivia…Fight against Privatisation of Water1) World Bank pressurised Government to give up

control of Municipal Water supply.2) Sale of rights to a MNC for the City of Cochabamba.3) Company raised the price of water 4 times.4) 4 day general strike by Labour and Human Rights and

Community leaders.5) Government agreed to negotiate.6) Power of the people forced MNC to flee & made

Government to concede to all demands.• Water supply was restored to municipality

at old rates.

Similarities…

Differences…

Two way roles of these organisations are …

• Direct participation in competitive politics• Creation of parties contesting elections and

forming Governments

Formation of Organisations…• Those organisations that undertake activities to

promote their interest are called INTEREST GROUPS or PRESSURE GROUPS.

PRESSURE GROUPS :• Influence Government policies• Do not aim at directly controlling or sharing political

power.• Formed when people with common occupation,

interests, aspirations or opinions come together to achieve a common objective.

Pressure Groups…

Movements : Narmada Bachao Andolan Women’s Movement

• Influence politics rather than directly take part in electoral competition

• They are loose organisations• Make informal decisions and are flexible• They depend on spontaneous mass

participation

Interest Groups…• Are united organisations• Do not care much for mass participation• Promote the interest of a particular section or group

of society• Example : Trade Unions, Business Associations &

Professional Bodies

• Represent a section of society• Example : Workers, Employees, Business Groups,

Industrialists, Followers of Religion & Caste Groups• Aims : Betterment of their members & not society

in general

Sectional Groups…

Groups…

FEDECOR (Feracion Departamental Cochabambina de Regantes)• Represents some common or general interest that needs to

be defended. • Members may not benefit from the cause that the

organisation represents.

Promotional Groups • Promote collective good• Aim to help groups rather than their own members• Group fighting against bonded labour is an example• They are also called public interest groups

Groups…

BAMCEF(Backward & Minorities Community Employees Federation)

• Made of Govt. employees that campaigns against caste discrimination

• It addresses problems of its members who suffer discrimination

• Its concern is with social justice and social equality for the entire society

Movement Groups • Issue specific movements and seek to achieve a single

objective within a limited time frame

Single Issue Movements…

Nepalese Movement• Specific objective of reviving the king’s orders that led to

suspension of democracy

Narmada Bachao Andolan• Specific issue of people displaced by creation of Sardar

Sarovar DamObjective• To stop the dam• Questioned all such big dams and requirement of such dams• Has a clear leadership and organisation• Active life is short

Long Term & More Than One Issue Movements…

• No single organisation controls /guides such movements.

• All these have a separate organisation, independent leadership and different views on policy.

Example :• Environmental movement• Women’s movement

National Alliance for People’s Movements(NAPM)…

• Movement groups struggling on specific issues are constituents of this loose organisation which co ordinates the activities of a large number of people`s movements

How do Pressure Groups & Movements exert influence on Politics ?

• They gain public support and sympathy for their goals by carrying out information campaigns, meetings and petitions.

• They influence media by giving attention to these issues• Protest activities like strikes are done to force the

Government to take note of their demand• Business groups employ professional lobbyists or sponsor

expensive advertisements• They participate in official bodies and committees that offer

advice to the Government• Sometimes political parties grow out of movements Example

DMK and AIADMK

Groups…• Interest groups and movements do not directly engage in politics but

seek to influence on political parties• Movement groups take a political stance without being a party• They have political ideologies and position on major issues

Is their influence healthy? • Pressure groups have deepened democracy.• Governments can often come under undue pressure from a small group

of rich and powerful people• Public interest groups and movements perform a useful role of

countering this influence and reminding the Government of the needs and concerns of ordinary citizens

• Sectional groups prevents the domination of one group over the rest• They bring about a rough balance of power and accommodation of

conflicting interests