Dr. Banarsi Lal
The caste system in India is the paradigmatic ethnographic instance of social classification based on castes. It has its origin in ancient India and was transformed by various ruling elites in medieval, early modern and modern India. It is consisted of two different concepts ,varna and jati which may be regarded as different levels of this system. Despite attempts to create an egalitarian and modern society ,the caste system remains as a prominent featers of the Indian society. Castes are often associated with certain occupations. They were arranged in a hierarchy with some castes considered superior to others. Casteism is considered as one of the greatest social evils affecting the socio-economic development as well as unity of society. When we think for a united, dignified and developed nation, castiesm acts as a powerful social and political divisive force, causing conflicts, effecting peace, harmony and stability in society. Not only Hindus, with whom caste system is generally associated, all the Indians whether Sikhs, Muslims, Jains, Buddhists even Christians carry some vestige of caste system. It has been agreed by many statesmen, policy makers, observers and political leaders that in order to make India a strong, self-reliant, free of poverty, illiteracy and diseases, occupying a place of honour in world community, eradication of casteism is essential. It is very important to understand some misconceptions about caste system, reasons behind emergence and growth of casteism and its present role in our social system. There are numerous differences among observers and scholars about the exact definition of caste system. In its general fundamental aspects it can be described as a prescriptive system of status and hierarchy. It is a type of social stratification system based on gradation of endogamous kinship group with certain considerations of ritual purity reflected in restrictions on commensality and pollution and associated with traditional occupational specialization.
Caste system is linked with Varana system. Researchers trace the origin of caste system to about 2000 years back in economic, political and material processes of evolution. Caste has never been a fixed fact of Indian life. Before British rule caste affiliations were loose and fluid. It was the British colonial rule that treated caste as the institutional key stone of Indian society. Beginning with the first decennial census of 1871, the census became the main instrument of gathering information about the caste system and classifying it. Enumeration of population into rigid categories, especially with 1901 and 1911 census resulted in hardening of caste identities. Britishers used caste system as one of the instruments of divide and rule. They enforced caste affiliations very strongly. They institutionalised caste into the working of governmental institutions. Some castes were preferred for certain jobs such as police and army, while some were branded as criminal. Some laws were also passed keeping in view caste affiliations and making those allies of the regime. The immediate effect of this, according to the studies was that it increased caste consciousness and inter-caste competition. The arbiters of caste system were thus no longer part of the ritual order but rather external to it in politics and also in the national movement. The national leaders attempted to reduce the differences and subsume the social justice issues in national struggle but they did not succeed much. During Colonial rule, caste groups became identity conscious and organised. At the time of independence some of them were quite vocal in their concerns and demands. The framers of the constitution were committed to the formation of an egalitarian, equitable, fraternal society. The 1950 Constitution, therefore, eliminated caste system, as instrument of discrimination, restrictions of any kind, particularly the practice of untouchability, through fundamental rights of equality, liberty and freedom. At the same time, in accordance with the need of positive actions to eliminate age old deprivation of some sections provisions for affirmative action for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled tribes and backward classes were also incorporated in the Constitution. It was expected that, in due course, with socio-economic development and transformation society will be socially integrated. During seven decades of independence while the influence of caste has been decreasing in social and economic spheres but still it has been gaining a stranglehold over the different fields. There has emerged new caste based organisations, growing polarisation on caste lines, violence and reservation conflicts. Caste has embedded itself firmly in the politicoeconomic fabric of the country.
Generally casteism means the tendency of caste or subcaste groups to maximise economic, social and political advantages of its members to the detriment of the other caste members and society as a whole. It is also an ideology of political allegiance to a caste group as primary and decisive, leading to blind group loyalty towards one’s own caste believing that social, economic and political interests will be fulfilled through that. In the absence of well-developed political infrastructure of secondary groups the readymade primary caste groups emerged as the principal contenders for power and divisible benefits. Apart from participating in and influencing elections, caste is being used also as a pressure group to receive the benefits. An important aspect of this has been pressure for and against quotas. Sometimes castiesm leads to violent protests causing huge loss of public property and diversion of resources towards maintenance of law and order instead of welfare and development. Paradoxically as caste has become somewhat less important in determining individual life chances, it has become more salient as a political identity and as an institutionalized element of civil society. There are many caste based educational institutions, hostels, housing societies etc. Some of them are playing the important role of bringing the deprived into the mainstream and fulfilling their aspirations. In general casteism is causing social disharmony. It is seriously affecting the socio-economic development and building of a new modern India.
Casteism is affecting the socio-economic and political fabric of our society. Modern conditions of life and work have rendered many rigid rituals, beliefs and practices obsolete. Interdining, even inter-caste marriages are no more taboos, at least in some of the urban areas. In fact, among most educated people and educational institutions, particularly in metropolitan cities practices associated with caste system are ridiculed. Another positive aspect is that during the elections, caste has been put on a back seat now. Task of eradication, or at least to begin with reduction of casteism is the need of the hour.The first step towards reducing casteism is education.Education does not mean only formal literacy or school education.It includes generation and dissemination of awareness about myths associated with the caste system. Many a times caste is considered as part of religion or religious practices which is not correct. After achieving Independence in 1947,India enacted many affirmative action policies for the upliftment of historically marginalised groups as enforced through its constitution.Removal of socio-cultural inequalities is essential to bring society out of primordial ties. In some cases social and economic inequalities coincide.When determined groups remain discriminated or unequal they have reason to act collectively. Civil society has a great and significant role in social and political reforms. They have to create awareness and mobilise voters on non-caste, non religion basis, inform them about the imperatives of development, abuse of caste and religion in elections and negative effects of that on social disharmony and conflicts. Civil society can also play a useful role in encouraging and arranging social interactions to highlight the myths of separation.
(The writer is Chief Scientist & Head of KVK Reasi, SKUAST-J).
