Ram Rattan Sharma
Casteism is one of the greatest Social evils plaguing the Socio-economic development of India as well as its unity. At a time when we are looking towards an India that is united dignified and developed, it is acting as a powerful social and political divisive force, causing social conflicts, effecting stability peace and harmony manipulating electoral out comes and effecting sound legislative and executive decisions. The problem has become so severe that not only Hindus, with whom caste system is generally associated. All Indians whether Sikhs, Muslims, Jains, Buddhist even Christians carry some vestige of caste system. There is general agreement among statesmen, policy makers and political leaders that for making an India, that is strong, self reliant, free of poverty , illiteracy and disease, occupying a place of honour in world community elimination of casteism is among the essential needs of the time.
First it is important to understand some misconceptions about caste system, reasons behind emergence and growth of casteism and its present role. While caste has been a social reality, for quite long it was the British colonial rule that treated caste as the institutional key stone of Indian society , beginning with the decennial census of 1871. The census became the main instrument of gathering information about the caste system and classifying it British rulers themselves used caste system as one of the instruments of divide and rule. They enforced caste affiliations rigorously. They institutionalized caste into the working of Governmental institutions, some castes were treated preferentially for certain Jobs like in Police and Army, where as 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 was that it increased caste consciousness and inter caste relations to outgrow its regional constraints and develop caste associations to bargain some concessions from the British Government.
The arbiters of caste system were thus, no longer part of the rituals 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 could not succeed much. During the colonial rule, caste groups had become identity conscious and organized. The framers of the constitution were committed to the formation of an egalitarian equitable, fraternal and just society. The 1950 constitution , therefore, eliminate caste system, as instrument of discrimination, restrictions of any kind, particularly the practice of untouchability, through fundamental rights of equality, liberty and freedom. 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 gaining a stranglehold over the field of politics, caste has embedded itself firmly in the politico-economic fabric of the country with the introduction of democracy. The caste system therefore, began to play a significant role in determining the content of direction of political socialization, mobilization and institutionalization within the frame work of democracy. This is turn has given rise to what is known as casteism. Apart from participating in and influencing elections caste is being used also as a pressure group to receive due or undue benefits. An important aspect of this has been pressure for and against quotas. This many a time led to a violent protest causing loss of public property and diversion of resources towards maintenance of law and order instead of on welfare and development .
In this sense politicization of caste is creating a new cohesion which is causing social disharmony. It is seriously effecting the task of socio economic development in building new modern India.
Casteism has been eating into the Socio-economic and Pol fabaric 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 most urban areas. Infact among most educated people and educational institutions particularly in metropolitian cities practices associated with caste system are ridiculed. During the last few years in elections particularly for Lok Sabha, caste has been put on a back seat. Parties are putting forward issues of development, corruption, performance and governance as major concerns. There are parties and groups for whom caste remains the mainplank for mobilization and campaign . They remain engaged in expanding and consolidating caste support. The first step towards reducing casteism is education. Voters need to be educated about how they are exploited by caste leaders without any developmental benefits either to particular caste or society at large. In schools, teachers need to encourage students to eat and play together . Removal of socio-cultural inequalities is essential to bring society out of primordial ties. Treating any caste as polluting or low provides a cause for leaders to mobilize them to rise against discrimination. Civil society has a great and significant role in social and political reforms. They have to create awareness and mobilize 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 intercaste marriages dining and other social interactions to highlight the myths of separation.
The most important cause of casteism is electoral politics. Election commission will have to find ways to curb the use of caste. State funding of elections, strict implementation of code of conduct, voters education etc can be some means for that. Political parties should rise above politics of short term gains and think interms of long term task of nation building to which the claim to be committed. Democracy is not merely winning or losing elections. It is much more than that. People must exercise their vote according to their free will and not muffled by caste community or communal considerations or pressures. We should rise to the occasion and contribute in building a nation based on values of freedom, equality & Justice.
(The author is former Dy Librarian University of Jammu)
feedbackexcelsior@gmail.com
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel