Indian society is caste-driven. Caste is the propelling and regulating factor in socio-economic, political, cultural, and educational facets. Caste is pernicious and pervasive. It is psycho-somatic—bodily and mentally. An analogy of cancer be drawn at this juncture to caste. Caste is cancerous. If a person allows caste into his/her mind, it will gradually spread like cancerous cells and thus occupies every part of the body. It is deadly and dangerous. Once caste calculus occupies one’s mind, then it gets corroded, its manifestations will be aggressive and volatile.
Castes are not mere classifications based on division of labor. Unlike class system wherein members of the same family can opt for different professions—a single family can have cattle herders, carpenters and cobblers. It is totally different in the caste system. Professions are segregated into castes; social rules and patterns that are imposed accordingly. Groups/ communities of diverse castes can be found everywhere—city or a village, who can be Hindus, Muslims or Christians. In all these, there are sub-castes too. In a caste there are numerous sub-castes which many hardly know. Castes has many sub-cates and in those there are layers hierarchically arranged. Questions that loom: where are they and what are they doing?
System of caste has been dominating for more than 3500 years. Even in 2023, it is going strong and becoming more powerful in all aspects of life. Caste plays the most determining and vital part in the Indian politics. In recent times, every political party is invoking caste census, so as to know the status of caste groups in socio-economic and educational facets. Almost all political parties except the ruling party in some states and at the Centre BJP justify by saying that caste census is like a blue print which is scientific in its investigation and analysis that enables and helps political parties to work out schemes and policies in accordance to the data.
Those for caste census say that the data objectively enables to evolve policies and programs that would benefit those belonging to the most vulnerable categories that are hidden. It also helps the policy makers and the bureaucrats to allocate budgetary provisions to those who have been neglected and live at the bottom. In addition, the opposition parties tend to push this logic persuasively through the caste census so that caste inequality be measured and so caste head count is required to better target welfare programs. Further, discrimination against and denial of services can be identified and accordingly addressed both in rural areas and urban settings.
Over and above, a caste census will include size of a caste, literacy levels and modern-day occupational structure, which can help to determine and ascertain a caste whether most-backward or backward. It also reveals how a specific caste or castes dominate in the job market. However, political parties by and large view the caste census through the prism of garnering votes while others want to know what are the castes that keep benefitting from the reservation policies and quotas and what and why are the other sub-castes that have not been benefitted by reservation or government policies and programs.
It is also believed that the tabulation of the data facilitates a number of committees and the courts to realistically look into variables sectorially and sectionally which would help those who are keen to equip the communities who needs help and action. Multiple variables such as literacy status, housing, family, food security alongside other castes—a comparative analysis between castes. Many argue that in caste census assumptions are tested and accordingly addressed. Those who are for caste census say that hitherto benefitted some particular castes and not all. Each and every caste and sub-castes want a quota. And so, system of caste is growing stronger and thus wielding power. Caste census though almost all the political parties are in favor conveys that caste will continue and is inevitable.
Caste is indeed the most determining factors when it comes to elections—be it panchayat, legislative or parliamentary. Candidates are fielded based on caste calculus. Combination of different castes is also being worked based on commonalities and convergencies. Though caste is an evil and a curse, it has been eulogized, patronized, and reified by the casteists Since most of the Indians think that caste is crucial, indispensable, inalienable organizing principle for the running of society, they do not want to do away with the caste system. The forces of caste have laid solid foundations premised on rules and regulations by ways of unwritten codes, laws, practices, traditions, usages, customs, scriptural interpretations, and many such things.
As B R Ambedkar said that “It is a pity that caste even today has its defenders.” He knew well that caste is a pernicious and vicious force and is like termite. Viciousness of caste can go to any extent that maintain its supremacy and magnificence. Caste offers those who are for it enjoys entitlements, status, and prestige. Carnage of caste in different dimensions happening every day in covert and overt ways. Those belonging to the lower rungs face discrimination, oppression, exploitation, apartheid, spite, hatred, killings, alienation and systematic elimination by ways of keeping under poverty, hunger, illiteracy, and pushing them in squalid conditions.
Having experienced the nefariousness of caste throughout his life B R Ambedkar knew and faced in his personal life the toxicity and velocity of caste. In his voluminous work on “caste”, Ambedkar went deep into the origin and roots of caste and explains how it manifests in diverse ways and functions in appalling ways. B R Ambedkar was disgusted by the pervasiveness of caste in such naked forms.
As decades and centuries have passed-by caste is still there and going strong. Caste has also permeated into the Indian Christianity. Dalits at large are satisfied with reservations, whereas the Indian Christian Dalits are fighting for reservations
Exercises and initiatives that are going on especially by the political parties in India committed to go all out for caste census show that caste is the most predominant de-facto lifeline not only for the Indian polity(governance), but also for economy, education, employment, development, and many others. Even BJP which was against caste census—remained under denial mode, is now re-considering to shift its stance keeping in mind 2024 parliamentary elections. May be only after uplifting those castes that lie beneath in the caste pyramid, after decades or centuries, there would perhaps be some possibilities of going after caste annihilation—a hope.
The above means that caste continues to stay in India. Caste census has pushed aside the categorical imperative and the dictum of B R Ambedkar “annihilation of caste” to backburner. Expanding reservations within reservations amongst OBCs, BCs, and SCs show the complex and intricate of castes in the Indian society. At the same time, in the process, it will also rip-open the inter-play of castes and classes. However, caste is a blot, a sin, and a scourge in the Indian society. It is shameful that caste is visibly present and actively functions amongst the Christians and churches in India—undoubtedly antithetical to Christian faith and witness.
Prof. Dr. John Mohan Razu,
Retired Professor
of Christian Ethics,
Taught at CTC, Mokokchung, Nagaland.
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