Dalit Minority and Caste Politics in India
Contents: Preface. 1. Varna and caste. 2. Brahmins and Shudras. 3. Dalit assertion: an introduction. 4. Ambedkar and the government. 5. The historic decline of the congress. 6. The trajectory of the BJP. 7. Saffronisation in India. 8. Race as a post-colonial resource. 9. The politics of Gandhi’s campaign for prohibition. 10. Relevant patterns of Christian: an Indian perspective. Bibliography. Index.
It can be said very loud and clear that the impact of caste politics and community politics has a great impact on the votes and winning elections. The political parties and leaders play this trump card of caste politics for alluring voters and gain political mileage. Without targeting the communities of the society and playing caste politics it’s very difficult to win elections. Moreover the one who indulge more into this type of politics and raise his voice against some other group of people will get more media attention and gains more popularity which in turn will be helpful in spreading their name to the limitless boundaries and get voter attention. This proves as a free publicity for them and this is what is needed for any elections.
However, caste politics in the last three decades have been marked by desire for power rather than a substantial agenda for social reform. Parties like BSP and RJD, which came to power by mobilizing lower castes, have failed to offer much in the way of good governance or long-term social transformation. Instead, once some lower-caste groups have gained access to power, they have then sought to confine those privileges to their sub caste. The problem, though, is not the salience of caste in Indian politics, but the failure to address its underlying causes and create new opportunities for marginalized groups.
It can be said very loud and clear that the impact of caste politics and community politics has a great impact on the votes and winning elections. The political parties and leaders play this trump card of caste politics for alluring voters and gain political mileage. Without targeting the communities of the society and playing caste politics it’s very difficult to win elections. Moreover the one who indulge more into this type of politics and raise his voice against some other group of people will get more media attention and gains more popularity which in turn will be helpful in spreading their name to the limitless boundaries and get voter attention. This proves as a free publicity for them and this is what is needed for any elections.
However, caste politics in the last three decades have been marked by desire for power rather than a substantial agenda for social reform. Parties like BSP and RJD, which came to power by mobilizing lower castes, have failed to offer much in the way of good governance or long-term social transformation. Instead, once some lower-caste groups have gained access to power, they have then sought to confine those privileges to their sub caste. The problem, though, is not the salience of caste in Indian politics, but the failure to address its underlying causes and create new opportunities for marginalized groups.
