Caste in India: Legacy of Discrimination

India’s caste system, deeply rooted in history, is a unique institution legitimising discrimination based on one’s caste at birth. It is inherently exclusionary, exploitative, and humiliating. Traditionally, castes not only determined one’s occupation but also one’s position in the societal hierarchy.

The Caste System as a Discriminatory System: Perpetual Discrimination Struggles

• Social Stratification: The caste system is a system of social stratification which places a group of people from the Upper Caste System above groups from the lower Caste System.  
• A Persistent Social Challenge: It legitimises and enforces practices of discrimination against people born into particular castes. 
  • These practices of discrimination are humiliating, exclusionary, and exploitative.

Historical Occupation and Status Linkage: Historical Ties and Economic Realities

• Occupational Rigidity: Historically, each Caste System was tied to a specific occupation.
  • It leaves individuals with no choice but to follow the profession predetermined by their birth. 
• Societal Hierarchy and Economic Realities: Simultaneously, every Caste System had its rank in the societal hierarchy. 
  • In strict scriptural terms, the highest caste, the Brahmins, were to be ritually superior but economically modest, but in practice, economic and social statuses often coincided.

Modern Adaptations and Continuities: Evolving Dynamics, Persistent Disparities

• Decay of Caste-Occupation Nexus: Over the last century, the rigid linkage between Caste System and occupation has lessened, and the correlation between caste and economic status isn’t as fixed. 
• Perpetuation of Caste Disparities: However, at a broader level, the caste system’s influence persists. 
  • The societal upper echelons still predominantly comprise the ‘upper’ Caste System.
  • The ‘lower’ castes largely constitute the disadvantaged sections. 
  • Moreover, the proportion of the population that lives in poverty or affluence differs greatly across Caste System. (See Tables)
  • Despite significant changes brought about by social movements and state initiatives, caste remains a powerful determinant of opportunities and life outcomes for Indians in the contemporary era.

Untouchability: Cruel Purity Norms and Social Sanctions

• Untouchability: It is an extreme and particularly vicious aspect of the caste system that prescribes stringent social sanctions against members of castes located at the bottom of the purity-pollution scale. 
•  Exclusion and Ritual Pollution: Strictly speaking, the ‘untouchable’ castes are outside the caste hierarchy.
  • They are considered to be so ‘impure’ that their mere touch or even shadow is believed to pollute other castes.
  • However, the scope of untouchability extends beyond mere physical contact to encompass a broader range of social sanctions.
  • It brings terrible punishment for the former and forces the latter to perform elaborate purification rituals. 

Dimensions of untouchability: Exclusion, Subjugation, Empowerment

• Untouchability encompasses three main facets: exclusion, subordination-humiliation, and exploitation. 
• Unique Exclusions: Other lower castes might face some forms of discrimination, “untouchables” or Dalits face unique exclusions, such as restrictions from shared water sources or religious events. 
• Systematic Subjugation: They also undergo forced subordination, like playing specific roles in ceremonies, enduring routine humiliation, and economic exploitation through forced or underpaid labour.

Origin and Evolution

• Over time, the “untouchables” have been referred to by various names, many of which are derogatory. 
• Mahatma Gandhi’s Vision for Harijan: Mahatma Gandhi introduced the term ‘Harijan’ (children of God) in the 1930s to counteract the negative connotations of these caste names. 
• Empowerment through Identity: However, the term ‘Dalit,’ meaning ‘downtrodden,’ has become more prevalent and accepted. It signifies an oppressed community.
  • It  aligns with Dr. Ambedkar’s philosophy of empowerment. 
  • The term gained momentum during the 1970s, particularly with the rise of the Dalit Panthers, who used it to assert their identity and rights.

The Other Backward Classes (OBCs): Diversity, Struggles, and Political Clout

• Navigating Social Inclusion: These groups, which the Constitution identifies as socially and educationally backward classes.
  • These encompass a broad and diverse spectrum of castes that are neither part of the high-status ‘forward’ castes nor the Dalits. 
• Unveiling Social Disparities: The Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in India, while not subjected to the extreme discrimination faced by the Dalits.
  • They have historically been positioned lower in the caste hierarchy, often facing social disadvantages. 
• The Heterogeneous Composition: The OBC category includes members from various religions and is more heterogeneous than the Dalits or Adivasis.
• Political Mobilization and Empowerment of OBCs: Since the 1990s, political movements and assertions by both OBCs and Dalits have been prominent in northern India. 
  • The OBCs, constituting approximately 41% of the nation’s population, have started translating their significant numbers into political clout. 
• Contrasting Realities of Upper and Lower OBCs: The category of OBCs includes both the upper OBCs, who are dominant in many rural regions and the lower OBCs, who often share socio-economic challenges similar to the Dalits. 
  • Despite the dominance of upper OBCs in rural areas, urban OBCs face severe disadvantages, aligning more with the conditions of Scheduled Castes and Tribes than the upper castes.