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There is an apparent opacity of caste now, which requires fine-grained and multi-dimensional study

There is an apparent opacity of caste now, which requires fine-grained and multi-dimensional study

  • Two decades earlier, at the start of the new millennium and the end of the ‘Mandal decade’ of the 1990s, it was seen that the institution of caste had become very distinct.
  • It was seen that there was a break with the past and caste was to be seen like never before. But in the current political scenario post the COVID pandemic, the institution of caste has become cloudy again.

Changes in understanding of caste and its impacts

The perception of the ‘we’ has changed.

  • The notion of ‘we’ now does not represent everyone, as it represents only the upper caste.
  • The re-orientation of caste because of the advent of the OBCs
  • From the Nehru era until the 1990s, the major narratives had presented caste as the exception and casteless-ness as the rule. The arrival of OBCs recognised that the upper castes were a minority rather than being ‘general’.
  • Since OBCs were an intermediate group, they brought closer focus on the notion of backwardness and the practices of privileges and dis-privileges in different caste groups.
  • Also, since OBCs were defined as a residual category (i.e not among the Scheduled Castes (SC) or Scheduled Tribes, or upper castes), the OBCs highlighted the pros and cons of this classification and the issues of internal discrepancies in the groupings.
  • As the OBCs were present across the country and formed a major portion of every class group, they had a special affection for federalism and played their part in introducing coalition politics at the national level.

The process of internal differentiation within the caste grouping has penetrated deeper

  • This is considered the most significant change in the last twenty years.
  • The impact of which depends on the dimension of differentiation and on the dependent factors which influence sub-groups to become well defined entities.
  • The dimensions of differentiation include economic status, livelihood sources, and their region of residence.
  • The most crucial factor that influences sub-groups to become well defined entities is the region-specific electoral influence.
  • Example: the Yadavs of Uttar Pradesh have become a concrete group and have influenced the advent of a sub-group called the ‘non-Yadav OBCs’.

The economic differentiation within the upper castes

  • This has classified the groups into the non-rich, and rich segments.
  • Although these segments are not considered to be sub-castes, such groups demand to be addressed politically and are of crucial ideological importance.

Conclusion

  • Caste has become fundamentally relational and the changing dynamics between the caste groupings have made the macro-analyses of caste more and more difficult.
  • Hence, the caste analysis currently has to become fine-grained and multi-dimensional.

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