Caste In Indian Politics

[This is the more or less the summary of what I read......Thank you Divya Srivastav]

Rajni Kothari, in his book “Caste in Indian Politics”, rejects the prevailing dichotomy between traditional society and modern polity and examines the interaction between the two. The social system in India is organized around caste structures and caste identities. In dealing with the relationship between caste and politics, it would be wrong to put forth the question: is caste disappearing? In reality, no social system disappears. One should pose the question: What form is caste taking under the impact of politics, and what form is politics taking in a caste-oriented society? Those who complain of “casteism in politics” in India are really looking for a politics which has no basis in society.   According to Rajni Kothari, these people probably lack a clear conception of either the nature of politics or the nature of the caste system. The process of politics is one of identifying and manipulating existing structures in order to mobilize support and consolidate positions. Since the caste structure provides one of the most important organizational clusters in India, politics must strive to organize itself through such a structure. The alleged casteism in politics is nothing but politicization of caste.

Rajni Kothari states that there is a lot of give and take between caste and politics. By drawing the caste system into its web of organization, politics finds material for its articulation and moulds it into its own design. In making politics their sphere of activity, caste and kin groups get a chance to assert their identity and to strive for positions. Drawing upon both the interacting structures are the real actors – the new contestants for power. Politicians mobilize caste groupings and identities in order to organize their power. For them, caste is an extremely articulated and flexible basis for organization, something that may have been structured in terms of a status...