Caste in India, is both resilient in its nature, and constantly transforming. This loose paraphrasing from the introduction part of “Caste Matters in Public Policy” book already underscores the importance of constantly revisiting our public policies directed towards anything related to caste. Whether it be criminalization based on caste-based abuse or protective and affirmative actions by law and government. But what should be the approach of this policy. Is the old approach of protectiveness still work? Or the reservation policy has changed the landscape as other caste are also asking for reservation specially since Mandal Commission and rise of OBCs? Is a nationwide similar policy the answer when India is such a diverse country and situation in each and every state different? Are the Caste issues limited to religion or is it the core of people and society of India since the caste practice and discrimination highly evident in other religions in India?
This book tries to answer these questions and many more. The book, which got ideated originally through a seminar which intended to discuss caste and public policy in contemporary times, has 13 contributors and is edited and introduced by faculties of NLU, Bengaluru, Rahul Choragudi, Sony Pellissery and N. Jayaram.
The contributions of 13 authors are constituted in 10 chapters divided according to themes in 3 parts. The first part discusses the national scenario of caste. By discussing the role of state, market, culture and their impact in continuously reshaping caste and if the caste census can have any effect on policy making. In the first chapter the author follows the history of caste policies and how have the society reacted to it. For instance, he argues that the electoral quotas are well supported till it is limited to SCs and STs, but the addition of caste categories in women reservations will lead to a higher caste imprint. He follows the trajectories of Indian polity to see how different parties, political leaders have adopted or adapted to caste and caste policies (going from Hindu Mahasabha and Ram Rajya parishad to BJP). However, the author hasn’t captured a lot of other parties and their routes and trajectories although they have covered various committees related to OBC reservation and also the view of society and caste groups taking the case of Jats.
The second chapter offers a critical analysis of the history and challenges of including caste in the Indian census. It traces the colonial roots of caste enumeration and discusses the post-independence decision to discontinue full caste counting, except for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The author meticulously examines the conceptual and methodological difficulties in quantifying fluid caste identities, questioning the reliability and utility of caste census data for policymaking. This chapter presents a skeptical view of reintroducing comprehensive caste enumeration, highlighting the potential for misuse and manipulation of such data.
The third chapter provides an empirical assessment of Karnataka’s SC/ST Sub-Plan Act on access to social security schemes. The findings reveal improved awareness and access to pension and scholarship schemes among SC/ST households, as well as better convergence of multiple schemes. The author attributes these positive outcomes to the new policy, increased funding, and enhanced state capacity. This chapter offers a more optimistic perspective on targeted caste-based interventions, while also acknowledging other contributing factors such as reservations in local government.
Chapter four delves into the complexities of inequalities within Scheduled Castes and the arguments for sub-quotas. It traces debates on internal reservations for SCs in various states, analyzes Supreme Court judgments on sub-classification within SCs, and makes a case for internal reservations to address disparities between SC sub-groups. The chapter highlights the challenges of implementing such policies and emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to addressing inequalities within marginalized groups.
The fifth chapter offers a detailed historical account of reservation policies in Tamil Nadu. It traces the evolution of these policies from the non-Brahmin movement in the Madras Presidency to the current 69% reservation policy under Dravidian parties. The chapter analyzes the emergence of the Most Backward Classes category and discusses the legal challenges to Tamil Nadu’s high reservation quotas. It provides valuable insights into how caste and politics have intertwined to shape the state’s unique approach to affirmative action.
The next chapter presents a rich ethnographic study of changing caste relations in a coastal Andhra village. It examines how Gulf migration has impacted the economic mobility of Scheduled Castes and analyzes the changing power dynamics between castes due to these economic shifts. The chapter also highlights the role of the SC/ST Atrocities Act in empowering marginalized groups, while noting the persistence of caste identities despite economic changes. This study provides valuable on-the-ground insights into how economic transformations and protective discrimination policies are reshaping caste hierarchies and relations at the village level.
A key theme that emerges is the tension between official state ideologies that downplay caste and the persistent reality of caste in social and political life. This is particularly evident in Antara Ray’s chapter on West Bengal, which shows how even under communist rule that officially rejected caste, caste considerations continued to implicitly shape policies and politics. This trend didn’t stop in the new TMC regime, who although recognized caste issues in Bengal, but since coming to power has started only a few policies to mitigate caste issues. TMC has recently started welfare boards for caste groups but this, he argued, is a result of the rise of this caste politically due to numerical power rather than any state led intervention. Hence the Bengali society who have risen from western concepts despite change in political regime suffer from an outside and elitist view of caste issues and its eradication.
Subhadra Mitra Channa’s study of Dhobis in Delhi provides a compelling case study of how urban development policies have impacted traditional caste-based occupational groups, illustrating the ongoing relevance of caste in India’s modernizing economy.
Paramjit S. Judge’s examination of Sikhs demonstrates how British colonial policies of caste-based recruitment and classification solidified caste distinctions within the Sikh community. The two policies which the author present are the introduction of Ryotwari system in Punjab and the allocation of lands for cultivation by the Britishers to cultivating castes, giving advantage to Jats, Sainis, and Rajputs as they were given most lands. The second policy was to give land to retired soldiers of the British army. The Britishers wanted to recruit the Sikhs in the army after the Anglo-Sikh wars. Further the caste-based recruitment to British Indian army provided the final nail in coffin for rise of caste identity among Sikhs. While the cases made by author is highly credible when it comes to rise of caste identity among Sikhs, he doesn’t talk much about how people converting to some religions into Sikhism brought their own caste in the religion. Even lower caste who converts to Sikhism always remember their caste identity and it is true for any religious conversion in India. A strong example is the rise of Kanshi Ram’s Bahujan movement and his cult following among lower caste Sikhs who converted from Chamar caste.
The next chapter of the book offers a comprehensive exploration of caste dynamics within Christian and Muslim communities in India, as well as a conceptual framework for integrating caste analysis into public policy. The chapters on caste among Christians and Muslims reveal that despite the egalitarian ideals espoused by these religions, caste hierarchies and discriminatory practices persist within Indian Christian and Muslim communities. The authors demonstrate how Christian communities in India are divided into groups such as Syrian Christians, Latin Christians, and New Christians, which function as caste-like hierarchies. Within these groups, practices of untouchability, segregation, and endogamy continue, mirroring the caste structures found in Hindu society.
Similarly, the section on Muslims in India illustrates how the community is broadly divided into Ashraf (upper caste), Ajlaf (middle caste), and Arzal (lower caste) groups, replicating Hindu caste structures. The authors show how caste impacts social status, occupations, and marriage patterns among Indian Muslims, challenging the notion that conversion to Islam erases caste distinctions. Importantly, the chapters highlight that lower caste Christians and Muslims face similar discrimination and exclusion as Hindu Dalits, yet are not eligible for the affirmative action policies designed to address caste-based inequalities.
The epilogue by Sony Pellissery provides a valuable framework for incorporating caste as an analytical category in public policy processes. Pellissery argues for examining how caste shapes various stages of policymaking, from agenda-setting and policy formulation to decision-making, implementation, and evaluation. He emphasizes the importance of analyzing caste dynamics in administrative, market, and civil society spheres that constitute the public sphere. The framework considers how caste influences political representation, bureaucratic subcultures, market operations, and civil society advocacy, recognizing caste as a socio-cultural variable that challenges conventional rational policy approaches.
Pellissery’s epilogue makes a compelling case for grounding public policy analysis and education in India’s socio-cultural realities, particularly caste. He calls for rediscovering the public sphere through an institutionalist lens that accounts for how caste is embedded in state, market, and civil society spaces. This section of the book provides valuable insights into the persistence of caste beyond Hinduism and offers a framework for more contextually-relevant policy analysis in India. The chapters collectively highlight the need to consider caste dynamics even in policies not explicitly targeting caste issues, offering a nuanced understanding of how caste permeates various aspects of Indian society and governance.
Reference:
Choragudi, R., Pellissery, S., & Jayaram, N. (2022). Caste Matters in Public Policy. New Delhi: Routledge.
