Filth by Birth: Caste, Development and paradox of Indian society
Caste system of India is a historical reality; unique to any other social relationship
that existed in any other places of the planet. Uniqueness of this hierarchical social
relationship is that it’s not only approved by Hindu religious authority from where it
originates or limited within only religious sphere ; but it also transcends sociopolitical,
cultural or even economic sphere of Indian society and as a result of this close
system of stratification; which determines the social status of a person by birth not
only limits the interaction among people but also put provisions of sanctions and
punishments for violators of this social order.
Dalits or the ‘untouchables’ are in the lowest strata of the caste hierarchy.
Historically, Dalits are employed in all kinds of menial jobs; which are perceived as
‘dirty’, ‘impure’ or ‘polluted’ and refused to perform by non-dalit castes. Hindu
reformists or Hindu nationalists saw caste system as ‘organic social block’ of Hindu
society; but criticized the discrimination resulted out of caste system and asked for
reform in the attitude of people. In other hand, this approach of Hindu nationalists;
bringing reform without transforming or rejecting the basis of Hindu belief was
challenged by Dalits themselves. Reformist approach to caste system, was perceived
as an ‘Hindu Integrationist’ project and was challenged by Dalit leaders and scholars
like Phule, Ambedkar by rejecting ’Hindu’ religion and ‘sacred’ religious texts and
promoting the idea of ‘Dalit agency’ through the ‘politics of equal recognition’.
In post colonial, independent India, constitutionally all kinds of caste based
discrimination like, untouchability or denying of accessibility to religious or social
places or any kind of ‘contemptuous treatment’ have been legally prohibited; but
little have practically changed. In post liberalization India, interestingly capitalism
adopted the same very traditional caste hierarchy, and continue to reproduce
inequality on basis of ‘kinship and family’, two pillars of Hindu caste system. ‘Upper
Caste’ with greater ‘social and cultural capital’ are continued to dominate even in
the Indian ‘market’ and ‘Dalit continue to constitute primarily as ‘laboring force’. So,
the promise of ‘free market’; which is promoted as synonymous with India’s
development trajectory hardly behaves freely; rather it stresses its dependency on
same caste system; which is the obstacle of ‘Dalit or lower caste emancipation.
Himadri Sekhar Mistri
Research Scholar(M.Phil)
JNU, New Delhi,India