Politicisation of caste
Also called: Politics in caste · Topic: Gender, Religion and Caste in Politics · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 3 "Gender, Religion and Caste"
Meaning
Politicisation of caste, also called "politics in caste", is the effect politics has on caste. Rajni Kothari argued in 1970 that caste gets politicised, rather than politics becoming caste-ridden. NCERT describes three changes:
- Castes grow larger by absorbing nearby sub-castes that were once kept apart.
- Castes must form coalitions and negotiate with other castes, because no single caste can win power alone.
- New groupings appear in politics, such as "backward" and "forward" castes.
It matters because it shows caste is not fixed. Democracy reshapes it.
Example
In the 1980s, the KHAM coalition in Gujarat brought together Kshatriyas, Harijans, Adivasis and Muslims. Charan Singh's AJGAR coalition did the same with other castes. In both cases separate castes joined one political bloc.
Don't confuse with
- Caste in politics: the reverse direction. There caste shapes politics, for example in how parties pick candidates or appeal to caste feeling.