By : Rufaid Imtiaz

Abstract:

Ambedkar’s annihilation of caste talks about the legacy of unacceptance and a demand for a turnaround. The caste-based structure has found its way to exist over the years. Despite government policies aimed at the eradication of casteism, its existence remains embedded in our country, often manipulated for political benefits or to create societal divisions. The essay analyzes the changes proposed by Dr. Ambedkar in his paper and examines its performance since our Independence. It also locates specific events through real incident movies to support the argument and portray the picture through a clear lens.

Introduction:

To understand the relationship between Caste and Democracy, initially, we need to define their theoretical meanings. On one hand, caste is a concept that promotes the stratification of society on heredity, rituals, social status, and occupations. Simply speaking, it paves the way for the fragmentation of society. On the other hand, democracy idealizes equality and fair opportunities for everyone irrespective of their gender, caste, or class – which means it talks about the unification of society. Merely looking at the above explanations, we could assume that both the concepts, that is, caste and democracy are contradictory. But before jumping to this conclusion, let us consider another angle. If we consider Indian politics, we can find that the caste system is deeply rooted in India, irrespective of its democratic nature. When talking about the meaning of Democracy, it was very different for Dalits (lower caste) as compared to upper castes, as for them it was a ray of hope for survival and an idea of acceptance that was denied to them by the upper classes, whereas for the upper caste, it meant for things way higher.

The Indian setup:

Even today, if we observe the figures, we can find out that the MPs belonging to the upper castes are way higher than the lower caste ones, in respect to the percentage of their population, and these numbers increase regularly. We cannot deny the fact that caste and political systems in India influence each other. From Lok Sabha to Panchayat elections, caste plays the most significant part in deciding the fate of the candidates as well as the state, district, or country. Caste plays a similar role in stratification as race and gender does. It has not just been the government which has advocated caste in democratic politics, but even general public gets motivated through caste-structures while exercising their right to vote. The 2011 movie Aarakshan by Prakash Jha portrays the real depiction of the unacceptance of the lower caste by the upper caste despite the Supreme Court’s order on reservation. This feature highlights how undemocratic we are despite being regarded as ‘Constitutionally Democratic’.

It has been more than seven decades since independence and the politics of the nation has seen several changes but something consistent is the collision of politics and caste. The power struggle has always kept caste alive in politics. If we look at recent trends, in the northern belt of India, states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh have shown the dominance of caste in politics. From the selection of the Chief Minister based on caste, to the policies for pleasing the voters. As mentioned earlier, caste provides a permanent dent to the most basic pillar of democracy which is equality. Hence, we can say that even though theoretically caste and democracy are two parallel concepts – it is not the case in practicality. 

Assertion and Annihilation of Caste:

The Constitution is considered a guiding light for the underprivileged. Through fundamental rights, various evils such as untouchability, which are practiced by the upper caste to the disadvantage of the lower ones, have been abolished. But, the question remains – has caste been abolished by society? The answer is no, it has not. Still, in various parts of rural India, it is practiced openly, and surprisingly it is being accepted as well. It is very clear that the state has failed in its duty to provide equality to Dalits – if not fully then partially. There have been various attempts by people from the Dalit community who have tried to assert their rights. There has been the formation of groups and parties such as the Bhim Army, and Bahujan Samaj Party which have tried to expose the violence faced by these groups but have left us with dilemmas like ‘will these groups be successful in breaking the set beliefs and prejudices’, and ‘will this help in achieving social acceptance which has been a demand for a long time‘. Though we cannot guarantee the answer to these questions, we have seen a change in the trend. People from different groups, not only lower caste but also from upper caste have come forward in support of these groups.

Conclusion:

As mentioned by Dr. Ambedkar in most of his speeches, the fight must continue. From his speeches, it is clear that thousands of years of degradation could not be undone in a few years, hence, it should be taken forward. The trend of change has been slow, but it has shown positive results. There have been persistent violent activities against the lower caste. The movie Fandry depicts a true picture of these atrocities upon the lower caste by the elite upper ones.  Ambedkar’s work, ‘Annihilation of Caste’ provides valuable insights into how only Dalits can fight for their rights. Dr Ambedkar, who was the main man behind the Constitution of India, asserted to annihilate the caste system as it was the biggest evil. Therefore, we can conclude that assertion can lead to the annihilation of caste to a great extent.

Author’s Bio:

Rufaid Imtiaz is a fifth-year law student at O.P. Jindal Global University. He has a keen interest in law and its intersection with other subjects including religion, history, and political science. He enjoys writing on law and politically lineated issues. 

Image Source : https://nl.socialisme.be/26505/de-oorsprong-en-ontwikkeling-van-het-kastenstelsel