Caste politics
An attempt to address this inequality has been the reservation system, which essentially acts as affirmative action to provide representation to caste groups that have been systematically disadvantaged.
The role that castes play in India's political system was institutionalised by the British colonist where upper-caste dominance within government was perpetuated and reinforced.
Although there were efforts to address this discrepancy through measures like the Communal Award and educational empowerment (see 'Sanskritization'), this remained the status quo until the 1990s when an economic liberalisation in India diminished state control and fueled the rise of caste-centric parties focused on empowering lower castes.
[citation needed] Caste not only determines one's role in political institutions; it also influences access to resources like land as well as police and judicial assistance.
Organizations such as the Gulabi Gang as well as the United Nations are currently working to improve lower caste women's social mobility and independence.
The state of post-colonial India promised development, rule of law, and nation building, but in reality, was a complex network of patronage systems, which solidified the upper-caste position of dominance over civil service institutions.
This network undermined the very promises of 'nation building' that post-colonial India had made and ushered in an area of upper-caste dominance that lasted for the next four decades.
[3] The term refers to the 'second democratic upsurge' from the late 1980s with high voter turnout and representation of lower-caste communities in state and national assemblies.
India's colonial past has shaped caste into a flexible institution, generating a new system that has crucial influences on political mobilisation.
For instance, the Bahujan Samaj Party in the state of Punjab was first initiated by urban political entrepreneurs who belonged to the former lower caste groups.
[11] In contrast, ethnicization endeavors to establish a separate identity for a lower caste group because the objective is to produce "nonhierarchical social imaginaries.
[11] At the same time, it is important to note that the two processes are not mutually exclusive and in fact, most leaders wanted to develop separate identities from the dominant culture.
The prominent influence of Sanskritization meant that mobilizations in the North were restricted by conforming to the existing hierarchies, and in practical terms, this reinforced the dominance of elites within a specific region.
This has caused a disproportionately large number of upper-caste women to occupy political office when compared to their lower caste counterparts.
This eventually led to the practice of vote banking, where voters back only candidates that are in their caste,[12] or officials from which they expect to receive some kind of benefits.
The dominant caste groups monopolised leadership positions in the Panchayat, thus gaining more opportunities to government contracts, employment and funding.
Caste, which eventually effects class, is one of the most important factors in determining a woman's successful inclusion into the political system.
[19] However, unlike their predecessor, these caste mafia groups were not concerned with 'development', but mainly viewed elections and democracy as a way of gaining control of the state, which would enable them to level social inequalities.
Many of these elected ministers/mafia dons were jailed for the illegal practices they employed; however, this was widely touted as the upper castes trying to regain dominance by eliminating supporters.
Many such parties, relying primarily on Backward Classes' support, often in alliance with Dalits and Muslims, rose to power in Indian states.
In 2006 Arjun Singh cabinet minister for MHRD of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was accused of playing caste politics when he introduced reservations for OBCs in educational institutions all around.
In Tamil Nadu, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party rose to power promising representation of all castes in all important sectors of society.
The upper and merchant castes such as Brahmin, Rajput and Kayasth and the rich Muslim groups tend to express their interests through the Congress Party.
Numerically minor parties, represented by the Jan Sangh, receive votes almost exclusively from the upper and trading castes.
Sex work is seen as promiscuous and perverted while upper caste women spend their time in the private sphere focusing on the house and the home.
This shorter lifespan causes Dalit women to have to have many pregnancies and births earlier in life in hopes that few of the children survive and thus help the family economically.
Pal chose this color because it was free from any religious or political associations in India while the bamboo sticks prepare the women for any battle they may face.
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights released a statement on June 17, 2014, titled "Violence against Women and Girls from caste-affected communities.
The global uproar of these deaths became so intense that the United Nations commented and committed themselves to help improve the position of low-caste women through legislation, humans' rights mechanisms, and special procedures.
Mandal an Indian parliamentarian, to consider the question of reservations for people to redress caste discrimination, and used eleven social, economic, and educational indicators to determine backwardness.
