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Question
Describe any five features of 'caste in politics' in India.
Solution
We know that a caste is a closed group. The powerful upper castes have access to all property and all power while the lower castes are devoid are all rights. This contradiction sows the seed for caste-based politics. While the upper castes use politics to keeps its societal hierarchy intact by grabbing the highest political seats. The lower castes use politics to win back their rights that they have been devoid of. And so caste and politics become almost inseparable.
Caste expresses itself in politics in many ways:
i. The caste composition in a constituency influences political parties in issuing tickets to party candidates in elections.
ii. The candidates of various political parties practice vote-bank politics, counting upon members of their caste to cast their votes in their favor. However, this has been proved unscientific as not all members of caste will vote for candidates of their caste. Also, multiple candidates contesting elections in a constituting and belonging to the same caste would result in a split in the votes cast.
iii. Governments try to appease different castes by providing plum ministerial berths to elected representatives who have won on caste politics.
iv. Communities also try to integrate and re-group to accrue benefits political by representations in politics.
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