Caste Conflicts in India : A Case Study

Submitted by

KRISHANU KAR

Faculty In-Charge: Preeti Priyam Sharma

NATIONAL LAW UNIVERISTY AND JUDICIAL ACADEMY, ASSAM

GUWAHATI
AUGUST 29, 2015
 Table of Contents (Tentative)

1. Introduction
1.1. Research Problem
1.2. Literature Review
1.3. Scope and Objective
1.4. Methodology

2. Table of Cases
2.1 Atrocities on Dalits in Tamil Nadu
2.2 Anti-Brahmin movements in Tamil Nadu
2.3 Ranvir Sena and violence related to it
2.5 Jat-Dalit Violence in Rajasthan,Haryana
2.5 Dalit-Marathi conflicts in Maharashtra

2. Hypothesis

3. Conclusion

4. Bibliography
 Introduction

Apart from under-development ,proverty and corruption, India is also infamous for Caste-
Conflicts. Whenever I contemplate to find out the actual reason behind different caste
conflicts , I find that although they take place in different places between different groups
and in different phases of the history of post-independent India they have mind-tormenting
similarities. They originate from the bias and prejudices that is imprinted in the minds of
people which they inherit by the virtue of their upbringing. Other reasons act as catalysts ,
,they are the immediate causes behind the conflict. Like every other major outburst there are
incidents which remain unnoticed and keep on piling up until a point of no return, when the
continuously growing grievances find outlet in violence.
Like every other good researcher, my work is to find out those incidents which are minute
but pivotal . In this work I have tried to identify various social groups and their alignments
during the times of conflicts. For example in some cases , I have noticed that the triggering
incident may be between people of two particular social groups but when violence escalated
it has pulled in other social groups having inclination towards each other.
I have also tried to find out reasons which I call third-party provocation. In various cases I
have found that the conflicts took place before elections indicating the passive participation
of political players inorder to polarize the elections on the basis of castes and reap the
harvest in the ballot.
This work being a case study has a detailed description of various conflicts ,their causes ,
impact and extent.

1.1 Research Problem

 What are the reasons behind the caste conflicts?
 What role does social alignments play in these conflicts?
 Do these conflicts result in a change in social supremacy?
1.2 Literature Review
 GENDERING CASTE THROUGH A FEMINIST LENS, by UMA CHAKRAAVARTI
Looking at the vital linkages in the middle of rank and sexual orientation, embraced,
maybe, surprisingly, Uma Chakravarti unmasks the persona of agreement in the station's
workings framework to uncover the basic viciousness and compulsion that propagate an
extremely progressive and unequal society. The subordination of ladies and the control of
female sexuality are pivotal to the station's support framework, making what women's
activist researchers have termed brahmanical patriarchy. She talks about the scope of
patriarchal practice inside of the bigger structure of sexuality, work and access to material
assets, furthermore concentrates on the centrality of endogamous relational unions that
keep up the framework. Savvy yet available, this book empowers the peruser to
comprehend the interface of sex and station and to take part in its discriminating
examination.
 ANNHILATION OF CASTE by BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR
Drafted to be delivered on the annual conference as the presidential address for a Hindu
reformist group Jat-Pat Todak Mandal, to address the issues of casteism on Hindu
society, the speech was considered too radical for the audience and Ambedkar was asked
to withdraw the speech. Instead he released his speech in the form of this book which
strongly criticizes orthodox Hinduism and the caste system. In it he reveals his views on
Hindu leaders of the day and how he believed that their teachings were flawed and how
they only hinder the progress of the nation. The later editions of the book added a section
in reply to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi who believed that only untouchability was to
blame and not casteism. Dr. Ambedkar rebukes this vision of the Mahatma and explains
that unless casteism disappears as a whole there will be no improvement in the state of
affairs.

1.3 Scope and Objective

Objective:
 To study the reasons behind caste-conflicts.
 To study their impact.
Scope:
The scope of this project is limited to the caste conflicts in RAJASTHAN, UTTAR
PRADESH, HARYANA and TAMILNADU . Anti-Reservation Agitations and the following
violence , Mandal Agitations is not covered in the ambit of this work.

1.4 Research methodology

Approach to Research

In this project doctrinal research was involved.Doctrinal Research is a research in which

secondary sources are used and materials are collected from libraries, archives, etc. Books,
journals, articles were used while making this project.

Type of Research

Explanatory type of research was used in this project, because the project topic was not relatively
new and unheard of and also because various concepts were needed to be explained.

Sources of Data Collection

Secondary source of data collection was used which involves in collection of data from books,
articles, websites, etc. No surveys or case studies were conducted.