By- Anubha Jain

Overview
In this chapter we apply the ideas of social
difference to the practice of democratic
system in India.
We look at three kinds of social differences
that can take the form of social divisions
and inequalities.
These are social differences based on
gender, religion and caste.
Gender And Politics
This is a form of hierarchical social division
seen everywhere, but is rarely recognized in
the study of politics.
The gender divisions tends to be
understood as natural and unchangeable.
Not based on biology but on social
expectations and stereotypes.
 What disadvantages do women face?
Literacy Rate - 54% for women.76% for men showing
disparity.
Smaller proportion of girls go for higher studies.
Preferential treatment meted out to boy`s education
rather than for girls.
Proportion of women among highly paid and valued job
is small.
Equal wages Act provides equal wages but
discrimination continues in sports, cinema, factories
and fields.
 What disadvantages do women face?
Preference to have sons and abortion of girl child.
Sex selective abortions have led to decline in child sex
ratio.
Various types of harassment, exploitation and violence.
Urban areas too have become unsafe for women.
Proportion of women has been very low in legislature.
In the government, cabinets are largely all-male even
when a woman becomes the Chief Minister or the Prime
minister.
Solutions to these problems
To make it legally binding to have a fair
proportion of women in elected bodies.
Reservation of 1/3 seats in local bodies.
10 lakh elected representatives in rural and
urban local bodies.
Demand for 1/3 seats in Lok Sabha and
State Assemblies.
Religion and Politics
Gandhiji believed that politics must be
guided by ethics drawn from religion.
Human rights groups demanding the
Government to take special steps to protect
religious minorities.
Women`s movements want Government to
change family laws to make it equitable.
Communalism
To place ones community above everything
including the nation.
When does it begin?
When religion is seen as the basis of the
nation.
When does it become acute?
When religion is expressed in politics in
exclusive and partisan terms.
When one religion and its followers are
pitted against the other.
What factors promote communalism?
Beliefs of one religion are presented as
superior to those of other religions.
When demands of one religious group are
formed in opposition to another.
When state power is used to establish
domination of one religious group over the
rest.
What is Communal Politics?
 It is based on the idea that religion is

the principal basis of social community.

What Do Communalists Think?
Followers of one religion must belong
to one community.
Their fundamental interests are same.
People who follow different religions
cannot belong to the same social
community.
 Communalism can take different forms in
politics :
It involves religious prejudices, stereotypes of
religious communities and belief in the
superiority of one`s religion over other religions.

Communal mind leads to a quest for Political

dominance of one’s own religious communities.

If it is a Majority community – Majoritarian

Dominance.
If it is a Minority community – It form a
separate political unit.
Political mobilisation – using symbols,
religious leader`s emotional appeal and plain
fear in order to bring the followers of one
religion together in political arena.
Sometimes takes its most ugly form of
communal violence, riots and massacre. India
and Pakistan suffered some of the worst
communal riots at the time of Partition.
Secular state
1) There is no official religion for India. Constitution
does not offer special status to any religion.
2) Constitution provides to all freedom to profess,
practice and propagate any religion.
3) Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds of
religion.
4) State will intervene in matters of religion to ensure
equality within religious communities. It bans
untouchability.
Caste And Politics
Hereditary occupational division
sanctioned by rituals.
Members of the same caste group formed
similar occupation, married within the caste
and did not eat with members from other
caste groups.
 Efforts Taken to Check Casteism…
Political leaders and social reformers like Jyotiba
Phule,Gandhiji, Ambedkar and Periyar Ramaswami
Naicker have done a lot to check casteism.
Socio economic changes have brought in a check.
Large scale urbanisation.
Literacy and education.
Occupational mobility.
Weakening of the position of landlords.
Constitution prohibited caste based discrimination.
Caste in Politics
Why is there a disproportionately large
presence of Upper Caste among Urban
Middle Class ?
 Groups that did not have access to
education were prohibited from acquiring it
have lagged behind.
 Elections are all about caste and nothing
else
No parliamentary constituency has a clear majority of
one single caste. Every candidate /party must win the
confidence of more than one caste and community to
win elections.
No party wins the votes of all voters of a caste
/community.
Many political parties may put up candidates from same
caste.
Ruling party /sitting MP losing election could not have
happened if all castes and communities were frozen in
political preferences.
 Caste can take various forms in politics:
During the choice of candidates before an election , care
is taken that the composition of electorate and
nomination of candidates from different castes so as to
muster support to win elections.
During formation of Governments, political parties take
care that representatives of different castes and tribes
find a place in it.
To make appeals to caste sentiment to muster support.
Universal adult franchise - one person one vote.
Politics in Caste
1) Caste group becomes big by including
neighbouring castes.
2) Party enters into a coalition with other
castes.
3) Rise of backward caste and forward
caste group.
Effects of Exclusive Attention to Caste:
Is negative.
Politics based on caste identity alone is
not healthy.
Diverts attention from poverty,
development and corruption.
Leads to tension, conflict and even
violence.
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