NATIONAL POLITICS
Caste and Community: The Fabric Holds Firm
Myth: Politics is dominated by casteism and communalism
Reality: A polarization of public opinion has not taken place, at least not along ethnic fault lines.
In our survey, less than 2 per cent respondent said that they took guidance from local caste-community leaders in deciding who to vote for. Half of them- including a substantial proportion of Muslims and Dalits - said it is not important for them to vote the way their own caste/community votes. Significantly, in this respect the picture has reversed since 1971. Now fewer people feel Does any party look after the interests of your that their own caste/community votes en bloc. The percentage of those who see their caste/community voting for different parties has more than doubled in this period.
It may be hasty to conclude that voting according to caste-community has ceased to take place. It might be the result of the recent rise in the politics of coalition building among castes and communities. It is significant that in the last quarter of a century, the proportion of those who name a party which looks after the interest of their caste/community has increased.
Three-fourth of the respondents either did not notice any change in the relationship among various social groups over the past five years, or felt that there was greater harmony than before. The tension was seen to have increased more in the relationship between the rich and the poor. And what is more, support for the politics of violent strength has gone down by half between 1971 and 1996.
Finally, the survey provides clear evidence that the divisive politics of the last decade - Mandal, Mandir etc. has not led to any sharp ideological polarization.
Six years after the Mandal agitation, there is a Yes surprisingly high degree of support for job reservations for the OBCs across the social spectrum, notwithstanding a feeble protest from the forward caste.
Despite serious differences on the communal question, the principle of secular state is not under question. A vast majority feel it is the responsibility of the Government to protect the interest of the minorities. This includes a majority of the BJP voters. There are, of No course, differences.
P.V. Narasimha Rao on Caste
But how does a Brahmin or a Roddy or a Yadav or a Jatav or any other caste-labelled bastard know that Yes his mother had not slept with a stud-bull of another caste and had begotten him, complete with caste seal and label? How can anyone assert that this nation, or any nation for that matter, is not composed of a vast number of unidentified bastards?
Does Your Caste/community Generally Vote for one Party?
1971 Hindus Muslim 1996
All
One Party 35 26 32 27
Diff. Parties 22 48 49 48
Is it important for your to vote the way your
Caste/community votes?
1971 1966 OBC Muslim
(All)
Yes 51 30 26 37
No 30 50 50 47
Does any party look after the interest of your
Caste/Community?
Those who say yes
1991 14
1996 17
Muslim 23 Dalit 23
Relationship among Social Group last 5 years
Greater Harmony Greater Tension
Caste Group 62 19
Religious Group 44 25
Rich and Poor 38 37
Political Struggle which May lead to violence is
1971 1996
Proper 26 13
Improper 39 65
Should there be separate civil codes for each community?
Yes 45 Those who say yes
No 35 Upper Caste 56
Muslim 67
Christian 54
Sikh 51
Should there be reservation in government jobs for OBCs
Yes 71 Those who says yes
No 16 Upper Caste 56
Dalit 84
OBCs 77
Government must protect interest of minorities
Yes 63 Those who says yes
No 8 Hindu 60
Muslim 83
Christian 73
Sikh 54
(Source: The India Today, 31 August, 1996)
