West Bengal may be exceptional, where caste is not so relevant in politics. In one or two elections people may vote cutting across the caste and community lines––for example in the post-Emergency polls of 1977––but this does not amount to conclude that there is no relevance of caste in politics in Bihar now.

The Telegraph’s Bihar debate “Caste is no longer relevant in Bihar politics” (March 3) witnessed an interesting scenario where even an admirer of the Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who obviously spoke in favour of the Motion of the House, took an entirely different stand. The argument was simple: His government has won the election because it has done some work and not because it has wiped out the relevance of caste in state politics.

Winning election is one thing and claiming that there is no relevance of caste in politics quite different. It is only in the recent years that portals like bhumihar.com, pasmandamuslims.com, mallickbayasociety.com etc have come up. Mallick is a Muslim caste of central Bihar. Their relevance in politics can be measured from the fact that the Nitish Kumar government, a couple of years back, declared them a backward caste though it is arguably the most developed of all the Muslim castes of Bihar. The step was taken because Mallicks form a sizeable percentage of Muslim population in the chief minister’s home district of Nalanda as well as in Jehanabad, Patna, Nawada, Munger, Gaya etc. Besides, they are quite influential in the politics of these districts. When the Sheikhs made the similar demand their plea was not accepted for obvious reasons. The relevance of caste in politcs among Muslims is relatively a new phenomenon.

Why talk of Bihar. Just leaf through any issue of India Abroad, a widely circulated weekly published from half a dozen places in the United States and Toronto in Canada by Indian Americans. One can still find examples of parents seeking grooms and brides belonging to their own caste in matrimonial advertisements. Not only that in the community news section one surprisingly comes across organizations like Patel Samaj and Brahmin Samaj.

If there is caste organizations of ‘progressive’ and ‘far-sighted’ Indians living in the 21st century United States and Canada for years and some parents still rooting for caste to marry off their daughters, are we not too harsh while judging Bihar. The state is backward not just because of caste factor as it is being made out in the recent years. After all Bihar has no khap panchayat (caste panchayat) of the type which exists in developed states of Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh, where young couples are lynched, executed or ostracized with politicians backing the barbaric action on the plea that it is their political complusion. At least a couple of them who took vague stand on the issue have foreign degrees and boast of being enlightened and progressive minded individuals.

It is the feeling of collective guilt, which sometimes compels Biharis to get rid of relevance of caste. Had this really been true then there would not have been any Mahadalit Commission and Extremely Backward Castes would not have been granted 20 per cent reservation in the urban and local bodies. As if that was not enough, last month chief minister Nitish Kumar announced the constitution of Upper Caste Commission to look into the grievances of economically weaker section among them. If caste is not so relevant in the state politics no Commission should be set up on its name.

Over two decades back former Bihar chief minister Dr Jagannath Mishra made cosmetic effort to fight caste in politics. He dropped his surname Mishra on the plea that it reveals his caste. Months later it became part of his name once again. He perhaps copied the idea from many activists of JP movement of 1974, who dropped their surnames to conceal their identity. But such exercises did not bear any long-lasting positive result.

(This article was carried in the editorial page of The Telegraph on March 10, 2011).

Comment

comments...

Bihar getting unfairly more censure is relevant since Bihar is not more casteist that any other states. Having said that this celebration of divisiveness nis deplorable. Replace caste with religion in this article and see how people start frothing with anger over repulsive communalism somehow casteism gets promoted as "conventional electoral dynamics" some fancy euphemism for dowright deplorable politics.

Fact remains beyond Gujarat/WB every state has caste politics. This doesn't make casteism in our polity desirable. This menace or for that matter any kind of diisive poltics has to be continuously censured rather than feted as something par for the course.
Regards
Anil

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Everyone like to see caste go away but issue is extremely complex. Certainly government or politicians don't have power to change caste identity. All they can do, and should do, is to address the disparity between various castes. Targeted programs like reservation is most potent tool in this regard. As different castes get into same level of development, it will create the groundwork for the eventual elimination of castes.

I don't think other states have less caste relevance. However, do see more and more inter-caste marriages in metropolitan cities.
Only cure of casteism is urbanization.

Rajesh

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"What is wrong if caste is relevant in Bihar––or any state’s––politics? A Bihari should not be apologetic on this count as caste plays an important role in politics almost all over India." Two wrongs do not make a right. Just because caste is relevant in politics of other states of India, it does not mean casteism is an acceptable practice in Bihar politics. Wrong practices must be deplored at all levels, there is absolutely no reason to justify it.

Your second sentence of the article above reads "A Bihari should not be apologetic on this count as caste plays an important role in politics almost all over India." But, in your entire article I did not find any mention, let alone any proof at all, of casteism in politics in any other state of India. In fact, the only other state from where you have cited a political example of is West Bengal, which, to your own admission, is against your premise.

That you "can still find examples of parents seeking grooms and brides belonging to their own caste in matrimonial advertisements" from ‘progressive’ and ‘far-sighted’ Indians living in the 21st century United States and Canada for years does not prove that it is OK to use caste factor in politics. Since when did politics=matrimony?

Casteism in matrimony is not necessarily a bad thing, but casteism in politics is definitely a bad thing. I am glad it is on decline in Bihar politics, ever so slowly, though. I remember Gujarat CM Narendra Modi giving a speech a few weeks ago where he said, "I do not do any particular development work for this community or that community, but whatever I do I do it for entire 5 crores Gujaratis," or something to that effect. I am waiting for a Bihar politician to give a speech on those lines and practice it in his or her deeds.

Pradeep

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Indeed caste remains quite relevant in politics, not only in Bihar but all states. Bihar is painted black on this score, but is it any more casteist than other states? On what basis do we say that West Bengal is an exception? Can one name a single CM or Union cabinet minister from WB who does not belong to the forward Bengali castes of Brahmin, Bengali Kayasth and Baidya?

This scenario can be aptly summed up by a current Bihari saying: Tohar Maruti Maruti and hammar Maruti jugad?

Thakur Vikas Sinha

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Nice Article…its more than obvious despite all the positive things which comes one electronic media about Bihar …abolishing caste is easier said than done…Having said that we should not ignore that what kind of feudal society we have in Bihar which does require some caste based policy to uplift the poor section..

Abhishek Anand.