CASTE MOVEMENT IN INDIA

For Prelims: Political Parties, Caste Census,

Sub-categorisation, Criminal Tribes Act, 1871,
1857 Revolt, Satyashodhak Samaj, Gulamgiri,
Mahad Satyagraha, All India Depressed
Classes Association, Independent Labour
Party, India Scheduled Castes Federation,
Self-Respect Movement, Poona Pact, Harijan
Sevak Sangh

For Mains: Caste Movement in India and its

Impacts

Source: IE

Why in News?
Recently, many political parties called for a new
Indian caste census after the Supreme Court's
judgement on sub-categorisation within reserved
castes.

Caste is often considered as central to South

Asian society much like race in the United
States, class in Britain, and faction in Italy.

The last caste census at national level India

occurred in 1931 during British rule.

What is the History of Caste Movements in

India?
Historical Context: By the end of the 19th
century, caste began to obtain ubiquitous
meaning in the daily lives of Indians.

Definitions of caste often revolved around

Brahminical notions of purity and
pollution, and often aggressive resistance
to such notions by lower castes.

Castes remained ‘constrained within

watertight social compartments,’ with
‘social mobility’ between them prohibited
by restriction on inter-caste marriages.

Colonial Legislation: Colonial administration

brought legislation like Criminal Tribes Act,
1871, in North India, and later extended to the
presidencies of Bengal (1876) in East and
Madras (1911) in South.

It authorised the colonial state to designate

entire communities as criminals.

This designation was often rooted in pre-

existing biases about certain caste or tribal
groups, reinforcing negative stereotypes
and institutionalising them through law.

They were considered too inferior in their

jati and varna traits to be employed in the
colonial army and state apparatuses.

The Act continued till 1949 and was

replaced by the Habitual Offenders Act,
1952.

Divide and Rule Policy: The 1857 Revolt

 Divide and Rule Policy: The 1857 Revolt
which was apparently led by upper class
hindu and muslim elites forced British leaders
to push for a more diverse Indian army and
colonial offices and reduce the presence of
one community dominance in these roles.

Thus, caste emerged as an important

criterion in provincial education and
employability of candidates in government
service.

Caste was recognised as a potential

obstruction to the emergence of nationalist
sentiments and helped in perpetuation of
British rule in the subcontinent.

What were the Key Figures in Caste

Movements?
Jyotiba Phule: He was a 19th century Marathi
activist and founder of the Satyashodhak
Samaj and was among modern India’s first
anti-caste ideologues.

He wrote Gulamgiri (1873), an account of

the plight of ‘untouchables’ in India that
paid rich tributes to Muslim rulers, Christian
missionaries, and the British administration
for instilling egalitarian consciousness in
Indian society.

He also introduced the word ‘Dalit’

(‘untouchables’ or broken people) into the
lexicon of anti-caste movements.

He promulgated his version of the Aryan

 He promulgated his version of the Aryan
invasion theory and projected texts like
Manusmriti as exploitative and oppressive
towards the nation’s indigenes and tribes.

Phule’s mobilisation of anti-caste ideas later

inspired BR Ambedkar.

BR Ambedkar: He mobilised Dalits and

members of depressed classes with the
slogan, ‘We must become a ruling
community.’

In 1927, he led the Mahad Satyagraha to

agitate for the rights of ‘untouchables’ to
draw water from a public tank in Mahad, in
Maharashtra, that was hitherto denied to
them by leaders of privileged castes.

In December 1927, Ambedkar publicly set

fire to the Manusmriti which was seen as
the source for perpetuation of the caste
system and the practice of untouchability.

In 1930, he founded the All India

Depressed Classes Association.

Before the colonial administration,

Ambedkar and Ambedkarites agitated for a
separate electorate for Dalits and
depressed classes.

Other Initiatives by BR Ambedkar were

Independent Labour Party (1936),All India
Scheduled Castes Federation (1942) etc.

M C Rajah: The first major 20th century event

M C Rajah: The first major 20th century event
of pan-Indian Dalit movements was the All
India Depressed Classes Leaders’
Conference at Nagpur, in 1926.

It resulted in the formation of the All India

Depressed Classes Association, presided
by Rao Bahadur M C Rajah, and with
Ambedkar as one of its vice presidents.

Periyar: In the Madras Presidency, Erode

Venkatappa Ramasamy (or Periyar) founded
the anti-Brahminical Self-Respect Movement.

It became an important foundation in his rise

to become the leader of the Justice Party in
1939.

Mahatma Gandhi: After the announcement of

separate electorates (under Communal
Award) for Depressed Classes, Gandhiji
decided to go on a fast unto death to protest
against this supposed ‘vivisection’ (cutting) of
the Hindu community.

Gandhi and Ambedkar signed the historic

Poona Pact 1932 which secured joint
electorates for all Hindus and awarded a
reservation to the depressed classes of
nearly double the number of seats in
Communal Award.

In 1932, Gandhi founded the Harijan Sevak

Sangh for eradication of untouchability and
caste upliftment but Gandhi’s focus on
varnashrama was not liked by Ambedkar.
 varnashrama was not liked by Ambedkar.

Reversal in British Policy: Given the

imminent pressures of the Partition of the
subcontinent, the Ambedkarite movement was
gradually overshadowed by the need to build
India’s constitutional frameworks.

By 1945, the colonial administration chose

to depoliticise caste during the transfer of
power for an united India.

What is the Difference Between

Gandhi's and Ambedkar's Ideologies?

Mahatma B.R.
Aspect
Gandhi Ambedkar

Freedom
Expected
must be
freedom to
Views on wrested
be
Freedom from
bestowed
authority by
by rulers.
the people.

Advocated
Sceptical of
parliamentary
mass
democracy
democracy;
as a means
preferred
Democracy for pressure
limited
and
government
advancement
and local
of the
self-rule.
oppressed.

Inclined
Believed in towards
non- liberal
Political violence ideology
Ideology and practical with
alternatives emphasis on
to ideologies. institutional
frameworks.
 frameworks.

Criticised
Supported
'Gramraj' for
Views on 'Gramraj'
perpetuating
Village (village self-
caste and
System rule) as true
social
independence.
inequalities.

Used moral Emphasised

persuasion legal and
Approach to
and non- constitutional
Social
violent reforms,
Reform
methods for opposed the
change. use of force.

Criticised
Gandhi’s
Addressed
approach;
untouchability
viewed
as a moral
View on untouchability
issue,
Untouchability as a major
promoted
issue to be
'Harijan' as
addressed
a term.
by legal
means.

Believed Denounced
caste system Hindu
Religion and was a scriptures
Caste degeneration for
System of varna; not perpetuating
a religious caste and
mandate. untouchability.

Emphasised
Preferred
moral and
Legal vs. legal and
ethical
Moral constitutional
approaches
Approach methods for
to solve
reform.
issues.

Drishti Mains Question:

Q. Discuss ideological differences between

 Q. Discuss ideological differences between
Mahatma Gandhi and BR Ambedkar. Also, give a
brief account of the caste movement in pre-
independence India.

Caste Based Reservations in India | Polity Pr…

UPSC Civil Services Examination,

Previous Year Question (PYQ)
Prelims
Q.With reference to the history of ancient
India, which of the following statements is/are
correct? (2021)

1. Mitakshara was the civil law for upper castes

and Dayabhaga was the civil law for lower castes.

2. In the Mitakshara system, the sons can claim

right to the property during the lifetime of the
father, whereas in the Dayabhaga system, it is
only after the death of the father that the sons can
claim right to the property.

3. The Mitakshara system deals with the matters

3. The Mitakshara system deals with the matters
related to the property held by male members
only of a family, whereas the Dayabhaga system
deals with the matters related to the property held
by both male and female members of a family.

Select the correct answer using the code

given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 3 only

Ans: (b)

Q.The Vital-Vidhvansak, the first monthly

journal to have the untouchable people as its
target audience was published by (2020)

(a) Gopal Baba Walangkar

(b) Jyotiba Phule

(c) Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

(d) Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar

Ans: (a)

Q.Satya Shodhak Samaj organized (2016)

(a) a movement for upliftment of tribals in Bihar

(b) a temple-entry movement in Gujarat

(c) an anti-caste movement in Maharashtra

(d) a peasant movement in Punjab

Ans: (c)

Q.Which of the following parties were

established by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar? (2012)

1. The Peasants and Workers Party of India

2. All India Scheduled Castes Federation

3. The Independent Labour Party

Select the correct answer using the codes

given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Ans: (b)

Mains
Q.“Caste system is assuming new identities and
associational forms. Hence, caste system cannot
be eradicated in India.” Comment. (2018)

Q.Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar,

despite having divergent approaches and
despite having divergent approaches and
strategies, had a common goal of amelioration of
the downtrodden. Elucidate. (2015)

Q.Debate the issue of whether and how

contemporary movements for assertion of Dalit
identity work towards annihilation of caste. (2015)