Factors strengthening caste identity

♤ Caste based politics: Political parties are increasingly mobilizing caste groups for votes, strengthening caste identities. It is evidenced by emergence of many regional parties.

♤ Caste based affirmative actions: Provision of caste based reservation in education and jobs has strengthened the caste identities. For example, recent demand of OBC status by some caste groups.

♤ Collective mobilization: Caste groups are also mobilizing and collectively demanding equality and non- discrimination in the wake of incidents of atrocities on Dalits.

♤ “Dominant caste” phenomenon: Landowning classes have also come to wield

political power in some states due to sheer numbers, like in UP and Bihar.

Some experts have called this phenomenon as “casteism”. It is good in short term, because it links the modern democracy with the masses through caste based political mobilization and participation. However, it may threaten emergence of single national identity.