Opinion: Politics of caste polarisation

With Assembly elections approaching in Himachal Pradesh, many new factors and issues have found their way into State politics.

By Rohit Kumar

With Assembly elections approaching in Himachal Pradesh, many new factors and issues have found their way into State politics. The results of the recent Assembly elections in five States have once again established that the BJP is the new dominant political force in the country. But the victory for AamAadmi Party in Punjab has sent jitters to political parties in Himachal and Gujarat.

Besides, caste polarisation and religious churnings have made electoral contests more interesting considering the demand and movements around reservation. In Gujarat, the movement for reservation for the Patel community emerged long ago, and under the leadership of Hardik Patel influenced the results of the last Assembly elections. On the other hand, it was recently that the SwarnaAayog was formed in Himachal Pradesh under a combined SwarnaMorcha and the leadership of Rumit Singh Thakur.

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Dominant Force

Himachal Pradesh has around 27% population belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the second highest in the country after Punjab. However, the combined majority of Rajputs and Brahmins has remained a dominant force in State politics as well as in the social sphere. Despite 17 Assembly seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes, all the Chief Ministers of the State till date have hailed from these two upper castes of Rajputs and Brahmins, irrespective of the government of any political party.

There has been no major uprising or movement by the lower castes in demand of their social, religious and political rights. The SwarnaAayog from the upper caste community has caused a new churning in the State considering the impact of national-level uprisings and politics.

But why should this be called the impact of national-level uprisings and politics? The reasons are several. First, the influence of national-level politics and the ruling party at the Centre remained for long in State politics. Second, the State has been seeing incidents of caste and religious violence only after the BJP came to power in 2014. And third, the majoritarian politics of the BJP at the Centre and in many States has also influenced the consolidation of caste polarisation in Himachal Pradesh.

With communities demanding reservations in many States such as Kapus in Andhra Pradesh, Jats in Haryana and Patidars in Gujarat, this move by the upper castes can be considered a reaction against caste-based reservations. The policies and politics of majoritarianism after 2014 have given a new character to upper caste mobilisation against lower caste minorities. The everyday violence against the lower castes by upper caste goons has become a new normal in today’s India.

Anti-Lower Caste

The movement for SwarnaAayog is no different. It’s anti-lower caste minorities and the reservation which is empowering them. SwarnaMorcha had organised a massive protest in Dharamshala in December last year where Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur was compelled to announce the formation of a committee to look into the matter of the formation of SwarnaAayog.

Then again, in Shimla, during the Budget session in February/March 2022, SwarnaMorcha organised another protest where a large number of upper caste people from various districts of Himachal Pradesh took part. However, the movement faced a setback when its leader announced the formation of a party and taking part in the elections. A section of the group is unhappy with this decision.

Though this is not the first time that the leadership of the movement has talked about contesting elections, a formal announcement has been made only now. And that’s because the leadership of the Morcha has been charged with crimes and sent on remand.

This move was initially appreciated by leaders cutting across party lines. But later, it became a serious concern for both the major political parties (BJP and Congress) and both have maintained a silence on the issue.

Social Majoritarianism

Till now, Himachal Pradesh has remained bi-partisan and the electoral contest was always between the two national parties, the BJP and the Congress. But the upcoming Assembly elections in October/November will witness a multi-party contest with the entry AamAadmi Party and the party by SwarnaMorcha. In which form this multi-party contest will impact the electoral outcomes and also the politics of the State is to be seen.

Therefore, the movement for the formation of SwarnaAayog in Himachal Pradesh is, first, the outcome of a long-due sentimentality of social majoritarianism among upper caste Hindus against the reservations provided for lower caste minorities and the upward mobility that they have achieved from these reservations. And, second, it has found expression under the patronage of a regime which from a long past remained in opposition to reservations or at least against caste and social backwardness as the criteria of reservations.

The movements by upper caste Hindus, like the SwarnaAayog, are merely a consolidation of upper caste constituency against lower caste movements even in the absence of any demands and consolidation from the latter. This consolidation and attempts at caste polarisation by upper castes in Himachal Pradesh will only benefit the already socially and politically privileged communities.

(The author is PhD scholar, Department of Political Science, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla. He is associated with Peoples Pulse, a Hyderabad-based research organisation on politics)