William S Sax
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195335866
- eISBN:
- 9780199868919
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195335866.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This book deals with ritual healing in the Central Himalayas of north India. It focuses on the cult of Bhairav, a local deity who is associated with the lowest castes, the so-called Dalits, who are ...
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This book deals with ritual healing in the Central Himalayas of north India. It focuses on the cult of Bhairav, a local deity who is associated with the lowest castes, the so-called Dalits, who are frequently victims of social injustice. When powerless people are exploited or abused and have nowhere else to go, they often turn to Bhairav for justice, and he afflicts their oppressors with disease and misfortune. In order to end their suffering, they must make amends with their former victims and worship Bhairav with bloody sacrifices. Many acts of perceived injustice occur within the family, so that much of the book focuses on the tension between the high moral value placed on family unity on the one hand, and the inevitable conflicts within it on the other. Such conflicts can lead to ghost possession, cursing, and other forms of black magic, all of which are vividly described. The book includes a personal account of the author's own experiences in the field as well as descriptions of blood sacrifice, possession, exorcism, and cursing. The book begins with a straightforward description of the author' s fieldwork and goes on to describe the god Bhairav and his relationship to the weak and powerless. Subsequent chapters deal with the lives of local oracles and healers; the main rituals of the cult and the dramatic Himalayan landscape in which they are embedded; the moral, ritual, and therapeutic centrality of the family; the importance of ghosts and exorcism; and practices of cursing and counter-cursing. The final chapter examines the problematic relationship between ritual healing and modernity.Less
This book deals with ritual healing in the Central Himalayas of north India. It focuses on the cult of Bhairav, a local deity who is associated with the lowest castes, the so-called Dalits, who are frequently victims of social injustice. When powerless people are exploited or abused and have nowhere else to go, they often turn to Bhairav for justice, and he afflicts their oppressors with disease and misfortune. In order to end their suffering, they must make amends with their former victims and worship Bhairav with bloody sacrifices. Many acts of perceived injustice occur within the family, so that much of the book focuses on the tension between the high moral value placed on family unity on the one hand, and the inevitable conflicts within it on the other. Such conflicts can lead to ghost possession, cursing, and other forms of black magic, all of which are vividly described. The book includes a personal account of the author's own experiences in the field as well as descriptions of blood sacrifice, possession, exorcism, and cursing. The book begins with a straightforward description of the author' s fieldwork and goes on to describe the god Bhairav and his relationship to the weak and powerless. Subsequent chapters deal with the lives of local oracles and healers; the main rituals of the cult and the dramatic Himalayan landscape in which they are embedded; the moral, ritual, and therapeutic centrality of the family; the importance of ghosts and exorcism; and practices of cursing and counter-cursing. The final chapter examines the problematic relationship between ritual healing and modernity.
A Raghuramaraju (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198070122
- eISBN:
- 9780199080014
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198070122.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Theory
Indian society is extremely complex, particularly in the twentieth century. However, this complexity has not been captured by Indian social theory. One reason is the theoretical burden caused by ...
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Indian society is extremely complex, particularly in the twentieth century. However, this complexity has not been captured by Indian social theory. One reason is the theoretical burden caused by historical events such as colonialism, which incidentally brought modernity to India. Western modernity is mainly normative, and its norms include the concept of autonomous individual, freedom, and instrumental rationality. This normative project is sought to be ruthlessly implemented through modern programmes of secularism, nationalism, urbanization, and industrialization where the pre-modern is sought to be disinherited. This book explores the limitations surrounding Indian social theorists' views on Indian society. It discusses Partha Chatterjee's perspectives on Indian nationalism, Javeed Alam's interpretation of Indian secularism and the use of plural character of Indian society by some Indian social scientists, and Gopal Guru's proposal to move Dalits' lived experience from literature into social theory. The book also examines the limitations surrounding the reading of contemporary texts and activities of thinkers such as Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda, B.R. Ambedkar, and Aurobindo Ghosh.Less
Indian society is extremely complex, particularly in the twentieth century. However, this complexity has not been captured by Indian social theory. One reason is the theoretical burden caused by historical events such as colonialism, which incidentally brought modernity to India. Western modernity is mainly normative, and its norms include the concept of autonomous individual, freedom, and instrumental rationality. This normative project is sought to be ruthlessly implemented through modern programmes of secularism, nationalism, urbanization, and industrialization where the pre-modern is sought to be disinherited. This book explores the limitations surrounding Indian social theorists' views on Indian society. It discusses Partha Chatterjee's perspectives on Indian nationalism, Javeed Alam's interpretation of Indian secularism and the use of plural character of Indian society by some Indian social scientists, and Gopal Guru's proposal to move Dalits' lived experience from literature into social theory. The book also examines the limitations surrounding the reading of contemporary texts and activities of thinkers such as Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda, B.R. Ambedkar, and Aurobindo Ghosh.
Jeffrey G. Snodgrass
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195304343
- eISBN:
- 9780199785063
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195304349.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Hinduism
This chapter further describes the context of the author’s participant-observation fieldwork situation in the towns of Udaipur and Jaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It also presents the ...
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This chapter further describes the context of the author’s participant-observation fieldwork situation in the towns of Udaipur and Jaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It also presents the scholarly understandings of South Asian society that ground the book’s arguments. It is demonstrated how changes in caste relations in the modern colonial and postcolonial periods, and especially the decline in importance of elite bardic communities, provided the author’s Bhat informants with opportunities to remake their caste identity in the particular manner explored in the pages of this book. This chapter takes pains to demonstrate continuities of experience between the formerly untouchable Bhats and other low status Dalit (“oppressed”) communities. The remainder of the book, however, points to the distinctive manner than Bhats, as low status bards participating in a declining village exchange economy referred to as jajmani, take advantage of changing historical contexts to rework themselves and the institution of caste in ways unique to this community of performers.Less
This chapter further describes the context of the author’s participant-observation fieldwork situation in the towns of Udaipur and Jaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It also presents the scholarly understandings of South Asian society that ground the book’s arguments. It is demonstrated how changes in caste relations in the modern colonial and postcolonial periods, and especially the decline in importance of elite bardic communities, provided the author’s Bhat informants with opportunities to remake their caste identity in the particular manner explored in the pages of this book. This chapter takes pains to demonstrate continuities of experience between the formerly untouchable Bhats and other low status Dalit (“oppressed”) communities. The remainder of the book, however, points to the distinctive manner than Bhats, as low status bards participating in a declining village exchange economy referred to as jajmani, take advantage of changing historical contexts to rework themselves and the institution of caste in ways unique to this community of performers.
Badri Narayan Tiwari
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198071877
- eISBN:
- 9780199080724
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198071877.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Indian Politics
This book is a commentary on politics and political consciousness, participation, and mobilization among the Dalits of Uttar Pradesh. Based on extensive fieldwork at the village level in eastern ...
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This book is a commentary on politics and political consciousness, participation, and mobilization among the Dalits of Uttar Pradesh. Based on extensive fieldwork at the village level in eastern Uttar Pradesh, it deals with Dalit social and political history in the state from 1950 to the present. Badri Narayan examines the process of politicization of Dalit communities through their internal social struggles and movements, and their emergence as a ‘political public’ in the State-oriented democratic political setting of contemporary India. This process is represented through stories and narratives that span the oppressed historical moments of the marginalized, documenting various social upheavels in post-Independence India. The volume uses various alternative sources, alive in the oral tradition and ‘collective memory’ of the grassroots to explain contemporary history of Dalit mobilization in north India. The book unfolds the suppressed multiple layers of Dalit consciousness, hitherto ignored by mainstream discourse.Less
This book is a commentary on politics and political consciousness, participation, and mobilization among the Dalits of Uttar Pradesh. Based on extensive fieldwork at the village level in eastern Uttar Pradesh, it deals with Dalit social and political history in the state from 1950 to the present. Badri Narayan examines the process of politicization of Dalit communities through their internal social struggles and movements, and their emergence as a ‘political public’ in the State-oriented democratic political setting of contemporary India. This process is represented through stories and narratives that span the oppressed historical moments of the marginalized, documenting various social upheavels in post-Independence India. The volume uses various alternative sources, alive in the oral tradition and ‘collective memory’ of the grassroots to explain contemporary history of Dalit mobilization in north India. The book unfolds the suppressed multiple layers of Dalit consciousness, hitherto ignored by mainstream discourse.
A. Raghuramaraju
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198070122
- eISBN:
- 9780199080014
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198070122.003.0003
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Theory
This chapter explains how a certain reading of modernity, particularly its theory and universalism, prevailed and influenced a well-intended proposal for a Dalit discourse by Gopal Guru. Guru's ...
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This chapter explains how a certain reading of modernity, particularly its theory and universalism, prevailed and influenced a well-intended proposal for a Dalit discourse by Gopal Guru. Guru's essay, ‘How Egalitarian are the Social Sciences in India?’, formulates the Indian version of the politics of representation. According to Guru, social science scholars in India failed to address the discrepancy between egalitarian theoretical claims and lack of egalitarianism in the practice of social sciences. It is the relation between the theoretical terrain and the agency intrinsic in Guru's essay that requires special attention. This element of hierarchy becomes evident when we turn to another issue that he seeks to problematize — the identification of the elite Brahmin and Dalit Shudra with theory and poetry, respectively. This chapter argues that instead of transporting Dalits into social theory, Guru should encourage more Dalits to migrate to a literary and poetic realm.Less
This chapter explains how a certain reading of modernity, particularly its theory and universalism, prevailed and influenced a well-intended proposal for a Dalit discourse by Gopal Guru. Guru's essay, ‘How Egalitarian are the Social Sciences in India?’, formulates the Indian version of the politics of representation. According to Guru, social science scholars in India failed to address the discrepancy between egalitarian theoretical claims and lack of egalitarianism in the practice of social sciences. It is the relation between the theoretical terrain and the agency intrinsic in Guru's essay that requires special attention. This element of hierarchy becomes evident when we turn to another issue that he seeks to problematize — the identification of the elite Brahmin and Dalit Shudra with theory and poetry, respectively. This chapter argues that instead of transporting Dalits into social theory, Guru should encourage more Dalits to migrate to a literary and poetic realm.
Michael Gottlob
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198072485
- eISBN:
- 9780199080731
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198072485.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, Historiography
This chapter is divided into three parts. The first discusses the emergence of communalist interpretations of Indian past and their political implications. It also relates to the Indian scepticism ...
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This chapter is divided into three parts. The first discusses the emergence of communalist interpretations of Indian past and their political implications. It also relates to the Indian scepticism about the modern concept of history. The second section attempts to understand the multicultural reality of India through its tensions and contending tendencies rather than trace it back to an original state of harmony. The final part traces the role of women, Dalits and Adivasis in the writing of Indian history and their role in contributing to a rethinking of the political community.Less
This chapter is divided into three parts. The first discusses the emergence of communalist interpretations of Indian past and their political implications. It also relates to the Indian scepticism about the modern concept of history. The second section attempts to understand the multicultural reality of India through its tensions and contending tendencies rather than trace it back to an original state of harmony. The final part traces the role of women, Dalits and Adivasis in the writing of Indian history and their role in contributing to a rethinking of the political community.
Francesca R. Jensenius
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- August 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190646608
- eISBN:
- 9780190646646
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190646608.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
India has one of the most extensive quota systems in the world: the reserved seats for the Scheduled Castes (SCs, the former “untouchables”) in the country’s legislative assemblies. Combining ...
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India has one of the most extensive quota systems in the world: the reserved seats for the Scheduled Castes (SCs, the former “untouchables”) in the country’s legislative assemblies. Combining evidence from quantitative datasets from the period 1969–2012, archival work, and in-depth interviews with politicians, civil servants, and voters across India, this book explores the long-term effects these quotas have had for the political elite and for the general population. It finds that the quotas have played an important role in reducing caste-based discrimination, particularly at the elite level. Contrary to what one might expect, this is not because the quota system has led to more group representation—SC politicians working specifically for SC interests—but because it has created and empowered a new SC elite who have gradually become integrated into mainstream politics. The findings and discussions have broader implications beyond the case of India. Policies such as quotas are often implemented with the explicit goal of changing society and are supported with arguments that assume various positive, long-term consequences. The nuanced discussions in this book shed light on how the quotas for SCs have shaped the incentives for politicians, parties, and voters, noting the trade-offs inherent in how such policies of group inclusion are designed.Less
India has one of the most extensive quota systems in the world: the reserved seats for the Scheduled Castes (SCs, the former “untouchables”) in the country’s legislative assemblies. Combining evidence from quantitative datasets from the period 1969–2012, archival work, and in-depth interviews with politicians, civil servants, and voters across India, this book explores the long-term effects these quotas have had for the political elite and for the general population. It finds that the quotas have played an important role in reducing caste-based discrimination, particularly at the elite level. Contrary to what one might expect, this is not because the quota system has led to more group representation—SC politicians working specifically for SC interests—but because it has created and empowered a new SC elite who have gradually become integrated into mainstream politics. The findings and discussions have broader implications beyond the case of India. Policies such as quotas are often implemented with the explicit goal of changing society and are supported with arguments that assume various positive, long-term consequences. The nuanced discussions in this book shed light on how the quotas for SCs have shaped the incentives for politicians, parties, and voters, noting the trade-offs inherent in how such policies of group inclusion are designed.
Aakash Singh Rathore and Ajay Verma (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198068679
- eISBN:
- 9780199081233
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198068679.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Indian Politics
This book presents a scholarly edition of one of the greatest works on Buddhist writings, Ambedkar's The Buddha and His Dhamma. It was published posthumously without citations, bibliographies and ...
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This book presents a scholarly edition of one of the greatest works on Buddhist writings, Ambedkar's The Buddha and His Dhamma. It was published posthumously without citations, bibliographies and other scholarly apparatus. This present edition is scrupulously annotated, with inclusions of references to the Buddhist scripture and other texts which have served as references for Ambedkar. It also includes explanations of those scriptures, comments on Ambedkar's interpretations, and modifications of his sources. The volume deals with Ambedkar's interpretation of the concepts of Buddhism and the possibilities the religion offered for the liberation and upliftment of the Dalits. It offers Ambedkar's reflections and interpretations on the life of Siddharth Gautama, the Buddha, his teachings, and the proliferation of Buddhism in India through series of anecdotes and narratives that details the life of Buddha and the spread of his Dhamma. The book also provides detailed analysis of the basic tenets, canons, and tradition of the Dhamma. It also addressed the unresolved dispute over Ambedkar's interpretation of the Buddha's dhamma by examining the accuracy and correctness of his citations and by providing sources not included in his citations and references. It also considers the modifications made by Ambedkar on his sources of materials.Less
This book presents a scholarly edition of one of the greatest works on Buddhist writings, Ambedkar's The Buddha and His Dhamma. It was published posthumously without citations, bibliographies and other scholarly apparatus. This present edition is scrupulously annotated, with inclusions of references to the Buddhist scripture and other texts which have served as references for Ambedkar. It also includes explanations of those scriptures, comments on Ambedkar's interpretations, and modifications of his sources. The volume deals with Ambedkar's interpretation of the concepts of Buddhism and the possibilities the religion offered for the liberation and upliftment of the Dalits. It offers Ambedkar's reflections and interpretations on the life of Siddharth Gautama, the Buddha, his teachings, and the proliferation of Buddhism in India through series of anecdotes and narratives that details the life of Buddha and the spread of his Dhamma. The book also provides detailed analysis of the basic tenets, canons, and tradition of the Dhamma. It also addressed the unresolved dispute over Ambedkar's interpretation of the Buddha's dhamma by examining the accuracy and correctness of his citations and by providing sources not included in his citations and references. It also considers the modifications made by Ambedkar on his sources of materials.
Zoya Hasan
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198076964
- eISBN:
- 9780199080274
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198076964.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, Indian Politics
This chapter examines the specific issue of discrimination against and exclusion of Muslims, and the arguments for affirmative action programmes for them in education and government employment to ...
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This chapter examines the specific issue of discrimination against and exclusion of Muslims, and the arguments for affirmative action programmes for them in education and government employment to redress this imbalance. More specifically, it focuses on the demands and implications of minority versus backward-caste reservations in the context of differences amongst Muslim groups on the issue and the wider debate on minority quotas versus caste and sub-quotas for Muslim Other Backward Classes. In assessing the desirability and feasibility of affirmative action for minorities or Dalits in the Christian and Muslim communities, it is useful to remember that in India, reservations have been the key instrument for social and political inclusion, and they provide voice to the excluded groups in decision-making institutions.Less
This chapter examines the specific issue of discrimination against and exclusion of Muslims, and the arguments for affirmative action programmes for them in education and government employment to redress this imbalance. More specifically, it focuses on the demands and implications of minority versus backward-caste reservations in the context of differences amongst Muslim groups on the issue and the wider debate on minority quotas versus caste and sub-quotas for Muslim Other Backward Classes. In assessing the desirability and feasibility of affirmative action for minorities or Dalits in the Christian and Muslim communities, it is useful to remember that in India, reservations have been the key instrument for social and political inclusion, and they provide voice to the excluded groups in decision-making institutions.
Zoya Hasan
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198076964
- eISBN:
- 9780199080274
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198076964.003.0007
- Subject:
- Political Science, Indian Politics
This chapter examines the question of whether a Dalit or Muslim can be a Scheduled Caste (SC), in light of the claims and counter-claims made by Dalits in the Muslim and Christian communities for SC ...
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This chapter examines the question of whether a Dalit or Muslim can be a Scheduled Caste (SC), in light of the claims and counter-claims made by Dalits in the Muslim and Christian communities for SC status. It looks at the response of various institutions of the state and political parties to these contentious claims. It is argued that the political will required for recognition of Dalits is absent. Since most of the claimants suffer from acute deprivation, inclusion in the SC list is of vital importance for them, as it affects their access to opportunities which reservations in education and government employment can facilitate. Entitlements of a particular group to benefits of special treatment are political decisions. Thus, the resolution of this problem lies in the political domain because political factors, and not principle or lack of evidence of social disabilities, stand behind the denial of SC status to Dalit.Less
This chapter examines the question of whether a Dalit or Muslim can be a Scheduled Caste (SC), in light of the claims and counter-claims made by Dalits in the Muslim and Christian communities for SC status. It looks at the response of various institutions of the state and political parties to these contentious claims. It is argued that the political will required for recognition of Dalits is absent. Since most of the claimants suffer from acute deprivation, inclusion in the SC list is of vital importance for them, as it affects their access to opportunities which reservations in education and government employment can facilitate. Entitlements of a particular group to benefits of special treatment are political decisions. Thus, the resolution of this problem lies in the political domain because political factors, and not principle or lack of evidence of social disabilities, stand behind the denial of SC status to Dalit.
P. Sanal Mohan
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- August 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780198099765
- eISBN:
- 9780199085392
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198099765.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Comparative and Historical Sociology
This book tells the story of Cherumas, Kuravas, Parayas, Pulayas, and Thanda Pulayas—the slave castes of nineteenth-century Kerala—and their tryst with Christianity. These castes comprised nearly ...
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This book tells the story of Cherumas, Kuravas, Parayas, Pulayas, and Thanda Pulayas—the slave castes of nineteenth-century Kerala—and their tryst with Christianity. These castes comprised nearly one-sixth of the population and were ’owned’ by upper castes, princely states, and even Europeans. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when European missionaries began working among the slave castes, thousands joined the Church. Their generational experiences, struggles, and memories shaped their collective self, and deeply impacted the emergence of Dalit consciousness in Kerala. This book presents and analyses the imaginations and articulations of the notion(s) of equality in the context of caste slavery, missionary activity, and socio-political transition in pre-colonial and modern Kerala.Less
This book tells the story of Cherumas, Kuravas, Parayas, Pulayas, and Thanda Pulayas—the slave castes of nineteenth-century Kerala—and their tryst with Christianity. These castes comprised nearly one-sixth of the population and were ’owned’ by upper castes, princely states, and even Europeans. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when European missionaries began working among the slave castes, thousands joined the Church. Their generational experiences, struggles, and memories shaped their collective self, and deeply impacted the emergence of Dalit consciousness in Kerala. This book presents and analyses the imaginations and articulations of the notion(s) of equality in the context of caste slavery, missionary activity, and socio-political transition in pre-colonial and modern Kerala.
Marilyn Fernandez
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780199479498
- eISBN:
- 9780199092109
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780199479498.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility, Occupations, Professions, and Work
Does the burgeoning Indian Information Technology (IT) sector represent a deviation from the historical arc of caste inequality or has it become yet another site of discrimination? Those who claim ...
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Does the burgeoning Indian Information Technology (IT) sector represent a deviation from the historical arc of caste inequality or has it become yet another site of discrimination? Those who claim that the sector is caste-free believe that IT is an equal opportunity employer, and that the small Dalit footprint is due to the want of merit. But they fail to consider how caste inequality sneaks in by being layered on socially constructed ‘pure merit’, which favours upper castes and other privileged segments, but handicaps Dalits and other disadvantaged groups. In this book, Fernandez describes how the practice of pure and holistic merit are deeply embedded in the social, cultural, and economic privileges of the dominant castes and classes, and how caste filtering has led to the reproduction of caste hierarchies and consequently the small Dalit footprint in Indian IT.Less
Does the burgeoning Indian Information Technology (IT) sector represent a deviation from the historical arc of caste inequality or has it become yet another site of discrimination? Those who claim that the sector is caste-free believe that IT is an equal opportunity employer, and that the small Dalit footprint is due to the want of merit. But they fail to consider how caste inequality sneaks in by being layered on socially constructed ‘pure merit’, which favours upper castes and other privileged segments, but handicaps Dalits and other disadvantaged groups. In this book, Fernandez describes how the practice of pure and holistic merit are deeply embedded in the social, cultural, and economic privileges of the dominant castes and classes, and how caste filtering has led to the reproduction of caste hierarchies and consequently the small Dalit footprint in Indian IT.
Mukul Sharma
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- March 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780199477562
- eISBN:
- 9780199090969
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780199477562.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Indian History, Social History
Rarely do Indian environmental discourses examine nature through the lens of caste. Whereas nature is considered as universal and inherent, caste is understood as a constructed historical and social ...
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Rarely do Indian environmental discourses examine nature through the lens of caste. Whereas nature is considered as universal and inherent, caste is understood as a constructed historical and social entity. Mukul Sharma shows how caste and nature are intimately connected. He compares Dalit meanings of environment to ideas and practices of neo-Brahmanism and certain mainstreams of environmental thought. Showing how Dalit experiences of environment are ridden with metaphors of pollution, impurity, and dirt, the author is able to bring forth new dimensions on both environment and Dalits, without valourizing the latter’s standpoint. Rather than looking for a coherent understanding of their ecology, the book explores the diverse and rich intellectual resources of Dalits, such as movements, songs, myths, memories, and metaphors around nature. These reveal their quest to define themselves in caste-ridden nature and building a form of environmentalism free from the burdens of caste. The Dalits also pose a critical challenge to Indian environmentalism, which has, until now, marginalized such linkages between caste and nature.Less
Rarely do Indian environmental discourses examine nature through the lens of caste. Whereas nature is considered as universal and inherent, caste is understood as a constructed historical and social entity. Mukul Sharma shows how caste and nature are intimately connected. He compares Dalit meanings of environment to ideas and practices of neo-Brahmanism and certain mainstreams of environmental thought. Showing how Dalit experiences of environment are ridden with metaphors of pollution, impurity, and dirt, the author is able to bring forth new dimensions on both environment and Dalits, without valourizing the latter’s standpoint. Rather than looking for a coherent understanding of their ecology, the book explores the diverse and rich intellectual resources of Dalits, such as movements, songs, myths, memories, and metaphors around nature. These reveal their quest to define themselves in caste-ridden nature and building a form of environmentalism free from the burdens of caste. The Dalits also pose a critical challenge to Indian environmentalism, which has, until now, marginalized such linkages between caste and nature.
Amit Ahuja
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- August 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190916428
- eISBN:
- 9780190916466
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190916428.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
In India, a young democratic system has undermined the legitimacy of a two-thousand-year-old social system that excluded and humiliated an entire people by treating them as untouchables. This ...
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In India, a young democratic system has undermined the legitimacy of a two-thousand-year-old social system that excluded and humiliated an entire people by treating them as untouchables. This incomplete, but irreversible change in Indian society and politics has been authored by the mobilization of some of the most marginalized citizens in the world and counts as one of the most significant achievements of Indian democracy. Dalits, the former untouchables in India, who number over 200 million, have been mobilized by social movements and political parties, but their mobilization is puzzling. Dalits’ parties perform poorly in elections in states historically home to movements demanding social equality while they do well in other states where such movements have been weak or entirely absent. For Dalits, collective action in the social sphere appears to undermine rather than bolster collective action in the electoral sphere. Mobilizing the Marginalized shows how social movements by marginalized ethnic groups—those who are stigmatized by others and disproportionately poor—undermine bloc voting to generate competition for marginalized citizens’ votes across political parties. The book presents evidence showing that a marginalized group gains more from participating in a social movement and dividing support among parties than from voting en bloc for an ethnic party.Less
In India, a young democratic system has undermined the legitimacy of a two-thousand-year-old social system that excluded and humiliated an entire people by treating them as untouchables. This incomplete, but irreversible change in Indian society and politics has been authored by the mobilization of some of the most marginalized citizens in the world and counts as one of the most significant achievements of Indian democracy. Dalits, the former untouchables in India, who number over 200 million, have been mobilized by social movements and political parties, but their mobilization is puzzling. Dalits’ parties perform poorly in elections in states historically home to movements demanding social equality while they do well in other states where such movements have been weak or entirely absent. For Dalits, collective action in the social sphere appears to undermine rather than bolster collective action in the electoral sphere. Mobilizing the Marginalized shows how social movements by marginalized ethnic groups—those who are stigmatized by others and disproportionately poor—undermine bloc voting to generate competition for marginalized citizens’ votes across political parties. The book presents evidence showing that a marginalized group gains more from participating in a social movement and dividing support among parties than from voting en bloc for an ethnic party.
Francesca R. Jensenius
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- August 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190646608
- eISBN:
- 9780190646646
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190646608.003.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
Since 1950, SCs in India have been guaranteed a proportional presence in the country’s legislative assemblies. These quotas were designed with the explicit goal of integrating SCs into mainstream ...
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Since 1950, SCs in India have been guaranteed a proportional presence in the country’s legislative assemblies. These quotas were designed with the explicit goal of integrating SCs into mainstream society by making SC legislators accountable to voters from all caste groups. What has happened after more than 65 years? Chapter 1 discusses the main outcomes studied in the book and introduces an institutional argument for the expected effects expect from differently designed policies of group inclusion, drawing a distinction between policies that incentivize group representation and policies that promote group integration. It presents the data and empirical strategy used throughout the book, and provides an overview of the chapters.Less
Since 1950, SCs in India have been guaranteed a proportional presence in the country’s legislative assemblies. These quotas were designed with the explicit goal of integrating SCs into mainstream society by making SC legislators accountable to voters from all caste groups. What has happened after more than 65 years? Chapter 1 discusses the main outcomes studied in the book and introduces an institutional argument for the expected effects expect from differently designed policies of group inclusion, drawing a distinction between policies that incentivize group representation and policies that promote group integration. It presents the data and empirical strategy used throughout the book, and provides an overview of the chapters.
Francesca R. Jensenius
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- August 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190646608
- eISBN:
- 9780190646646
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190646608.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
Chapter 2 provides an introduction to SCs as a group. It presents a historical overview of how quotas became an important policy tool for addressing social injustice in India, and notes primary ...
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Chapter 2 provides an introduction to SCs as a group. It presents a historical overview of how quotas became an important policy tool for addressing social injustice in India, and notes primary sources on the initial debates about the design of electoral institutions in the early twentieth century. Tracing the debate on electoral quotas between 1905 and 1950, the chapter shows the gradual shift in focus from group representation to group integration. This was reflected in disagreements about the optimal institutional design for combating the caste system: should SC politicians be elected by SC voters only, or by voters from all caste groups? The latter view prevailed, with quotas explicitly designed to integrate SC politicians into mainstream politics by making it necessary for them to appeal to voters from all caste groups.Less
Chapter 2 provides an introduction to SCs as a group. It presents a historical overview of how quotas became an important policy tool for addressing social injustice in India, and notes primary sources on the initial debates about the design of electoral institutions in the early twentieth century. Tracing the debate on electoral quotas between 1905 and 1950, the chapter shows the gradual shift in focus from group representation to group integration. This was reflected in disagreements about the optimal institutional design for combating the caste system: should SC politicians be elected by SC voters only, or by voters from all caste groups? The latter view prevailed, with quotas explicitly designed to integrate SC politicians into mainstream politics by making it necessary for them to appeal to voters from all caste groups.
Francesca R. Jensenius
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- August 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190646608
- eISBN:
- 9780190646646
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190646608.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
Chapter 3 focuses on the representational role of elected politicians in India—how they work, and whom they try to work for. It starts with an account of the daily work-routines of Indian ...
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Chapter 3 focuses on the representational role of elected politicians in India—how they work, and whom they try to work for. It starts with an account of the daily work-routines of Indian politicians, describing how SC politicians differ from their non-SC colleagues in their political work. Turning to how SC politicians describe their representational role, the chapter shows how they respond to the incentives of the electoral system and pressures from their political parties, noting that they generally see their role as acting as representatives of their parties, not as agents for the interests of their specific group. The chapter ends by examining which political parties have been elected in SC-reserved constituencies, finding that SC politicians have been elected for a similar set of parties as other politicians, and that parties running on a specifically SC-focused platform have not done particularly well in SC-reserved constituencies.Less
Chapter 3 focuses on the representational role of elected politicians in India—how they work, and whom they try to work for. It starts with an account of the daily work-routines of Indian politicians, describing how SC politicians differ from their non-SC colleagues in their political work. Turning to how SC politicians describe their representational role, the chapter shows how they respond to the incentives of the electoral system and pressures from their political parties, noting that they generally see their role as acting as representatives of their parties, not as agents for the interests of their specific group. The chapter ends by examining which political parties have been elected in SC-reserved constituencies, finding that SC politicians have been elected for a similar set of parties as other politicians, and that parties running on a specifically SC-focused platform have not done particularly well in SC-reserved constituencies.
Francesca R. Jensenius
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- August 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190646608
- eISBN:
- 9780190646646
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190646608.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
The distributive effects of quotas have been much debated. Using census data merged to the state assembly constituency level, chapter 4 examines changes in the overall level of development, and the ...
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The distributive effects of quotas have been much debated. Using census data merged to the state assembly constituency level, chapter 4 examines changes in the overall level of development, and the distribution of resources between SCs and others, in SC-reserved and nonreserved constituencies 1971--2001. Comparison of matched pairs of constituencies shows that the quotas had no detectable constituency-level effect on development patterns. These findings are robust across multiple model specifications, and across constituencies and villages with varying proportions of SCs. It emerges that SC politicians have not distributed more resources to SC voters than have other politicians; further, the quotas for SCs have not negatively affected overall development patterns.Less
The distributive effects of quotas have been much debated. Using census data merged to the state assembly constituency level, chapter 4 examines changes in the overall level of development, and the distribution of resources between SCs and others, in SC-reserved and nonreserved constituencies 1971--2001. Comparison of matched pairs of constituencies shows that the quotas had no detectable constituency-level effect on development patterns. These findings are robust across multiple model specifications, and across constituencies and villages with varying proportions of SCs. It emerges that SC politicians have not distributed more resources to SC voters than have other politicians; further, the quotas for SCs have not negatively affected overall development patterns.
Francesca R. Jensenius
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- August 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190646608
- eISBN:
- 9780190646646
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190646608.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
Chapter 5 investigates the effects of quotas on the political participation of SCs at the elite level, by examining the integration of SCs into mainstream politics. Although India’s reserved ...
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Chapter 5 investigates the effects of quotas on the political participation of SCs at the elite level, by examining the integration of SCs into mainstream politics. Although India’s reserved constituencies used to be slightly less politically competitive than other constituencies, this is no longer the case. However, there are differences in the rerunning patterns of SC politicians and others, indicating that SC politicians may still be less politically competitive than other politicians. The last section turns to an indirect but important measure of whether SC politicians are truly integrated into the elite: cabinet membership. SCs have gradually become included in cabinets across India in larger numbers, but they are still somewhat less likely to be given such responsibilities, especially when it comes to the top-ranking positions.Less
Chapter 5 investigates the effects of quotas on the political participation of SCs at the elite level, by examining the integration of SCs into mainstream politics. Although India’s reserved constituencies used to be slightly less politically competitive than other constituencies, this is no longer the case. However, there are differences in the rerunning patterns of SC politicians and others, indicating that SC politicians may still be less politically competitive than other politicians. The last section turns to an indirect but important measure of whether SC politicians are truly integrated into the elite: cabinet membership. SCs have gradually become included in cabinets across India in larger numbers, but they are still somewhat less likely to be given such responsibilities, especially when it comes to the top-ranking positions.
Francesca R. Jensenius
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- August 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190646608
- eISBN:
- 9780190646646
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190646608.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
Chapter 6 examines changes in political participation among voters, focusing on a key indicator in the study of democracies: electoral turnout. Data on state election outcomes between 1974 and 2007 ...
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Chapter 6 examines changes in political participation among voters, focusing on a key indicator in the study of democracies: electoral turnout. Data on state election outcomes between 1974 and 2007 show that turnout plummeted in the first election after constituencies became reserved in the 1970s. Gradually, there was a narrowing gap in voter turnout between SC-reserved and nonreserved constituencies, but after more than 30 years there was still a difference of several percentage points. Exploring the reasons, the chapter shows that this variation in political participation it was not mainly due to caste bias, or feelings of being disempowered, but rather because of the weaker networks and mobilizational capacity of SC politicians. As the political experience and mobilizational capacity of SC politicians has increased, so has voter turnout.Less
Chapter 6 examines changes in political participation among voters, focusing on a key indicator in the study of democracies: electoral turnout. Data on state election outcomes between 1974 and 2007 show that turnout plummeted in the first election after constituencies became reserved in the 1970s. Gradually, there was a narrowing gap in voter turnout between SC-reserved and nonreserved constituencies, but after more than 30 years there was still a difference of several percentage points. Exploring the reasons, the chapter shows that this variation in political participation it was not mainly due to caste bias, or feelings of being disempowered, but rather because of the weaker networks and mobilizational capacity of SC politicians. As the political experience and mobilizational capacity of SC politicians has increased, so has voter turnout.
