Gender, Religion and Caste Class 10 Notes: CBSE 10th Social Science Chapter 3 Political Science, Download PDF

Gender and Politics

Public and Private Division

In society, boys and girls are conditioned to believe that women’s main responsibility is housework and child-rearing. This results in a sexual division of labour within families, with women taking on domestic tasks and men working outside the home. Men are willing to do such work if it is paid, but otherwise, they consider it women’s responsibility. Despite women engaging in various paid and unpaid work, their contributions are undervalued and unrecognised. Consequently, women’s participation in public life, especially in politics, remains minimal. However, over time, women’s movements have sought equal rights and representation, pushing for changes in voting and public office eligibility.

Women’s Political Representation

The movements raised by women to get equality in personal and family life are called Feminist movements.

The political expression of gender division and political mobilisation helped to improve women’s role in public life. As India is a male-dominated, PATRIARCHAL society, women face disadvantage, discrimination and oppression in various ways:

1. The literacy rate among women is only 54 per cent compared with 76 per cent among men.
2. On average, an Indian woman works one hour more than an average man every day and yet much of her work is not paid. The Equal Remuneration Act of 1976 provides that equal wages should be paid to equal work.
3. In India, sex-selective abortion led to a decline in the child-sex ratio (number of girl children per thousand boys).
4. Urban areas are particularly unsafe for women.

Religion, Communalism and Politics

Communalism

Issues concerning women have often been overlooked, leading to feminists and women’s movements to advocate for women’s representation in positions of power. In India, the proportion of elected women members in the Lok Sabha reached 12 percent in 2014, while their representation in state assemblies is below 5 percent. To address women’s problems, a solution is to ensure a fair proportion of women in elected bodies. In Panchayats and Municipalities, one-third of seats are reserved for women, leading to over 10 lakh elected women representatives. This demonstrates that when social divisions, like gender, are addressed in politics, disadvantaged groups can benefit from increased attention and representation.

Communalism manifests in various ways in politics:

1. Everyday beliefs: Common expressions of communalism involve religious prejudices, stereotypes, and a belief in the superiority of one’s religion over others. These beliefs are so ingrained in society that they often go unnoticed, even by those who hold them.

2. Quest for political dominance: Communal minds may seek political dominance for their religious community. Majority communities aim for majoritarian dominance, while minority communities may desire a separate political unit.

3. Political mobilisation along religious lines: Communalism is often fueled by political mobilisation that uses sacred symbols, religious leaders, emotional appeals, and fear to unite followers of one religion in the political arena. In electoral politics, this can involve appealing to the interests or emotions of voters from a specific religion.

4. Communal violence: In its worst form, communalism leads to violence, riots, and massacres. India and Pakistan experienced severe communal riots during the Partition, and even post-independence periods have witnessed large-scale communal violence.

Secular State

India is a secular state, which means it does not have an official religion. Unlike Sri Lanka, where Buddhism holds a special status, Pakistan with Islam, or England with Christianity, India’s Constitution does not grant any religion a special position. The Indian Constitution ensures freedom of religion for all individuals and communities, allowing them to practice, propagate, or not follow any religion as per their choice. Moreover, the Constitution prohibits religious discrimination. However, the state can intervene in religious matters to ensure equality within religious communities, evident in the ban on practices like untouchability to promote social equality.

Caste and Politics

Caste Inequalities

Caste division is unique to India and differs from other forms of social inequality found in various societies. The caste system involves hereditary occupational divisions, where rituals sanctioned these divisions. Members of the same caste practised similar occupations, married within their caste, and did not dine with members from other castes. The system also involved exclusion and discrimination against outcaste groups, subjected to inhuman practices like untouchability.

Efforts by political leaders and social reformers like Jotiba Phule, Gandhi, B.R. Ambedkar, and Periyar aimed to create a society without caste inequalities. Modern India has seen significant changes in castes and the caste system due to socio-economic developments, urbanisation, education, and occupational mobility. However, some older aspects persist, as people still tend to marry within their caste, and remnants of untouchability persist despite constitutional prohibitions.

While caste-related changes have occurred, the effects of centuries of advantages and disadvantages are still felt today. Caste groups with historical access to education have excelled in acquiring modern education, contributing to their significant presence among the urban middle classes. Economic status remains closely linked to caste, indicating that caste’s influence continues in contemporary India.

Caste in Politics

Caste plays various roles in Indian politics:

1. Candidate selection: Political parties consider the caste composition of the electorate while nominating candidates, aiming to garner support from diverse castes and tribes to win elections. Governments also ensure representation from different castes and tribes when forming cabinets.

2. Caste-based appeals: In order to gain support, political parties and candidates often make appeals to caste sentiments. Some parties are associated with specific castes and are seen as their representatives.

3. Caste consciousness and mobilisation: Universal adult franchise and one-person-one-vote principles have compelled leaders to mobilise support from all castes. This has brought a new awareness among previously marginalised castes.

However, focusing on caste in politics may give the impression that elections revolve solely around caste, which is not entirely true. For example:

1. No clear majority of one single caste in constituencies: To win elections, candidates and parties must earn the confidence of multiple castes and communities.

2. No monopoly of votes: No party receives votes from all voters of a particular caste. A party being called a caste’s “vote bank” usually indicates a significant proportion of voters from that caste support the party.

3. Multiple candidates from the same caste: In some cases, several candidates from the same caste may contest elections, while others may have no candidate from their caste.

4. Changing political preferences: The ruling party and sitting representatives frequently lose elections, demonstrating that castes and communities do not have fixed political preferences.

Overall, while caste plays a significant role in Indian politics, it is not the sole determining factor, and elections involve complex dynamics beyond caste considerations.

Politics in Caste

The process of caste politicisation in India involves various aspects:

1. Inclusion and Expansion: Caste groups attempt to increase their size and influence by incorporating neighbouring castes or sub-castes that were previously excluded from their fold. This process helps in consolidating political support and expanding their base.

2. Coalition Building: As no parliamentary constituency has a clear majority of one single caste, various caste groups are compelled to form coalitions with other castes or communities. This leads to a dialogue and negotiation among different caste groups in the pursuit of political power.

3. Emergence of New Caste Groups: In the political arena, new categories of caste groups have arisen, such as “backward” and “forward” caste groups. These categorizations have been influenced by socio-political factors and government policies.

Overall, it is not that politics itself becomes caste-ridden, but rather caste identities and affiliations get politicised as different caste groups seek to assert their interests and gain representation and influence in the political landscape. This interplay between caste and politics has significantly shaped Indian political dynamics.