CASTE PANCHAYATS AND CASTE POLITICS IN INDIA

Book Details

• Author: Anagha Ingole

• Publisher: Springer

• Language: English

• Edition: 2023

• ISBN: 9789819901609

• Pages: 204

• Cover: Hardcover

About the Book

This book challenges the dominant perception of caste panchayats as merely dispute resolution bodies, relics of an outdated social system. Instead, it traces the long history and evolution of intra-caste governance, stretching back to 300 BC and continuing into the present day, offering a critical reevaluation of caste politics.

In doing so, the author disputes the assumptions embedded in the modernization theory that framed caste-based political organizations in the 1960s and 70s. One of the book's central themes is its examination of caste-based conservatism, which persists despite the evident rise of caste-based democratization within India’s political structure. The work delves into the limitations of “caste politics from below” as it is currently conceived, arguing for a radical reimagining of caste identity. This reimagining does not rely on maintaining the traditional, primordial aspects of caste but instead seeks to empower caste groups by engaging with modern democratic opportunities, ultimately aiming for the annihilation of caste as a societal division.

The book engages deeply with the uncomfortable questions surrounding caste, purity, social ostracization, and caste endogamy. Through its exploration, it reflects critically on the broader socio-political implications of caste-based governance in contemporary India.

This thought-provoking analysis offers readers a new perspective on the role of caste in modern Indian society and urges a more progressive approach to caste and its politics.