Definition
Casteism, like communalism begins when Caste is seen as the basis of a nation. According to this way of thinking, people belonging to one caste should have similar interests that they do not share with other castes.
Forms in Politics
- When parties choose candidates, they keep in mind the caste composition of the electorate in order to muster up as much support as possible.
- Political parties use caste sentiments in order to gain support. Some parties favour particular castes.
- Universal Adult Franchise brought up the thinking that few castes were considered inferior before.
Is it all about caste?
No, it is much more than than, because:
- No party can gain vote of all the members of a caste community. When ‘vote bank’ is referred, it means that a high proportion of members vote.
- No constituency in India has majority of one single caste. The party needs to win vote from all.
- Parties may put up candidates from the same caste if they believe that the caste can dominate in the electorate. Some voters may have more than one voters from their caste and some may have none.
- The ruling party and the sitting MP or MLA often lose, because the castes and the voters don’t have their choices fixed.
Other Factors
There are other factors
- People tend to vote for the parties which are more attached to their community.
- The voting pattern between the rich and poor within the same caste may differ.
- The choices and the decisions made by the leaders also influence the voters’ choice.
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Flashcards
What is casteism? ? Casteism, like communalism begins when Caste is seen as the basis of a nation. According to this way of thinking, people belonging to one caste should have similar interests that they do not share with other castes.
Forms of casteism in politics? ?
- When parties choose candidates, they keep in mind the caste composition of the electorate in order to muster up as much support as possible.
- Political parties use caste sentiments in order to gain support. Some parties favour particular castes.
- Universal Adult Franchise brought up the thinking that few castes were considered inferior before.
What are the delimitations of casteism in politics? ?
- No party can gain vote of all the members of a caste community. When ‘vote bank’ is referred, it means that a high proportion of members vote.
- No constituency in India has majority of one single caste. The party needs to win vote from all.
- Parties may put up candidates from the same caste if they believe that the caste can dominate in the electorate. Some voters may have more than one voters from their caste and some may have none.
- The ruling party and the sitting MP or MLA often lose, because the castes and the voters don’t have their choices fixed.
What are some other factors which influence votes other than caste? ?
- People tend to vote for the parties which are more attached to their community.
- The voting pattern between the rich and poor within the same caste may differ.
- The choices and the decisions made by the leaders also influence the voters’ choice.