Relevance: GS-1 : Effects of globalization on Indian society, Social empowerment

Relevance: GS-2 : Development and management of Social Sector/Services

Key Phrases : Indian Human Development Survey, anti-caste movement, Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar's Annihilation of Caste , fusion of blood

Why in News ?

• Recently, the Indian Human Development Survey reported that 95% of Indians still find partners within their subcastes.

Key Points

• During the anti-caste movement, intercaste marriages remained a hotly contested area during the freedom struggle. .
• Inter-caste marriages are seen as a way towards the annihilation of caste.
• Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar views on inter caste marriages:
  1. His famous quote from Annihilation of Caste, wherein he stated that inter-caste marriages were “the real remedy for breaking caste”, is often cited.
  2. Ambedkar thought “fusion of blood” would create the feeling of kith and kin.
• However, Ambedkar’s advice remains unheard.
  1. The Indian Human Development Survey reported that 95% of Indians still find partners within their subcastes.
  2. What is the situation of the rest 5%, who have braved the odds against tradition and caste? There isn’t very accurate data or satisfying coverage of them.

Key Observations

• Neo-Dalit Phenomenon: Many a time second- or third-generation educated Dalits who have managed to access quality education, and landed respectable (elite) jobs, find the prospects of marriage outside caste available to them.
• What then happens to Neo-Dalits inter-caste marriages?
  1. Their union is unlike any other marriage. It is a social act — an achievement of love over caste.
  2. Dalit person marrying outside caste, say to an upper caste, finds himself or herself duelling between the struggle of their community, and the culture of their spouses and in-laws.
  3. It’s akin to getting a good job in a company surrounded by oppressor castes. Rarely does one get a chance to balance both.
• Offspring of Mixed Bloods: The children of mixed-caste parents also grow up amidst profound misunderstanding of their complicated backgrounds.
  1. They are brought up in a caste-neutral or a-caste environment, which essentially means being subjected to the dominant caste parent’s identity.
  2. The closest they come to caste is while availing caste reservations or visiting their Dalit family.
  3. If they align themselves with the identity of the oppressed caste parent, which is need-based, they risk a backlash.
• Government Efforts : The Government of India launched a scheme in 2013 to encourage inter-caste marriages.
  1. It offers Rs 2.5 lakh if one of the partners is a Dalit.
  2. One of the requirements is a recommendation from a sitting MLA / MP and government officer concerned.
  3. The scheme wants to appreciate and promote the “socially bold step” of the couple.
  4. When countries worldwide are now integrating rapidly across color, racial, ethnic boundaries, the Indian government has to offer more incentives for couples to marry outside rigid boundaries.

Does inter-caste marriage then result in the anticipated social change and abolish untouchability?

• Editor's own experience as an anecdote:
  1. A savarna woman in the US who married a Dalit man and joined the Dalit community’s network.
  2. Often, during interactions, the savarna woman wouldn’t parse her background. The Dalit community’s culture, religion and festivals were different from hers.
  3. Unknowingly, the savarna woman would privilege her experiences. At some point, she forgot about her caste identity and started to claim Dalit identity passively.
  4. Since she was a student and an activist, she profited from the networks offered by her Dalit compatriots.
  5. Within a matter of a few months, she was representing Dalits at conferences and seminars.
• What we see from the above anecdote is that the notion of inter-caste marriage has become a opportunity for those who have lived the life of oppressing Dalits directly or by virtue of their participation in anti-Dalit prejudices, to now assume the position of representing Dalits.

Conclusion

• Coming back to Ambedkar’s speech quoted above, he further suggested that to break the caste system, it was pertinent to destroy religious notions.
• The sanctity of the Shastras needs to be diluted on which caste was founded and not occasionally bring about “inter-caste dinner and inter-caste marriages, which were futile methods of achieving their ends”.
• What Ambedkar is arguing is not against inter-caste marriage, but he is inviting us to go deeper, beyond social sanctions. He wants us to be participants in movements that would upend and eventually change mindsets.

Source: Indian Express

Mains Question

Q. The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) cannot be disguised in the garb of protecting diversity, essential religious practices and constitutional morality. Comment. (10 marks)