Cast out caste politics

By Abhishek Pandey

Caste and Religion does not matter much in the globalised world. These issues have been limited to the personal choice. It only matters when we here some loud voices on issues related to reservation or during political campaigning, though Election commission has restricted political parties to not use caste or religion as their political plank to attract voters.

Uttar Pradesh has largest number of parliament seats in the country. The major issues in the election is the appeasement of people on the based of caste. It is the main political plank of most parties. Parties’ ally with the different parties on the basis of their strong hold on a specific caste or religion. Many political parties are known for their leaning to a particular caste or religion in the country. Bahujan Samajwadi Party is one of the examples. Mayawati is ruling in UP on the basis of her unique Brahmin-Dalit caste engineering. She won the assembly election on ‘caste programming’ by sweeping 202 seats out of 403 seats. It was the first time after 1991 that any party came in to power of its own.

Mulayam Singh’s Samajwadi Party (SP) and Lalu Prasad’s Janta Lok Dal (RJD) is having good vote bank among Muslims and Yadav community in their respective states. Ajit Singh, Rastriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief, has sizeable clout on backward class community in western Uttar Pradesh. Few months back, RLD joined NDA. Rastriya Janta Dal’s arrival in NDA cluster can increase numbers of seats in backward caste dominated areas for the alliance. Kalyan Singh’s departure from the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) is a blow to parties Lodh votes in western UP. Samajwadi party accepted Mr Singh, who was anti SP until this episode. His son, Rajvir Singh has been a LS ticket. This all political games are played on caste based politics.

Rajasthan and western Uttar Pradesh burnt for many days on caste politics of Gujjars. The issue started when BJP promised them to give ST status and after back tracked. Recent assembly elections’ result has shown the Gujjars angst against the party. Many people lost their lives when Gujjars were demanding for their Schedule Tribe status. Gujarat is also an example of caste and religion based politics. Keshu Bhai Patel was the BJP leader before Narendra Modi because he has clout over Patel community, which amount a large section of voters in Gujarat. Narendra Modi replaced him after Godhra mishap, which became a religious issue and many voters voted him to the power.

New political party in Andhra Pradesh Praja Rajyam, Which is created by famous Actor Chiranjeevi, is expecting to mobilize the large chunk of voters from Kapu community, which amounts 15% of the state’s electorate. Kamas and Reddys had been associated with Telgudesham party and Congress, respectively. Electorates from these communities would decide the fate of these parties in Andhra Pradesh. Vokalligas and Lingayats have decided the Karnataka politics in last several years. And in last elections, Lingayats helped BJP to come in to the power in Karnataka.

Caste has played major role in rising politicians to the power in other states also. DMK rose to power in Tamilnadu under the plank to end ‘Brahmanical oppression’ and anti-Hindi language issue. AIDMK chief Jaylalita is another player from opposite political fray in Tamilnadu. Many regional political parties emerged on the ground to represent the local people of the particular caste. Maharashtra has also seen movement against south Indians in past and now, against north Indians. Shivsena and Maharashtra Navnirman sena (MNS) are pioneers of this kind of malice campaigning against non-Marathi speaking population in Maharashtra. Northeast states have also seen language based political issues in many elections, when Bihariis were killed in the state. Bengal has seen the campaigning against Marwaris. Caste, Language and Religion plays major role to win elections in most of the constituencies in India. Many parties nominate and shuffle the stature of candidate on the basis of his/her caste.

This is one of the reasons; the viability of third front can be doubted. It has many representatives of different caste, region and religion. The interest of different political parties would clash during the policy implementation, if voters allow them to come to the power. This trend should go. Caste, religion or language based politics is not in the favour of the aam aadmi.

This time, we will eager to see that Mayawati’s technical expertise of social engineering would work in Lok Sabha polls as successfully as it worked in last assembly elections. We would love to see the future of Praja Rajyam Party in Andhra Pradesh. The election would also show us that Kalyan Singh’s departure affected the BJP or not. We would also see the outcome of ‘hatred speeches’ of Raj Thackeray.

Parties must stop looking at the voters as Dalit, Brahmin, and Backward community. We need the political parties which don’t have leaning to any caste, language or religion. Parties may lean towards different ideologies for the betterment of the nation.

People should not vote for the politicians, who play these cheap planks. They should vote for development. This would be the best option for the progress of the nation in gloomy days of recession. What would happen, no one knows? We have to wait till the ‘climax’.

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