Gender, Religion and Caste

Gender division ek hierarchical social division hai jo har jagah dikhta hai, par aksar politics mein ignore kar diya jaata hai.

• Biological vs. Social:
• Gender division biology par based nahi hai, balki social expectations aur stereotypes par based hai.
• Yeh 'natural' aur 'unchangeable' nahi hai, balki society dwara banaya gaya hai.

• Public/Private Division (Sexual Division of Labour):
• Definition: Ek system jismein ghar ke saare kaam family ki women karti hain ya unke dwara organize kiye jaate hain.
• Stereotype: Boys aur girls ko sikhaya jaata hai ki women ki main responsibility ghar ka kaam aur bachche paalna hai.
• Reality:
• Women ghar ke andar ke saare kaam karti hain (cooking, cleaning, washing, children ki dekhbhal).
• Men ghar ke bahar ke kaam karte hain.
• Jab yehi kaam paid ho jaate hain (e.g., hotel cook, tailor), toh men bhi karte hain.
• Women bhi ghar ke bahar kaam karti hain (villages mein paani laana, fuel collect karna, fields mein kaam; urban areas mein domestic helper, office work).
• Unke kaam ko value aur recognition nahi milti, bhale hi woh paid work bhi karti hain.

• Impact on Public Life:
• Women humanity ka aadha hissa hain, par public life, especially politics mein unka role minimal hai.
• Pehle sirf men ko public affairs mein participate karne, vote karne aur elections ladne ki permission thi.

• Feminist Movements:
• Definition: Women ke equal rights aur opportunities mein believe karne wale log (men ya women) feminist kehlate hain.
• Agitations: Women ne equal rights ke liye organize aur protest kiya.
• Demands:
• Women ke political aur legal status ko badhana.
• Educational aur career opportunities ko improve karna.
• Personal aur family life mein equality.

• Improvements since Independence (India):
• Women ab scientists, doctors, engineers, lawyers, managers, teachers jaise roles mein hain, jo pehle unke liye suitable nahi maane jaate the.
• Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Norway, Finland) mein women ka public life mein participation bahut high hai.

• Challenges and Discrimination in India:
• India mein abhi bhi male-dominated, patriarchal society hai.
• Literacy Rate: Women (54%) men (76%) se kam literate hain.
• Higher Education: Kam girls higher studies ke liye jaati hain, kyunki parents boys ki education ko prefer karte hain.
• Work & Wages:
• Women men se zyada kaam karti hain (average 1 hour extra daily).
• Unke kaam kaafi had tak unpaid aur unvalued rehta hai.
• Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 ke bawajood, women ko men se kam pay kiya jaata hai, even for the same work.
• Sex-selective Abortion: Sons ki preference ke karan child sex ratio (girls per 1000 boys) kam ho gaya hai (919 national average, kuch states mein 850 ya 800 se bhi kam).
• Violence & Harassment: Women ke against harassment, exploitation aur violence ki reports common hain, even ghar ke andar (domestic violence).

• Patriarchy: Literally 'rule by father', yeh ek system ko refer karta hai jo men ko zyada value karta hai aur unhe women par power deta hai.

Women ki well-being se related issues ko adequate attention nahi milta, isliye feminists aur women's movements ka मानना hai ki jab tak women power control nahi karengi, unki problems solve nahi hongi.

• Low Representation in Legislatures:
• India mein Lok Sabha mein women elected members ka percentage bahut kam raha hai. 2019 mein pehli baar 14.36% tak pahuncha.
• State Assemblies mein yeh percentage 5% se bhi kam hai.
• India is respect mein duniya ke bottom group nations mein se hai, Africa aur Latin America ke developing countries se bhi peeche.
• Cabinets mein bhi women ki presence bahut kam hoti hai, even jab koi woman CM ya PM ho.

• Steps Towards Better Representation:
• Panchayati Raj: Local government bodies (Panchayats aur Municipalities) mein one-third seats women ke liye reserved hain.
• Iske karan ab 10 lakh se zyada elected women representatives hain rural aur urban local bodies mein.
• Demand for Reservation: Women's organizations aur activists Lok Sabha aur State Assemblies mein bhi one-third seats reservation ki demand kar rahe the.
• Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women's Reservation Act, 2023):
• Yeh Act Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies aur Delhi Assembly mein women ke liye 33% seats reserve karega.
• Yeh ek major step hai women ke political empowerment ki taraf.

• Significance of Political Expression:
• Gender division ka politics mein express hona disadvantaged groups ko benefit karta hai.
• Jab social divisions political issue bante hain, tabhi unpar dhyan diya jaata hai aur sudhar hota hai.

Religious differences gender ki tarah universal nahi hain, par duniya mein widespread hain. India jaise kai countries mein different religions ke log rehte hain.

• Religion and Politics - Initial Views:
• Gandhiji: Kehte the ki religion ko politics se alag nahi kiya ja sakta. Unka matlab kisi particular religion se nahi, balki moral values se tha jo sabhi religions mein hoti hain. Politics ko ethics se guide hona chahiye.
• Human Rights Groups: Communal riots ko rokne aur religious minorities ko protect karne ke liye special steps ki demand karte hain.
• Women's Movement: Demand karte hain ki family laws (marriage, divorce, inheritance) jo religions ke hisab se alag hain aur women ke against discriminate karte hain, unhe change kiya jaaye.

• Communalism - The Problem:
• Problem tab shuru hoti hai jab religion ko nation ka basis mana jaata hai.
• Jab religion ko politics mein exclusive aur partisan terms mein express kiya jaata hai.
• Ek religion aur uske followers ko doosre ke against khada kiya jaata hai.
• Ek religion ki beliefs ko doosre se superior bataya jaata hai.
• Ek religious group ki demands ko doosre ke opposition mein banaya jaata hai.
• State power ka use ek religious group ki domination establish karne ke liye kiya jaata hai.
• Communal Politics: Religion ko politics mein is tarah se use karna communal politics hai.

• Core Idea of Communalism:
• Religion hi social community ka principal basis hai.
• Ek particular religion ke followers ek hi community ke hain, aur unke fundamental interests same hain.
• Different religions ke log same social community ke nahi ho sakte, unke interests different honge aur conflict hoga.
• Extreme form mein, communalism leads to the belief that different religions ke log ek nation mein equal citizens ki tarah nahi reh sakte; ya toh ek dominate karega ya unhe alag nations banane padenge.
• Yeh belief fundamentally flawed hai, kyunki ek religion ke logon ke bhi har context mein same interests nahi hote. Har community mein kai voices hoti hain.

• Forms of Communalism in Politics:
• Everyday Beliefs: Religious prejudices, stereotypes, aur apni religion ki superiority mein believe karna. Yeh itna common hai ki hum aksar notice nahi karte.
• Quest for Political Dominance:
• Majority community ke liye majoritarian dominance.
• Minority community ke liye separate political unit ki desire.
• Political Mobilisation on Religious Lines:
• Sacred symbols, religious leaders, emotional appeal, aur fear ka use karke ek religion ke followers ko political arena mein ikattha karna.
• Electoral politics mein, ek religion ke voters ke interests ya emotions ko prefer karna.
• Communal Violence, Riots, Massacre: Communalism ka sabse ugly form. India aur Pakistan ne Partition ke time worst riots dekhe hain. Post-Independence period mein bhi large-scale communal violence hua hai.

Communalism India mein democracy ke liye ek major challenge raha hai. Constitution makers is challenge se aware the, isliye unhone secular state ka model choose kiya.

• Constitutional Provisions for Secularism:
• No Official Religion: Indian state ka koi official religion nahi hai. Sri Lanka (Buddhism), Pakistan (Islam), England (Christianity) ki tarah India kisi religion ko special status nahi deta.
• Freedom of Religion: Constitution sabhi individuals aur communities ko freedom to profess, practice, aur propagate any religion deta hai, ya koi religion follow na karne ki bhi freedom deta hai.
• Prohibition of Discrimination: Religion ke grounds par discrimination prohibited hai.
• State Intervention: Constitution state ko religion ke matters mein intervene karne ki permission deta hai, taaki religious communities ke andar equality ensure ho sake (e.g., untouchability par ban).

• Meaning of Secularism:
• Secularism sirf kuch parties ya persons ki ideology nahi hai, balki yeh India ke foundations mein se ek hai.
• Communalism sirf kuch logon ke liye threat nahi, balki yeh 'idea of India' ke liye threat hai.
• Isliye communalism se ladna zaroori hai.
• Ek secular Constitution zaroori hai, par sufficient nahi. Communal prejudices aur propaganda ko everyday life mein counter karna hoga, aur religion-based mobilisation ko politics mein rokna hoga.

Gender aur religion ke alawa, caste division India ke liye special hai. Har society mein social inequality aur division of labour hota hai, par caste system iska extreme form hai.

• Features of Traditional Caste System:
• Hereditary Occupational Division: Occupations generation to generation pass hote the, aur yeh rituals dwara sanctioned the.
• Social Community: Same caste group ke log ek social community banate the, same ya similar occupation practice karte the.
• Endogamy: Caste group ke andar hi shaadi karte the (marry within the caste).
• Social Exclusion: Doosre caste groups ke members ke saath khana nahi khate the.
• Untouchability: 'Outcaste' groups ke saath discrimination aur exclusion, jise inhuman practice 'untouchability' kehte the.

• Reformers and Changes:
• Reformers: Jotiba Phule, Gandhiji, B.R. Ambedkar, Periyar Ramaswami Naicker jaise leaders ne caste inequalities ko khatam karne ke liye kaam kiya.
• Socio-economic Changes: Economic development, large-scale urbanisation, literacy aur education ka growth, occupational mobility, aur villages mein landlords ki position ka weak hona, in sab ne old notions of caste hierarchy ko tod diya hai.
• Urban Areas: Ab urban areas mein kaun kiske bagal mein chal raha hai ya kha raha hai, itna matter nahi karta.
• Constitutional Prohibition: Indian Constitution ne caste-based discrimination ko prohibit kiya aur injustices ko reverse karne ke liye policies banayi.

• Caste System in Contemporary India - Persistence:
• Caste puri tarah se khatam nahi hui hai.
• Marriage: Abhi bhi zyada log apni caste ya tribe mein hi shaadi karte hain.
• Untouchability: Constitutional prohibition ke bawajood, yeh puri tarah se khatam nahi hui hai.
• Effects of Advantages/Disadvantages: Centuries ke advantages aur disadvantages ke effects abhi bhi dikhte hain.
• Jin caste groups ko pehle education ka access tha, unhone modern education mein bhi accha kiya hai.
• Jinhe access nahi tha, woh peeche reh gaye hain.
• Isliye urban middle classes mein 'upper caste' ki disproportionately large presence hai.
• Caste and Economic Status: Caste abhi bhi economic status se closely linked hai.
• Average Economic Status: 'Upper' castes best off hain, Dalits aur Adivasis worst off, aur backward classes beech mein hain.
• Poverty: Lowest castes mein extreme poverty ka proportion bahut high hai, upper castes mein kam.
• Wealth: Upper castes rich logon mein heavily over-represented hain, jabki lower castes severely under-represented hain.

• Key Terms:
• Urbanisation: Population ka rural areas se urban areas mein shift hona.
• Occupational Mobility: Ek occupation se doosre mein shift hona, especially jab new generation ancestors se alag occupation choose karti hai.
• Caste Hierarchy: Ek ladder-like formation jismein caste groups ko 'highest' se 'lowest' tak rakha jaata hai.

• Census Data (2011):
• Scheduled Castes (SC): 16.6% of population (Dalits).
• Scheduled Tribes (ST): 8.6% of population (Adivasis).
• Other Backward Classes (OBC): National Sample Survey 2004-05 ke according, around 41%.
• SC, ST aur OBC milakar country ki population ka two-thirds aur Hindu population ka three-fourths banate hain.

Communalism ki tarah, casteism bhi is belief par based hai ki caste hi social community ka sole basis hai. Is thinking ke according, same caste ke log ek natural social community banate hain aur unke interests same hote hain.

• Caste in Politics - Various Forms:
• Candidate Selection: Parties elections mein candidates choose karte waqt electorate ki caste composition ko dhyan mein rakhte hain aur different castes se candidates nominate karte hain support ke liye.
• Government Formation: Governments banate waqt, political parties ensure karte hain ki different castes aur tribes ke representatives ko place mile.
• Caste Sentiment Appeals: Political parties aur candidates elections mein caste sentiment ko appeal karte hain support gather karne ke liye. Kuch parties particular castes ko favour karne ke liye jaane jaate hain.
• Universal Adult Franchise: One-person-one-vote ke principle ne political leaders ko disadvantaged castes ke logon ko mobilise karne aur support secure karne par majboor kiya. Isse un castes mein nayi consciousness aayi jinhe pehle inferior mana jaata tha.

• Limitations of Caste's Influence on Elections:
• No Clear Majority: India mein kisi bhi parliamentary constituency mein ek single caste ki clear majority nahi hoti. Isliye har candidate ko ek se zyada caste aur community ka confidence jeetna padta hai.
• No Single 'Vote Bank': Koi bhi party ek caste ke saare votes nahi jeet sakti. 'Vote bank' ka matlab hota hai ki us caste ke zyada log us party ko vote dete hain, saare nahi.
• Multiple Candidates: Kai political parties same caste se candidates khade karte hain, jisse voters ke paas choice hoti hai.
• Voter Preferences: Voters ke political parties se strong attachment hote hain, jo aksar unke caste ya community attachment se zyada strong hote hain.
• Economic Condition: Same caste ke rich aur poor log ya men aur women aksar differently vote karte hain.
• Performance & Popularity: Government ki performance aur leaders ki popularity rating bhi elections mein decisive role play karti hai.

• Politics in Caste (Caste gets Politicised):
• Politics bhi caste system aur caste identities ko influence karti hai, unhe political arena mein laakar.
• Expansion of Caste Groups: Har caste group neighbouring castes ya sub-castes ko incorporate karke bada hone ki koshish karta hai.
• Coalitions: Various caste groups ko doosre castes ya communities ke saath coalition mein aana padta hai, jisse dialogue aur negotiation hota hai.
• New Caste Groupings: 'Backward' aur 'Forward' caste groups jaise naye groupings political arena mein aaye hain.

• Positive and Negative Aspects of Caste in Politics:
• Positive:
• Caste differences ka politics mein expression disadvantaged communities ko power mein share demand karne ka space deta hai.
• Dalits aur OBC castes ke logon ko decision-making mein better access mila hai.
• Political aur non-political organisations ne discrimination ke against demand aur agitation ki hai, dignity, land, resources aur opportunities ke liye.
• Negative:
• Caste identity par exclusive attention democracy ke liye healthy nahi hai.
• Yeh attention ko poverty, development aur corruption jaise pressing issues se divert kar sakta hai.
• Caste division se tensions, conflict aur violence bhi ho sakta hai.