Social Sciences: Class 10 (Part 4) — Chapter 3: Gender, Religion and Caste

• Sexual division of labour: A system in which all work inside the home is either done by the women of the family, or organised by them through domestic helpers.
• Although women constitute half of humanity, their role in public life, especially politics, is minimal in most societies.
• Feminist: A woman or a man who believes in equal rights and opportunities for women and men.
• Patriarchy: Literally, rule by father, this concept is used to refer to a system that values men more and gives them power over women.

Feminists and women's movements have concluded that unless women control power, their problems will not get adequate attention. One way to ensure this is to have more women as elected representatives.

• In India, the proportion of women in legislature has been very low. The percentage of elected women members in Lok Sabha touched 14.36% for the first time in 2019, and their share in state assemblies is less than 5%.
• Panchayati Raj: One-third of seats in local government bodies (panchayats and municipalities) are reserved for women, leading to more than 10 lakh elected women representatives in rural and urban local bodies.
• Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women's Reservation Act, 2023): Passed to give 33% reservation of seats for women in Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and the Delhi Assembly.

• Gandhiji's View: Religion can never be separated from politics. By religion, he meant moral values and ethics drawn from all religions, which must guide politics.
• Human Rights Groups: Demand that the government take special steps to prevent communal riots and protect religious minorities.
• Women's Movement: Argues that Family laws (laws dealing with family-related matters like marriage, divorce, adoption, inheritance) of all religions discriminate against women, and demands equitable changes.

Communal politics is based on the idea that religion is the principal basis of social community. It becomes acute when religion is expressed in politics in exclusive and partisan terms, pitting one religion against another.

• Forms of Communalism in Politics:
  • Everyday beliefs (religious prejudices, stereotypes, and belief in the superiority of one's religion).
  • Quest for political dominance of one's own religious community (majoritarian dominance or desire for a separate political unit).
  • Political mobilisation on religious lines (using sacred symbols, religious leaders, emotional appeals, and fear).
  • Communal violence, riots, and massacre (e.g., during Partition).

To meet the challenge of communalism, the makers of the Indian Constitution chose the model of a secular state:

• No official religion for the Indian state.
• Freedom to profess, practice, and propagate any religion, or not to follow any.
• Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion.
• Allows state intervention in religious matters to ensure equality (e.g., banning untouchability).

Unlike gender and religion, caste division is special to India. It is an extreme form of hereditary occupational division sanctioned by rituals.

• Political leaders and social reformers like Jotiba Phule, Gandhiji, B.R. Ambedkar, and Periyar Ramaswami Naicker worked to establish a society without caste inequalities.
• Changes in Modern India: Old notions of Caste hierarchy (a ladder-like formation in which all caste groups are placed from 'highest' to 'lowest') are breaking down due to:
  • Urbanisation: Shift of population from rural to urban areas.
  • Occupational mobility: Shift from one occupation to another across generations.
  • Growth of literacy and education.

Casteism is rooted in the belief that caste is the sole basis of social community. It takes various forms in politics:

• Parties choose candidates keeping in mind the caste composition of the electorate.
• Political parties make appeals to caste sentiments to muster support.
• Universal adult franchise and the principle of one-person-one-vote compelled political leaders to mobilise support.
• Why Caste Alone Cannot Determine Election Results:
  • No parliamentary constituency has a clear majority of one single caste.
  • No party wins the votes of all voters of a caste or community.
  • Voters have strong attachments to political parties that often override caste.
  • The ruling party and sitting MPs/MLAs frequently lose elections.

Politics also influences the caste system and caste identities by bringing them into the political arena:

• Each caste group tries to become bigger by incorporating neighbouring castes or sub-castes.
• Various caste groups enter into coalitions with other castes or communities.
• New kinds of caste groups have emerged, such as 'backward' and 'forward' caste groups.