Identity politics has come to occupy a new phase in the contemporary politics. There is a supposed link between recognition and identity. Non-recognition or misrecognition can inflict harm, can be a form of oppression, imprisoning someone in a false, distorted and reduced mode of being.
Caste identity has been central in Indian politics. Caste has been a self-enclosed unit, it limits social interaction. It carries our identity. Caste is a rule and not a principle. As rules are hard to change but principles aren’t. It’s a major impediment in the growth of the society. There are caste-based political parties and even state institutions are providing caste-quotas. This probes to be a critical problem. In 2011 India will carry out its’ first caste based census, and this will bring new political forces in the country. The political players will be more caste focused in upcoming elections. People will not only identify themselves with a particular caste but this will also bring in the opportunity for the political parties to campaign for votes on caste-basis.
The future results of the Caste Census aren’t unpredictable and it makes us wonder for the ones who are against practicing caste, that why this decision was reached. The government has to take rational decisions, not based on the responses and pressure from the political parties but actually based on the ground realities, where caste identity is a major concern for the Indian society.
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