Caste, Society and Politics in India from the Eighteenth Century to the Modern Age

Caste, Society and Politics in India from the Eighteenth Century to the Modern Age

Author: Susan Bayly

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2001-02-22

Total Pages: 448

ISBN-13: 9780521798426

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The phenomenon of caste has probably aroused more controversy than any other aspect of Indian life and thought. Susan Bayly's cogent and sophisticated analysis explores the emergence of the ideas, experiences and practices which gave rise to the so-called 'caste society' from the pre-colonial period to the end of the twentieth century. Using an historical and anthropological approach, she frames her analysis within the context of India's dynamic economic and social order, interpreting caste not as an essence of Indian culture and civilization, but rather as a contingent and variable response to the changes that occurred in the subcontinent's political landscape through the colonial conquest. The idea of caste in relation to Western and Indian 'orientalist' thought is also explored.


Tribals and Dalits in Orissa

Tribals and Dalits in Orissa

Author: Biswamoy Pati

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2018-10-18

Total Pages: 292

ISBN-13: 0199094586

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Historians have generally focused on the ‘extraordinary’ forms of protest while speaking of the lives of oppressed social groups, but the basic survival strategies of these groups are often overlooked in research. The fact that excluded groups have managed to survive has, hidden right beneath the surface, a whole range of complexities, while also demonstrating their ability to resist dominant social orders. Biswamoy Pati’s posthumous volume on the lives of the tribals and dalits/outcastes in Orissa, from c. 1800 to 1950, shows how such communities were further impoverished by both colonial government policies and the chiefs of the despotic princely states. Colonial knowledge systems, constructions of the ‘criminal tribe’, and agrarian settlements affected tribals and dalits crucially. These marginalized groups were connected with the national movement. However, their inherited problems remained unresolved even after Independence. Examining these and several other issues such as adivasi strategies of resistance, indigenous systems of health and medicine, the colonial ‘medical gaze’, conversion (to Hinduism), the fluidities of caste formation, as well as the development of colonial capitalism and urbanization, the author presents a broader view of their struggle and endurance.


Preferential Policies

Preferential Policies

Author: Thomas Sowell

Publisher: William Morrow

Published: 1990

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13:

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Covers "government-mandated preferences for government-designated groups ... with special attention to programs in India, Nigeria, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and the United States.


Land Alienation and Politics of Tribal Exploitation in India

Land Alienation and Politics of Tribal Exploitation in India

Author: Suratha Kumar Malik

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2020-06-15

Total Pages: 217

ISBN-13: 9811553823

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This book explores tribal land alienation problems in India and tribal agitation against land encroachment and alienation. It discusses India’s tribal land problem and explains how despite legislation to protect tribal lands, the problem has not been resolved since neither the letter nor the spirit of the law has been implemented. Due to continuous land encroachment and alienation by outsiders, the negligence of the revenue administration and the apathy of the central and state government, the situation concerning tribal land in the country have became precarious. In this context, the book highlights the process of land estrangement among the tribes and the related movements, focusing on the Narayanpatna land movement in the Koraput district of Odisha. It argues that land remains a central issue that is extremely important for tribes as it directly affects their life, livelihood, freedom and development, and that the cultural attachment of tribes and their views regarding the idea of ‘place’ (land) furnishes crucial perspectives in understanding the politics of collective resistance. It also discusses the politicization of group identity and material interest against the outside authority as the basis of the unrest among the tribes, and when the grudges of the people are hardened due to insensitivity and tyranny, the extent of tribal resistance escalates, leading to conflict between the state and its own people. Given its scope, this book is a valuable resource for students and research scholars, as well as for policymakers and anyone interested in Indian democracy and development in general, and tribal problems, issues and politics in particular.


An Assessment of the socio economic status of the scheduled castes of Odisha in the post independence period 1950 to 2000

An Assessment of the socio economic status of the scheduled castes of Odisha in the post independence period 1950 to 2000

Author: Dr. Sarita Sahay Ranjan

Publisher: Sankalp Publication

Published:

Total Pages: 214

ISBN-13: 939072094X

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The book is about the Scheduled Castes of Odisha and it speaks volumes in itself as it deals with the atrocities the scheduled caste people are inflicted into. Poverty, unemployment, and ostracisation have added misery into their lives and it is the responsibility of everyone to help them live a decent and honorable life. How far has the state fulfilled its constitutional obligations to assure every citizen life of dignity? What has been the pace of socio-economic progress in Odisha? Has it been fast, fair, and equitable? To what extent have the Constitutional objectives and aspirations in respect of the scheduled Castes, women, children, and the other weaker sections of the society been realized and fulfilled? The book finally raises some key issues and identifies critical areas for action that may help the state realize and fulfill its constitutional commitments. One of the key concerns for the society in rural areas of the state is that unemployed youths continue to be used by extremist groups to engage them in anti-government activities and religious riots