Scheduled Castes In Indian Politics And Society

The present book is an attempt to understand the excruciating problems of ten crores of the Indians who are constitutionally categorized as members of the “Scheduled Castes”. The central theme of this book has been investigated both at macro as well as micro empirical levels. The former brings forth certain trends of generalized nature. Micro analysis follows a conceptual framework and test popular assumptions and some proposed hypotheses. The present work offers a triple-variable interactional study: State intervention, Social mobility and Political participation. It has been finally observed that the scheduled castes of rural Bihar have not reached the level of power-sharing. The inquiry proves that despite state help there is some association at lower levels between social mobility and political participation. Social mobility, it has finally found, is not taking place among the scheduled castes primarily because of the obstructive role of neo-rich middle castes or classes operating through muscleman and “Sena.” Political participation is a distant dream for them for years to come.