Pranav D Week 3

Uma Chakravarti:

Our introduction to the reading begins with the question of how we learn about caste. Our understanding of caste as an intellectualised system is drawn largely from Brahmin texts that do not go into the hierarchical and oppressive nature of it. A symbolic hegemony that Chakarvarti talks about ties in to the intersectional nature of caste and poverty. The intersection is riddled with material deprivation, and social/religious hegemony. Solace may be found in the resistance of some Dalits to the dominant narrative, as evidenced by Viramma who chooses her expression of caste to be in the form of a narrative challenge. Caste derives this religious classification from ancient Hindu texts, the hierarchical structure's form is a public regulation of religious practices. The earlier forms of caste practice even go so far as to segregate access to public spaces. Chakravarti argues that caste cannot be trivialised to be like any other social inequality in society. She quotes Manu in her argument to cement the idea that caste has always been practiced in terms of inequality, not simply difference. Caste and class are conceptions that are blind to each other. Statistics have shown a striking underrepresentation of caste in the economic upper class, which is an obvious outcome of the material deprivation that they experience. Even the law has not been able to solve the problem, through its formal guarantee of equality which has not really translated in making the lives of the lower castes easier.

She also ties in labour with caste, explaining that the inherent ideological base of caste is to make the lower caste work for the brahmana. Perhaps the biggest deprivation that caste has made is knowledge,

The second chapter focuses on the intersection of gender and caste, in due pursuance to the intersectional nature of social identities. The one aspect of gender and caste that transcended traditional boundaries was the regulation of female sexuality. This assertion of dominance happened through the codification of ancient beliefs into Hindu texts. The intersectional subordination happens through endogamy in Hinduism, so that those at the top of the hierarchy can regulate those at the bottom. While Hinduism practices endogamy by looking down on the intermarriages in jatis, it forces exogamy through the barrier of gotras. The root is of this belief is that for each jati to behave as a functional and distinct unit in society, there must not be any deviation in terms of composition. Any fluidity or blurring of the lines of caste are so looked down upon that endogamy is forced in spite of the oppressive role it plays in social relations. Chakravarti argues that these anthropological systems of regulating marriages are a way to restrict the flow of economic and social privileges. The principles of hierarchy in caste are an inherent part of caste reproduction within the family system. Women are seen as gateways to the succession and continuation of the Vansa, a line of male descent that is arbitrarily regarded as pure. Chakravarti's tying together of caste, class, power and gender is very telling about the issues in the organisation of Indian society.