CHAPTER 4

GENDER, RELIGION AND CASTE

1. What is gender division? What is it based on?

Ans. Gender division is a form of hierarchical social division seen everywhere, but is
rarely recognised in the study of politics.
i) Thegender division tends to be understood as natural and unchangeable.
ii) However, it is not based on biology but on social
expectations and stereoty pes.
2. In what ways does sexual division of labour exist in our society/country?
Ans. Boys and girls are brought up to believe that the main responsibility of women s
housework and bringing up children.
1) This is reflected in a sexual division of
labour in most families: women do all
work inside the home such as
cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, tailoring,
looking after children, etc., and men do all the work outside the home.
i) It is not that men cannot do
housework; they simply think that it is for women to
attend to these things. When these
jobs
are paid for, men are ready to take up
these works. Most tailors or cooks in hotels are men.
ii) Similarly, it is not that women do not work outside their home. For example:
a) In villages, women fetch water, collect fuel and work in the fields.
b) In urban areas, poor women work as domestic helper in middle class homes,
while middle class women work in offices.
iv) In fact, the majority of women do some sort of paid work in addition to domestic
labour. But their work is not valued and does not get recognition.
3. Write a note the Women's Movement in the world. OR How was the gender
issue raised in the political arena? What was its impact?

Ans. The result of this division of labour is that although women constitute half of the
humanity, their role in public life, especially politics, is minimal in most societies.
Earlier, only men were allowed to participate in public affairs, vote and contest for
public offices.

Gradually the gender issue was raised in politics. Wonmen in different parts of the
world organised and agitated for equal rights. There were agitations in different
countries for the extension of voting rights to women.
ii) These agitations demanded enhancing the political and legal status of women and
improving their educational and career opportunities.
More radical women's movements aimed at equality in personal and family life as
ii)
well. These movements are called feminist movements.
 and political mobilisation on question
iv) Political expression of gender division
life. We now find women warlin.
helpedto improve women's role public
in s
lawyers, managers and college and universits
scientists, doctors, engineers,
for women.
teachers which were earlier not considered suitable
in Scandinavian countries such a s
v) In parts of the world, for example
some
Sweden, Norway and Finland, the participation of women in public life is very

high.
4. In which countries is the participation of women in public life very high?
Ans. In some parts of the world, for example in Scandinavian countries such as Sweden.
life is very high.
Norway and Finland, the participation of women in public
5. Mention and explain the different aspects of life in which women are
diseriminated against or considered disadvantaged in, in India?
(Sub Q1: how does the level of education/ literacy rate among women in India
reflect discrimination? Ans 5, part A)
(Sub Q2: How does salary structure reflect discrimination against women? Ans 5,
part B)
(Sub Q3: Explain Equal Wages Act. Ans 5, Part B, point 3)
Sub Q4: How does the child sex ratio reflect discrimination against women? Or
Why is there a decline in the child sex ratio? Ans 5, part C)
Ans. In our country, women still lag much behind men despite some improvement
since Independence. Ours is still a male dominated, patriarchal society. Women
face disadvantage, discrimination and
oppression in various ways:
A: LITERACY RATES
i) The literacy rate among women is
only 54 per cent compared with 76 per cent among
men.

ii) Similarly, a
smaller proportion of girl students go for
iii) When we look at school results,
higher studies.
girls perform as well as boys, if not better in some
places.
iv) But they drop out because
parents prefer to spend their resources for their
education rather than spending equally on their sons and boys
B: SALARY QUOTIENT daughters.
The proportion of women
among the highly paid and valued
ii) On an average an Indian woman works one jobs is still very small.
hour more than an
day. Yet much of her work is not average man every
paid and
therefore often not valued.
iii) The Equal Wages/ Remuneration Act provides that
equal work to both men and women.
equal wages should be paid to
iv) However, in almost all areas of
work, from sports and cinema, to factories and fields,
women are paid less than men, even when both do
exactly the same work.
C: CHILD SEX RATIO
i) In many parts of India parents prefer to have
child aborted before she is born. sons and find ways to have the
gu
ii) Such sex-selective abortion led to a
decline in child sex
girl children per thousand boys, in the ratio, i.e. the number of
country
This ratio has fallen below 850 or even 800 in to merely 933.
iii) some places.
D: VIOLENCE AGAINST wOMEN
i) There are reports of various kinds of harassment,
against women.
exploitation and violence
ii) Urban areas have become particularly unsafe for women. They are not safe even
within their own home from beating, harassment and other forms of domestic
violence
6. What is the status of women's representation in India's legislative bodies?

(Sub Q1: Mention the percentage of women in Lok Sabha and state legislative
assemblies. Ans.6 Pt 1)
for women in local government bodies? Ans.
(Sub Q2: How many seats are reserved
6 Points 4 and 5)
women's Reservation Bill. Ans. 6 Points 6 and 7)
(Sub Q3: Briefly explain the
has been very low.
Ans. In India, the proportion of women in legislature
elected women members in Lok Sabha
has for the
For example, the percentage of
cent of its total strength. Their
share in the state
first time in 2009 crossed 10 per elected
cent. (Latest Data: The percentage of
assemblies is less than 5 per
went up to 12.15% in 2014 Lok Sabha.
At present
women representatives
State Legislatures is less than 9%.)
their share in the world. India is
India is among the bottom group of nations in the
ii) In this respect, Latin America
the averages for several developing countries of Africa and
behind becomes the
cabinets are largely all-male even when a woman
ii) In the government, Minister.
or the Prime
Chief Minister make it legally binding to have a fair
solve this problem is to
One way to
has
iv) women in the elected bodies. This is what the Panchayati Rai
nroportion of
bodies -in panchayats and
done in India. One-third of seats in local government
reserved for women
-
are now
municipalities eleCtead women representatives in rural and
more than 10 lakns
Now there are
v) urban local bodies.
a reservation similar
activists demanding
nave Deenthe
organisations and Lok Sabha a n d Se State
Women's of seats in
vi) of at least
one-third
to local
bodies,
Assemblies for women.
 has been pending
Bill, with this proposal
as Women's
Reservation
no consensus over this
vii)A bill, known decade. But there is
for more than a
before the Parliament been passed.
parties. The bill has not
the political division
among all
an example
that some form of social
division is
Conclusion: Gender groups do
This also shows that disadvantaged
in politics.
needs to be expressed issue.
divisions become a political
benefit when social "Religious differences are
hand in hand." Explain. OR
7. Politics and religion
go
Comment.
the field of polities."
the field ofpolitics. Consider the
often expressed in
often expressed in
differences are
Ans. The religious
Ans.
following: from politics. What he
can never be separated
that religion
i) Gandhiji used to say like Hinduism or Islam but
was not any particular religion
meant by religion must be guided by.
inform all religions. He believed that politics
moral values that
ethics drawn from religion. of the victims of
country have argued that most
Human rights groups in our
have
i) are people from religious minorities. They
communal riots in our country minorities.
steps to protect religious
demanded that the government
take special discriminate
movement has argued that family laws of all religions
iii) Women's should change these
have demanded that government
w o m e n . So, they
against
laws to make them more equitable. and perhaps should
different religions can
values drawn from
iv) Ideas, ideals and
play a role in politics. interests and demands as
their needs,
should be able to express in politics
People
a member of a religious
community.
to regulate the practice
should sometimes be able
Those who hold political power acts are
vi) discrimination and oppression. These political
of religion so as to prevent equally.
not wrong as long as they treat every religion between religion and
instances involve a relationship
Conclusion: All these

politics considered dangerous

to
8. Explain communalism/ communal politics. Why is it as the
communalism begins when religion is seen
nationalism? Or "The problem of
basis of the nation." Explain
tne
seen as the basis or
Ans. The problem of communalism begins when religion is
nation. acul
becomes more
Such an approach is dangerous to nationalism. The problem
terms, wnen
when religion is expressed in politics in exclusive and partisan
religion and its followers are pitted against another.
This happens when:
ii) of otherreligio
beliefs of one are presented as superior to those
religion
a)
(H/CE
one religious group are
formed in opposition to another
the demands of
b) when of one religious group over
is used to establish domination
when state power
c)
the rest.
lead to violence and
results in tension and conflicts which may
d) This
bloodshed.
communal politics.
of using religion in politics is
Conclusion: This
manner
behind
manifested? OR Explain the ideology
politics
is communal which basic lines?
Communalism involves thinking along
a How

ammunal politics. OR is the principal basis of

social
con
based the idea that religion
Communal politics is
on
Ans.
Ans.

community. lines. The followers

of a
involves thinking along the following
Communalism

particular religion
must belong to one community. is
difference that they may have
interests are the same. Any
Their fundamental
irrelevant or trivial for community life. the
cannot belong to
who follow different religions
ii) It also follows that people
same social community. these are
have some commonalities
different religion involve a
iv) If the followers of interests are bound to
be different and
immaterial. Their
superficial and
conflict. that people belonging to
communalism leads to the belief of
form Either, one
In its extreme
within one nation.
v) equal
live as
citizens
different religions cannot different nations
rest or they
have to form
dominate the
them has to
defects/
short comings/
(fundamental/ inherent) faults (flaws/
basic
10. State the of communal politics.
the ideology
drawbacks/ problems) in fundamentally
flawed.
communal politics is in every
Ans.
Ans. The belief in the same
interests and aspirations
do not have
i) People of one religion several other roles, positions and identities.
to
context.Everyone has these voices have a right
community. All
voices inside every
There are many
ii) in context
be heard. followers of one religion together
to bring all
Therefore, any attempt voices within that community
i) is bound to suppress many
other than religion Examine the
various forms in politics." Explain. OR
"Communalism take
can
11.
communalism in politics.
various expressions of

Communalism can take various forms in politics:

Ans.
communalism is in everyday
The most common expression of
Routine Beliefs:
i) stereotypes of religious
These routinely involve religious prejudices, This
one's religion over other religions.
beliefs.
the superiority of
communities and belief in believe in it.
notice it, even when we
often fail to
is so c o m m o n that
we
 mind often leads to
a quest for political
ii) Quest for Dominance: A communal
dominance of one's own religious community. form of majoritarian
community, this takes the
a) For those belonging to majority
dominance. the form of a desire to
community, it can take
For those belonging to the minority
D)
form a separate political unit. is another frequent
mobilisation on religious lines
Political Mobilisation: Political
il)
form of communalism. emotional appeal and plain
of sacred symbols,
religious leaders,
a) This involves the use
together in the political arena.
followers of one religion or emotions of
fear in order to bring the appeal to the interests
this often involves special
b) In electoral politics, to others.
of one religion in preference its most ugly form
of
voters
communalism takes
Sometimes
Violence and Partition:
iv
violence, rióts and the time of the
massacre.
communal
worst communal riots at
suffered some of the
India and Pakistan
a)
violence.
Partition. large scale
communal

period has also

seen

b) The post-Independence
constitutional
India is a secular country?
OR State the
12. How can say that
we
India a secular country.
provisions that make
of the communal challenge facing our
Constitution were aware
The makers of our This choice was
Ans. chose the model of a secular state.
country. That is why
they
constitutional provisions.
reflected in several

FREEDOM OF RELIGION
A: RIGHT TO
does not givea
Indian state. Our constitution
There is no official religion for the
i)
special status to any religion. individuals and communities freedom to proless,
to all
The Constitution provides
ii) or not to follow any.
practice and propagate any religion,
B: RIGHT TO EQUALITY
discrimination on grounds of religion.
The Constitution prohibits
i) intervene in the matters o
At the same time the Constitution allows the state to
communities. For example,"
religion in order to ensure equality within religious
bans untouchability. stare
states that have state/ official religion. Mention their
13. Mention some

religions as well.
are names of some states and their official religions
Ans. Mentioned below
Buddhism in Sri Lanka
i)
Islam in Pakistan
ii)
Christianity in England
ii)
 De
14. Why is it necessary to iight/ combat communalism? How can this purpose
achieved?

constitutes
Ans.
Secularism is not just an ideology of some parties or persons. This idea
one of the foundations of our country.

Communalism should not be seen as a threat to some people in India. It threatens

the very idea of India. That is why communalism needs to be combated.
A secular Constitution like ours is necessary but not sufficient to combat
ii)
communalism.
life
Communal prejudices and propaganda needs to be countered in everyday
arena of politics.
and religion based mobilisation needs to be countered in the
on it?
are manifested/ inherent
15. What is caste system? What types of inequalities
some form of division
of
All societies have some kind of social inequality and
Ans. to
on from one generation
labour. In most societies, occupations are passed
another. Caste system is an extreme form of this.

societies is that in this system, hereditary

What makes it different from other
i) was sanctioned by
rituals. There are four broad groups:
occupational division
and Sudra.
Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya form a social community
that
caste were supposed to
Members of the same group and did
) similar occupation, married within the caste group
practiced the same or
members from other caste groups.
not eat with discrimination against the 'outcaste
exclusion of and
based on
Caste system was untouchability.
iii) to the inhuman practice of
w e r e subjected the evil of
groups. They reformers who fought against
and social
16. Name some political leaders in the Indian society.
caste inequalities prevailing
untouchability/
Gandhiji, B.R. Ambedkar
reformers like Jotiba Phule,
Political leaders and
social
worked to establish a society in
Ans. advocated and
Ramaswami Naicker
and Periyar absent.
which caste
inequalities are
in the caste systems
resulted in great changes
that have led to/ India?
the factors modern/ contemporary
17. Examine
caste system practiced in
How is the SYSTEM
in India. CASTE AND CASTE
C H A N G E S IN
LEADING TO
Ans. A:
FACTORS
down? Ans 17, part A,
of caste hierarchy breaking
are old notions
(Sub q 1: Why changes,
sub points) socio-economic

1 and its other

point reformers and partly due to
ofthe changes.
efforts undergone great
to the India have
Partly due in
modern

caste system
castes
and

117
 down due to the following factors:
The old notions ofcaste hierarchy are breaking
a) economic development;
b) large scale urbanisation;
c)growth of literacy and education;
d)occupational mobility;
landlords in the villages,
c)and the weakening ofthe position of
not matter much who is walking along
i) Now, most of the times, in urban areas it does
next to us on a street or eating at the next table
in a restaurant.
discrimination and laid the
ii) The Constitution of India prohibited any caste-based
foundations of policies to reverse the injustices of the caste system.

B: PRACTISE OF CASTE SYSTEM INMODERN/CONTEMPORARY INDIA

Yet caste has not disappeared from contemporary India.

Some of the older aspects of caste have persisted. Even now most people marry
i)
within their own caste or tribe.
ii) Untouchability has not ended completely, despite constitutional prohibition. Effects
of centuries of advantages and disadvantages continue to be felt today.
ii) The caste groups that had access to education under the old system have done very
well in acquiring modern education as well.
iv) Those groups that did not have access to education or were prohibited from acquiring
it have naturally lagged behind.
v That is why there is a disproportionately large presence of 'upper caste' among the
urban middle classes in our country. Caste continues to be closely linked to economic
status
18. Why is there a proportionately large number of upper caste among the urban
middle classes in our country?

Ans. Untouchability has not ended completely, despite constitutional prohibition.

Effects of centuries of advantages and disadvantages continue to be felt today.

The caste groups that had access to education under the old system have done
very well in acquiring modern education as well.
i) Those groups that did not have access to education or were prohibited from
acquiring it have naturally lagged behind.
iii) That is why there is a disproportionately large presence of 'upper caste' among
the urban middle classes in our country.
Conclusion: Caste continues to be closely linked to economic status
19. State the basic beliefs/ ideologies of
easteism.
Ans. Casteism is rooted in the belief that caste is the sole basis of social
community.

118
1) According to this way of thinking, people belonging to the same caste
natural social community. belong tooa
i) They have the same interests which they do not share with
caste.
anyone from another
20.Caste can take various forms in politics." Discuss.
(SubQ1: "The focus of caste in politics can sometimes
elections are all about caste and nothing else." give impression thatan

Examine. Ans.20 Pts 4,5,6,7)

(Sub Q2: What is a vote bank? Ans.20 Point 5)
Ans. Caste can take various forms in
politics:
1 Elections and Formation of Government
a) When parties choose candidates in
elections, they keep in mind the caste
composition of the electorate and nominate candidates from different castes so as to
muster necessary
support to win elections.
b) When governments are formed, political
parties usually take care that
representatives of different castes and tribes find a place in it.
ii) Election Campaign: Political
parties and candidates in elections make
caste sentiment to muster support. Some
appeals to
political parties
are known to favour some
castes and are seen as their representatives.

i) UAF and a new Consciousness:

a) Universal adult franchise and the principle of
one-person-one-vote compelled
political leaders to gear up to the task of mobilising and securing political support.
b) It also brought new consciousness among the people of castes that were hitherto
treated as inferior and low.
iv) The focus on caste in politics can sometimes give an
impression that elections are all
about caste and nothing else. That is far from true. Just consider
these:
a) No parliamentary constituency in the country has a clear majority
of
caste.
one single
b) So, every candidate and party needs to win the confidence of more than one caste
and community to win elections.
v) No party wins the votes of all the voters of a caste or
community. When people say
that a caste is a 'vote bank' of one party, it
usually means that a large proportion of
the voters from that caste vote for that party.
vi) Many political parties may put up candidates from the same caste that caste is
(if
believed to dominate the electorate in a particular
constituency).Some voters have
more than one candidate from their caste while many voters
have no candidate from
their caste.
 The ruling party and the sitting MP or MLA frequently lose elections in our country,
vii)
That could not have happened if all castes and communities were frozen in their
political preferences.
21. "Caste is an important source of economic inequality." Justify.

Ans. Caste is an important source of economiç inequality because it regulates

resources of various kinds.

1) For in the past, the so-called 'untouchable' castes were denied the
example,
to own land, while only the so-called 'twice born' castes had the right to
right
education.
Although this kind of explicit and formalised inequality based on caste is now
outlawed, the effects of centuries of accumulated advantages and disadvantages
continue to be felt. Moreover, new kinds of
iii) The relationship between caste and economic
inequalities have also developed.
status has certainly changed a lot.
Today, it is possible to find very rich and very poor people in every caste,
whether 'low' or 'high'.
iv) However, as this evidence from the National Sample Survey shows, caste
continues to be very strongly linked to economic status in
many important ways:
a) The average economic status (measured by criteria like
monthly consumption
expenditure) of caste groups still follows the old hierarchy-the
castes are best off, the Dalits and 'upper
Adivasis are worst off, and the backward
classes are in between.
b) Although every caste has some poor members, the
extreme poverty (below the official proportion living in
'poverty line) much higher for the
is
lowest castes and much lower for the
upper castes, with the backward classes
once again in between.
c Although every caste has some members who are rich, the
upper castes are
heavily over-represented among the rich while the lower castes are severely
under-represented.
22. Apart from caste, which other factors influence electoral
reasons to show that caste alone cannot determine politics? OR State the
election results in India.
Ans. While caste matters in electoral
politics, so do many other factors.
i) The voters have
strong attachment to political parties which is often
their attachment to their caste or stronger than
community.
ii) People within the same caste or community have
their economic condition. different interests depending on
ii) Rich and poor or men and women from the same caste often
vote very
differently.
120
 and the popularny
iv) People's assessment of the performance of the government
elections
rating ofthe leaders matter and are often decisive in
does politics influence the caste system. Explain with
the help of
23. In what ways
examples.
them into
Politics too influences the caste system and caste identities by bringing
Ans. is the caste that
the political arena. Thus, it is not politics that gets caste ridden, it
gets politicised. This takes several forms:
Each caste group tries to become bigger by incorporating within it neighbouring
castes orsub-castes which were earlier excluded from it.
with other castes or
i) Various caste groups are required to enter into a coalition
communities and thus enter into a dialogue and negotiation.
New kinds of caste groups have come up in the political arena like "backward
ii)
and 'forward' caste groups.
24.What is the positive and negative impact of caste on politics? OR "Caste plays
different kinds of roles in politics." Evaluate.
Ans. Caste plays different kinds of roles in politics.
Ans.
A: POSITIVE IMPACT OF CASTE ON POLITICS
In some situations, expression of caste differences in politics gives many
1)
disadvantaged communities the space to demand their share of power.
and OBC castes to gain
11) In this sense-caste politics has helped people from Dalits
better access to decision making.
Several political and non-political organisations have
been demanding and agitating
il)
for more dignity and more
for an end to discrimination against particular castes,
access to land, resources and opportunities
ON POLITICS
B: NEGATIVE IMPACT OF CASTE
results as well. As in the case
Exclusive attention to caste can produce negative
alone is not very healthy in a
of religion, politics based on caste identity
democracy.
issues like poverty, development and
ii) It can divert attention from other pressing
corruption.
leads to tensions, conflict and even violence.
ii) In some cases, caste division
25. Define the following:
in which all work inside
labour: Sexual division of labour is a system
1. Sexual division of them through the
the women of the family, or organised by
the home is either done by
domestic helpers.
or a man who believes in equal rights and opportunities for women
2. Feminist: A woman
a feminist.
and men is considered is used to refer to
implies rule by father, this concept
a
Patriarchy literally
3. Patriarchy: them power over women.
values
and
men more gives
system that

121
 related matters such as
those laws that deal with family
4. Family laws: Family laws
are
laws. In our country,
are called family
inheritance, etc.
marriage, divorce, adoption,
followers of different religions.
different family laws apply to to urban
Urbanisation refers to the shift
of population from rural areas
5. Urbanization:
areas
refers to the shift from one occupation to
6. Occupational mobility: Occupational mobility
takes up occupations other than those practiced
another, usually when a new generation
by their ancestors
formation in which all the caste groups
7. Caste hierarchy: Caste hierarchy is a ladder like
are placed from the 'highest' to the 'lowest' castes.