Caste and Race in India c13.6

c13.6

To propose to abolish caste by slow consolidation of the smaller groups into larger ones is to miss the real problem. The method has been tried in the Bombay Presidency for the last twenty years and more with disastrous results. The sub-castes that join together to create a super organization retain their internal feelings of exclusiveness with undiminishing vigour. The new organization takes up a rather militant attitude against other castes, especially those which are popularly regarded as immediately higher or lower than the caste which it represents. And, as pointed out in the last chapter, caste-consciousness becomes more definite and virile. We have seen that, even among the castes which are grouped together for political purposes, the common aim of fighting other castes has not proved strong enough to induce individual castes, comprised in the group, to ignore their claims at the time of the distribution of the spoils of office. As we envisage the situation and as our analysis of contemporary caste must make it clear, the problem of caste arises mainly out of caste-patriotism. It is the spirit of caste-patriotism which engenders opposition to other castes, and creates an unhealthy atmosphere for the full growth of national consciousness. It is this caste-patriotism that we have to fight against and totally uproot. If the procedure advocated by the protagonists of the second viewpoint were to prove successful, we believe the problem of diminishing caste-patriotism will be ever so much more difficult. It would lead to three or four large groups being solidly organized for pushing the interests of each even at the cost of the others. Acute conflict will be the only consequence. Further, during this lengthy process of slow amalgamation those who will marry in defiance of the barriers of sub-caste will still be imbued with caste-mentality. The main problem will thus remain for years as acute as at present.