Caste Politics of India

This thesis discusses the trends in the caste tension in the politics of the modern Indian state, i.e. from Independence to the present day. The main topic of this work is the importance of caste and caste system in the current politics of India and the impact of these elements on the formation and operation of Indian political parties and their adaptation to the changing relationship between caste and politics. Special emphasis is placed on affirmative action policies as a triggering mechanism of political mobilization and transformation of the importance of caste in Indian politics