OPINION: Will inter-caste marriages end caste discrimination?

With reference to Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar's book Annihilation of Caste, it is said that the main way that caste can be eradicated is through inter-caste marriage. This certainly appears like a very good solution but in practice, it is not that effective. This is because caste is not a legal structure, rather it is a state of mind. Dr. Ambedkar's second marriage was to a Brahmin woman, but despite this, after a few years, he converted to Buddhism. Did the caste discrimination he faced then end during his lifetime?

Since then until the present time, many people in India have entered into inter-caste marriages. According to the 2011 census, 5.8% of marriages in India are inter-caste marriages. Did these couples stop facing caste discrimination? Many people entering inter-caste marriages have lost their lives because of it. Many people have been ostracized by their communities. Many people have changed their minds at the last minute before entering into such a marriage because they felt the risk would be too big to take.

This is the state of affairs because in Hinduism, and under its influence, and also in the Muslim, Christian, and Sikh religious traditions in India, marriage is a tool that maintains the sway of caste. In our society, marriage is considered as a bond that lasts across seven lifetimes. Hence endogamous marriages are given primacy, with a view to preserving assumed racial/caste purity.

Then who are the people who have been happy after having an inter-caste marriage?

These were people who are secure both socially and economically. Barring a few exceptions, these marriages mostly take place between people who come from castes that are close to each other in the scale of hierarchy. Because inter-caste marriage is successful only when both the bride and the groom are self-confident. They have social capital and their communities have been influenced by urban life. If both come from a village, then it becomes very difficult for them, it becomes an almost impossible task. Because in the villages, the caste system still exists in its original form. There, it is not possible for inter-caste marriages to take place even among castes that are similarly located in the social hierarchy.

This is because having an inter-caste marriage means that the marriage is a love marriage. Which is generally not accepted in Indian society. Even today, most marriages in India have arranged marriages. As soon as love becomes the basis of a marriage, the families lose their control over caste, wealth, dowry, etc. This becomes intolerable for the people. In rural areas, the village as a whole will not accept it. If families do come around and agree to love marriage, the village then will boycott the entire family.

This then is because the main purpose of marriage in our society is to ensure the preservation of a family's lineage, that is, to preserve the purity of their caste. In such an environment, how can inter-caste marriages take place? For this to happen, the very basis of the system of marriage will need to change. If there were more love marriages, then it may be that the likelihood of inter-caste marriage will increase.

There is a problem here though. If the man is an 'upper' caste man and the woman belongs to a lower caste, then the marriage can happen. But when the woman is 'upper' caste and the man belongs to a lower caste, then marriage between them faces huge challenges. Once this hurdle is crossed, then next comes the question of culture. If a man and woman from two different castes consent to marry and this is accepted by their families as 'normal', then objections will be raised about culture. Because there is much prejudice in the minds of people with regard to caste cultures. There is no doubt that prejudices exist even about skin color, regional and linguistic differences, etc. but such biases may remain limited to the realm of discourse and people often will adjust to them. But caste is directly a matter of climbing up or falling down the social ladder, and people still believe that their community will have to swallow the bitter pill of humiliation – this is exactly how people understand inter-caste marriage.

To engage with inter-caste marriage, in particular for marriages that would close the caste gap, people require incentives. Such incentives are available in the form of monetary aid in government schemes. Couples can receive about 2.5-5 lakh rupees in the different schemes run by the union and state governments if they are entering an inter-caste marriage. But can this monetary incentive make up for other losses incurred by these people?

Yes, compensation happens when one of the couples holds a powerful position or is earning a lot of money. This is a logical conclusion when one looks at the caste system. Because the primary aim of having the caste system maintenance of social status. Hence if we disrupt the caste order [through inter-caste marriage] people will find other ways of holding on to their social status, that is through [occupational/social] positions and wealth. In this, one can appreciate the significance of reservation. That is to say, one way out of this is possible due to reservation, even if it is only for a few people.

The way forward: changing the mindset around caste, marriage, and divorce

There is another side to this issue, is it actually possible to eradicate caste? If people do start entering inter-caste marriages, then how many such marriages will need to take place before caste will disappear? Will caste be eradicated?

That doesn't seem possible. Because even if there are such marriages, the couple's caste identities will still remain intact. Their children too will have a caste. There is also no guarantee that the couple who has entered an inter-caste marriage themselves will or will not practice caste-based behaviors with respect to people from other castes. Because caste bestows status in the social system, it is likely that comparisons will continue being made against the castes above and below them.

What if no marriages take place at all – will then caste disappear? This appears more logical. If there will be no marriages and fewer children are born, then people will automatically feel the need to marry. The likelihood of having an inter-caste marriage will also increase because society will just come to accept them. When many options are available to you, you also make a case forecast. But in a situation when there are no options, you also become convinced that caste is of no importance. Then there is a possibility that the mental barriers around caste can be broken.

Although the above proposition is hypothetical, at least it makes clear that breaking mental barriers around caste is critical. And that this barrier can't be broken just by having inter-caste marriages, because marriage itself doesn't eliminate caste consciousness. Last of all in the eyes of society. The mental barriers will be broken when a whole generation is set free from familial and social control in matters of love and marriage. When laws regarding love and marriage are simplified. When love and marriage together will be considered not only as necessary but as ordinary life events. This is because the process of change in social consciousness starts via court decisions and the simplification of laws. Until now the legislation itself in a way is geared in favor of prevailing family and social mores.

It must be understood that caste will never end. How will a person who is coming from a particular community, a particular culture, and particular collective memories of the past, want those [very foundations of their existence] to disappear? Why would anyone want to erase the very basis of their pehchan[identity]? He or she has to exist in some identifiable form or the other. So it becomes more important that we first just accept that caste is there. That is, it would be more effective to first simply acknowledge caste it as it is. Whosoever belongs to a caste belongs to it. As such acknowledgment becomes more widespread, the salience of caste in our mindset will start to reduce, which then will be a significant change.

This is because you can't start with the idea 'Now I have to enter into an inter-caste marriage' – that will never happen. If you consciously think in this way, such an act could become very difficult to do. Whom a person wants to spend one's life within marriage should wholly be their personal choice. If people have the freedom to choose, then eventually they will start ignoring caste and instead pay attention to the person [they might want to marry] as a person more wholly.

One other solution is to see both marriage and divorce as routine matters. In our society, both marriage and divorce are considered significant life-changing events. Especially in arranged marriages, both marriage and divorce are made out to be very elaborate or very complex processes. To avoid becoming entangled in such complexities, people then prefer to marry within their own caste community.

If the processes of marriage and divorce are simplified and easier to navigate, then people will marry out of their own free will. The more fluid these processes and norms are, the more our conservative notions will break down. Caste will also not be an issue. Rather we will be able to focus on other incentives of life, such as having a fulfilled life, happiness, joy, progress, etc.

What I mean to say then is that more inter-caste marriages will happen only when we simplify our thinking about marriage and divorce. Instead of thinking of these as momentous life-changing events, we need to see them just as yet another ordinary life event. Then what will also happen is that families will not have to forego their daily bread to save 20 lakh rupees over 20 years. In other words, it will also solve the problem of dowry. By investing the same money in the household, progress would happen, people's standard of living would improve and everything would change. So first of all, there is a need to educate our society about marriage and divorce. Otherwise, social battles will continue to be fought on a front where actually no fight exists.

[Story Translated By Lotika Singha]

यहां हिन्दी में भी पढ़ें: क्या अंतर्जातीय विवाह करने से जाति भेद मिट जाएगा?

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