Social
Devolution: A Sociological Perspective on
Affirmed Status of Dalits in
Dr. D. K. Verma
Associate Professor & Head,
Division of SC, ST
& OBC Development,
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar National
Institute of Social Sciences,
Dr. Ambedkar Nagar (Mhow)
The author has coined two new terms,
namely ‘social devolution’ and ‘affirmed status’ to understand the
processes of positive discrimination vis-à-vis caste consolidation in
contextual analysis of Ambedkar’s vision in post-modern
society.
Conceptualizing Affirmed Status
Though the debate on who are Dalits
is still on, but in any case socio-economically and educationally backward
sections of Indian society can safely be included among Dalits.
However, sociological analysis of Dalits as a group
and contextualising and situating Dalits in
contemporary Indian society need some explanations. In fact, the existing
sociological understanding fails to give explanation for the status and roles
of Dalits in Indian society mainly because the
traditional social structure of the country still leaves a little space for
integrating Dalits into the mainstream which process rather
widens the gap between the Dalits (a class aspiring
for equal status with support from the state) and non-Dalits
(socially high- ascribed status groups).
However, Dalits, particularly the elite class among Dalits, in contemporary Indian society present a status
markedly different from socially low-ascribed and politically and/or
economically and/or educationally high achieved statuses in the sociological
perspective. With regard to Dalits, it is a fact that
their economic and political empowerment do not ensure
or lead to their social empowerment. They remain socially stigmatised even
after achieving the highest possible protocol in the country.
On the contrary, many socially highly-placed
groups are endeavouring to be a part of the groups (Dalits)
which are positively discriminated against by the state to ensure for themselves
availability and accessibility to privileges. In fact, the positive discrimination policy of
the state has given Dalits, a special status
to avail and access opportunities for their own development and to shape Indian
society in the future as well. The Dalits are no more
just bargaining for voting power to rule the Indian
polity and society managed by non-Dalits but they themselves
have become a political power in order to govern the state for the benefit of Dalits and the rest of the Indian society.
The policy of positive discrimination like affirmative action,
has resulted in the emergence of an elite middle class among Dalits which cannot be said to be included among achieved
status group mainly because of their continued struggle to annihilate social
stigma attached to their ascribed status. However, constitutional provisions
and legislative measures have helped them ensure sound contributions to the
socio-economic and political system of the country. Thus, Dalits
could be defined as affirmed status individuals or group. Therefore, an attempt
could be made to provide a sociological explanation of Dalits
in Indian society by describing them as an affirmed status group.
Conceptualizing Social Devolution
Affirmed status would mean the sociological situation of an individual or group
(s) of individuals who have acquired a status higher than their ascribed status
mainly because of the positive discrimination by the state in their favour. And
their own achievements, at whatever level, could not
have been possible without such support from the state.
Thus, the social status and mobility of the affirmed status group(s) would be
the resultant of aspirations and achievements of individuals belonging to a
group(s) and the support of the state. One may, therefore find a wide disparity
in the achievements between the achieved status and affirmed status individuals
or groups(s). The status and mobility among affirmed status group(s) required
to be higher should gradually increase with the continuation of the policy of
positive discrimination, as more and more opportunities and benefits become
available and be redirected to them than to other individuals or groups.
That is why the upper castes and socially higher status groups like Brahmans, Kshatriyas and Vysyas alike, have started movements to include themselves under
the umbrella of positive discrimination policy of the state. This, the process
of willingness among socially higher placed groups to become beneficiary of the
positive discrimination policy, is in total negation of the social situation in
Now, the social trend is to become a part of the group that receives benefits
from the state under its policy of positive discrimination. Caste based social
stratification in Indian society which traditionally gave importance to those
graded as unequal while aspiring for higher status and struggling for mobility
to move up on the social ladder framed largely on the religious code, is
changing not because constitutional provisions have provided parallel platforms
to the privileged groups to construct an egalitarian social order but because
the affiliation to an ascribed status is shifting from caste norms to the
state. Individuals or group(s)
who/which is/are positively discriminated against by the state acquire an affirmed
status which give them access to special opportunities.
Thus, in Indian society, the state is
taking over the role of the caste to provide affiliation to a certain status
and that given status by the state is Affirmed Status.
The explanation for the (reverse) process for social mobility of higher caste
groups downwards and their struggle for achieving a status of being a
positively discriminated group, though not becoming thereby a part of a group
which is socio-economically and/or educationally backward or a part of the
untouchable group may be circumscribed by conceptualising the process as an
attempt at social devolution.
Devolution is a term generally used in
politics meaning the devolving of powers from the central government to the
local government. The devolution can be “administrative” (delegation of powers)
or financial, e.g., giving regions a budget which was formerly administered
directly by the central government. Professor Vernon Bogdanor
defines “Devolution” as the delegation of central powers without any admission
that the supremacy of the centre is compromised and that the powers cannot be
taken back unilaterally. In other words it is the "dispersal of power from
a superior to an inferior political authority".
Thus, the term devolution in political science, means
more than decentralisation or federalism, in the sense that it is meant to
allow far more independence and exercise of discretion by local politicians.
Devolution can be of powers which are administrative/executive (such as of
governmental departments or agencies) or legislative (such as of a local
assembly) or judicial (such as of local courts) or any combination of them. The
notion of devolution has a long history within the
Devolution is also sometimes referred
to as “Home Rule” which is another term for self-government. Devolution is also
an ecclesiastical term, meaning the right of an ecclesiastical superior to
appoint someone to a benefice.
Extending the concept of devolution as
“Social Devolution” would therefore be construed as a process of elevating
social power, prestige and dignity to socially low status groups (affirmed
status of Dalits) by way of positively discriminating
them to provide opportunities by a central agency (state in the case of India)
without redistributing supremacy and forwardness of higher status groups which
also, in fact aspire to achieve the affirmed status given by that agency.
[These two concepts about the process of social devolution and the Affirmed
Status were discussed in a paper titled “Ambedkar’s
Vision, Social Devolution and Affirmed Status: Role of Non-Dalits
in Social Integration of Dalits for Sustainable
Development” presented at the National Seminar on “The Role of Weaker Sections
in Democracy and Nation Building” organised by Dr. Babasaheb
Ambedkar National Institute of Social Sciences, Dr. Ambedkar Nagar (India), 6-7, February,
2004.]