GS1 – Indian Society
Context:
Despite progressive legal frameworks, caste-based honour killings continue in India, particularly in areas where traditional caste hierarchies are challenged.
Caste Tensions and Inter-Caste Marriages:
- Challenge to social hierarchy: Inter-caste marriages, especially unions between Dalit men and women from dominant castes, directly confront entrenched caste norms.
- Regional trends: States with relatively empowered Dalit populations, such as Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Kerala, exhibit more inter-caste marriages and corresponding honour killings, reflecting social backlash.
- National scenario: Only about 5% of marriages are inter-caste, indicating that violence tends to spike where caste hierarchies are contested rather than where they are strongest.
Role of Family in Sustaining Caste:
- Families perpetuate caste through rituals, customs, marriage norms, and social expectations.
- Children internalise caste identity early, making it a transgenerational and resistant institution.
- However, urban youth increasingly prioritising personal autonomy and self-growth are weakening the family’s influence, gradually eroding the caste’s cultural foundation.
Social Change and Future Outlook:
- Global shifts in family structures and acceptance of diverse relationships are influencing Indian youth.
- Growing individual autonomy undermines traditional family control, the strongest pillar of caste enforcement.
- Coupled with democratic resistance and legal safeguards, these trends suggest a gradual but enduring movement towards a more egalitarian society.