The National President of the Samajwadi Party, Akhilesh Yadav, came up with an acronym ‘PDA’, or Pichhda, Dalit, and Alpsankhyak (Backward Classes, Dalits, and Minorities), as a key part of his political strategy in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. This PDA strategy was a conscious attempt to mobilize marginalized communities in the state, to showcase the sharp divisions along caste lines, far from being merely a catchy electoral slogan. Recently, Yadav’s PDA became more prominent by calling for more members of these communities, particularly the backward castes, to be included in the police force. He said that, "The PDA members have a better understanding of the issues faced by their community, and employing them in the police force will be a great step ahead.” At a campaign rally, he sai
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‘Modern India’ Continues To Cripple With Burden Of Casteism And Blind Orthodoxy
It is widely believed that the caste system is on the decline in today's globalised and contemporary world. At the same time, people of lower castes have been subjected to extreme kinds of discrimination, violence, and humiliation in a variety of settings during the past few years, including public spaces, workplaces, public transportation, and schools. People of lower social classes are being lynched and killed, as well as subjected to physical and verbal abuse, for seemingly trivial reasons, such as using the communal water supply, taking up prime seating in the classroom, owning a horse, or sporting a hip moustache. In recent years, members of the dominant castes have been seen showing solidarity with the accused and viewing the conviction or legal action against them as an affro...
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