CBSE Class 10 Political Science Gender Religion And Caste Worksheet

GENDER AND POLITICS

What are the various factors that affect the functioning of a democratic set up in a country? How has gender division shaped politics? How do communal divisions affect democracy? Do these divisions help?
The gender division in our society is natural and unchangeable. This division is not based on biology but on social expectations and stereotypes.

Gender Division of Labor

• Boys and girls are brought up to believe that the main responsibility of women is housework and bringing up children. This is reflected as the ‘gender division of labor’. In most families women do all the work inside the home such as cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, tailoring, looking after children, etc. and men do all the work outside the home. It is not that men cannot do housework; they simply think that it is for women to attend to these things. When these jobs are paid for, men are ready to take up these jobs.
• The result of this division of labor is that although women constitute half of the humanity, their role in public life, especially politics, is minimal in most societies. Earlier, only men were allowed to participate in public affairs, vote and contest for public offices. Gradually the gender issue was raised in politics. Women in different parts of the world organized and agitated for equal rights. There were agitations in different countries for the extension of voting rights to women. These agitations demanded enhancing the political and legal status of women and improving their educational and career opportunities.
• More radical women’s movements aimed at equality in personal and family life as well. These movements are called Feminist Movements.
• Political discussions on gender division and public support on this important issue, has helped to improve women’s role in public life. We now find women working as scientists, doctors, engineers, lawyers, managers and college and university teachers. These jobs were earlier not considered suitable for women. In some parts of the world, for example in Scandinavian countries such as Sweden, Norway and Finland, the participation of women in public life is very high.
• Women often face disadvantage and discrimination in our male dominated patriarchal society:

(a) The literacy rate among women is only 65.46 % compared with 82.14 % among men. At school girls perform as well as boys, if not better in some places. But they drop out because parents prefer to spend their resources for their boys’ education.
(b) The percentage of women in highly paid jobs is still very small. At many workplaces, women are paid less than men for the same job. An Indian woman usually works more hours than an average man on a daily basis.
(c) Women are discriminated against in parental property share. 'The Hindu Succession Amendment Act, 2005' removes discriminatory gender practices. The daughters now have equal right of inheritance to their father’s estate as sons. The daughters have a right to receive a share in mother’s property.
(d) The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 provides that equal wages should be paid for equal work. However, in almost all areas of work, from sports and cinema, to factories and fields, women are paid less than men, even when both do exactly the same work.
(e) Many Indian parents prefer to have a male child. A girl child is aborted in many cases.This has led to an eschewed sex ratio in India.
(f) There are many reports of harassment against women; both on the domestic front and outside the home.

Women’s political representation

The political representation of women had been very poor in the Indian legislatures. Even in the cabinet, the number of women ministers is very low.
One-third of seats in local government bodies have been reserved for women candidates. This has helped in increasing women’s representation in panchayats and municipalities.
A bill for providing one-third reservation in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies has been pending in the Parliament for more than a decade. Political parties are yet to arrive at consensus on this issue.
Gender division is an example that some form of social division needs to be expressed in politics. This also shows that disadvantaged groups do benefit when social divisions become a political issue.

RELIGION, COMMUNALISM AND POLITICS

There is another kind of social division in our society, the division based on religious differences. Though religious diversity is seen all over the world; it is nor as predominant as gender difference. Many countries including India have in their population, followers of different religions.

• As we have seen in the case of Northern Ireland, even when most of the people belong to the same religion, there can be serious differences about the way people practice that religion. Unlike gender differences, the religious differences are often expressed in politics.
• Religion plays an important role in politics. In some countries, politicians promote the cause of the majority religious group at the cost of the minorities. This produces a dangerous trend of majority tyranny.
• Gandhiji used to say that religion can never be separated from politics. What he meant by religion was not any particular religion like Hinduism or Islam but moral values that is at the core of all religions. He believed that politics must be guided by ethics drawn from religion.
• Women’s movement has argued that 'Family Laws' of all religions discriminate against women. So, they have demanded that government should change these laws to make them more equitable. All these instances involve a relationship between religion and politics.

Communalism

When one religion is pitted against another; by the political class, this is called communalism or communal politics. Communalism can take various forms in politics :
(a) Many people think of their religion as superior to all other religions. Such people often try to dominate the people from other communities.
This can result in people from the minority community to form a separate political unit.
(b) Sometimes, sacred symbols, religious leaders, emotional appeal, etc., are used to instill a sense of fear among people of a particular community. This is done with an attempt to polarize people on communal lines.
Communalism can also take the ugly form of communal violence, riots and even massacre of large number of people.

Secular state

Communalism continues to be one of the major challenges to democracy in our country. The makers of our Constitution took care of this by providing various provisions for it in the constitution.
(a) There is no official religion for the Indian state. Unlike the status of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, that of Islam in Pakistan and that of Christianity in England, our Constitution does not give a special status to any religion.
(b) The Constitution provides to all individuals and communities freedom to profess, practice and propagate any religion, or not to follow any.
(c) The Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion.
(d) At the same time, the Constitution allows the state to intervene in the matters of religion in order to ensure equality within religious communities. For example, it bans untouchability.

Secularism is not just an ideology of some parties or persons. This idea constitutes one of the foundations of our country. That is why communalism needs to be combated. A secular Constitution like ours is necessary but not sufficient to root out communalism. That is why we all should make an effort towards a secular society.

Caste and Politics

ff Social division on the lines of caste is unique to India. Some castes are accorded a higher status compared to many other castes. What makes it different from other societies is that in this system, hereditary occupational division was sanctioned by rituals. Members of the same caste group were supposed to form a social community that practiced the same or similar occupation, married within the caste group and did not eat with members from other caste groups.
ff Caste system was based on exclusion of and discrimination against the ‘outcaste’ groups. They were subjected to untouchability. Political leaders and social reformers like Jyotiba Phule, Gandhiji, B.R. Ambedkar and Periyar Ramaswami Naicker advocated and worked to establish a society in which caste inequalities are absent.

Current Status of Caste Related Prejudice

• Due to various socio-economic changes, social division on the basis of caste has been blurring in recent times. Economic development, large scale urbanization, literacy, occupational mobility and weakening of the position of landlords in villages have helped in diluting the caste-based divisions.
• Caste is still an important parameter when it comes to finalizing marriages. But in most of the other spheres of life, caste effect has come down in India.
• People from the upper caste had traditionally better access to the education and hence they have done well in economic development. People from the oppressed castes are still lagging behind in socio-economic development.

CASTE AND POLITICS

(a) Most of the political parties keep the caste calculation in mind while fielding a candidate in a particular constituency. While forming governments, political parties usually take care that representatives of different castes and tribes find a place in it.
(b) In elections political parties and candidates appeals to caste sentiments to get support.
Some political parties are known to favour some castes and are seen as their representatives.
(c) Universal adult franchise and the principle of one-person-one-vote has compelled political leaders to mobilize caste based votes.
(d) It also brought new awareness among the people of different castes that were hitherto treated as inferior and low.
(e) However, elections cannot be won by just focusing on caste-based politics. This is proved from the following facts –

• No parliamentary constituency in the country has a clear majority of one single caste. So, every candidate and party needs to win the confidence of more than one caste and community to win elections.
• No party wins the votes of all the voters of a caste or community. When people say that a caste is a ‘vote bank’ of one party, it usually means that a large proportion of the voters from that caste vote for that party.
• Many political parties may put up candidates from the same caste (if that caste is believed to dominate the electorate in a particular constituency).
• The ruling party and the sitting MP or MLA frequently lose elections in our country. That could not have happened if all castes and communities were frozen in their political preferences.
• We can say that, while caste matters in electoral politics, so do many other factors. People within the same caste have different interests depending on their economic condition; that is why rich and poor or men and women from the same caste often vote very differently.
• A caste group often tries to become bigger by incorporating within it neighboring castes or sub-castes thus changing the definition of the group.
• Sometimes various caste groups enter into a coalition and thus enter into a dialogue and negotiation. This leads to new kinds of caste groups such as ‘backward’ and ‘forward’ .Caste inequality today Economic inequalities often exist on the basis of caste. The upper caste people are usually well off,the backward classes come in between and the dalits and adivasis are at the bottom.
• The percentage of people below poverty line generally is higher among the lowest castes.

Important Terms and Words

Sexual division of labor : A system in which all work inside the home is either done by the women of the family, or organized by them through the domestic helpers.
Feminist : A woman or a man who believes in equal rights and opportunities for women and men.
Patriarchy : Rule by the father, this concept is used to refer to a system that values men more and gives them power over women.
Family laws : Those laws that deal with family related matters such as marriage, divorce, adoption, inheritance, etc. Different family laws apply to followers of different religions.
Urbanization : Shift of population from rural areas to urban areas.
Occupational mobility : Shift from one occupation to another, usually when a new generation takes up occupations other than those practiced by their ancestors.
Caste hierarchy : A ladder like formation in which all the caste groups are placed from the ‘highest’ to the ‘lowest’ castes.

Fill In The Blank

DIRECTION : Complete the following statements with appropriate word(s).

Question : Sex selective abortion led to a ______ in child sex ratio in the country to merely 914.
Answer : decline 

More Questions and Answers for NCERT Class 10 Social Science Gender Religion and Caste ...

Question : Define communalism. Explain any three forms of communalism in the Indian Politics.
Answer :  (i) Communalism is a situation when beliefs of one religion are presented as superior to those of other religions. When the demands of one religious group are formed in opposition to another and when state power is used to establish domination of one religious group over the rest.
(ii) Various forms of communalism in politics :
(a) The most common expression of communalism is in everyday beliefs and practices.
(b) Practice of political dominance of one's own religious community over others.
(c) Political mobilisation on religious lines is another frequent form of communalism. This involves the use of sacred symbols by religious leaders, emotional appeals to spread fear.

Question : State any one provision in the Indian constitution which makes India a secular state.
Answer :  There is no official religion for the Indian states. Unlike the status of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, that of Islam in Pakistan and that of Christianity in England, our Constitution does not give a special status to any religion.

Question : Literacy and urbanisation combined with economic growth have changed the value system of Indian society. Explain with reference to India's social problems.
Answer : (i) The caste system is very old in India and was also very rigid at one point of time but due to rise in literacy and economic development the caste barriers are breaking down. People in urban areas who are literate mostly do not believe in inequality based on caste. It is accepted that all are equal. Rising economic status of backward castes has helped in eroding the caste barriers.
(ii) The problem of communalism has decreased and there is less violence in the name of religion. People who are literate mostly do not get swayed by appeal to religious emotions. Economic progress and urbanisation has greatly helped in spread of in spread of secularism.
(iii) The position of women too has improved with the spread of literacy among women. Now they can earn and be economically independent. This helps to increase self-esteem and decreases dependence on male members of society.
(iv) The system of dowry at the time of marriage is getting diluted due to literacy and economic development of women.
(v) The practice of child marriage is decreasing due to spread of literacy.
(vi) There is occupational mobility due to spread of urbanisation and literacy and people are free to follow the profession of their choice rather than follow hereditary professions.

Question : Caste has not still disappeared from contemporary India. Justify the statement.
Answer : It is true the caste factor has still not disappeared from our society :
(i) Most people marry within their own caste or tribe.
(ii) Untouchability has not ended despite provisions in the constitution.
(iii) Effects of centuries of advantages to upper cast and disadvantages to lower castes continue to be felt today.
(iv) Large number of low caste people still do not have access to education.
(v) Caste is still linked to economic and social status.

Question : Suppose a politician seeks your vote on the religious ground. Why is his act considered against the norms of democracy? Explain.
Answer : His act is against the spirit of democracy as the said politician is not working as per the Constitution.
(i) It also exploits the social difference.
(ii) It may create social discord and may lead to social division.
(iii) It is also biased attitude and neglects the principle of equality.

Question : Explain the forms of casteism in India politics.
Answer : Casteism is rooted in the belief that caste is the sole basis of social community. Caste takes various forms in Indian politics.
(i) When parties choose candidates in elections, they keep in mind the caste composition of the electorate and nominate candidates from the caste so as to get necessary support to win elections.
(ii) When governments are formed, the political party takes care that representatives of different castes and tribes get a place in the ministry.
(iii) During the campaigning, political parties and candidates make appeals to people to give their votes on the basis of caste. Some political parties are known to favor some castes and are seen as their representatives. However, Universal Adult Franchise and the principle of one-person-one-vote has compelled political leaders to gear up to the task of mobilizing and securing political support. It has brought new consciousness among the people who were so far treated as inferior and low.

Question : Explain the constitutional provisions that make India a secular state.
Answer : Secularism means no special status is given to any religion.
(i) There is no official religion for India unlike the status of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, or that of Islam is Pakistan.
(ii) The constitution provides freedom to practice and propagate any religion, or not to follow any.
(iii) The Constitution prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion.
(iv) The Constitution allows the state to intervene in the matters of religion to ensure equality within religious communities. For example, it bans untouchability.

Question : Describe three advantages of the political expression of caste differences. 
Answer : Advantages of the political expression of caste differences are :
(i) It gives disadvantaged groups the opportunity to demand a share in power and decision-making.
(ii) Many political parties have taken up the issue of ending caste discrimination.
(iii) Measures for uplifting the status of the backward castes has also been undertaken.

Question : Describe the positive and negative aspects of relationship between caste and politics.
Answer : Positive aspects : (i) It gives the disadvantaged group the opportunity to demand a share in power and decision-making.
(ii) Many political parties take up the issue of ending caste discrimination.
(iii) Measures for uplifting the status of the backward castes can be undertaken seriously.
Negative aspects :
(i) Caste-based politics diverts attention from main issues such as poverty, corruption, etc.
(ii) Caste based politics leads to tensions, conflicts and violence amongst caste segments.

Question : How much representation do local governments provide for women in India?
Answer : One third

Question : How is gender division understood in the society? To what extant does political mobilizations on gender help to improve Moment's role in public life?
Answer : (i) In Indian society, gender division tends to be understood as natural and unchangeable. It is based on social expectations and stereotypes.
(ii) This attitude leads to sexual division of labour i.e., boys and girls are brought up to believe that, the main responsibility of women is house work and bringing up children whereas all the outside works are to be done by men.
(iii) The result of this division of labour is that though the women constitute almost half the population, their role in public life in minimal.
(iv) Political mobilization on this issue has helped to improve women's role in public life. We now find women working as scientists, doctors engineers, teachers, etc.
(v) Now 33% seats are reserved for women in local government bodies and a similar demand has been made for Assemblies and the Parliament.

Question : What form does communalism take in politics?
Answer : Communalism can take various forms in politics :
(i) The most common expression of communalism is in everyday beliefs. These involve spread of religious prejudices, stereotype of religious belief, in the superiority of one's religion over other religions. This is so common that we often fail to notice it, even when we do not believe in it.
(ii) It often leads to a quest for political dominance of one's own religious community, this takes the form of majoritarian dominance. For those belonging to the minority community, it leads to formation of a separate political unit.
(iii) Political mobilisation on religious lines is another frequent form of communalism. This involves the use of sacred symbols by religious leaders. Emotional appeals are made to bring the followers of one religion together in the political arena.
(iv) Sometimes communalism can lead to communal violence, riots and massacre.

Question : Explain the term Feminist Movement.
Answer : A movement to secure legal, economic and social equality for women.

Question : The focus on caste in politics can sometimes give an impression that elections are all about caste and nothing else. Do you agree? Explain.
Answer : No, I do not agree. The focus on caste in politics can sometimes give an impression that elections are all about caste and nothing else is not correct because–
(i) No parliamentary constituency in the country has a clear majority of one single caste. So, every candidate and party needs to win the confidence of more than one caste and community to win elections.
(ii) No party wins the votes of all voters of a caste or community. When people say that a cast is a 'vote bank' of one party, it usually means that a large proportion of the voters from the caste vote for the party, not all.
(iii) Many political parties may put up candidates from the same caste (if that caste is believed to dominate the electorate in a particular constituency). Some voters may have more than one candidate from their caste while many voters may have no candidate from their caste.
(iv) The ruling party or the sitting M.P. or M.L.A. frequently lose elections in our country. That could not have happened if all castes or communities were frozen in their political preferences.

Question : Suggest any two measures to check communalism in India.
Answer : (i) Communal prejudices and proganda need to be countered in everyday life.
(ii) Religion based mobilisation to meet political must be needs countered.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question : Explain the relationship between religion and politics.
                                            OR
How are religious differences expressed in politics ?
Answer : (i) Views of Gandhiji : Gandhiji used to say that religion can never be separated from politics. What he meant by religion was not any particular religion like Hinduism or Islam, but the moral values that are there in all religions. According to him, politics must be guided by ethics drawn from all religions.
(ii) Views of Human rights groups : Human rights groups in our country have argued that most of the victims of communal riots in our country are people from religious minorities. They have demanded that the government should take special steps to protect religious minorities.
(iii) Women’s Movements : Women’s movements have argued that family laws of all religions discriminate against women. So they have demanded that the government should change these laws to make them more equitable.

Question : Mention any four steps which can be undertaken to improve the women’s representation in politics.
                                            OR
Suggest any three steps to improve the women’s participation in politics.
Answer : (i) To make it legally binding to have a fair proportion of women in the elected bodies
(ii) By reserving some seats in the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies for women.
(iii) Political parties should also give due representation to women members.
(iv) By raising the literacy rate.

Question : Why is the idea of communal politics fundamentally flawed ?
Answer : Most of these beliefs are fundamentally not true. People of one religion do not have the same interests and aspirations in most of the contexts. Every individual has his/her own choices, roles, positions and identities. There are many voices inside every community. All these voices have a right to be heard. Therefore, any attempt to bring all followers of one religion together in contexts other than religion is bound to suppress many voices within that community.

Question : How can religion be used in politics in a positive manner? Express your view point.
Answer : Politics and religion can be a deadly combination if not used wisely. It should be for the good of the people rather than used as a weapon to settle scores. Religion can be used in politics in a positive manner in the following ways.
• Politics should be guided by the ethics and values of religion.
• We should raise our demands as a religious community but not at the cost of other religions.
• Political leaders should also ensure that religion is not used as a medium of oppression and discrimination. They should have equal response to different religious conflicts or demands.

Question : Explain three features of the model of a secular state of India.
Answer : The concept of a secular state in India purports equal treatment all religions and to be officially neutral in the matters of religion.
The following are the features which make India a secular state.
• Unlike Christianity in America or Buddhism in Sri Lanka, India does not purport to or give special recognition to any religion. The Constitution of India has nowhere prescribed a particular religion.
• All Citizens of India and all communities and sects in India have been given freedom to practice, profess and propagate any religion under the Fundamental rights of the Constitution.
• The Constitution of India has clearly put a ban on any discrimination on the ground of religion. It provides for equal opportunity for all individuals irrespective of their religion.

Question : Is the caste system coming to an end in India? Give arguments in support of your answer.
Answer : No, I do not think that the caste system is coming to an end in India. From time immemorial, the caste system has been an inseparable part of Indian society and has been deeply rooted in our culture. It is entrenched in the society and brings about discrimination. Even though a number of government policies have been implemented, the caste system has not been completely eradicated.
The following are the instances to support this argument.
• Even though the constitution provides for various provisions for marrying outside the caste, most people in India still marry in their caste.
• Citizens of the country, while casting their votes, usually vote for a candidate of their own caste, rather than any other caste irrespective of the credibility of the candidate.
• Political parties keep in mind the caste composition of the electorate before choosing a candidate to represent their party so as to get necessary support for benefiting their election spree.
• Untouchability still has not completely eradicated from the Indian society even though the constitution prohibits any kind of untouchability.

Question : ‘Politics too influences the caste system.’ Explain.
                                       OR
In what ways does politics influence caste system?
                                       OR
How caste is politicised? Explain any three points.
Answer : Politics too influences the caste system and caste identities by bringing them into the political arena. Thus, it is not politics that gets caste-ridden, it is the caste that gets politicised. Politics in caste normally takes the following forms :
(i) Wide base : Each caste tries to widen its base to gain majority. Each caste group tries to become bigger by incorporating within it, the neighbouring castes or sub-castes which were earlier excluded from it.
(ii) Coalition : Various caste groups are required to enter into a coalition with other castes or communities, and thus enter into a dialogue and negotiation. This strengthens the basic structure of democracy.
(iii) New groups : New kinds of caste groups have come up in the political arena like ‘backward’ and ‘forward’ caste groups.

Question : Explain how the proper representation of women in legislature can solve the problem of gender-based discrimination in India.
Answer : The proper representation of women is legislature can solve the problem of gender-based discrimination in the following ways.
• Proper representation of women in legislature will result in more women- friendly laws.
• Better policing will help in greater security for women and better law enforcement.
• Seeing women in positions of decision-making is reassuring women empowerment, which helps to improve their image.

Question : What action was taken by International Olympic Association against each of the three Olympians, Carlos, Smith and Norman Peter?
Answer : The following actions were taken against the three Olympians, Carlos, Smith and Norman.
• Carlos and Smith were held guilty of violating the spirit of the gamgs by making a political statement.
• Their medals were taken back.
• Norman too suffered for his action and was not included in the Australian team for the next Olympic.

Question : How does overlapping of social differences lead to social division? Why is it easier to accommodate cross-cutting differences than overlapping* differences?
Answer : Overlapping of social differences occurs when some social difference overlaps other difference.
Situations of this kind produce social divisions, when one kind of social difference becomes more important than the other and people start feeling that they belong to different communities. For example, difference between Blacks and Whites in the United States becomes a social division
because Blacks tend to be poor and landless, and often face injustice and discrimination. In our country, dalits tend to be poor and landless and often face injustice and discrimination.
Overlapping differences create possibility of deep social divisions and tensions.
Whereas cross-cutting differences occur when social differences cross-cut one another, it is difficult to pit group of people against the other. It means that groups that share a common interest on the issue are likely to be on different sides on a different issue. For example, Northern Ireland and the Netherlands, both, are predominantly Christians but divided between Catholics and Protestants. In Northern Ireland, class and religion overlap each other, if Catholics tend to be poor and have suffered discrimination whereas in Netherland, class and religion tend to cross-cut each other and both are equally likely to be rich or poor. It means they have conflict in Northern Ireland and it is not so in the Netherlands. Cross-cut social differences are easier to accommodate.

Question : What are the features of a homogeneous society? Mention the name of any one country having such society.
Answer : The following are the features of a homogeneous society.
A homogeneous society is a society that has similar kinds of people.
In a homogeneous society, there are no significant ethnic differences and members share a common culture. Nowadays, homogeneous societies are undergoing rapid change due to the influx of people.
For instance, Germany and Sweden have homogeneous societies but they are also becoming multi-cultural with the influx of people.

Question : What action was taken by the International Olympic Association against each of the three Olympians—Carlos, Smith and Peter Norman?
Answer : The International Olympic Association held Carlos and Smith guilty of violating the spirit of Olympic Games by making a strong political statement during the awarding of medals to them.
The medals given to Smith and Carlos were taken back from them by the Association and back home they faced a lot of criticism and were looked down upon for their acts. Norman too faced consequences for supporting the act of Smith and Carlos. Although his medals were not taken back, he suffered for his action and was not included in the Australian team for the next Olympics.

Question : Explain with examples different forms of social differences.
                                                 OR
Give a comparative study of social difference by overlapping and cross-cutting.
Answer : Comparative Study between Overlapping and Cross-cutting Social Differences Overlapping and cross-cutting differences are the situation which determine social divisions

Question : Despite being a nation with numerous social divisions, why has Netherlands not faced a crises or a conflict? Explain the reasons.
Answer : The following are the reasons why despite being a nation with numerous social divisions, the Netherlands has not faced a crises or a conflict.
• Dominant Religion: The dominant religion prevailing in the Netherlands is Christianity. Both Catholics and Protestants are Christians and hence there is no conflict in terms of which religion is predominant.
• No disparity: In the Netherlands, there is no disparity between the rich and the poor among Catholic and Protestant communities.
• No discrimination: Even though there exist two classes of the rich and the poor and two communities—Catholics and Protestants, there is no discrimination on the basis of caste and religion.

Question : What were the reasons for conflict in Ireland? How was the problem solved?
Answer : There was a serious ethnic and political conflict in Northern Ireland for many years. The main reason for the conflict was the division and the demand for separation by the two existing social groups, i.e. the Catholics and the Protestants. The Protestants who were represented by the
Unionists demanded that they should not be separated from the United Kingdom as it is predominantly Protestant. On the other hand, the Catholics, who were represented by the Nationalist Party, demanded that Northern Ireland should be unified with the Republic of Ireland, which has been predominantly a Catholic country. The problem was resolved in 1998, when the British Government and the Nationalist Party signed a peace treaty after which the armed struggle between the two social groups ended.

Question : Every social difference does not lead to social division. Do you agree with the statement?
Justify your answer.
Answer : No, all social differences do not lead to social divisions. It depends upon the social and political circumstances whether or not a social difference will lead to a social division. A combination of social differences along with other differences cumulatively decides whether or not a social difference will convert into social division.
For example, a combination of race and economic backwardness would constitute a social difference that might lead to social division. However, it depends on how the political parties deal with this issue and how the government responds to it. It varies from place to place. While language or religion may be a form of social difference leading to social division in a particular form of society, it may not occur in another society due to different prevailing circumstances. For example, in Belgium, even though there is linguistic form of social difference, it has not led to social division.

Question : “We have different identities in different contexts.” Support the statement with three facts.
Answer : The presence of different socio-economic, religious, linguistic and caste group gives us different identities at different times and in different contexts. This can be called social diversity. These identities at some point divide us and at some point unite us. For example, one can be Hindu or
Muslim or Sikh but when it comes to education we are all students irrespective of our religion.
The following are the facts to support the statement.
• People belonging to same religion feel that they do not belong to the same community because their caste is different. For example, Hindus are all of the same religion but there are different castes.
• Sometimes people from different religions can have same caste which gives them a sense of belongingness.
• It may be seen among rich and poor people that they do not keep cordial even after belonging to the same religion, same caste and even family.

Question : What did the African-American athletes in Mexico Olympics do in order to draw international attention to social discrimination in the United States?
Answer : To draw international attention to racial discrimination in the United States the two African-
American athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, stood with clenched fists upraised and heads bowed, while the American national anthem was played. Their gesture symbolised Black Power. They wore black socks without shoes to represent Black Poverty. Thus, their gesture signified black power and protest against social discrimination in the United States.

Question : Describe the factors which decide the outcomes of the politics of social division?
Answer : Three factors that determine the outcome of politics of social divisions are as follows.
• The way people perceive their identifies: Social divisions may take place, if people demand a special recognition to their identities. If people see their identities in singular terms, it becomes very difficult to accommodate and avoid social divisions.
• Leadership provided by political leaders/The way political leaders react to the situations: The role played by political leaders and the leadership provided by them play an important role in creating or filling social divisions.
• The reaction of the government to demands of different groups: If the government gives equal representation and equal share of power to all the major and minor groups in the society, the chances of social divisions minimise. If the government tries to suppress a demand, it could create unrest, thereby paving the way for social divisions.

Question : What did the black glove and raised clenched fist signify? Why did the two athletes do so?
Answer : The black glove and raised clenched fist were meant to symbolic black power. The athletes did so in the Mexico Olympics (1968) to signify the discrimination faced by the black people. With this gesture, they tried to draw international attention to racial discrimination in the United
States. The two men—Tommie Smith and John Carlos—did this to represent unity in Black America. In the United States, during that time, a major racial discrimination was happening where the Black Americans, due to their dark colour, were looked down upon and were not treated as equals with the White Americans in order to grab international attention on this issue the athletes decided to put on black glove and raise the clenched fist when they were being awarded their medals.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Question : Why are caste barriers breaking down in India? Explain any five reasons.
Answer : In the recent decades, cast barriers have been breaking down in India because of the following reasons.
• It has been the efforts of social reformers that people have realised the caste based differences had no logic.
• The economic development, large scale urbanisation and occupational mobility has further erased the caste barriers.
• Spread of literacy and education has also played a great role in upgrading the beliefs and ideologies of the people.
• Complete eradication of landlordism has resulted in the decline of caste system.
• The constitutional provision of prohibiting caste based discriminations in every form and providing equal opportunities to all has reversed the caste injustices.

Question : What is communalism ? What are the major beliefs of communal people ?
Answer : Communalism is a situation when a particular community tries to promote its own interest at the cost of other communities.
Communal politics is based on the idea that religion is the principal basis of social community.
Communalism involves thinking along the following lines:
• The followers of a particular religion must belong to one community.
• Their fundamental interests should be the same. Any difference that they may have is irrelevant or trivial for community life.
• Communalism also follows that people who follow different religions cannot belong to the same social community. If the followers of different religions have some commonalities, these are superficial and immaterial. Their interests are bound to be different and involve a conflict.
• Sometimes, communalism leads to the belief that people belonging to different religions cannot live as equal citizens within one nation. Either one of them has to dominate the rest, or they have to form different nations.

Question : Describe three advantages and two disadvantages of the political expression of caste differences.
Answer : The following are the advantages of the political expression of caste differences.
• In the present times, several political and non-political organisations have fought discrimination against particular castes, for more dignity and more access to land, resources and opportunities for the people from lower caste, who were not given equal status and opportunity like the upper caste people.
• In some situations, expression of caste differences in politics gives many disadvantaged communities the space to demand their share of power. Usually it is seen that the disadvantaged communities are not able to exercise their rights but because of political re presentation of such caste differences, the oppressed people get to put forward their rights to get what they deserve.
• The following are the disadvantages of the political expression of caste differences.
• In case of religion, politics based on caste identity alone is not very healthy in democracy. It can divert attention from other pressing issues such as poverty, development and corruption.
Because caste is not the only issue that is causing a hindrance in the society there are various issues that need to be given equal importance.
• In some cases, caste differences lead to caste division, which further leads to violence and tension among the people of different caste and that might lead to outburst of riots in the society.

Question : Explain any five reasons for the declining caste system in India.
Answer : The following are the five reasons for the declining caste system in India.
• Growth of literacy and education: After industrialisation the literacy rate has increased.
• Occupational mobility: Due to occupational mobility, the new generation takes up occupations other than those practised by their ancestors.
• Large-scale urbanisation: Shift of people from rural areas to urban areas in search of jobs and better living conditions.
• Efforts made by leaders and reformers: The political leaders and social reformers worked to establish a society in which caste inequalities are absent.
• Economic development: Adoption of never technologies from agriculture-based to industrybased economy and general improvement in living standards.

Question : Suggest any two measures to check casteism in India.
Answer : The following are the two measures to check casteism in India.
• Spread of education: Education upgrades one’s level of thinking and helps in eradicating the misconceptions of one’s mind. All possible steps should be taken to educate the masses.
• Economic equality: Inequality in the economic life creates the feeling of superiority and inferiority among the members of different caste groups. Steps need to be taken to maintain economic equality of all castes.
• Abolition of Reservation Policy: Reservation in government job, education and other sectors creates conflicting attitude among the members of two different castes. When the people of higher castes having adequate educational qualification are deprived of all facilities, they revolt against the lower caste people.
• Political reforms: Political leaders and parties based on caste should be banned from the political horizon.
• The name and aim of educational institutions referring to castes need to be given up.

Question : Mention any three constitutional provisions that make India a secular state.
Answer : The constitutional provisions which make India a ‘secular state’ are as follows.
• The Constitution of India does not give special recognition to any religion and there is no state religion in India, unlike, Christianity in America, and Buddhism in Sri Lanka.
• All individuals and communities have been given freedom to practice, profess and propagate any religion.
• The Constitution of India has put a ban on any discrimination on the grounds of religion.
• According to the constitution, the state cannot intervene in the matters of religion to promote religious equality.