Rise of Paswans: SC tag to trump card

It is what late sociologist M.N. Srinivas would have described as ‘‘Sanskritisation’’ or upward movement in the caste la...

It is what late sociologist M.N. Srinivas would have described as ‘‘Sanskritisation’’ or upward movement in the caste ladder. The Paswans, traditionally village sentries, have struggled long with their ‘‘Scheduled Caste identity’’ and now, one of them holds the key to the seat of power.

The Paswans have been treated shabbily not only by the forward castes — Brahmins, Rajputs, Kayasths and Bhumihars but sometimes, even, by the four upper backwards — Yadavs, Koeris, Kurmis and Vaishyas. The Assembly elections have turned out several Paswans to the corridors of power.

Pashupati Kumar Paras, LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan’s brother, won from Alauli as did Rameshwar Paswan from Sikandra. Both are reserved SC seats. Then, there is Lalan Paswan, who won from Chenari as the JD(U) nominee. JD(U)’s Bilat Paswan and Saryug Paswan also won from Sakra and Fathwa. As did Ajay Paswan of RJD from Fatehpur. Krishan Nandan Paswan and Ram Prit Paswan won for the BJP in Pipra and Khajauli.

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Babu Jagjivan Ram, from the Ravidas group, had travelled a long way in his political career but the SCs in Bihar always suspected that Jagjivan Ram had been co-opted by the upper castes and included as one of them.

The social justice movement had thrown up leaders such as Karpoori Thakur from the nai community who led the four major upper backward communities and the 108 sub-groups of the lower backwards. Laloo Prasad Yadav emerged as the hero of the backward-Muslim combine in 1990. With the mandir-mandal movement bifurcating and trifurcating following ego clashes on more than one occasion, there were splits and Nitish Kumar emerged as the leader of another group of upper backwards — the Kurmis. The scheduled castes watched the rise of Ram Vilas Paswan from far. Many upper castes see the Paswans as ‘‘militant’’ and ‘‘aggressive’’. They had fought alongside the Kurmis against the British categorisation of their castes as ‘‘criminal’’.

But Ram Vilas Paswan is no Kanshi Ram or Mayawati yet. It remains to be seen how far he carries the other Paswans and scheduled castes with him. Over the years, Paswan has pursued a political path taking him closer to the upper backwards or even the landed, forward castes. There’s further reason to doubt Paswan’s objectives — of his 29 MLAs, nine are Bhumihars and seven are Rajputs. SC winners of LJP total less than the number of Yadav winners.