UP’s Ban on Caste Rallies: Shining Light on a Dark Political Den
Image credit X @HaveriHarsha
EDITORIAL
Judicial interventions continue to drive India’s social reforms as political timidity stalls progress; the Allahabad High Court’s ruling highlights the urgent need for a national law in the spirit of India’s 75 years of independence.
NEW DELHI, September 24, 2025 — Decision of the Uttar Pradesh government to ban caste-based political rallies is a belated response to toxic lapse of politics into the quagmire of political permutations and combinations. Caste toxicity by all accounts has become poisonous to the extent that college ragging also takes place on caste lines, and victims face murderous assaults.
Uttar Pradesh took politics of caste identities to an unprecedented level where the people from a large number of castes not just declared their identities on vehicles but even sported unique fashion styles. Caste clusters have also been seen in parts of the Hindi heartland.
Uttar Pradesh presents a perfect example of mutation of caste-based politics. Politicians nurse caste aspirations to establish bargaining power with large political outfits. Neighbouring Bihar also has come under the spell of mutative caste-based politics of Uttar Pradesh, with various outfits catering to specific castes in the state. Degeneration of the Indian politics is not just limited to the two states, which together account for 120 Lok Sabha seats, but spilling over to other states as well.
The Indian politics, in place of serving the mandate of the Constitution to remove caste differences, has over the decades only deepened narrow identities. No political party can duck the blame, for each outfit in the Indian politics has only added to the toxicity.
Questions may confront on scope of enforceability of the decision of the UP government, which aim to target even the social media platforms and online portals. The state government has vowed actions under existing rules of Information and Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
The ban builds on Allahabad High Court Single Judge ruling in the Praveen Chhetri vs. Uttar Pradesh State case. Barring cases involving members of the scheduled castes, the ruling directed the state to remove all mention of castes from official documents such as police FIR.
Reforms in India most often come from the initiatives of the judiciary. The political class has been sterile to societal reforms for decades, afraid of losing votes here and there. The ruling of the Allahabad High Court merits a national level law. This will indeed be an abiding tribute to 75th commemoration of India’s Independence.
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