Deconstructing the Caste Hegemony: Lambada Oral Literature

Indian society is very carefully and dexterouslystratified on the basis of castes and sects. This carefulnessand dexterity are used not only to divide the society intothousands of sections but also to protect and preserve thissystem for ages, banning and barring mobility andinteraction between castes. Each caste has a caste lowerthan itself in hierarchy. Even the most downtrodden anddiscriminated against section like “untouchables” are dividedsharply among themselves according to their castes andpractice untouchability against one another. Subservience toone caste and subjugating another caste will put eachcaste’s agenda, position and attitude in tact by making itrigid in its hierarchical behaviour.