Decode Politics: What are Haryana’s ‘36 biradaris’ that every party talks about

What does biradari mean?

Professor S K Chahal of Kurukshetra University says the connection comes from baradar, the Persian connection for the brotherhood of a clan oregon a people with a communal ancestry. The English connection member is derived from this.

“The word biradari is besides referred to arsenic kaum (nation) oregon jaat (caste). Though the past 2 words person antithetic meanings, successful northbound India each 3 words are utilized arsenic synonyms for caste,” says Prof Chahal, who is the chairperson of the university’s Department of History and the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Prof M Rajivlochan, who teaches past astatine Panjab University successful Chandigarh, says biradaris are similar extended families. “Haryana is the portion of Mahabharat. It’s imagined that the structures similar biradaris person lasted since the clip of Mahabharat,” helium says.

What are the 36 biradaris and their societal significance?

In predetermination season, whenever immoderate campaigner approaches a village, helium oregon she is welcomed by the salient villagers connected behalf of the “36 biradari”. Among the castes and communities successful this class are Brahmins, Baniyas (Agarwals), Jats, Gurjars, Rajputs, Punjabis (Hindu), Sunars, Sainis, Ahirs, Sainis, Rors, and Kumhars. Almost fractional the Scheduled Castes (SCs) are from the leather-working castes.

However, six-time erstwhile MLA and erstwhile authorities concern curate Sampat Singh of the Congress says “36 biradaris” is conscionable a crook of operation and successful world determination are much than 36 castes. “In 2016, I called an lawsuit astatine my location successful Hisar to fortify the brotherhood among each castes and it was attended by the members of astir 85 castes. The brotherhood of ‘36 baradari’ is simply a precise communal connection successful Haryana that is utilized to beforehand harmony successful society,” says Singh.

According to Prof Chahal, the conception of 36 biradari is wide utilized successful the cultures of Punjab — some successful India and Pakistan — Haryana, and Rajasthan. “Socially, the biradari plays an important relation successful making marital relationships, settling inter oregon intra-caste disputes, and resolving different societal issues. It besides provides its radical with societal information and a feeling of individuality and honour. Hence, radical person an aggravated feeling of enslaved with and belongingness to their biradaris.”

How did the fig 36 travel to beryllium associated with the phrase?

According to Prof Chahal, the Ajmer-Merwar Gazetteer (1951) mentions the beingness of 37 castes, but not 36. “Early medieval Persian writings and question accounts notation to the beingness of 36 biradaris (clans oregon kingdoms) successful northbound India. Similarly, a renowned historiographer of Rajputana, Lt Col James Todd, an serviceman of the British East India Company, refers to 36 dynasties oregon kingdoms,” helium says.

Prof Chahal says successful Haryana, different connection with a fig suffixed astatine the extremity is “Khap 84”. “It refers to a khap panchayat of 84 villages, but each khaps bash not adhd up to 84 villages,” helium adds. According to him, “36 biradaris” is much of an idiom utilized to notation to the large communities and does not mean determination are precisely 36 communities successful reality.

The historiographer says determination is simply a akin illustration from Maharashtra wherever a strategy of 12 trades is referred to arsenic “Bara (12) Balutedars”. These see priests, astrologers, barbers, carpenters, and potters. In the authorities Budget this February, the Maharashtra authorities announced the instauration of implicit a twelve memorials, processing monuments and pilgrimage places arsenic good arsenic a proviso of implicit Rs 500 crore to make and acceptable up an economical improvement corp for the Balutedars.

What is the governmental value of 36 biradaris?

Politicians usage the operation to awesome their secular representation but galore similar to look aft the interests of their caste groups to scope retired to a circumstantial ballot bank. Similarly, a ample fig of voters excessively similar a campaigner for their caste only.

Mainstream parties tract candidates keeping caste calculations successful mind. For the October 5 polls, the BJP has fielded, among others, 21 OBCs, 17 Jats, 11 Brahmins, 11 Punjabi Hindus, 5 Baniyas, and 2 Muslims. In the Congress line-up, determination are 26 Jat candidates, 20 OBCs, 17 SCs, 11 Sikhs oregon Punjabi Hindus, six Brahmins, 5 Muslims, 2 Vaishyas, and 1 Rajput, Bishnoi, and Ror candidate.