SCHEDULED CASTE ELITES

As a consequence of government’s reservation policy, Scheduled Castes have acquired higher education and thereafter achieved dignified and qualified designations at a higher level, both in government and non-government sectors.
This generation of elites comprising of intellectual, administrative, professional and political elites have migrated to urban areas and have evolved a unique position in the social and cultural fabric of upper caste society.
These Scheduled Castes living in the upper caste society have placed themselves in the upper and middle social classes in order to raise their status in the caste hierarchy. This change is very important for social as well as national integration. They are adopting the sociocultural pattern on an individual or on social level and their interaction patterns have also changed compared to patterns followed earlier.
This study of urban centres in Maharashtra tries to analyse the attitude of Scheduled Caste elites and their social, economic and cultural interactions with upper castes and other non-Scheduled Castes. These highly educated Scheduled Castes have alienated themselves from their relatives who are still below poverty line, as a result their social differences are increasing fast.

Jagan Karade, Professor and Head, Department of Sociology, Shivaji University, Kolhapur (Maharashtra), is also the Coordinator of UGC-SAP-DRS-Phase III. He is a Fellow of Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi. Author of three books and six edited volumes, his numerous articles have appeared in reputed journals and edited books. Dr Karade has completed two Major Research Projects funded by the UGC, New Delhi and ICSSR, New Delhi. He is a member of Management Council, Indian Sociological Society, New Delhi and an ex-President of Maharashtra Sociological Society. Dr Karade is also a Member of Executive Committee, Famine and Society-WG05, International Sociological Association. E-mail: jagankarade@yahoo.co.in