For thousands of years India’s ethnic Gujjars have been looked down on by much of society, as they were traditionally pastoralists who raised sheep, goats and water buffalo.

Now, as India approaches the 60th anniversary of its independence, the Gujjars have had enough, and are demanding that their social status be changed. But in an unusual example of how caste works in modern India, they want to be downgraded to the lowest level so that they can benefit from an affirmative action scheme.

Tens of thousands of Gujjars have blocked roads and railway lines in the northwestern state of Rajasthan since Tuesday, accusing the local government of reneging on a promise to lower their status. At least 15 people, including two police officers, have been killed in rioting when the Gujjars repeatedly set alight police property and attacked government offices.

The Indian Army has even been called in to quell the violence, which has disrupted the tourist route between the Rajasthani cities of Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur, and Agra, the site of the Taj Mahal. The violence has fuelled criticism of India’s affirmative action scheme under which lower castes are given preferential access to government jobs and education.

The Hindu caste system, which enforces a strict social hierarchy from brahmins at the top to dalits at the bottom, was outlawed after India became independent in 1947. But to correct its injustices the Government divides the lower levels of society into Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC). SC includes untouchables and others at the bottom; ST consists of ethnic minorities and OBC comprises other people who were traditionally discriminated against.

The Gujjars, who represent about 10 per cent of Rajasthan’s population of 55 million, are classified as OBC. But they want to be downgraded to ST, on a par with another local tribe called the Meena, which they believe would give them greater access to government jobs and university places.

“What the Gujjars are hoping is that there will be less competition in the ST category,” said Suryakant Wadhmore, of the Tata Institute of Social Science, Bombay.

Head to toe

— Society is ranked according to four main varnas or groups:

Brahmins The highest varna, was believed to have emerged from the god Brahma’s mouth

Kshatriyas The warrior and ruling class, emerged from Brahma’s arms

Vaishyas The Merchant and artisan class, emerged from Brahma’s thighs

Shudras Unskilled labourers and servants came from Brahma’s feet

— Each varna is divided into sub-castes, or jatis, typically defined by traditional jobs in Hindu society

— Surnames often point to a particular jati and job. Gandhi, for example, means greengrocer

— The untouchables, or dalits, are considered too lowly for inclusion in the varna system. The name derives from the belief that their touch is contaminating, and they are traditionally consigned to the most menial tasks

Source: BBC, Religion and Ethics

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