Caste and Class in India : Some Conceptual Problems

There are a number oi points which have so far remained un clarified in regard to the nature of caste and class in India. Caste and class are polar opposites; caste is being replaced by class; caste is a rural phenomenon whereas class is found in urban-industrial settings; caste is an ascriptive system and class is based on the achievement principle; caste is a closed system and does not permit mobility for its members, whereas class is an open system and allows 'mobility for its members; India has|had a caste system, hence a 'caste model' for studying Indian society; and the West has|had classes, hence a 'class model' for studying Western societies — are some of the familiar misconcieved notions about caste and class in India. However, these notions are rooted in the historicity of Indian society and its culture including British and post independence academic colonialism. I will touch upon these points in my paper.