The Uttar Pradesh government’s recent directive banning caste-based political rallies, the public display of caste names on vehicles and signboards, and restricting the mention of caste in police records (except in cases under the SC/ST Act), has triggered sharply divided responses from different caste organisations in the state.
The order, issued on Sunday by officiating Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar to all district magistrates and police chiefs, is aimed at “eliminating caste-based discrimination” and draws its authority from an Allahabad High Court judgment dated September 16.
The 10-point directive is intended to promote social harmony, but its political and social implications are already being hotly debated.
Support from Kshatriya and Brahmin Bodies
Several caste organisations have welcomed the move. Mahender Singh Tanwar, national president of the Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha (ABKM), praised the order, stating: Caste should not be displayed. I do not have ‘Kshatriya’ written on my car.
What difference does it make? Lord Ram and Maharana Pratap never spoke of caste. Showing off caste only divides society. The caste system is the biggest hurdle to social harmony.”
Similarly, Pitambar Sharma, UP president of the Akhil Bharatvarshiya Brahmin Mahasabha, also extended support. He said caste labels on vehicles send a wrong message:
We do not encourage this practice. Whenever we find someone writing ‘Brahmin’ on his car, we ask him to remove it. Such practices are mostly followed by the Jat and Gurjar communities.”
Opposition from Yadav, Gurjar, and Jat Leaders
On the other side, leaders from the Yadav, Gurjar, and Jat communities have voiced strong opposition, alleging political motives behind the move.
Kaptan Singh Yadav, state president of the Akhil Bharatiya Yadav Mahasabha (ABYM), claimed the directive was intended to weaken the mobilisation of Yadavs and other communities in support of the Samajwadi Party (SP).
At a recent ABYM meeting in Kanpur, over 40 castes joined hands. The BJP government fears the Opposition’s PDA slogan (Pichchda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak). Banning caste identity is a way to block that mobilisation.”
Dinesh Singh Gurjar, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Gurjar Mahasabha (ABGM), admitted the order might help curb inter-caste clashes, but criticised the government for not consulting caste leaders beforehand:
The order should apply equally to all. It should not happen that vehicles with Gurjar stickers are fined while Kshatriya stickers are ignored.”
He too suggested that the directive was politically timed to counter the Gurjar tilt towards the SP.
Meanwhile, Jaiveer Singh, general secretary of the Jat Mahasabha in Muzaffarnagar, termed the directive “discriminatory ”:
Why is the order not applicable to SCs and STs? I am proud to be a Jat. What is wrong if someone displays his caste? By signifying one’s caste, no one is insulting or harming others. This order will be opposed.”
A Deeply Rooted Practice in Western UP
In western UP, it is common to see caste names displayed prominently on vehicles, village entry boards, and even at local events.
Gurjar and Jat communities, in particular, have long used such practices to mark identity and presence, with Yadav, Brahmin, and Kshatriya groups following similar trends. The new order, therefore, strikes at a deeply ingrained social habit.
The Road Ahead
While the state government frames the ban as a step toward erasing caste-based discrimination and fostering unity, its enforcement could prove challenging. More importantly, its political ramifications are becoming visible, as different communities interpret the move either as an act of reform or as a targeted curb on their influence.
Whether the order will succeed in reducing caste divisions or further intensify political polarisation remains to be seen.
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