Place of subcaste

Caste as a social phenomenon has undergone many changes. The most important

operative unit that has exemplified caste in its discourse is subcaste ( jati)

identity. Both within India and certainly in the diaspora, there is now increasing

evidence of the dissolution of subcaste ( jati) identities giving rise to various

other formations of groups replacing the endogamous relationships with other

arbitrary group formations. In this article, I examine some evidence from South

Africa, the West Indies and the UK to analyse how caste has transformed in

these places and what it means for a discourse on caste that is historically rooted

in subcaste identity.

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