Haryana Election 2024 : Election campaigning is in full swing in Haryana. In election rallies, opposition leader and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda keeps stressing that the Congress is the “party of 36 communities” and that the Congress has the support of all of them. The BJP also makes similar claims. Recently, BJP national secretary and party manifesto committee chief Om Prakash Dhankar had said that if the party comes back to power in the elections, we will create a welfare board to look after the interests of the 36 communities.” That is, leaders of all political parties are claiming to represent the interests of all the “36 communities” of the state.
Are there 36 communities?
During election season, whenever a candidate visits a village, he is welcomed by prominent villagers on behalf of the “36 biradaris”. The castes and communities falling under this category include Brahmin, Bania (Aggarwal), Jat, Gujjar, Rajput, Punjabi (Hindu), Sunar, Saini, Ahir, Saini, Ror and Kumhar. Nearly half of the Scheduled Castes (SC) are from leather-making castes.
However, six-time former Congress MLA and former state finance minister Sampat Singh says that “36 biradari” is just a phrase and in reality there are more than 36 castes. He says that in 2016 he had called a program at his house in Hisar to strengthen brotherhood among all castes and members of about 85 castes participated in it. He says that the brotherhood of ’36 baradari’ is a very common term in Haryana which is used to promote harmony in the society.
In fact, the concept of 36 biradari is widely used in the cultures of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. Socially, biradari plays an important role in forming matrimonial alliances, settling inter-caste disputes and resolving other social issues. It also provides social security and a sense of identity and respect to its people. Therefore, people have a deep sense of attachment and belonging to their biradaris.
Why only number 36?
According to experts, the Ajmer-Merwar Gazetteer (1951) mentions the existence of 37 castes, but not 36. Early medieval Persian writings and travelogues mention the existence of 36 biradaris (clans or states) in North India. Similarly, a famous historian of Rajputana, Lieutenant Colonel James Tod, an officer of the British East India Company, mentions 36 dynasties or states.
Another term in Haryana is “Khap 84” which refers to Khap Panchayat of 84 villages, but the sum of all Khaps does not equal 84 villages so “36 Biradari” is a phrase used to refer to the major communities and does not mean that there are actually 36 communities.
Historians say there is a similar example from Maharashtra where a system of twelve occupations is called “bara (12) balutedars”. These include priests, astrologers, barbers, carpenters and potters. In the state budget this February, the Maharashtra government announced a provision of over Rs 500 crore to build more than a dozen memorials, develop monuments and pilgrimage sites as well as develop and set up an economic development corporation for the balutedars.
Political importance of 36 fraternity
Politicians use the phrase to project their secular image, but many prefer to look at the interests of their caste groups to reach out to a particular vote bank. Similarly, a large number of voters also prefer candidates from their caste. Mainstream parties field candidates keeping caste calculations in mind. For the October 5 elections, the BJP has fielded 21 OBC, 17 Jat, 11 Brahmin, 11 Punjabi Hindu, five Bania and two Muslim candidates, among others. The Congress has fielded 26 Jat candidates, 20 OBC, 17 SC, 11 Sikh or Punjabi Hindu, six Brahmin, five Muslim, two Vaishya and one Rajput, Bishnoi and Ror candidate each.
