Analysis | Appointment of Charanjit Singh Channi as CM brings SCs back into focus in political arena

Sharp internal divisions, indifference of parties behind lack of strong leadership in the dominant community in Punjab

Punjab has the highest percentage of the Scheduled Castes population in India at nearly 32% yet the community has not seen the emergence of strong leaders across key political parties. Sharp caste divisions within the SCs, landlessness and indifference of political parties are among the key deterrents to their rise.

Ahead of the 2022 Assembly election, the Congress party’s electoral strike in appointing Charanjit Singh Channi as Chief Minister has brought the community back into focus in the political arena.

The Scheduled Castes, like their counterparts in other parts of the country, are not a homogeneous community. They are scattered among 39 castes and five major religions — Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Muslims and Buddhists — besides being followers of a large number of sects and faiths such as Ravidassias, Ramdassias, Kavirpanthis and Radhasoamis.