UNION HOME Minister Shivraj Patil today said an answer to the prevailing divisions in society on caste lines lay in age-old culture than in resorting to sub-castes. An experiment to unify divided society should begin in Uttar Pradesh, he said.
Patil was addressing a symposium on challenges of ‘Communal and Caste Politics in Indian Democracy’ that the Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Smriti Samiti had organised on the occasion of 87th birth anniversary of late Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna at Ravindralaya, here today. Both the communal and caste politics were equally unacceptable, said Patil, adding caste politics had been used as a tool to counter communal politics. No one should now resort to the use of sub-castes to counter caste politics, said Patil adding, instead, efforts should be made to unify society by following the path that Congress leaders like Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru had shown to the people.
A beginning in this regard should be made from Uttar Pradesh, he said, adding the experiment was bound to be successful. Patil said religion should work as a unifying factor and not be used to divide society.