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Politics of middle class India

Ashish Kumar, 30, at the stationary shop he runs outside Bangalore's National Institute of Fashion Technology in Bangalore. Kumar moved from Begusarai, Bihar to Bangalore 8 years back, in search of a better life. He votes regularly, opposes caste-based reservations, wants strong leadership and supports Narendra Modi. Virendra Singh Gosain/HT Photo

Updated on: Apr 29, 2013 2:42 AM IST

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Ashish Kumar, 30, at the stationary shop he runs outside Bangalore's National Institute of Fashion Technology in Bangalore. Kumar moved from Begusarai, Bihar to Bangalore 8 years back, in search of a better life. He votes regularly, opposes caste-based reservations, wants strong leadership and supports Narendra Modi. Virendra Singh Gosain/HT Photo

Updated on Apr 29, 2013 2:42 AM

Ashish Kumar, 30, at the stationary shop he runs outside Bangalore's National Institute of Fashion Technology in Bangalore. Kumar moved from Begusarai, Bihar to Bangalore 8 years back, in search of a better life. He votes regularly, opposes caste-based reservations, wants strong leadership and supports Narendra Modi. Virendra Singh Gosain/HT Photo

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Gigi Saji, from Wayanad, Kerala, came to Bangalore a decade back with the dream of becoming a beautician. She started business 8 years back. Her salon in Bangalore's Domlur neighbourhood is doing well but last year's anti-Northeast violence hurt her business because most of her employees were from that region and left for home in fear. She opposes politics that pits immigrants against locals. Virendra Singh Gosain/HT Photo

Updated on Apr 29, 2013 2:42 AM

Gigi Saji, from Wayanad, Kerala, came to Bangalore a decade back with the dream of becoming a beautician. She started business 8 years back. Her salon in Bangalore's Domlur neighbourhood is doing well but last year's anti-Northeast violence hurt her business because most of her employees were from that region and left for home in fear. She opposes politics that pits immigrants against locals. Virendra Singh Gosain/HT Photo

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Graphic designer Ranjan Thongjam Singh hails from Imphal, Manipur but has made Bangalore his home. His family has traditionally voted for the Congress but the spate of scams has turned him against the party. His dilemma is that he doesn't like the BJP, either. Virendra Singh Gosain/HT Photo

Updated on Apr 29, 2013 2:42 AM

Graphic designer Ranjan Thongjam Singh hails from Imphal, Manipur but has made Bangalore his home. His family has traditionally voted for the Congress but the spate of scams has turned him against the party. His dilemma is that he doesn't like the BJP, either. Virendra Singh Gosain/HT Photo

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Aniruddha Pure, 37, who manages accounts for an auto firm in Indore, believes traditions are important, they are "scientific", and that they should be taught to the coming generation. He believes India's past is glorious. He sees politics as corrupt, and believes caste is increasingly becoming irrelevant with "modern" thought. His father came from a village in Khargon, MP. Arun Mondhe/HT Photo

Updated on Apr 29, 2013 2:42 AM

Aniruddha Pure, 37, who manages accounts for an auto firm in Indore, believes traditions are important, they are "scientific", and that they should be taught to the coming generation. He believes India's past is glorious. He sees politics as corrupt, and believes caste is increasingly becoming irrelevant with "modern" thought. His father came from a village in Khargon, MP. Arun Mondhe/HT Photo

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Amit Parsai, 29, a homoepathic doctor from Indore, believes caste was personally relevant in the past but is politically used for getting benefits now. He believes inter-caste marriages are good as these would lead to "varied off-spring". He sees politics as a den of corruption and crime and says traditions are important. He sees a differnence of thought with the generation of his father, a lab assistant. Arun Mondhe/HT Photo

Updated on Apr 29, 2013 2:42 AM

Amit Parsai, 29, a homoepathic doctor from Indore, believes caste was personally relevant in the past but is politically used for getting benefits now. He believes inter-caste marriages are good as these would lead to "varied off-spring". He sees politics as a den of corruption and crime and says traditions are important. He sees a differnence of thought with the generation of his father, a lab assistant. Arun Mondhe/HT Photo

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Atul Joshi, 40, works at the RTO office in Indore. He believes that not only does caste prevail, caste-based quotas have intensified it. Now, caste is reservation-based, he says. He complains that politics is about minority appeasement and crime. He says that while traditions should be upheld, superstitions should be weeded out. Arun Mondhe/HT Photo

Updated on Apr 29, 2013 2:42 AM

Atul Joshi, 40, works at the RTO office in Indore. He believes that not only does caste prevail, caste-based quotas have intensified it. Now, caste is reservation-based, he says. He complains that politics is about minority appeasement and crime. He says that while traditions should be upheld, superstitions should be weeded out. Arun Mondhe/HT Photo

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Sameer Kumar, 34, a Rajput, works with a bank in Patna. He believes caste has intensified and that "those we exploited are expoliting us now". He says that while there is no caste feeling in his office, caste becomes crucial whenever there is a discussion on politics. He believes marriages shouldn't be arranged between people who don't know each other, saying the bride and groom should know whether they are compatible. AP Dube/HT Photo

Updated on Apr 29, 2013 2:42 AM

Sameer Kumar, 34, a Rajput, works with a bank in Patna. He believes caste has intensified and that "those we exploited are expoliting us now". He says that while there is no caste feeling in his office, caste becomes crucial whenever there is a discussion on politics. He believes marriages shouldn't be arranged between people who don't know each other, saying the bride and groom should know whether they are compatible. AP Dube/HT Photo

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Sanjay Paswan, 30, works for an NGO in Patna. A Dalit, he feels caste still exists in India, and subtle discrimination is practised against Dalits. He says inter-caste marriages do take place among castes of equivalent social status. He says social media has become a forum for voicing casteist views; that traditional inequalities still persist. He adds that material success in India depend on contacts, and Dalits lose out there. He prefers neither Narendra Modi nor Rahul Gandhi, but would settle for Rahul, if it came to that. AP Dube/HT Photo

Updated on Apr 29, 2013 2:42 AM

Sanjay Paswan, 30, works for an NGO in Patna. A Dalit, he feels caste still exists in India, and subtle discrimination is practised against Dalits. He says inter-caste marriages do take place among castes of equivalent social status. He says social media has become a forum for voicing casteist views; that traditional inequalities still persist. He adds that material success in India depend on contacts, and Dalits lose out there. He prefers neither Narendra Modi nor Rahul Gandhi, but would settle for Rahul, if it came to that. AP Dube/HT Photo

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Nivedita, 30, works with an NGO in Patna. She believes that while there should be a link with tradition, some changes should be encouraged. What she has in mind is gender equality. She questions why girls are given a different treatment compared to boys, and demands equality of status in marriage. She feels politics is corrupt and politicians aren't well educated. She supports Narendra Modi for prime minister over Rahul Gandhi. AP Dube/HT Photo

Updated on Apr 29, 2013 2:42 AM

Nivedita, 30, works with an NGO in Patna. She believes that while there should be a link with tradition, some changes should be encouraged. What she has in mind is gender equality. She questions why girls are given a different treatment compared to boys, and demands equality of status in marriage. She feels politics is corrupt and politicians aren't well educated. She supports Narendra Modi for prime minister over Rahul Gandhi. AP Dube/HT Photo

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