Role of caste councils in the lives of nomadic tribes (with special reference to Laxman Mane's autobiography ‘upara’ (an outsider)

Caste is a blatant reality of Indian Social Order. The caste does not allow crossing the boundaries by the person of one caste into another. It's a main hindrance in the progress of an individual. Caste draws a line among the persons of different castes. Therefore on social plane it is difficult for the persons of one caste to mix with another. Inter-dining and Inter-caste marriages in Indian Social System is a far-fetched reality. Indian society is divided into four Varnas i.e. Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. The people who do not come under the Varna Order are called Avarnas or Untouchables or now a more popular term ‘Dalits’. Dalits include the people Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Nomadic and Vimukt Jati and even women of all the Castes. There is an immense kind of hatred between Avarnas and Savarnas (those who come under Varna Order). To make the rules of prohibition of inter-caste marriage and inter-caste dining stringent the caste councils are formed in different castes and communities. The present paper is written with an objective to throw light on the caste councils and their roles in shaping the lives of nomadic tribes.