00989pab a2200133 454500008004000000100002000040245002800060260000900088300001400097362001100111520068300122650001600805773003400821180718b2007   xxu||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d  aBeteille, Andre  aClasses and communities  c2007  ap.945-52.  a17 Mar  aIn the Indian context, classes and communities do not form interchangeable categories. Caste, a defining feature of the community in India, has been a vital socio-economic institution since historical times. But it is Indian politics, especially since post-independence, that has been shaped by competing communities and the ascendancy "acquired" by certain communities over the other. However, as this article suggests, the two categories are not wholly disparate; rather it is the middle class that has been largely responsible for spearheading the interests of their respective communities. A potent tool in this ascendancy has been the issue of "reservations". - Reproduced.  aCommunities  aEconomic and Political Weekly