lower bottom castes like dekkali, madiga, mala and go upwards, though the contradictions that brahminism created operate among these castes, they do so-through the very caste system -a strong bond that can keep them friendly is their interaction in the labour market. This must be aided and abetted with a constant process of dalitisation of OBCs who, because of the influences of brahminism, think chat they arc socially superior to the scheduled castes. Il is not at all difficult to achieve this because all the dalit-bahujan castes interact with nature and the means of production constantly. However, brahminism had created a seemingly inimical contradiction between the other backward castes and the scheduled castes in the form of untouchability. labourers belonging to OBC and SC castes not only remain untouchable to each other but see and feel a kind of 'otherness' with one another. This contradiction between SCs and OBCs vis-a-vis brahminism could be softened, and given their ritual similarity they will come together when brahminism is set aside. This process is complicated because of the socio- psychological barriers erected by brahminism between SCs and OBCs. In UP, for instance, where Mulayam Singh is basically representing OBCs and Kanshi Ram is attempting to organise the untouchables, upwards with more theoretical clarity than Mulayam Singh, the tension becomes inevitable and the contradictions between SCs and OBCs might, at times, take the form of an antagonistic contradiction as the state is being ruled primarily by an OBC leader like Mulayam Singh, who does not have a clear vision of establishing a casteless society. His lack of vision is clear from his emphasis on Gandhian economy, which in essence is nothing but caste economy.
