ABSTRACT

The chapter attempts to understand the process of articulation of collective identity among the Yadav community. The ‘collective identity’ denotes here the ‘fusion’ of different ‘cognate castes’ (Ahir, Goal, Gop, Dhandor, etc.) of Yadavs, who also fall under the political classification of ‘Other Backward Classes’ (OBCs), both at central and state-level in Uttar Pradesh (UP). In particular, the chapter analyses the culture of collective participation in a biradari bhoj (community feast) and the impact of those collectivities on the mobilisation with special reference to Rajanpur and Tandawa villages of Sultanpur district in Eastern UP. Intrinsic to this discussion is the issue of gender performances in a biradari bhoj of Yadavs, because the idea of obligatory participation of the male members in such occasion seems to be giving space to create a consolidated (male-dominated) caste networks among Yadav community.