Our land records and official documents have added iron bands to the old rigidity of caste. Caste in itself was rigid amongst the higher castes, but malleable amongst the lower, we pigeon-holed everyone by castes and if we could not find a true caste for them labelled them with the name of an hereditary occupation. We deplore the caste system and its effect on social and economic problems, but we are largely responsible for the system which we deplore. Left to themselves such castes as Sunar, Tarkhan and Lohar would rapidly disappear and no one would suffer. The large number of people who have refused to record any caste at this census is a sign of progress and the breaking of customary bonds it is no reflection on the administration of the census. Personally I am very strongly in favour of all caste statistics being abandoned at the next census, though in this I probably go further than most Europeans. Government’s passion for labels and pigeon-holes has led to a crystallisation of the caste system, which, except amongst the aristocratic castes was really very fluid under indigenous rule (Middleton 343).
Middelton, L. and S.M. Jacob. “Caste, Tribe, Race or Nationality. “Census of India, 1921. India, Times Press, 1923, pp. 341-406.