Scoring Casteism: Interview Guide and Score Card (Filled Forms

The conversational interviews conducted with 59 political workers in Mirpurkhas division were analysed to assess the prevalence, normativity and rationalization of casteism. The verbal indicators that I focused upon to assign the score to each tendency were related to see if the political worker: a) Mentions caste as the social identity, considers it superior/inferior, assigns class, traces genealogical roots, and considers Sayeds superior or Dalits inferior. b) Explains formation of electorates and the local politics in terms of caste affiliations. c) Relates his or her caste in terms of political ideology/party agenda. d) Considers caste as a politically relevant/irrelevant identity/Wants to eradicate or sustain caste system. e) Holds religious views (shrine worship, Sayedism, Sufism etc.) along with the affirmation or the denial of casteism. f) Is intimate with or committed to a Sayed/Pir/Sufi. g) Believes/disbelieves in hereditary politics/ in the power of person/caste/family. Interview Guid and Score Card Note: The form constains pseudonyms of most (if not all) the activists to ensure anonymity. Therefore, any real nomenclatural resembalance should not be taken as personal. The socres were not calculated during the conversations,but later after having listened the recorded conversations.