NEW DELHI: Speaker Meira Kumar has said that caste decides a voter's preference in India but it was high time the caste system was destroyed completely.

Talking about elections and factors that influence voting in a speech at Cambridge University , Kumar said, "Generally, the deciding factor is the caste which is discussed in hushed tones behind closed doors… caste system has caused and is continuing to cause unimaginable harm to society. It needs to be destroyed completely and not encouraged to tighten its grip on our electoral system."

Kumar was speaking about 'parliamentary democracy in India' on an invitation by the elite university.

The Speaker said while caste was the key determinant in a person's preference on the ballot, there was a positive belief that consolidation on caste lines was leading to empowerment of dalits as it gave them an opportunity to assert themselves. "I beg to differ. This is a mirage… What has been poison for so long cannot suddenly become nectar of life," she said.

Besides caste, she slammed the importance that religion plays in elections. "I firmly believe that any communal approach or activity is not beneficial for our secular fabric," she said.

The Lok Sabha Speaker lauded the messy Indian democracy which she said had defied doomsday predictions during the post-independence transition. She said the abundance of issues led to pandemonium and forced adjournments in Parliament but the institution still managed to work.

Praising members who are criticized for adjournments, Kumar said, "Members are only noticed when they stall the House, not when they deliver excellent speeches or do serious work in the committees."