Caste System – India’s Enduring Curse

Priya and Malini are two best friends. They. Study in the same class, and are bench mates too. Malini is a genius head, she helps Priya in maths and science. During breaks, they both exchange tiffins and each other's food.

But whenever Priya goes back to her home and talks about Malini and how helpful she is, her Parents scold her and often beat her. Priya's parents think that Malini is not of 'their standard' and Priya should not even talk with Malini. That's because Malini comes from a Dalit family and Priya is from a Rajput family. Priya often cries a lot as she is afraid she won't be able to be friends with Mallini for a long time now.

This is not just a story of Priya and Malini. It must have happened with most of us, if not us, at least with our parents, where due to the rigid and harmful stratification of society we are not allowed to make friends of our choice, we are not allowed to eat the food prepared by a lower caste woman, we are not allowed to spend time with people coming from the so called low castes as they are considered 'untouchables'. Well, in the process of practicing the social evil of caste system, we are also putting humanity to shame.

We talk of India emerging as a world leader. When we look at India of the twenty first century, we find it innovating. Innovations in the field of research and development, science and technology, health and education are being brought in. India now focusses on establishing cordial relations with foreign countries. We are at the verge of emerging as a global power, where big and small nations look at us. India very well knows its uniqueness and how to progress further on the path of development and emerge as the greatest economy in the world.

But the picture is not really that bright. We might hold a good position internationally, but at home, we still have a lot of problems to deal with. One such major issue is that of the caste system as stated above with an example.

Well, caste system is not something that came into existence over night. In fact we find its roots in the Vedic times. The Indian caste system is a complex amalgamation of many different social groups. It includes clans called gotras, tribes, ethnicity called Jatis and a defined social hierarchy in rig Veda called varnas. Over time, these social classifications have become rigid and harmful.

Caste system in India developed during the fall of Mughal empire and with the rise of the mighty British. British raj made the caste system rigid, when they started segregating Indians by caste granting administrative jobs and senior appointments to upper caste. Since then the policy of positive discrimination by reserving a certain percent of government jobs for lower caste came up that exists even today.

Social reformers like Jyotiba Phule, Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi came forward to fight against this social stratification, to let humanity and equality be above all differences and discriminations. These reformers rejected the supremacy of a particular caste over other castes. They claimed that doing a certain job cannot create social differences.

"Occupation cannot make humans superior or inferior." said Phule.

Vivekananda pointed out that dividing humans on any basis is against liberty of thoughts and actions and we should fights against such discrimination.

Gandhi too, was strictly against the practice of caste system. To bridge the gap between superior and inferior, he himself ate with the 'untouchables' and called them the people of God. For him, caste was a symptom of human violence and discrimination and not necessarily the cause.

Post independence, discrimination against lower castes was well tackled by the constitution makers. Article 14 prohibits state from making laws for a particular class. Article 15 prohibits discrimination on grounds of castes among other things. Article 16 seeks to provide equal access to govt. jobs. Article 17 declares untouchability unconstitutional. But neither the reform movements nor the constitutional provisions could bring in any notable change. The evil of caste system has further deepened only.

Atrocities against lower castes and dalits are on a forver rise. Killing fellow humans, taking away the right to live on the lines of caste is a common act in India even today. The practice has increased hatred and anger among humans. This practice is the biggest barrier on the path of national unity and integrity. Even the people who raise their voice against this ill practice are brutally killed. This is because people themselves do not want to bring in some change. They want to continue in the same condition in which they presently live.

How can someone then think of this enduring curse coming to an end?

No law made, can practically bring any change, can put an end to the prevalent caste system. First of all, it is the mindset of the masses that has to change. We first need to learn respecting the existence and importance of fellow humans. We need to rise above hatred and anger. People need to have big hearts to allow their children have friendship with kids coming from depressed classes. Parents should allow their children do inter caste marriages. Only by these small changes, bigger changes can be expected. We need to understand that caste discrimination and social stratification are hurdles on the path of economic growth. No country can progress if it discriminates among its own people. Reservations in government jobs and educational institutions was brought in to improve the condition of backward classes but we need to realise that reservation alone cannot help in the cause.

Here, the role of media and social activists come forth. Today they're considered as an organ of government. Hence they can play an important part in creating mass awareness against caste atrocities. It is also observed that education does not completely penetrate till the depressed classes especially the women belonging to that section. We all know that education is the most powerful tool to bring in any social change. Hence, the expansion of education to the backward classes should be done so that they too can bring out of superstitions, rigidity of social stratification and fight for their human and constitutional rights.

Also, the Government's role in the process of eradication of caste system is not to use depressed classes for vote bank politics. Instead it has to ensure that every individual gets equal opportunities, they have equal access to basic facilities of education and health. It is then only, the wide gap between different classes would be bridged. Then only, the human feelings of love affection unity integrity and kindness would rise above hatred anger and violence.Then only, India would be able to find itself among the global powers.