Caste System is here to stay!
Election in Uttar Pradesh started and concluded but discussion on the relationship of politics and castes is not stopped yet as ever. Caste system is as old as Indian civilization and people failed to understand it properly till date. Caste is not only a system it is a mentality, it is a well developed institution in which every Indian is bound to graduate. There are two types are voices I hear in present Indian society. Modern means of development, international exposure, fast means of communications, urban development and industrial growth, railways and rising new lower middle class made the caste system weak in first and most prevalent observation. One group of people strongly believes that caste system is inhuman and against the norms of civilized society. This group is happy that caste system is weakened by development and education. Let us call this system the optimists. Another section believes, justifies and tries to convince that caste system is scientific. They give numerous examples, tell stories and live in the world of "unreal reality". Let us call this group the pessimists.
BUT interesting point is that both sections believe that caste section is weakened and it is becoming more and more weak everyday. I differ and I strongly feel that it is not the case. In fact the realty is exactly reverse of what we perceive. To comprehend my statement let us understand the caste system and then try to analyze process of its becoming weak and strong.
Caste : Basic Philosophy
All across the nation people believe that caste is based on varna system and people are divided on the basis of their birth in four groups : Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and shudra. It is assumed that hierarchy is rigid and universal by definition. Roughly it is correct but many sociologists pointed and proved that this assumption not only incorrect but also it distorts the reality in such way that understanding caste and its behavior becomes really a complex problem.
Indian society is divided in different small endogamous groups and members of these groups are ascribed caste and their position in the society is by virtue of their birth. Caste is unchangeable and a person of particular caste can not leave it and he can not be part of any other caste community by any means. Girls can get a higher caste by marrying to a groom of a higher caste but inter-caste marriages are generally not acceptable and bride and groom both have to face a lot of trouble in case of inter-caste marriage. There is concept of pollution in which touch of one human being defiles purity of another person.
There is absolutely no difference among members of different castes and there is no way somebody can differentiate them biologically or otherwise. This means two friends may eat drink and enjoy together till one friend tells another one explicitly that his is untouchable. It clearly proves that caste is an attitudinal and behavioral phenomenon, not a scientific fact.
Caste is not a general institution. It’s not a general system either because there is no well accepted dogma to take care of it. I would say there is no institution to preach caste at all. It’s the society which preaches and takes it forward from one generation to another. It’s a cyclic phenomenon which defies all logic and keeps rotating again and again.
Caste can’t be destroyed easily
It is clear from previous discussion that caste is not a normal system or institution. It is made part of Indian society by continuous process from old generation to new generation. It recruits its cadre by continuous preaching and training. Exceptional thing about caste system is that it doesn’t recruit a man but a child and imprints its impression in the very beginning of life of a man. Now caste system is not a temple, it’s not a well defined place, event and human behavior. It’s just vague and undefined. Its everywhere…… it’s in me, you and in the whole Indian society. If we want to destroy the caste system, it seems we have to destroy the whole society. We have to destroy the basic learning system which starts from home. We have to destroy the previous generation because previous generation is teacher of caste system.
Modern means of development forced the so called upper caste people to live and mingle with so called lower caste people but it also brought the literate advocates of casteism. I met a lady who asked my caste.She said that she didn’t believe in caste system but she just wanted to know if I was schedule caste. I simple told her that if caste doesn’t exist how somebody could be schedule caste.
People are advocating reservation to remove casteism but giving reservation on the basis of castes. Parties are passing resolutions to destroy the caste but forming caste based alliances to win elections. If modern means of development weakened the caste system in few areas it made is stronger in most of the areas. Now caste based associations and political parties are coming in existence. Modern means of communications made it is easy to form nation wide groups based on caste. People are changing titles in their names but not changing their attitude. They are marrying in same caste and believe that their caste is superior to others. Where the caste system is suffering due to development and education? Initially caste system was localized and now its global phenomena, Its now more powerful, more accepted and more attitudinal.
Does it really possible to destroy the caste system? My opinion is affirmative. How is the big question which I will not prefer to explore in this article?
Conclusion
Caste system is an evil and it should have been removed in 20th century only. Indian leaders took wrong approach to solve the problem. They wasted their time and energy in passing resolutions, changing titles in their name and advocating for inter-caste marriages. They forgot to understand that when they ask for inter-caste marriages they actually verify the existence of caste system as a well accepted system. Optimists are more theoretical than practical and their efforts are as worthless as this article.
Caste System is a more powerful than it was ever and strength of it is growing due to modern means and literacy. If we really want to solve the problem, we need to think about it like a great thinker, social worker and politician. We have to invent new means; we have to develop new long term vision.
-- RAM JEE TRIPATHI
Election in Uttar Pradesh started and concluded but discussion on the relationship of politics and castes is not stopped yet as ever. Caste system is as old as Indian civilization and people failed to understand it properly till date. Caste is not only a system it is a mentality, it is a well developed institution in which every Indian is bound to graduate. There are two types are voices I hear in present Indian society. Modern means of development, international exposure, fast means of communications, urban development and industrial growth, railways and rising new lower middle class made the caste system weak in first and most prevalent observation. One group of people strongly believes that caste system is inhuman and against the norms of civilized society. This group is happy that caste system is weakened by development and education. Let us call this system the optimists. Another section believes, justifies and tries to convince that caste system is scientific. They give numerous examples, tell stories and live in the world of "unreal reality". Let us call this group the pessimists.
BUT interesting point is that both sections believe that caste section is weakened and it is becoming more and more weak everyday. I differ and I strongly feel that it is not the case. In fact the realty is exactly reverse of what we perceive. To comprehend my statement let us understand the caste system and then try to analyze process of its becoming weak and strong.
Caste : Basic Philosophy
All across the nation people believe that caste is based on varna system and people are divided on the basis of their birth in four groups : Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and shudra. It is assumed that hierarchy is rigid and universal by definition. Roughly it is correct but many sociologists pointed and proved that this assumption not only incorrect but also it distorts the reality in such way that understanding caste and its behavior becomes really a complex problem.
Indian society is divided in different small endogamous groups and members of these groups are ascribed caste and their position in the society is by virtue of their birth. Caste is unchangeable and a person of particular caste can not leave it and he can not be part of any other caste community by any means. Girls can get a higher caste by marrying to a groom of a higher caste but inter-caste marriages are generally not acceptable and bride and groom both have to face a lot of trouble in case of inter-caste marriage. There is concept of pollution in which touch of one human being defiles purity of another person.
There is absolutely no difference among members of different castes and there is no way somebody can differentiate them biologically or otherwise. This means two friends may eat drink and enjoy together till one friend tells another one explicitly that his is untouchable. It clearly proves that caste is an attitudinal and behavioral phenomenon, not a scientific fact.
Caste is not a general institution. It’s not a general system either because there is no well accepted dogma to take care of it. I would say there is no institution to preach caste at all. It’s the society which preaches and takes it forward from one generation to another. It’s a cyclic phenomenon which defies all logic and keeps rotating again and again.
Caste can’t be destroyed easily
It is clear from previous discussion that caste is not a normal system or institution. It is made part of Indian society by continuous process from old generation to new generation. It recruits its cadre by continuous preaching and training. Exceptional thing about caste system is that it doesn’t recruit a man but a child and imprints its impression in the very beginning of life of a man. Now caste system is not a temple, it’s not a well defined place, event and human behavior. It’s just vague and undefined. Its everywhere…… it’s in me, you and in the whole Indian society. If we want to destroy the caste system, it seems we have to destroy the whole society. We have to destroy the basic learning system which starts from home. We have to destroy the previous generation because previous generation is teacher of caste system.
Modern means of development forced the so called upper caste people to live and mingle with so called lower caste people but it also brought the literate advocates of casteism. I met a lady who asked my caste.She said that she didn’t believe in caste system but she just wanted to know if I was schedule caste. I simple told her that if caste doesn’t exist how somebody could be schedule caste.
People are advocating reservation to remove casteism but giving reservation on the basis of castes. Parties are passing resolutions to destroy the caste but forming caste based alliances to win elections. If modern means of development weakened the caste system in few areas it made is stronger in most of the areas. Now caste based associations and political parties are coming in existence. Modern means of communications made it is easy to form nation wide groups based on caste. People are changing titles in their names but not changing their attitude. They are marrying in same caste and believe that their caste is superior to others. Where the caste system is suffering due to development and education? Initially caste system was localized and now its global phenomena, Its now more powerful, more accepted and more attitudinal.
Does it really possible to destroy the caste system? My opinion is affirmative. How is the big question which I will not prefer to explore in this article?
Conclusion
Caste system is an evil and it should have been removed in 20th century only. Indian leaders took wrong approach to solve the problem. They wasted their time and energy in passing resolutions, changing titles in their name and advocating for inter-caste marriages. They forgot to understand that when they ask for inter-caste marriages they actually verify the existence of caste system as a well accepted system. Optimists are more theoretical than practical and their efforts are as worthless as this article.
Caste System is a more powerful than it was ever and strength of it is growing due to modern means and literacy. If we really want to solve the problem, we need to think about it like a great thinker, social worker and politician. We have to invent new means; we have to develop new long term vision.
-- RAM JEE TRIPATHI
1 comment:
Caste system is a deteriorated derivative of the Varnashram system. It is assumed that all human beings don't have the same interest or capabilities. So, they are classified in order to define easy ways for their spiritual upliftment which was considered the first duty of someone born as a human being as per the Vedic philosophy., In Varnashram system there are 4 categories (also 4 ashram ) :
-- The seekers of Truth, God.
-- The politicians and warriors.
-- The businessmen and cultivators.
-- The workers.
These 4 categories are on the basis of their natural tendencies. It is a fact that all people are not the same, nor can they ever be.
So, these came to be known as brahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras respectively.
It is said that RishabhDeva, a great sage who was formerly a king of Asia / India has 100 sons, of whom 81 became brahmins, 9 became kshatriya, a few become vaishya and others became sannyasis (no caste).
So, the varnashram system which defines the duties for an individual for his spiritual upliftment is a dharmic system devoid of any negative concepts that we see in the 'caste system'.
Over a period of time, the varnashram on basis of qualities became 'birth based' system or 'based on seminal descent'. This is said to be a gift of the asuri guru, Shukracharya (shukr : semen..so..he started the concept of seminal descent).No wonder then that the pure and enlightened varnashram system degraded into a fallen and cursed caste system as we see it today.
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