http://true-efforts.blogspot.com/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
PhilosophyAll 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
--
truly yours,
ram
B. Tech, Computer Sc. & Engg.; IITK.
Mobile No.: 91-9900165574
"It may not always be easy, convenient, or politically correct to stand for truth and right, but it is the right thing to do. Always." -- M. Russell Ballard
Spirit of Nationalism
http://bharatudaymission.org