Analyzing the caste system based on India society

Analyzing the caste system based on India society

Introduction

The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary defines Caste as “a Hindu hereditary class of socially equal persons, united in religion and usually following similar occupations, distinguished from other castes in the hierarchy by its relative degree of purity or pollution.” The term Caste is commonly used to refer to two distinct concepts of corporate affiliation: the ‘Jati’ (birth group) and the Varsa (order, class or kind). The term Jati is used for the units of thousands or sometimes millions of people with whom one may identify oneself for such purposes as marriage. There are thousands of titles associated with specific Jatis in different parts of the country: Rajput, Chamar and Jat – these terms have come to be widely recognised. But these terms are unfamiliar to people outside a limited geographical area. In contrast to this profusion of Jatis or birth-groups, the concept of Varsa involves a scheme with only four divisions. Thus what would now be called Hindu society is conceived of as being divisible into four very large units which transcend specific regional associations. They are commonly understood as a ranked order of precedence. Then there is another caste called the ‘fifth’ one, the so-called ‘untouchable’. This group occupies a place below, outside this Varsa scheme. The Indian caste system is a system of social stratification and social restriction in India in which communities are defined by thousands of endogamous hereditary groups called Jatis which is called caste.

 

Synopsis:

Ø Types of caste in India

Ø Urban to rural

Ø Mahatma Gandhi

Ø D.R. Ambedkar

Ø Swami vivekananda

Ø Dravidian languages

Ø The root cause of the problem

Ø The present position

Ø What is the solution?

Types of caste in India

          India consist of various castes and regularly practiced still now. It is divided into 4 types and they are untouchables called dalits and tribals which doesn’t consist in that four types which means below that and considered very least in society. The four types of castes are:-   

1.Brahmins

2.Kshadriyas

3.Vaishya

4.Sudras

And they are only fixed to only selected jobs and they wont allow other caste to do that jobs.

1.Brahmins      as  priests

2.Kshadriyas   as  warriors

3.Vaishya        as  business

4.Sudras           as  servants

Urban to rural

          From urban to rural the caste system varies as it is clearly seen in rural areas whereas its indirectly seen in urban but directly seen in rural areas.  So we can say caste system varies from place to place and person to person and state to state.  This shows where India is going. Even though we can see indirect caste problem in urban but it’s still seen in urban. That’s a real shame for every one undergoing in India. 

Mahatma Gandhi:

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was a pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement. As a practitioner of ahimsa, Gandhi swore to speak the truth and advocated that others do the same. Mahatma Gandhi is one of the most fascinating personalities of the 20th century. The way in which he stood up against discrimination in South Africa and in India using non-violence combined with the theory he developed on his methods make him one of the most important examples in the history of humanity. He has been the inspiration for many people including Martin Luther King.

M.K Gandhi is widely portrayed in and outside India as the main champion of the cause of the Untouchables (Dalits). It is, however, far from the truth. Mahatma Gandhi called them "Harijans" (children of God) although that term is now considered patronizing and the term Dalit(downtrodden) is the more commonly used. Gandhi's contribution toward the emancipation of the untouchables is still debated, especially in the commentary of his contemporary Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who frequently saw Gandhi's activities as detrimental to the cause of upliftment of his people. There is no doubt that he wanted the untouchability to be abolished but he, at the same time, was a strong supporter of the caste system. Supporting the caste system he said: "I believe that caste has saved Hinduism from disintegration." He also said, "To destroy the caste system and adopt the Western European social system means that Hindus must give up the principle of hereditary occupation, which is the soul of the caste system. The hereditary principle is an eternal principle. To change it is to create disorder.

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

Dr.Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar also known as Babasaheb, was an Indianjurist, political leader, Buddhist activist, philosopher, thinker, anthropologist, historian, orator, prolific writer, economist, scholar, editor, revolutionary and a revivalist for Buddhism in India. He was also the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of Indian Constitution. Born into a poor Mahar(considered an Untouchablecaste) family, Ambedkar spent his whole life fighting against social discrimination, the system of Chaturvarna—the categorization of Hindu society into four varnas—and the Hindu caste system. He converted to Buddhism and is also credited with providing a spark for the conversion of hundreds of thousands of untouchables to Theravada Buddhism. Ambedkar was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 1990.  Facts about Dr B.R.Ambedkar In Indian context, to fight against untouchablity and for equality of all was a very challenging task. The attitudes of disappointment amongst dalits were very deep rooted because of their social, economical and political exploitation from the centuries together . Because of these considerations, it was very challenging to motivate them to stand up to fight against their exploitation and for their self respect. Life-long Struggle Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar spent his whole life in this challenging task relentlessly. Dalits as other part of Indian society were themselves divided in to many castes and sub castes because of ignorance, backwardness and given social structure. Movement against Caste-System According to Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar the caste system in India has been a divisive instrument from the very begining . He had a firm view that till this caste system continues, the outcastes liberation is not possible. This was the reason that he started a strong movement against caste system.  Independent India inherited an elite hierarchal system of government, a rich, educated and powerful elite, and a very large disciplined army and police to maintain order by force.

Professor M.N. Srinivas, India’s best known sociologist, has famously held to the opinion that caste hierarchy has been breaking down under “the impact of new ideas of democracy, equality and individual self-respect. While caste as asystem is dead or dying, individual castes are thriving”. But this seems to be more a hope of what should happen rather than an analysis of what is actually

happening. Chandra Bhan Prasad, a leading Dalit intellectual, has highlighted that few of the government’s programmes to transform a caste-ridden society have succeeded. He concludes that “the enduring salience of caste itself’ is the greatest paradox of Indian society.

Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) condemned the oppressive treatment of the so-called untouchables and other subordinate castes. He re-echoed contemporary Western ethnological themes in his remarks about the ‘natural differences of ability and character’ that separated persons of unlike Varsa. His views became a source of inspiration to Mahatma Gandhi in dealing with the problem of Casteism. Swami Vivekannda wrote: ‘Each caste has become, as it were, a separate racial element. If a man lives long enough in India, he will be able to tell from the features what caste a man belongs to  ‘Two different races mix and fuse, and out of them rises one strong distinct type. This tries to save itself from admixture, and here you see the beginning of caste. Look at the apple. The best specimens have been produced by crossing, but once crossed, we try to preserve the variety in tact. ‘Caste has its bad side, but its benefits outweigh its disadvantages.’. ‘It is in the nature of society to form itself into groups. Caste is a natural order, I can perform one duty in social life and you another; you can govern a country, and I can mend a pair of old shoes, but that is no reason why you are greater than I, for, can you mind my shoes? Caste is good. That is the only natural way of solving life.

Social reformers like Swami Vivekananda, political leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, and human rights stalwarts like Dr. B.R. Ambedkar recognized that the removal of the caste system and its

evils was key for national salvation. Independent India’s Constitution likewise banned caste discrimination and parliaments have approved affirmative action. Urbanization and capitalism have also helped to obscure identity discrimination and have provided new chances for Dalits. However, this age-old form of discrimination, fueled by competition for livelihoods at the very bottom of the social

pyramid, continues to crucify the poor and the helpless.

Dravidian languages

Only the four South Indian languages, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada are Dravidian languages which have no connection with the great family of Indo-European languages in the north of India and elsewhere. However, they have linguistic links with several tribal languages in Central India, like Gondi, spoken by indigenous forest dwelling tribes. Interestingly, within the Dravidian group is counted Brahui spoken by a remote people in the Baluchistan tract between Iran and Pakistan. Scholars have also linked the Dravidian languages with Sumerian, and with Basque.

The root cause of the poblem:

The sole cause of discord and animosity that affected various sections of society is non-discrimination between the two segments ‘Jati’ (caste by birth) and ‘Varsa’(caste by profession). One may claim to have been born in a particular Jati and consider oneself as ’.uddha’ (pure) or ‘.ubha’ (auspicious). But the division in terms of caste by profession (varsa) remains flexible.E.g., professions as those of Doctors, Lawyers, Engineers, Professors and Musicians.Those born in any Jati can take up any of the above professions. That was the original import and intention of ancient scriptures and law-texts. But in India, in the middle ages, people began to think of only one type of caste, i.e., caste by birth or Jati. An individual began to think of himself or herself as superior or inferior to others. This is the chief cause of malady in India. All the ruling parties in the country, since the dawn of Independence, both at the Centre and in different States, have been missing this point and are as a matter of fact, widening the rift between one Varsa and another. It is time this truth is brought out in bold relief, publicised and popularised by all our statesmen, politicians, social reformers, educationists, religious and spiritual leaders, heads of monasteries and other organizations if they are really interested in creating an egalitarian society.

By the end of the 19th century three basic views of caste had emerged:

1. The incubus view that caste in all its forms is a divisive and pernicious force, and a negation of nationhood.

2. The golden chain view that ‘caste’ as a Varsa is to be seen as an ideology of spiritual orders and moral affinities, and as a potential basis for national regeneration.

3. The idealised corporation view that Jati is to be seen as a concrete ethnographic fact of Indian life, a source of historic national strengths and organised self-improvement or ‘uplift’.

  The present position:

Even after sixty five years of Independence, Caste continues to be a major theme in Indian politics. Many political parties try to make caste an issue in the electoral arena and cash in. They  denounce it as a social evil and attack others for being ‘backward-looking’ and ‘casteist’. Many aspects of the contemporary caste-life in India echo the principles found in classical Indian religious scriptures. But in the West, neither race nor class can be related to any comparabe body of codified texts and teachings. For all its diversity and its points of comparison with schemes of social differentiation to be found in other parts of the world, Caste stands alone, as a mode of thought and action. This distinctiveness is undeniable, even though caste certainly has much in common with other complex ‘invented traditions’, most notably those of nationhood and ethno-religious community. India’s nationalist and communal religious ideologies have both interacted with the ideas and experiences of caste, sometime reinforcing their claims and sometime challenging them, but never fully overriding or replacing them. The Government, in the name of creating a casteless, secular society, and to compensate the injustice method out by the so-called higher castes to the oppressed, down trodden, economically poor, educationally backward masses of India, created a plethora of ‘new’castes. These new castes are classified as Backward Classes, Schedule Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Tribal people are included in the Scheduled Tribes. These new castes are ‘protected’ by the Quota System or Reservation Policy for widening their educational and employment opportunities. The Tamil Nadu Government has created one more Community called the ‘Most Backward Class/Community’ so as to benefit certain other groups. . These people are preferred to all other groups for getting admissions to Schools, Colleges and Universities, and also for getting selected for different types of jobs. The higher classes have been called the ‘Forward Classes’; and people belonging to this group face a tough challenge in what is called an ‘open competition’. This ‘reservation policy’ has been in vogue for quite some time and will continue indefinitely for some more years. No deadline has been set for this policy officially. The resultant picture is that merit gets the back seat and people using their rights of reservation are benefited at all levels, however unqualified they may otherwise be.

What is the solution?

In the light of this, we have to come to certain conclusions and offer viable solutions to the problems created by a wrong understanding and application of the principle of Caste in India. What has been there for centuries cannot be undone in a day or two. There is no magic wand by which we can create a ‘casteless’ society overnight. We have to take the horn by his bulls and try to solve the problem. It is rather, a problem with our own understanding and interpretation of Caste. There is nothing wrong as such with the concepts of Caste as understood and practised by the wise of yore. As pointed out earlier, one has to draw a distinction between Jati (caste by birth) and Varsa (caste by profession). Indians wherever they live, should understand that there is no clash of interests between one Varsa and another or between one Jati and another. So long as one can identify himself or herself as belonging to a particular birth-group and believe that they belong to a ‘pure’ origin, there is nothing wrong, so long as they do not harm others verbally or physically on the ground that they belong to a lower Jati and that they are not equal in social, religious and other matters. One should not and need not make much fuss about this factor. Then the division of society into the four Varsas and the distribution of  labour is what should really cause worry to many. Even here, there need be no discord or dispute so long as the social needs are provided by different people who are proficient in different fields. A man of Brahmin Jati, for example, may be proud of his lineage and parentage; but he may, by virtue of his educational qualifications and aptitude become an engineer or marine biologist and contribute to those departments of study. He may if he so desires, join military forces and combat the enemies. He may still retain his Brahmin identity. 

Towards the threshold of the 21st century, inter-caste, inter-racial and inter-continental marriages have become quite common. A Brahmin boy may, for instance, marry a non-brahmin girl. A Hindu girl may marry a Muslim boy. Or an Indian may marry a French or English. In a majority of cases, there may be a cultural and commensal change. Those who were vegetarians are fast becoming non-vegetarians and vice-versa. Drinking wine is no longer a taboo in many Hindu families. Some do it openly and others, due to some compulsions, do It secretly. This is to point out that the original divisions of society into Jati and Varsa are fast losing their relevance and sanctity. The worst affected parties are the parents of the orthodox Hindu bent of mind. They are unable to make their daughters and sons stick to their old identities and habits. Nor are they able to live away from them. They have to ultimately yield to the wishes of their children, and be content that at least they themselves are able to preserve their identity. On the top of this, many Hindu ascetics are crossing the seas and visiting foreign countries for preaching their religion and philosophy to the Hindus living abroad, which was once considered highly unorthodox and objectionable. Therefore there is change everywhere – in the thinking of people about caste, community, religious and philosophical values, and the like. Nothing is wrong so long as we do not wrong others. Nothing is objectionable so long as there is no compulsion, hatred, animosity, ill-will and hypocrisy. The world is created by God in a wonderful and mysterious way. Diversity is the Art of Nature; but Unity is the Heart of God. Let people practice what they think is right and good for them; but let them not fight in the name of religion, philosophy, race, caste, class, community, faction, cult, group or political affiliations. All have their own place, their own grace and role to play in making the world beautiful and habitable. Let there be an understanding of the basic values of life. Let there be sympathy for the under-privileged people of society. Let there be the spirit of cooperation and help.

Conclusion:

          In our country it is very hard to even think about eradicating the caste from our society. Even common elections in Indian politics is based upon caste votes.  Cast away the caste from Indian society is like searching a coin in an ocean which cannot be found till the end. So its impossible to eradicate caste system from India, but I would be very happy to see a caste free India.

 Bibliography:

 Huq, Fazlul. Gandhi: Saint or Sinner, Bangalore: 1992.

 Shabbir, Mohamed, Ambedkar on Law, Constitution and Social Justice, Rawat, 2005.

 Sengupta, Padmini, Everyday Life in Ancient India, Oxford University Press, 1950.

 Karmer, Samuel Noah, The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character, Chicago:University of Chicago Press, 1963.