The Caste System in India Today - Report Example

The Caste System The Caste System in India Today It is an axiom that any ment made about the Indian nation even in instances where it has the backing of well-grounded facts can be immediately dispelled by equally likely assumptions and countervailing information. This sense of academic argument has been heightened to painfully high levels in the current society and everything is now being brought into the political and public debate. Today, everything from paintings, literature, theater, and even academic works on prehistory are seen as a deliberate affront to some other community. In such an electrified social atmosphere, it is virtually impossible to discuss about the Indian Caste System without attracting a spate of attack. This has led most Indian scholars to shy away from discussing this issue apart from just making passing attacks and decrying its continual social observance despite being decreed as illegal. Due to it being a socio-religious system, it is imperative to examine if this system does indeed exist in the Indian society today1. The person credited with drafting the Indian Constitution was Dr. BR Ambedkar, who was considered as an untouchable himself. Ambedkar is also considered to be one of the founders of the modern independent India and has written widely on the issue of Caste and is believed to have led a movement for the untouchables to convert to Buddhism. Due to the social status of Dr. Ambedkar and the great outrage that Mahatma Gandhi had on the caste system, discrimination based on the issue of caste is unlawful under the Indian law and is an illegal crime. However, despite the government coming up with a system of government that seeks to protect everyone, caste discrimination is still a vice that continues to ail the Indian community2. This paper tries to trace the changes that the Indian nation has undergone to prove that caste discrimination is still very much present in the nation. The Present Indefensible State of Discrimination Although covert, caste discrimination continues to be a social problem in India that still happens secretly through regular public acts of murder, rape, and arson. The poor who are usually referred to as Dalit are denied housing in societies dominated by the upper castes, even in urban groupings where it impossible to notice such differences. In the rural areas, the issue of the Dalits is worse because each individual social status is known such that even today, marriage with a higher caste is considered to be a taboo. If anyone tampers with this taboo, the result is often lynching. The higher castes expect Dalits to be subservient and just like in the traditional settings any calls for better treatment from the poor are met with beatings and sometimes even death. In reality, the affluent upper cast landlords participate in the commonly known droit de seigneur over beautiful poor Dalit women in rural places. The minimum wages that have been set by the government are rarely paid and in addition to this, bonded laborers are in most cases Dalits. Today, nearly all the children and especially girls who are not enrolled in school are Dalits. There are also very limited educational and employment opportunities as well as the existence of glass ceilings which deny those who are qualified deserving opportunities. This situation is comparable to the experience of racial discrimination in various societies where racism is disallowed by the law, though the existence of most poor Dalits may be distinctive in its excessive severity. Majority of these varied acts of discrimination are highlighted by the press as well as in the social media3. Despite the apparent existence of discrimination according to class in the country, comprehending the issue is complicated by the fact that Dalits have moved up the social ladder while some castes have moved down. Today, there are several people holding key positions in the government who were former Dalits. Some of them have gone ahead to form alliances with members of higher caste thus giving the impression that the caste system is no longer in existence. There have also been reports showing that some of the people who were considered to have belonged to the higher caste are now living in abject poverty in one of the poorest regions of the country. There have also been reports indicating that the wages of Dalits have been going up while that of the caste has been going down. In the last 600 years, there has also been evidence that some communities that were once Dalits rose up to royal power and now dominate politics and business in various states. This has seen the struggle for political power mainly in the north and the south being left to only the backward castes that were once in power4. Looking back at the Indian history, one thing that comes out clearly is that the British had an undecided position concerning the untouchables. The British Empire itself was established since its sepoy military that was comprised of usually low-caste or untouchable castes, fought bravery and expertise against the rajahs to whom they owed no allegiance. In the East India Company’s army of the British, they acquired the respect that they had failed to get from the civil society. However, by the mid-19th century, the British military mostly consisted of Hindus from the upper caste something that was done in the false belief that they would win the trust of the Indian people5. With the coming of Christianity, several castes became Christians just in the same manner as they had converted to Islam several years earlier. This was done in a bid to get away from the discrimination of the caste system and to a degree because of devotion to a new monotheistic all-encompassing religion. However, to most people, inclusion still remained obscure since there were separate pews and doors reserved for them in church. In addition to this, the upper caste members still refused to marry into the families of the other church members. It is sad to note that this exclusion has prevailed in the Christian, Muslim, and Sikh congregations even in the modern day. Given that the higher castes rule the church, the economic exploitation, cultural repression and political domination is still existent for the Dalits6. Ideally, the Indian social milieu that was shaped foundationally by family and kinship institutions that fashioned the mind to a religious and caste identity was largely influenced by the establishment of British colonialism in the 18th and the 19th centuries as well as by its colonial culture and the prevailing western liberal ideology. The sudden and drastic transformations in both policies and administration that were brought about by induction into the single politico-administrative entity and the subsequent consolidation of government through a united civil service, military, legislature among others influenced the country’s entire pre-colonial social and financial structure. The various judicial and administrative practices that were brought into existence by the British being founded on equality before the law directly destabilized the significance of caste. The introduction of a universal criminal code took away the privileges of the castes that acted as the local government and were responsible for adjudicating the people’s affairs. In addition to this, the enactment of legislations such as the Widow Remarriage Act of 1856 as well as the Castes Disabilities Removal Act of 1850 also played a significant role in the erosion of the caste influence7. Colonization made it possible for India to come into contact with the Western world, itself in a time of significant instability in the rise of the French Revolution and the rise of the Industrial Age. The exposure of Indian academicians to the radical and liberal ideals of democracy, popular rule as well as rationalism set in motion among a section of them a time of extreme critical evaluation of India’s socio-religious practices. This encouraged them to come up with reform movements against India’s culture repressive elements. With caste being the most predominant in the culture, it became their main target. The social reform movements that came up within that time pushed for the eradication of the caste system and while these movements were certainly against the caste, they did not take a specific stand on its annihilation. Since they were not given an opportunity to penetrate the system, they could not do much to change it and it was not until some members of the caste begin to challenge its ideals that a formidable movement against the caste was conceived. However, this did not do much in eroding the influence of the system8. Speculations on Caste Origins of Dalits It is a well-documented fact that the Manusmriti, which is one of the most sacred literature of Hinduism mainly drafted over two millenniums ago classifies Dalits as social outcasts who do not fit anywhere in any of the four caste division of the Hindus. To a certain degree, a devout Indian would also consider Europeans to belong to the ostracized class. In essence, the Manusmriti dealt in detail about the concept and the history of the untouchables. It does this by categorizing the various classes of castes beginning with the twice born or priests, warriors, merchants and peasants. Traditionally, a man from a higher caste received permission to marry a woman from a lower caste if he found no ideal woman to marry from his own class. However, the children gotten from such a union would be categorized as the least in the society and they would only be fit for the most menial jobs. The Manusmriti also adopted all the religious and social rights that the Twice Born women previously valued and altered them to fit their husbands’ demands. This relatively reduced their social standing and meant that they were always to be under the care of their husbands and in the earlier periods, women enjoyed considerable rights and status in the society. The Manusmriti also established a solid hierarchical socio-political order in the society, which neither consequent dynasties nor the British ever truly attempted to challenge9. In the context of caste discrimination, it is also imperative to bear in mind that the Manusmriti was completed during the period of the Hindu counter-reformation. This was a time when the Buddhist Emperor, a progeny of the mighty Emperor Ashoka was killed, was murdered in 185 BCE by his own commander in Chief Pusymitra Sunga in broad view of the military. This act was not just a palace coup but rather a defining moment in the counter-reformation and its excesses. Sunga is considered to have hated Buddhists and went around rewarding people who killed the monks10. Due to this purging, Buddhism that had tried to advocate for a casteless, egalitarian, and compassionate society was immediately barred from acting as the state religion, however, its influence remained intact for several more centuries. The University of Nalanda, which was the greatest in the world at that time and run by Buddhists, continued to operate for several more centuries. Eventually, the 8th century greater philosopher named Sankara summed up all philosophical ideals of Buddhism in an attempt to discredit its influence. This made Buddhism to lose its relevance in India and this made the caste to flourish even further11. Speculations on the Origins of Indian Society As highlighted in the beginning of this paper, there has been an existence of a raging debate over the history of the Indian nation as well as that of the Indus Valley civilization which was present from its early Neolithic times starting from 7000 BCE up till 1500 BCE when it disappears, almost without any warning. This civilization dominated at the same period as the Sumerian, and there is wide evidence to show that trade between the two civilizations existed. The Indus Valley literature has not yet fully been understood though majority of the research supports the belief that the official language of the Indus Valley was Dravidian12. Although the history of the Indus Valley is not yet understood, one thing that is widely believed was that this was the period, which the caste system emerged. What makes this issue even more interesting as compared to the academic one is not only the exceptional materialization of the caste system in India but the increased color consciousness among Indians even in the modern society. Today, almost every advertisement in the matrimonial section of any newspaper insists that the bride must be fair. The present day notions of beauty have been fashioned some other traditional determined essentials. Such color consciousness calls to mind the apartheid period in South Africa, the uneasiness that was evident towards colored people as well as the endeavor to prevent exogamy among races. Ideally, the word caste comes from the Portuguese ‘Casta,’ which means race and the Hindu phrase for caste is Varna, which typically means color13. The caste system begins to assume historical sense if it is projected that the migrating aggressive Hindus mainly from South-Central Asia that spoke a language that was identical to Sanskrit defeated the Dravidian people of the metropolitan Indus Valley and after a time of conflict incorporated the subdued darker tribes into their ranks but at a lower level. The heroics of the Ramayana tell of a period of ethnic strife, indecision, and the bringing together of various cultures. Throughout the epics, there are numerous stories of various dark princesses marrying different princes all in a bid to ensure that the bloodline was mixed. Ideally, the issue of color was so important to the Indians to a point that the last incarnate goddess Krishna is believed to have been dark in color, actually, Krishna means dark or black14. Various researchers have placed the Mahabharata war to somewhere around 900 BCE. One century later, the Buddha preached against the vanity of such fights, banned the unnecessary sacrifices to appease the gods, and pointed out that being sympathetic was more critical than trying to appease the gods. The preferential treatment given to castes had no place among Buddhism. Around the period of the Buddha, the tribes that were founded on lineages were incorporated into more stable kingdoms. Though tribal fighting stopped being important, the emergent dynasty continued to undertake bloody conquests on its neighbors. Its architect tried to come up with a stringent centralized state government. These conquests identified various castes together with their duties, rights and roles and this became deeply engraved into the society. Although the architect of this movement later on translated into Buddhism and tried to make everyone equal, there were individuals with vested interests that tried hard to resist any changes from being made to the society. These powerful forces finally led to a counter-reformation, which reinforced the place of castes in the society and how they were supposed to relate with the rest of the society15. Nevertheless, after many years of compassionate Buddhist ascendancy, various big communities of untouchables must already have been in place and trying to change this came rather too late just in the same manner as it did in South Africa after a big population of colored people came into existence. The religious belief that gave people hope was the notion of the undying human soul, which was considered indestructible regardless of the live that one lived in the world. This belief barred those in higher positions from being harsh to those below and gave those who were in lower position the strength to bear all things. It also facilitated for the respecting of saints even if they were born as an untouchable. Most Azhwar saints who were born in the southern regions belonged to various castes and existed between the 5th and the 9th centuries. Today, the collection of their saying is one of the most revered pieces of religious literature in the world16. When the British rule emerged, people began to lose the unquestioned belief in karma and the issue of untouchablity that had prevailed for millenniums began to be seen as something that needed obliteration. Social reformers, political leaders, and religious leaders believed that the removal of the caste system was key in guaranteeing the much-needed national salvation. In addition to this, the constitution that was drafted in independent India outlawed caste discrimination and this was followed by the passage of affirmative action by later parliaments. Urbanization and capitalism have also aided in eroding identity discrimination and have offered new opportunities for Dalits. However, it is very clear that this traditional form of discrimination, fanned by rivalry for livelihoods at the very bottom of the social pyramid continues to harass the poor and defenseless17. Similarity of Caste and Race The last few years have seen various groups coming out to point out that caste discrimination is identical to race discrimination. However, the Indian government has come out strongly to object to this view. However, what the Indian government has forgotten is that it was not just until very recently that the word decent was incorporated into the constitution. If examined closely, then it becomes evident that the caste discrimination particularly of the Dalits can b explained as the sociological remnant of a system of ethnic segregation established numerous years ago. Just the same way as racism is discrimination of a powerful group against a lesser group, the same is true considering that there is sufficient evidence to show that the Dalits are as a result of intermarriage between Indians and Africans that was encouraged in the Indus Valley. This can be said to be the same as the discrimination that has existed between European Christians and Jewish Christians18. The Future When the British ushered the new era, which brought about industrialization and the modern form of education, the Caste System was largely seen as unjust and a hindrance to progress. The process of economic development propelled by the rich and learned has largely profited the upper castes, though at the present there is a small portion of the upper castes among the Indian poor, and a section of the Dalits among the wealthy. Some of the worst forms of bigotry based on self have been carried out in the big and populated cities of India though such occurrences are still common in rural areas. To this end, the law can do nothing to change this trend and this has created a scenario where only the upper caste profit from higher learning, lucrative jobs, and better standards of living. For this reason, there is still no real societal momentum to finally eliminate caste boundaries as meaningless distinctions19. The independent India was bequeathed an elite hierarchical system of government, wealthy, educated and influential elite, and a very bloated disciplined army and police to ensure order by force. The same factors that helped India to attain self-rule from the colonialists have barred a more egalitarian form of society from forming. Ana age-old cultural indifference to the poor and marginalized and the practice of influencing them politically or by the use of force has led to numerous rebellions. However, this has not changed much and today the policies meant to accelerate economic growth only favor the rich. This explains why the agricultural sector that most of the poor rely on has been neglected for a long time now. after more than six decades of independence, the Indian policy is still without stable foundations and bloated elite expenses on nuclear weapons and high end technologies that only profit the rich both in medicine and energy only add to the frailty of the entire system. Today, there are still numerous stories of especially women who are murdered by their own families for wanting to marry men who belong to lower caste. Although the case hierarchy seems to be breaking under the influence of the new ideas on democracy, there is still strong evidence that is not so. Although the poor masses have a strong desire to bring about a revolution, this has effectively been prevented by the remnants of the caste system who are ready to do everything to maintain the status quo20. Bibliography Cordaux, Richard et al. Independent Origins of Indian Caste and Tribal paternal Lineages,” Current Biology, 14, 2004-02-03. Gautier, Francois. Are Brahmins the Dalits of Today?” Rediff News, 2006-05-23. Gandhi, Mahatma. Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi; Dr. Ambedkar’s Indictment I & II, 1936. Government of India. List of Schedule Castes. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment: Government of India, 2011 Hawley, John. India in Africa, Africa in India. Indiana University Press, 2008. Herbert Passin. Untouchability in the Far East. Monumenta Nipponica 11 (3), 1955. Khan, Mujtaba. Caste Discrimination has Racial Overtones.The Economic Times 13 (3): 2010, 100-120. Menezes, George. Caste discrimination amongst Catholics. Hindustan Times, 2007. Teltumbde, Anand. The Persistence of Caste: The Khairlanji Murders and India’s Hidden Apartheid, London: Zed Books. Shabbir, Mohamed. Ambedkar on Law, Constitution and Social Justice. Rawat, 2005 Srinivas, Michael. An Obituary of Caste as a System. The Economic and Political Weekly, 38[5], February 2003. Thorat, Sukhadeo & Newman, Katherine. Blocked by Caste: Economic Discrimination and Social Exclusion in Modern India. Oxford University Press, 2010. Parpola, Asko. Deciphering the Indus Script, Cambridge University Press, 2009. Read More