Caste System: a malediction, we are so proud of

I am tired of playing the Damsel in Distress ( wrt the last few Blogs) and I thought of taking a contemplative route.

As usual i start with a disclaimer: I have not been able to read a lot of facts, (as the debate is yet to heat up !) hence its more of an ideological approach than a factual one. Its one major event of this year, and no I am not talking about the World cup Football, I am talking about the Indian Census 2011, which is being conducted presently and is sure to turn into a heated Debate.

Before getting to the main point , i will digress a bit, and take you to the background of this caste controversy, and in the next blog will deal with its implications on the census. (Here i need your patience as a reader).

If we dwell a bit into the Indian History it emerges that the caste system has been the result of a social conspiracy, the caste that was determined by actions in ancient India came to be gradually determined by birth. Those members of the society who were at the pinnacle of this pyramid, to establish themselves permanently there encouraged determination of caste by birth. The Mahabharat War was the most detrimental to the Caste system. After the war there was a serious dearth of altruistic people who could guide the society, and a selfish few who controlled the political and religious authority inspired determination of caste by birth. the rights which were based on competence and ingenuity were replaced by virtue of birth. Dwij, the highest echelon of the caste system ( acquired only when one gains knowledge), could now be obtained with or without education/knowledge.

This loosened with the introduction of English education in India, where a certain Mr. Sharma could run a shoe Company and a person belonging to the Scheduled Caste could be the Principal Secretary in the Central government. But this seemingly egalitarian System also backfired after Independence when we introduced Reservation System in India. To annihilate one evil we gave birth to the other: just because its an antithesis, doesn't prove that its right.
The earlier society gave the Brahmins the highest pedestal and now the Government has made the Shudras the "official brahmins".. these both ideologies have one common defect; they are both based on birth, the motto for both is " Long live this Caste System".
Why does this society wants the Caste System alive, : answer is not obtuse: all equations of power travel through the corridors of caste. Since the census of 1931 caste was not mentioned in the Indian Census but it has been resurrected in the 2011 Census.


Why is it such a controversy and why should it be desisted... will take it up in the next blog.

alles Liebe
Suyasha

PS: i know this was a lesson in History and a mere repetition of facts that you all have read but felt it necessary to write in order to prepare the ground for the next blog.