The genesis of caste system dates back to the advent of
Aryans in India. But it was after the emergence of Hinduism around the third
century that caste system became a rigid water-tight compartment.
The basic concept of caste system is that all men are
created unequal. This system (for which the religious word is ‘varna’)
stratifies the society into four main divisions:
- The Brahmins , who originated from the mouths of the primordial being, were the learnt and the priestly class.
- The Kshatriyas originated from the arms of the supreme being and were the soldiers
and rulers.
-
The Vaisyas who originated from thighs ,made up
the traders and merchants community
- The Sudras came from the feet and were the labourers.
Below these groups comes Dalits or untouchables who are too
impure to rank as worthy beings. These people are outcastes and the primodial
being does not claim them.
In the caste system, an individual had to accept the
occupation of his ancestors as his means of livelihood. Untouchables had to
marry fellow untouchables. They were not allowed to eat from the same table or
drink from the same well as that of caste Hindus. Manusmrithi , a Hindu
religious book, legitimized the segregation and said that it was the sins in
the past life that resulted in an individual being born as an outcaste. The
result of this belief in doctrine of karma was a story of untold miseries to Dalits.
They were shunned, prohibited from entering public places like temples and were
banned from mingling with the upper caste Hindus.
However, the 20th century witnessed a lot of
improvements in the life conditions of Dalits. Mahatma Gandhi called them
Harijans which means ‘Son of Gods’. He helped a lot in changing the attitude of
society towards Dalits. In 1949, the Constitution of India prohibited the
practice of untouchability and granted them reservations which ensured better
political participation of Dalits. But the scenario had not improved much in
villages as education is lesser and as the upper castes resist any forms of
reforms. Discrimination against the Dalit minority had become an important
human rights and political issue.
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