Caste System in India
- Submitted by: Innanje
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- Category: History: Asian
- Date Submitted: 09/06/2011 01:15 AM
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Caste System – A Bane to the Indian Society
In a little known village of Mahu near Indore in Madhya Pradesh, a boy was being severely beaten by the villagers. Reason-he, an untouchable, was guilty of drinking water from the village pond and thus polluting it by his touch. The boy’s feelings were deeply hurt and he resolved to fight against this illogical untouchability that arose out of the deeply rooted caste system. Do you know who the boy was? No prizes for guessing the right answer. You are right; it is none other than the deeply revered ‘Dr.B.R.Ambedkar.’ He was the man to influence the masses to rise against the tyranny of the upper castes. He was influential in shaping the destiny of our country-to have a constitution of its own and also for the welfare of the Untouchables, or more appropriately, ‘Harijans’.
From where did all these ideas bear fruit? The key to this lies with the so called caste system followed rigorously in our very own motherland-INDIA. Let us have a look upon the caste system and its ill effects.
The introduction of caste system dates back to the Aryan invasion. They defeated the natives of the then India (Dravidians) and made them their slaves ready to do their bidding. Dravidians were hence given the lowest status while the Aryans bagged the top ones. Caste system then was nothing but classification of people on the basis of one’s occupation. During the olden days, caste system was not rigidly observed. A person of low caste could acquire high caste status by emulating the high caste customs. Even the Vedas and the Upanishads-the foundation for Hinduism doesn’t ask its followers to practice this system rigidly. Caste system remained flexible until the advent of British rule. The British’s favourite policy of ‘Divide and rule’ brought about the rigorous following of the caste system.
The seed of hatred they had sown among the people is, unfortunately, still at large, though it is not seen in the urban areas. It is seen in the rural...
In a little known village of Mahu near Indore in Madhya Pradesh, a boy was being severely beaten by the villagers. Reason-he, an untouchable, was guilty of drinking water from the village pond and thus polluting it by his touch. The boy’s feelings were deeply hurt and he resolved to fight against this illogical untouchability that arose out of the deeply rooted caste system. Do you know who the boy was? No prizes for guessing the right answer. You are right; it is none other than the deeply revered ‘Dr.B.R.Ambedkar.’ He was the man to influence the masses to rise against the tyranny of the upper castes. He was influential in shaping the destiny of our country-to have a constitution of its own and also for the welfare of the Untouchables, or more appropriately, ‘Harijans’.
From where did all these ideas bear fruit? The key to this lies with the so called caste system followed rigorously in our very own motherland-INDIA. Let us have a look upon the caste system and its ill effects.
The introduction of caste system dates back to the Aryan invasion. They defeated the natives of the then India (Dravidians) and made them their slaves ready to do their bidding. Dravidians were hence given the lowest status while the Aryans bagged the top ones. Caste system then was nothing but classification of people on the basis of one’s occupation. During the olden days, caste system was not rigidly observed. A person of low caste could acquire high caste status by emulating the high caste customs. Even the Vedas and the Upanishads-the foundation for Hinduism doesn’t ask its followers to practice this system rigidly. Caste system remained flexible until the advent of British rule. The British’s favourite policy of ‘Divide and rule’ brought about the rigorous following of the caste system.
The seed of hatred they had sown among the people is, unfortunately, still at large, though it is not seen in the urban areas. It is seen in the rural...