Imagine you are in lower castes how would you feel?
Answers
Answer:
India can’t be a casteless society’, my friend uttered disgustingly.
He is a Dalit activist and certified anti-upper caste personality. Somehow, he is a bit liberal with me despite I am a Brahmin by birth (and don’t know what by karma). He says appreciating me that I don’t follow ‘Brahminical ideologies’ although I am yet to know what exactly ‘Brahmanical ideology’ is. If he means that Brahmins devised the caste system, I am against it. Caste is never made by Brahmins nor mentioned in any of the scriptures. Vedas talk about ‘Varna-System’ which is clearly a division of labour in society. Varna is always mobile, unlike Caste which is immobile. Further, no Varna (especially Shudra) is ever untouchable. I don’t believe in the caste as defined by the British. Also, I don’t agree that Caste means ‘Jaati’. In 1860 British did a census of Indians as per livelihood. They make Caste as a clan having a particular livelihood, thus there are thousands of castes exist in society since that census. In a manner, we can say that Britisher’s are inventors of the caste system in India. Anyway, for that, I would be talking a lot in my upcoming articles. Let’s deal now whether casteless society is possible in India.
‘Do you really want a casteless society?’ I asked my friend in response to his question.
‘Definitely yes!’ My friend replied, ‘In fact, the movement of a casteless society had begun in Tamil Nadu in the early nineteenth century by Periyar and none in Tamil Nadu mentions their caste (or titles that identify caste) in their certificates?’
‘Do you want to end caste-based reservation?’ I said slowly but firmly.
‘Why caste-based reservation to be ended?’ He immediately responded in agitating voice, ‘You Brahminical lobby tortured the lower caste people for thousands of years and yet you want to end the reservation?’
I smiled and didn’t react to his angry outburst. This duality is very common in our society especially among the activists who are although doing much work for the weaker section but have hatred to the upper caste people.
Point is simple. If you seek a casteless society, then you have to end caste-based reservation. If there’s caste-based reservation how can India be a casteless society? Isn’t it a paradox? But such duality is very common. If there’s a dam project, the activist will come and protest. They will oppose the construction of a dam in the name of displacement, environment and many other reasons (which are valid too). But then if there’s no irrigation they will question the government. If there’s no electricity they will do the street protest. If there’s no employment they will say the government is inefficient. Now can anyone tell me if irrigation is possible without a dam and canal network? Is electricity available without a hydro-electricity project or a thermal project? Is employment can be generated without industries or infrastructure project? But then people will oppose both the side without caring that fact that they indulge in hypocrisy. What the activists should realize that there should be a balancing act by the government which should ensure development with minimal damage to the environment and other aspects.
Let’s return to caste ignoring what the activists (especially those who are a victim of paradox) say. Caste is a reality in Indian society. The lower castes were subjected to a lot of oppression, alienation, and tortures. Just imagine, you can touch an animal (even worship an animal like Cow) but can’t touch a human (lower caste) even though scriptures say that human is the best life form in the universe. The caste system needs to go. In no civilized society, a human can be treated as untouchable.
Let’s come to the reservation. The Constitution makers rightly made provision of reservation as an affirmative action to bring the alienated communities into the mainstream. SCs were treated untouchable and not made part of society because of their caste. Thus, the reservation was one of affirmative action which along with various other legislation and acts worked well for society. ST although not treated as untouchable but the reservation was necessary because they remain alienated from the society due to their indifferent language and remoteness of settlement. Over the years, in fact, many SC communities already became a part of the mainstream but STs are yet to be part of mainstream fully. The linguistic difference is the barrier for that, I guess.
Should the reservation go? No, I would say as I don’t feel the entire SC and ST community is brought to mainstream society.
However, my question is why OBC made caste based? Backwardness is two types. One is social and another is economical. SCs weren’t given reservation because they are poor, rather they had been provided reservation because they are socially discriminated. The same can be said about the Scheduled Tribes who couldn’t become part of mainstream society because of their different culture, language,