Casteism- Discrimination and what not. We've seen or heard of it in the Ancient Greek society, the medieval ages, and in lands far and wide. In India, we've been discriminating human beings for several centuries now. Even to this day, a scholar is more respected than a daily wage worker. A man with money, power, or fame is a "Bhai". He is almost worshipped.
Even a politician, an M.P for instance, has luxury written all over him. The common man elects him for a purpose, yet he misuses his powers. He flies in Business class, like there's no tomorrow, Uses money like he actually made it, He is the real untouchable literally...
Who decided that a "Shudra" should pick up soil (i don't fancy using shit here!), while the Brahmins should stay away and ridicule him. The poor man committed a crime. He was born into what he now does, and this cannot be changed. Who is to judge whether or not this soil and rag picker, can actually live a life in the midst of his superiors, without being ridiculed just because his parents and grandparents were tagged with Inferiority. But this is how society has grown, it is merely a farce now. His parents were ridiculed, and so will he. For he doesn't have power to ask questions.
I say it's all in the mind.
One fine day, a man with power raised questions. And so, now these outcasts have rights. They can ask the very questions that a man with power can. This "power" manifests itself in the form of reservation. However unfair it may seem to me (being a Brahmin and all), i cannot do anything about it. I don't have the power. Sure i may argue that Arjun Singh is a retard and stuff, and that reservation is absurd an idea, for i believe that Our Country is secular. It was written in the darn constitution.
One thing i don't understand is why students falling under reservation, get 'discount' in college fees in our University. It is so absurd. It's not like they're still ridiculed even now, that they deserve special treatment just because their ancestors were downtrodden.
In that case, Why don't Jews have a free Israel, solely because their ancestors were slaughtered in concentration camps. It just doesn't work that way.
Ultimately, it all comes down to your status in society. If one has power, he can solicit an outcry.
Society has never been bound by restrictions. It has always circled around Money. If one has Money and Power, he can change history.
This kind of Horizontal thinking may be vertical thinking to someone else, and vice versa. If one can think laterally, and start asking questions, maybe the whole outlook may change. I'm saying maybe...
For now, society is what you think it to be. That's all there is to it.
6 comments:
I liked your post because it saw issues from not just one angle but from all the perspectives equally.
Well one thing i would like to clarify that it was not decided that a Shudra should do certain work or a Brahmin should do certain work but its exactly opposite. The people who did certain type of work were named accordingly. All Varna's were equally important, one had to depend on other for various reasons. A Kshatriya could not leave his kingdome and start doing pooja...A Brahmin wanted help from a Kshatriya or Shudra or a Vaishya. So the intention to start Varnaashram was to maintain balance in society and not Class distinction.
Well there were people who switched roles...Like Drona was a Brahmin but he lived like a Kshatriya teach warcrafts...Vishwamitra was a Kshatriya turned Brahmin...Ekalavya a tribe wanted to be a Kshatriya...Karana considered a Suta putra...was given status of a Kshatriya. So there are several such examples from the History...
Only in some RECENT times (1000 years) the definitions lost its origional intentions and people started using it as class distinction...Now, i agree that everything, one way or the other drills down to the status and we need to change the way we look at things.
Good post.
Duly noted. Sure, that was a long time go. It didn't necessary mean that a kshatriya was only good at what he did. With limited resources back then, such a system was justified.
I believe A Brahmin was classified a 'brahmin' because he was probably learned, or a priest, and a shudra because he was a daily wage worker.However, those not falling under varnas were considered as untouchables if i'm not wrong.
This soon broadened into shudras.But ever since social reforms were introduced, efforts were made to bridge inherent gaps in 'class'. What i do not appreciate is the spoonfeeding treatment now conferred to certain castes. It's as good as discrimination.
Totally agreed... Reservations to some extent is fine. But later it should be left to their capabilites...Also very important is that there should be a Below Poverty line drawn even in them...So to say it should be poverty based and not caste based.
What is happening now as u said is some other class is being discriminated.
If u understand Varnashrama dharma well you are certain to know that it is a perfect secular and social system,it is a result of evolution of social system.It began to fall during the British rule.
The reason it follows a family system is because of 'GENES',But if a person do not follow his varna even if he his born in it he certainly does not belong to his varna and vice versa .
Okay man that's a valid point. By 'GENE', if you mean passed on through generations, it makes sense.
However i believe these classes were transparent just after they were formed.
Discrimination is inherently present everywhere.
For ex: Why is a black man called 'coloured'? It doesn't mean a white man doesn't have colour:)
Good brief and this post helped me alot in my college assignement. Thanks you on your information.
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