Caste Divide

-Research study by Anuj Shaha...

What is Caste System?

Caste systems are traditional, hereditary systems of social restriction and social stratification, enforced
by law or common practice, based on endogamy, occupation, economic status, race, ethnicity, etc.

Origin of Caste System in India:

The Origin of Caste System in India can be traced back to Vedic period when the book called
Manusmruti was written.

Structure of Caste System in India:

Castes in India are divided into four categories-

1) Brahmin (Scholar Caste)

2) Ksyatriya (Warrior Caste)
3) Vaisya (Trader and Agriculturist Caste)
4) Sudra (Worker and Cultivator Caste)

The above pyramid shows population and position of different castes.

Brahmin, which has the lowest population, is at the top of the pyramid. Brahmin is followed by
Ksyatriya, Vaisya and Sudra. The position of the caste increases with the decrease in the position.
Sudra, which is at the lowest position, has the maximum population.

That means, Brahmin caste, with lesser population, ruled over other castes for thousands of years
followed by Ksyatriya and Vaisya.

Caste system in use before reformation:

Lower castes have continuously been suffering of the exploitation from the higher castes.

Major points regarding the expoitation-

1) Education was limited to Brahmin Caste only.

2) Low castes had to live outside the villages on the slopes so that dirty and used water will
come to them.

3) Restrictions in entering temples or using certain water tanks.

4) Religious rituals were limited only to the Brahmin Caste.

5) There was no scope for social mobility by proving his talent.

6) Professions and marriages were restricted in endogamy groups.

7) Lower castes were considered as Untouchables.

Reforms and Reformers:

1) Gautama Buddha and Mahavira, the founders of Buddhism and Jainism respectively, were
against any kind of caste structure.

2) Many saints such as Kabir, Dnyaneshwar, Eknath, Ramananda, Ramanuja and Tukaram
rejected the caste discrimination and accepted all castes, including untouchables.

3) British Law Courts disagreed with the discrimination against lower castes.

4) During the British Raj, many Hindu reform movements such as Brahmo Samaj of Raja Ram
Mohan Roy and Arya Samaj of Swami Dayanand renounced caste-based discrimination. The
inclusion of so-called untouchables into the mainstream was argued for by many social
reformers

5) Many Hindu reformers such as Swami Vivekananda and Sathya Sai Baba believe that there
is no place for the caste system in Hinduism.

6) Mahatma Gandhi called them "Harijans" (people of God).

 7) Dr. B. R. Ambedkar contribution in Dalit movement cannot be forgotten. He was born in
Hindu Dalit community, was a heavy critic of the caste system. He pioneered the Dalit
Buddhist movement in India, and asked his followers to leave Hinduism, and convert to
Buddhism.

8) The practice of untouchability was formally outlawed by the Constitution of India in 1950,
and has declined heavily in independent India. K. R. Narayanan, who belongs to the castes
formerly considered as untouchable, became the President of India in 1997.

Modern Status of Caste System:

1) The Indian caste system is gradually relaxing, especially in metropolitan and other major
urban areas, due to the penetration of higher education, co-existence of all communities
and lesser knowledge about caste system due to alienation with rural roots of people.

2) But in the countryside and small towns, this system is still very rigid.

3) The Government of India has officially documented castes and subcastes, primarily to
determine those deserving reservation in education and jobs through the census. The Indian
reservation system relies entirely on quotas. The Government lists consist of Scheduled
Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes:

· Scheduled castes (SC): Scheduled castes generally consist of former "untouchables" (the
term "Dalit" is now preferred). Present population is 16% of total population of India i.e.
around 160 million.

· Scheduled tribes (ST): Scheduled tribes generally consist of tribal groups. Present
population is 7% of total population of India i.e. around 70 million.

· Other Backward Classes (OBC): The Mandal Commission covered more than 3000 castes
under OBC Category and stated that OBCs form around 52% of the Indian population.

4) The caste-based reservations in India have led to wide-spread protests, with many
complaining of reverse discrimination against the forward castes.

5) Though inter-caste marriages are now quite common in India, many Indians consider caste
major criteria for matrimonial choices. Almost all Indian matrimonial websites and
matrimonial columns in Indian newspapers contain caste-based categories.

Caste Divide in Non-Hindu Religions:

1) Christians: The Christians are stratified by sect, location, and the castes of their
predecessors. Presently in India, more than 70% of Christians are Dalits, but the higher caste
Christians (30% by estimates) control 90% of the churches administrative jobs. Many Dalit
Catholics have spoken out against discrimination against them by the Catholic Church.
 2) Islam: Sources indicate that the castes among Muslims developed as the result of close
contact with Hindu culture and Hindu converts to Islam. Among Muslims, those who are
referred to as Ashrafs are presumed to have a superior status derived from their foreign
Arab ancestry, while the Ajlafs are assumed to be converts from Hinduism, and have a lower
status. In addition, there is also the Arzal caste among Muslims, who were regarded by anti-
caste activists like Babasaheb Ambedkar as the equivalent of untouchables. In the Bengal
region of India, some Muslims also stratify their society according to 'Quoms'. While some
scholars have asserted that the Muslim Castes are not as acute in their discrimination as that
among Hindus, Ambedkar argued otherwise, writing that the social evils in Muslim society
were "worse than those seen in Hindu society".

Caste Related Violence:

1) Independent India has witnessed considerable amount of violence and hate crimes
motivated by caste.

2) Ranvir Sena, a caste-supremacist fringe paramilitary group based in Bihar has committed
violent acts against Dalits and other members of the scheduled caste community.

3) Phoolan Devi, a lady belonging to Mallah lower-caste was mistreated and raped by upper-
caste Thakurs. She turned a bandit and carried out violent robberies against upper-caste
people. In 1981, her gang massacred twenty-two Thakurs, most of who were not involved in
her kidnapping or rape.

4) Over the years, various incidents of violence against Dalits, such as Kherlanji Massacre have
been reported from many parts of India. At the same time, many violent protests by Dalits,
such as the 2006 Dalit protests in Maharashtra, have been reported as well.