“Caste” is a mere 5 letter word but the significance given to it and the pride one takes in being it’s deity is a evidently magnanimous. The Origin of Caste System takes us all the way back to the age of Indo-Aryan Immigration. And if you’d Google the definition of Caste, there comes number of websites and their own versions of definitions. And one such website suggested definitions would be, “The Divisions of society based on
differences of wealth, inherited rank or privilege, profession, occupation, or race. But what about the definitions from “Vedas” from which the Caste system was introduced, through the religion i.e., Hinduism? Bhimrao Ambethkar states that the very origin of Casteism; Vedas, suggest eleven different versions of its definition. And hence, we know that the system itself was quite uncertain about the formulation and implementation of ‘caste’.
History has been made. Though there is no beneficiary to be attained with debating the blunder of the paste, it is also important to recognize its consequences. Religion has played the sole role in the origin of Caste, its prospects and implementation. There is no debate about it. The Consequences have been ruthless, uncompensatable and unjust. But, irrespective of what the consequences were and still are, these cultures, traditions, customs and rituals have made India what it is today.
Here, I’d like to mention a great Tamil epic Silapathigaram, where the King’s son accidentally kills a calf during his public procession. To serve Justice to the heartbroken victim; Cow, without thinking twice the King pronounces his own son guilty and gives him a death sentence. Our land is such that our literature depicts our culture going hand-in-hand with Justice.
But Caste System and its “deities” with their notions and actions are a loop-hole to the culture, to the state and to the country even to the world! And if we wish to hold our culture and tradition onto a higher ground, we need to “fix” this loop-hole. And to be honest, “loop-hole” is a pretty “petty” label for Caste System for it has taken number of innocent lives as its fuel for it to glow the light of “savagery”.
We’re all are tired of preaching about it, commenting our opinions, putting forth one’s different take on caste and everyone’s different way of its implementation. But, if those were a solution, why am I writing this blog? And why are you reading it?
Because, eradicating Caste system is quite “not so possible” with our Vedas, religions teaching it to us since the birth and we shall admit that the sense of caste differences is in our blood and nerves. It’s there when you suspect your innocent and truthful Muslim friend if he had ever had beef, or when incessantly seek a way to find if your Christian friend is a converted one or it’s the other way. And the sense is also there when a teacher or a professor can’t take a student from other community shining bright and it’s there when one dies to figure out if his new colleague is from his own kin. And it wouldn’t eradicate that easily owing to the existence of the most dangerous media ever known, “society.” And this so called “Society” is but a bunch of conservative brains that agrees not to perceive men and women as humans but a member of a certain community. And isn’t it ‘the prominent cause’ of this caste to have become an essential element of our social lives?
As quoted earlier, if this hypocritical prejudice “was” existent in “just” the past and not today, this blog wouldn’t have been written.
Just because it’s a part of our history, it doesn’t have to be practised anymore even though our conscience knows that it’s nothing but the act of pure “unjust” and “inhumane.”
So what is really keeping us on-board, having us all stuck to the “Caste System” and to an extend “Casteism?” It’s because of the “sense” of caste, considering caste to be an entitlement, a privilege, a pride. But, what we fail to acknowledge is that it’s a mere “label.” The British Government imposed the Caste System for easier understanding and administration of the people, of the society. What’s existing today is rather disturbing.
Let’s try to picture it like a Cricket game. For an uninterrupted or qualified Cricket match to be held, the weather is important, yes I know. But, there has to be eleven members from each team, captain, a Vice Captain, an opener, three or four middle order batsmen, a finisher, a skilled wicket keeper, fielder, an Umpire, and a commentator: to elevate the match’s tension. When they are on the ground, they are labelled as the terms above and when the match ends, they are all “crickets, and their ‘label’ or ‘designation’ doesn’t matter anymore. They’re all one and the same.
The same notion has to be carried out with the “Caste System.” Think for a second, if designations in Cricket were set like we mistook caste, what would’ve happened?
If only Sachin’sdescendants were to be given the 4th position, the world would’ve lost Virat Kholi, he wouldn’t have existed. What if only Dravid’s heirs were to become India’s Captains? M.S. Dhoni, the incredible captain wouldn’t have existed.
So why discriminate and pull down a fellow human and an aspirant just because he is not from the same flock as one’s? Those of privileged have their “surnames” to back them up but, the true aspirants have their “ability” and “persistence.” And hence they did not just give in; they learnt the pitch and their pace, the length of the boundaries and scored that century. And why banish them just because they are the not a “batsman’s” son or that she is a spinner’s daughter?
The frame of the Caste System is as simple as this. And this goes the same for Nepotism also. Isn’t that quite obvious?
So all this time, we’ve been giving so much unnecessary importance to a mere label and have been hurting lives those were meant to smile and shine.
Youth of today, who are the only chance to bring about a change, agree with the notions above but they are also the one’s that’s proudly has their caste label as their surnames in their profile and in their bio. This system is so corrupted that the purest emotion, love blooms post “caste” confirmation. And having their caste label as their surname is fine until and unless their pride is not imposed or to a greater extend implemented in such a way that it brings discomfort of any means to others.
Now, from let me pour it out to you, let me be super honest to ask this question, when this thin line between “fine” and “misconduct to others” happens…am I entitled to call these people out, to end this savagery or who in the world is entitled to call those crude conduct and notion in the name of “caste?”
None.
Governments and Courts have punished many in the past for such misconduct but shouldn’t it be over by now if that solution had worked? And about the government, when eligibility of a candidate to represent a District in the MLA elections is never based on education qualifications, or analytical or aptitude testing like in UPSC but just with “Caste oriented” allotment, how in the earth is it possible for this “caste” to just be eradicated?
And why does it go over the line, say to honour killing and caste-dominance at in workspace, at schools, colleges, roads, etc.? Because, the pride and privilege renders them a sense of “power.” And where does this power come from?
Do they feel it since their birth into the certain community? Or is it inbuilt in the ones those who work hard to uplift the clans of their community and pull down, even seize the opportunity from the others? Or do they owe it to their parents who fed them this “sense” of caste since childhood?
One cannot answer. Because it has it all those aboard.
And finally, is there a chance to change this “uncivilized” notion from the minds of the “civilised” only from the ‘outside’?
I G N O R A N C E
No, not ignoring the person, as it would be easily for them to ignore one back. Ignore their power, only when one recognize it, it’s actually there. Ignore their “sense of pride,” that them urges to bring one down. When one recognizes their sense of pride and power, only then it’s actually a pride and power. When one ignores their pride, the game changes. Ignoring their crude efforts to bring one down and instead of shading, taking them up the ladder with them and teaching them to be “humane” will change the game. One Show them how peaceful being “humane” would be.
As many say, eradicating a part of culture though it is evidently a “cancer” to the society in a country like India, whose pride and heritage owes to its cultures, is quite “difficult” and can be “impossible.”
This cancer can co-exist with people who have understood the real prospects and aspects of Caste. But sadly, they can be of mere 40 per cent out of the total population.
But, it is also possible to survive this Cancer as many have. Remember, the man who drafted our Constitutional Law single handed was Bhimrao Ambethkar, who was not from a privileged background. Let’s look up to Mastero Illayaraja under whose music every singer irrespective of the so called “caste” longed to have a chance to record their voice. Let’s remember Priyanka Chopra who broke the chains of nepotism. Let’s remember Missile Man, Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam’s success and his teacher who taught him lessons, keeping aside the crude customs. And one should know success will the best revenge and lesson to who to be taught.
Its when you survive this “Cancer” called ‘Caste,’ your “CHEMO” will be painful for T H E M.
It’s obvious that it’s hard until one gets a deserving opportunity whilst having millions of hyenas working hard to seize that opportunity. But, what’s life without bouncers?
And on a one final note, why do you think the bowler is not letting you to bat? Or throwing you a Yorker and a bouncer? Because he is scared that you will score him out!
With staircase to clean and nerves to cook and hella lot of thoughts to pen down,
It’s from Veera’s Pen. 🖤🌈🦋🌻
perception21 