YOU ARE NOT YOUR CASTE

 

 

Assumptions:

 

         I believe that non-Hindu readers take this article as a self-improvement stuff, because some kind of caste or division exists in all religions.

 

I am not my clothes, I am not my body, I am not my name. I am my soul. That is very clear. After I will die, means this body becomes dead, I will come again taking some other shape. The new body may be white, may be brown, I don't know. But for sure, I will be a human being, despite of color of my skin. Human beings have got their beautiful mind to decide what is good and what is not good. So, here I present before you a question: "Do you believe in castes?" If yes, then read this article, and then reconsider your views; if you don't, then make sure that none of your behaviors show that there is existence of castes in Hindu religion.

 

Origin and relevance of castes:

 

          The religions, castes, sub-castes, were made at a time, for good social organisation. They have lost relevance in the present time. The reasons are simple: What was the criteria when the system of caste in Hindus was started? It was the type of work. People were divided into several castes depending on the type of work they used to do. And it was more easy for a young person to join the trade of his father, so people used to follow their tradition, and families remained in the business of their families. Son of a goldsmith, became goldsmith, and son of a soldier became a soldier. This system prevailed for a long time.

         But time has changed now. Why now! the time had changed much before. Because now, people are not following their family trade. Son of a farmer, is now a soldier; son of a priest, is now a merchant. Son of a goldsmith is now a teacher. So, the main basis of caste division is not present in the present society. So, very evidently, castes should go !

 

Castes divides the society:

 

         You know, there is no such thing as two kinds of human-beings. There are persons of similar nature in every castes. Division in castes, immediately brings up this thinking: who is better? My caste is better than hers! This mentality directly causes conflict in society. This is an example of "Divide And Rule". All the miseries of the society are originated from this thinking. In earlier times, people even didn't touch others belonging to a particular caste. The reason was: people involved in cleaning were naturally dirty most of the time, and so were considered dirty. But the problems comes when others didn't even touch his children, though they were not involved in cleaning activity!

         And think ! Things have changed completely now a days. The basis on which caste is divided doesn't exist today. Any basis for existence of caste can't be justified.

         With caste comes the thinking : This is like me, and he is not like me! Thus a caste sensitive person divides the whole world in "like me" and "not like me"; or "friend" and "no-friend"!  I myself have seen people taking interest in me, until they discover that I am not of their caste, and after that they behave differently.

 

Problems due to casteism:

 

ü     Historically, people from some particular castes were deprived of their basic social rights. There are innumerable stories of atrocities to people based on casteism.

ü     In India, there are job reservation based on caste system, and not on economic basis. Because of this, the starving population of unreserved castes don’t get job, while son of an engineer is given admission to good universities, a job, & even a promotion, just because he belongs to a particular caste. This is an example, when we can accuse Government of India, of practicing casteism.

ü     Inter-caste  marriages are not allowed, and in rural areas, those who do it, are even tortured. On the other hand, people are forced to chose their match in his own caste, even when he can get a better match in some other caste.

ü     A chain of hate-messages are moving all the round on the internet, targeting some particular communities.

 

Things are changing:

 

          Think of the state Bihar in India, which is considered as a place where casteism exist in full glamour. My name is ‘Kumar Rahul’, it doesn't carry any revealing surname. So, no one is able to know my caste in the first meeting, and categorize me in "friend" or "no-friend" category. And dropping the revealing surnames is most common in Bihar. All sort of people, from IAS officers to rickshaw-pullers, don't carry surnames. This has helped in soothing the miseries created by caste division.

 

Proof that things have changed:

 

"Untouchables"; do you hear this word now a days? No ! This is a word of the past. There was a time, when people considered a particular section of society as untouchables. But now a days, nobody behaves in a similar fashion. So, things have changed, it is very clear. Days are not too far, when the caste-division of the Hindu society will completely vanish from Indian community.