Not too long ago, the students in India protested against the goverment's decision to increase quota for students belonging to OBCs(Other Backward Castes). To people who do not know anything about the caste heirarchy, these are people who do not fall in the top band. Read more here.
There was an active debate in the country. Both sides presented their case pretty well. It is hard to not see the good and bad in reservation. But in the end It is just another way to seggregate.
I come from a state in India where caste was a curse to its people. But now, years after Independence, caste has more or less become a non-issue. Caste, now, is a thing that politicians try to use it to their advantage but fail mostly because the literate people of Kerala see clearly through it. Some organisations like NSS and SNDP try to rally people around caste, but the common man doesn't care. I grew up listening to my parents and school tell me 'Trying to find out the caste of a person is rude', 'What matters is the character of a person and not his/her religion' et cetera(poor translation of the Malayalam version). Kerala, is slightly better than most other states in India in terms of 'caste-ism' or caste based crimes. Keralites achieved a level of social maturity/ conditioning because of the visionaries like Ayyankali, Sree Narayana Guru, and K Kelappan who identified the cause and reformed. They denounced the caste system. This is what we need to revive and not reservation.
Unfortunately, we do not see politicians talk against caste as that would erode their vote base. The state seems to endorse it by asking you to fill up your caste and its variations in application forms of any sort. But what is more unfortunate is that those learned young men and women who were against reservation did not speak out against the caste system!! Their protest was against reservation based on the caste system and its fallacy.
Until we realize the true evil nature of caste on present day society and abolish caste based seggregation I dont see the problem going away. And for that, we need to uproot the concept of caste from our minds. Only such a change in our thought process will bring India out of this madness. And that is when we can call ourself a developed nation.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
It is easy to change laws but how do you change the feeling in the minds of people. When people still preach to their children that you MUST marry someone of the same caste what has really changed? Does "your" mother feel dirty when someone who cleans the garbage cans walks into the room? (I don't mean you "Mr. Sublime", but the bigger "you"). You can't legislate changes to the way everyone feels.
Until people drop their prejudges at home will India be able to free themselves from the Caste trap? I don’t believe so… So legislate away and cross your fingers.
@anonymous - I totally agree with you about the caste system. It is not the law that has to be changed, but the mindset. Now, that is going to take a hell lot of time in India.
As far as reservation goes, I believe it is just another way to uplift the downtrodden by providing them with more oppurtunities.
It becomes quite necessary due to the concentration of wealth and power among the few so called 'upper class' families. Do you think a state like Kerala would have achieved 100% literacy if it were not for these various laws?
The laws r fine... imposing them is the tough part. Yes, the law is necessary to prosecute violators... but more important is two other things - education & leadership! Educate the people... not just about evils of caste system but also about the law. Tell them its illegal to discriminate. Ignorance of law does not justify violation of the law. And leadership - not just in politics but also in individual houses... Kids grow up seeing what parents say & do... They cannot preach one thing & practice another. It is not an overnight task... The caste system has been around for ages... It will take a while to remove it too.
But then, does removing caste system guarantee equality? I dont think so... its human nature to segregate. If not caste, we'll find some other means to do it.
Post a Comment