Caste - a mindset

It is the education which is the right weapon to cut the social slavery and it is education which will enlighten the down-trodden masses to come up and gain social status , economic betterment and political freedom

- Ambedkar 

         Before we go into the internal roots of caste system, let's learn what is this caste about. Caste is a form of social stratification characterized by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a lifestyle which often includes an occupation, status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion.

         Dalit means the divided. This term was popularised by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. Whoever fights against the discriminations made in the name of caste is and only is a dalit. People would speak of reservations and economic imbalance. Viewed from above it would appear very much external. How it still lives in the society is much internal and bounded with emotions. What it does externally to a person can plausibly be understood by every human being. We are going to see about those things that hurts a person internally.

          Speaking of internal things, I recall what I think as the most disgusting moment in my life. I was studying in the primary class. One day I was returning home with my brother and a guy more elder than me slapped me. At that time I was unaware of why he did that to me. I thought that he was bullying me. Later, I got to understand the real meaning behind his action. This is a drop in an ocean kind of example for the caste system. It could hurt one without notifying anything to that person about why he is getting hurt. Trust me, it hurts a lot.


           This caste system has been responsible for the murder of thousands of lives in the fetus. It was and is responsible for the rape of hundreds of bodies and emotions. This caste controls the way how the marriages happen in a person's life. It controls the number of people who one could rely upon. It makes to doubt every person one meets and mingles with. It provides a constraint to one's friend circle. These are the bad things one would experience in living amid the society. But, the good thing is that you could be different. Acting against is a great tool to remove these unwanted evils out of the society.

           Four states account for nearly half of the country's dalit population, reveals the 2011 census. Uttar Pradesh stands first with 20.5% of the total scheduled caste (SC) population, followed by West Bengal with 10.7%, says the data released by the Union census directorate on Tuesday. Bihar with 8.2% and Tamil Nadu with 7.2 % come third and fourth. Dalits form around 16.6% of India's population. So, it is inevitable for the politicians to speak for the dalits, at least publicly. That doesn't means that a leader is working for the upliftment of the downtrodden. Caste won't exist if it's roots aren't watered with thoughts. Change isn't in someone's hand, it is in your mind.


                                                                                                            - Alan Giftson