Pre Valance Of Caste System In India

PREVALANCE OF CASTE SYSTEM IN INDIA Although India is a political democracy, there is a highrarecal caste system deeply rooted into the society, whether in the North or the South, Hindu or Muslim and urban or village. This system exists between the extremes of very high and very low castes almost in every community. The caste system was evolved as India’s ancient civilizations, absorbed the Nomadic Aryan population who crossed from central Asia to northern Asia. The four castes developed out of necessity with its own social order, moral and ritual quotes. The word caste comes from Portuguese word ‘Casta’ (breed or race). The Sanskrit word applied to the groupings in ‘Varna’ which often interpreted the color. As per ‘Mahabharata’, if different colors indicate different castes, then all castes are mixed castes. The Hindus also believe that the ‘Varna’ of a man is determined by his profession and deeds and not by his birth. Traditionally, the political powers lay with Chatriyas. Brahmins were custodian of dharma. The Vaishyas were given trade and economy whereas, shudras were service providers. The caste did not constitutes a rigid description of occupation or the social status but the Britisher’s attempted to equate the Indian caste system to their own colonial caste system since the British society was divided by class. Britishers further codified the caste system in India and made it more rigid. A section of sociologists agree that the caste system had several advantages too; it served as an important instrument of social order where mutual consent rather than compulsion ruled. The caste system played an important role in shaping economic activities in Indian society. The fluidity of caste system was affected by the arrival of British policy of divide and rule. Also, the rigid categorization of population contributed towards the hardening of caste identities. In semi rural areas and small towns, the caste system is still very rigid. Caste is also a very important factor in the politics of India. After independence, the government has officially documented castes and subcastes, primarily to determine reservation in education and jobs through census. The Indian reservation system relies entirely on quotas which consist of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward castes. This system has brought to a great extent the dalits and other castes to socially and economically equal status. However, the caste based reservations in India have also led to widespread protests due to reverse discrimination against the

forward caste. Also the caste based politics in India has created various differences amongst the social forces. With a passage of six-decades after independence, the caste based discrimination in our country has been addressed to some extent but there is still enough scope to bridge the intercaste gaps in the society. The economic and social equality, globalization, extensive education, youth empowerment and social organizations have contributed a great deal in mellowing down the deeply rooted caste based discrimination in our country. In this situation, the politicians have got great role to reform the society by not concentrating on caste-based politics, appeasement and discrimination being it unhealthy to Indian Society.