India’s caste system alive and well in the 21st century

The most conspicuous and characteristic social institution in India is the caste system. It can be seen as the embodiment of the hierarchy, the principle governing Indian society.

The caste system originates from the Vedas, the oldest of Hindu holy scriptures. In those writings four castes, or Varnas, are described. At the top are the Brahmins, who are born as priests; next come the Kshatriyas, who are born as warriors and administrators, and the Vaisyas, who are artists and traders. Finally come the Sudras, the farmers’ and craftsmen’s class.

The human body is often used as a metaphor for the caste system, with the Brahmins as the head, Kshatriyas the chest, the Vaisyas the arms and legs and the Sudras the hands and feet. While maintaining clear distinctions, individual castes nevertheless show a certain respect for each other and acknowledge their mutual dependence.

Discrimination

Although the Indian Constitution of 1949 forbids discrimination on the basis of caste, in many areas of life the system continues to flourish. Marriage advertisements in daily newspapers, for instance, often specify ‘same caste’, and many Indians still refuse to eat food prepared by people of a lower caste for fear of being, as they see it, ‘contaminated’.

Modern historians point out that the caste system has not always been as rigid as it is today, but few question that it is a great social straitjacket which stifles the dynamics of the society. However, there is a widely-held belief that if you are holding a cow by its tail at the moment you die, you can hope for reincarnation as a member of a higher caste.

‘Untouchables’

Beneath the system of the four castes, and right at the bottom of the social hierarchy, is a fifth group, the ‘untouchables’, known today as ‘casteless’ or as ‘Dalit’ (from the Sanskrit root ‘dal’ meaning ‘to split’) who constitute some 15 to 20 per cent of India’s population. They were subject to the most extreme social restrictions until the reforms of 1949 which recognised them as scheduled castes and granted them educational and vocational opportunities and representation in parliament.

The Indian religious and political leader Mahatma Gandhi made many efforts to have them integrated into society, including renaming them ‘Harijans’, meaning ‘children of God’, but they are still widely held in contempt. Indian Christians, however, reject the entire caste system because the Bible speaks of God’s love for everyone, and many have come to Christ.
(SR26/7 - 04.01)