India’s Caste System, a system of social stratification, began with the idea of keeping peace and order throughout India. Though as time passed, it has created a pernicious effect that restricted the growth and potentiality of a person. As such, the caste system is a barrier (ie. a glass ceiling) to the development of a person in a social, economic, and political manner that will continue to burden the country in the future. As time passes and nothing has significantly improved, the paper aims to inform readers about the power of entrenched and misconstrued religious beliefs over a society and how it can affect the development of a country.
Given the insidious harm the caste system possesses, the study is significant because it allows people to understand the root of the problem and the different concepts that affect and contribute to the conundrum faced by India. Thus, through the paper, the information contributes to a more informed society where people will be equipped with knowledge that will allow them to take part in discourse regarding the fight for human rights and equality in a time where it is long overdue.Explanation of the concept and related conceptsThe Caste System is a process of placing people in occupational groups based on Hindu beliefs. There are four levels, Brahman (priests), Kshatriya (warriors), Vaishya (traders), and Shudra (laborers), into which a person can be born into his lifetime. The outcasts of society are the untouchables. The untouchables are the ones considered to be in the state of impurity and therefore, are obligated to isolate themselves from the rest of the population in India (Untouchability, n.
d. ).Each caste is expected to fulfil his duty according to the duties, lifestyle, and rights designated to him, thus allowing for the success of society as a whole (Manian, n. d.
). Dharma is the concept of righteousness and right conduct. Making it centric to an individual is to follow the beliefs and teachings of Hinduism. This is to achieve good karma, which for them is generally the entire cycle of cause and effect. It was believed that this was what will determine what that person's next life will be like through their actions (Sayadaw, n. d.
).Thus, doing what is expected of a person in his lifetime will determine a better life in the next lifetime. Discrimination is the practice of unfairly treating a person or group of people differently from other people or groups of people (Discrimination, n. d. ). In the caste system, people from upper castes are allocated more rights and opportunities by virtue of their birth and subject lower castes to harsher lifestyles.
As the Caste System allocates individuals to certain lifestyles, it is difficult for a person to achieve full potential.Limited in terms of choices, the caste system creates a “glass ceiling effect” wherein an individual cannot progress because an imposing barrier legitimizes inferiority and predetermined capabilities. Historical Development of the Issue The idea of the Caste System in India came from the Vedas, an ancient compilation of religious scriptures that dates back to around 1500 BC to 1000 BC. There is a total of four books, the first being Rig Veda, wherein the sacrifice of Purusa, the first man is seen.Purusa’s mouth, arms, thighs, and feet represent the four castes, Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras respectively (History, n.
d. ). Practiced since 1200 BC, each individual of the Indian society is born into one of the four main social classes in the Caste System. One can be born into the Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, or the Shudras. However, there is another classification of the Indians that is not part of the four castes and this classification is known as “untouchables”.
They are the lowest of the low and are known to be impure (Elliott, 1997).Discrimination was prevalent during these times as a result of social inequality. Different rights were determined by caste. For instance, Vaishyas and Shudras were not allowed communicate with the Brahmans and Kshatriyas, as only people within the same class could communicate with one another. The untouchables were barred to get water from wells that people belonging castes got from and untouchables were not granted permission to enter temples or schools that the people who belonged to castes went to- even choosing who to marry, what to eat, and where to sit where determined by caste.Job opportunities offered to each individual, depended on which caste he belonged to as well.
The Brahmans were either priests or teachers; the Kshatriyas were offered positions in the government or chosen to be warriors; the Vaishyas could be merchants or farmers; the Shudras were offered jobs to be of service to the upper castes, like being servants or working in a farm that belonged to members of the upper caste; and the untouchables were given the dirtiest jobs that no member from the four castes would do, such as disposing of dead animals (Dowling, n. d.) For many centuries, this was how Indian society was, believing that the Caste System brought order and peace within their society.The arrival of the British in 1612 redefined the Caste System in India.
They brought with them their own form of governance that resulted to the disintegration of the Indian political system. The Caste System that was based on the Vedas was no longer followed due to the authority of the British. Using the divide and conquer strategy, The British authorities divided the castes to those who benefited from their exploitation of resources and those who didn’t.The British lessened the harsh punishments towards the untouchables and allowed mobility across the social ladder as long as one had wealth and education.
Thus, opportunities were more equal. For example, when jobs where previously passed on hereditarily, the increase of imported manufactured goods resulted to people changing from their designated occupation to that what the British necessitated. Despite that, discrimination among Indians was still prevalent. India gained their independence from Great Britain in 1947.The Constitution of India was implemented and legally abolished the Caste System. Since then, the government made efforts to eradicate it from society.
The Untouchability Offences Act of 1955 was supported by the Protection of Civil Rights in 1976 which outlawed discrimination in any way. Failure to do so resulted to fines. This was monitored through the Commission for Scheduled Castes and Tribes. They had an Annual Report that contained problems and violations of the law and its corresponding punishments (‘Castes’ n. d.
).Additionally, quotas were set in order for scheduled castes (former untouchables) to have jobs, slots in schools, and political representation. With the implementation of the Constitution of India in the 1950’s, people like B. R Ambedkar and Gandhi advocated for equality in India as well. Ambedkar, who drafted the constitution, was classified as part of the untouchables.
He wrote about discrimination and the irrationality of castes. He claimed that castes isolate people and make the lower castes inferior which hindered the maximal capacity of someone.Meanwhile, Gandhi, an admirer of Ambedkar, proposed that the Untouchables be classified as a Shudra instead. “Harijan”, meaning ‘blessed’ was the term he came up with for the Untouchables (‘Caste. ’ n. d).
Astonishingly, in 1997, K. R Narayanan was elected president and stayed in office until 2002, even if he was an untouchable. He won with 95% votes of the Electoral College (‘Narayanan’ n. d). India has come a long way from 1500 BC.
Despite the efforts for discourse and a few exceptional cases of untouchable success, caste based discrimination is still at play.In fact during India’s independence, because of such treatment, the untouchables have formally chosen to be known as dalits , “those who have been broken” as a step to get rid of the negative connotation of the caste system and to move on from the social stratification. Impact of the Issue In Modern day India, the caste system has created a negative impact as it has contributed to a nearly immovable perception regarding the way society works as a whole. In order to see the impact of the caste system, looking at the most oppressed class, the untouchables (now known as the dalits), shall suffice.Dalits are unable to access basic resources such as water and hygiene facilities. Most facilities are built in upper caste communities leaving nearly 50% of dalit communities without direct access to water while 30% do not have latrine facilities (Johns, 2012).
In effect, everyday chores such as cooking, washing, and cleaning are all the more difficult and getting the resource often leads to clashes and violence between castes due to the idea of untouchability ingrained in the mind-set of people.Case studies across India noted that in many villages, dalits were prohibited from touching water pumps and wells and relied on upper caste members on giving them the water needed. Johns (2012) adds that this contributes to a vicious cycle of poor health and communicable waterborne diseases. Aside from being unable to access basic resources, dalits are unable to obtain proper education as well. A Human Rights Watch conducted a study in 2007 where it was found that teachers and school administrators subjected dalit students to daily corporal punishment, segregation in class and meal times, and manual scavenging (Dalits’, n. d.
).According to the same report, rural school facilities were often located in higher caste areas and the peer environment was very unwelcoming towards the dalits. As such, there is a 45% drop-out rate among primary students and even a disproportionate number of suicides in universities with 18 being the count in one of India’s top universities from the years 2008-2011 (Dalits’, n. d. ).
The caste system has also given a hand in creating an environment of unprecedented level of violence against dalits. Rape, murder, and sexual exploitation are among the crimes that often concern women in order to remind them of their place in society (Manch, n. d. ).
Violence continues as predators know that it is taboo for a woman to seek help from the police and recount her story of sexual abuse; thus, 90% of crimes go unreported. (Rape, 2011; Manch, n. d. ). Lastly, inter caste marriages are often the target of honour killings done by family members of the higher caste partner.
Traditionally, arranged marriages are fixed by parents and elders and a person is frowned upon when marrying someone from a different caste-- especially from a lower one (Gutay, 2010).A recent Law Commission sponsored study revealed that over a period of four years, out of the 560 couples who were threatened and sought state protection, 121 individuals were killed by relatives who showed no remorse regarding their actions (Shakil, 2013). Along with dalits being restricted from basic necessities, education, and creating a violent environment, the caste system has also restricted dalits from holding lucrative jobs. With 66% of the dalit population under poverty line, most are subjected to bonded labour, manual scavenging, and forced prostitution (India, 2013).This implies an imbalanced and incommensurate work relationship between the employee and employer in terms of rights and payment.
According to Knight (2012), dalits have no other alternative due to low levels of literacy, lack of education, and extreme poverty thus even affirmative action policies are sometimes rendered void. If dalits choose to open their own business and become their own employer, it is highly likely that they will not attract customers for goods and products they sell are considered “contaminated” (India’s, 2012).In conclusion, the caste system has created a society where social and economic situations of the dalits are terrible. Upper caste members exploit and capitalize on the ignorance of the dalits and dalits, in turn, accept their fate as something unchangeable because opportunities are rarely presented to them. Majority of dalits themselves cannot take part in an upliftment of status because they are trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty due to lack of education, basic necessities and exploitation.Though affirmative action policies are present and a constitution covers all bases for mitigating discrimination, it is common for such laws and policies not to be implemented or pushed in court as higher caste members occupy powerful positions and dalit success is seen as a threat to such influence.
Future of the Issue As it has been shown that the caste system still holds an insidious grip on the perceptions of people, the question that needs to be answered is will it decline and fade away? The answer can be inferred through the present trends in India.The caste system, though formally abolished, will continue to permeate Indian society in a negative manner because of the hierarchy it implies and the state of poverty dalits are currently in. In an average dalits’ perception, the idea of caste based discrimination is so prevalent that it will create a psych wherein they consider themselves to be lesser compared to upper caste members. Seeing family and friends undergo violence and discrimination and authorities doing nothing creates a discouraging environment of hopelessness.It will lead them to become less incentivized to push the barriers to do well in school, fight against abusers, and aspire for greater things such as being a company owner. Since the caste system is seen as a means of doing one’s duty, systematic oppression and limited responsibilities can be seen as a cultural norm as well.
Perhaps the dalits who grow up in rural India are taught by their elders their duty in life is congruent to their caste status. With no education and access to the global world, it is difficult to prove otherwise. Thus, people who go against the norms will be ostracized and harmed.Additionally, the government will be unable to implement policies made to ensure the fair treatment of the dalits. Because positions of power are generally held by upper caste members, it is in their interest to prioritize people of their own caste and keep power and affluence circulating within them.
Thus, affirmative action policies and lobbying for rights will be almost futile. Because dalits form a huge number of the financially constrained, they are most likely to be left in India while more educated Indians migrate to different countries.However, because of the bias of many teachers, employers, neighbours and the like it will be difficult to understand the value of the number of dalits; the caste system will bar a potential number of people becoming an efficient and stable workforce. Their environment, lack of opportunities and basic necessities restrict them from becoming productive citizens. Analysis & Conclusion The Indian Caste System developed in many ways over time, but it did, does and will still indeed have a negative impact on Indian society.
Individuals let the Caste System decide for them the type of person they should be, as they choose to act how a typical person from their social class is demonstrated by the system to be. From here, it is seen that the Caste System limits an individual and overlooks his potentiality. This is what is meant by the Indians being “confined under a glass ceiling”. Each person has the ability to become better and keep moving up, but the “glass ceiling” that the Caste System has placed prevents one from progressing or improving as an individual.As society is made up of individuals, the caste system can then be said to be is the barrier, the glass ceiling of India as a whole as well. Blinded by religious belief and even selfish with power, structurally oppressing the dalits will preclude India from becoming a great country.
India and the international community should take action and create an avenue for discourse and awareness regarding the problem. In order for society to be free being dragged into a terrible future, Indians must be willing to face the injustice and re-examine what it means to be an Indian living today.
