INSTITUTIONALISATION OF CASTE

From time immemorial carvans of people of different lands of the globe

migrated into this great land of our country for their livelihood, This land
fascinated them so much they settled over here for good. The most dominant of
them were the Aryans who as it is said, came from central Asia. They come here
in different carvans. Every one of them was well versed in different spheres of
life. They named some parts of this land as Brahmavart and other Aryavart etc.
The most intelligent people of head and heart qualities composed the Vedas and
later on smritis, Puranas, the Mahabharata and Ramayana etc. There people
called themselves Brahman. In that age (satyuga) there was only one caste
Brahman, for they believed in Adwatbad. The propounder of the philosophy of
Adwatbad believed that Atman and Parmatma (Brahman) in one and it is the
absolute truth, The material world is Maya or Mirage.
In the passage of time this land was named later on Bharat, India and
Hindustan, every name of the country has its historical background, when the
society become complexes with people different races and professions Manu, a
great social thinker and lord Krishna divided the people into four varmas,
Brahman Kshatriya, vashya and shudra. Who sober have power of intellect
engaged themselves in learning, teaching inventing philosophical ideology,
performing rituals were called Brahman, whatever caste had power of to protect
people to give justice and sacrifice their lives for the society were called
Kshatriya whatever caste engaged in trade and commerce agriculture and
animal husbandry were vaishya Those who have none of the above qualities the
in actives were the shudra. They began to serve the other there castes for their
livelihood.

Caste system is proposed to the religion of vedanta, caste is a social

custom and all of our great preachers have tried to break it down from
Buddhism down wards every sect has preached against caste and time it has
only riveted the chain caste is simply outgrowth of the political institution of
India. It is a hereditary trade guide. As passed on different types of professions
began to crop up, jewelry, pottery, animal husbandry, iron work, wood work,
scores of craftsman ship came into existence. The people who engaged
themselves in these professions were name by their callings. Such is the history
of caste in India. The people of caste begun to have matrimonial relations with
the girls and boys of their own castes. Thus hundreds of sub castes were formed.
Caste is a natural order of our society I can perform one duty in social life
you another you can protect the country from foreign invasion . I can make the
commodities available to the society, one can mend shoes and the other can
grow food grains, but that is no reason why a shoe mender should be looked
down by any one. As all is well and wisely put in nature, in the same way every
profession whether it is a barber's or a lawyer's is equally useful in the proper
functioning of the society. Therefore the institution of caste is good, this is the
only natural way of solving the needs of day to day life. Men must form
themselves into groups and you cannot get rid of that. Where ever you go there
will be caste, but that does not mean that there should be privileges to some
castes.
Right to equality is a fundmental right now to every citizen of India in
discern minutely of caste creed, colour or gender; however some provision of
reservation is made for scheduled casts, scheduled tribes and O.B.C. This
privilege is given to them to bring into main stream of life. Question is raised
why there should be differential treat mint if right to equality is a fundamental
right. Social scholars say when India became independent the people of lower
castes have little means of their livelihood. They had no land, no trade, no

permanent means of their livelihood, freedom meant little to them. Socially

economically and culturally they were deprived of everything. No nation can
develop unless equal social economic and cultural order is not established. If
unequal persons of a society are treated equally there will be no social justice
vice versa if equal persons are treated unequally it is also no justice. Keeping
this poit in view, the constitution makers of India gave provision of reservation
policy which is absolutely justified.
Caste that was formed on the basis of guna and karma, attribute and
callings in the passage of time became hereditary people of upper castes vaunt
of their superiority and look down upon the lower castes white our Vedanta
philosophy does not agree with the notion of superiority and inferiority on the
basis of birth and no other do social reformers of India like Ram Mohan Roy,
Swami Vivekananda, Gandhi ji and scores of others agree with them. This is
why Nanak Dev, Dadu, Ravidas and Kabir condemn the evil of caste system in
India. Ravidas in one of his verbs with a great anguish at heart says that caste is
curse and it must go. Humanity itself is a jati. In another verse he says if a
chandal has good virtnes and well versed in his action and thought is worthier of
reverence them a Brahman by caste, His idea of caste is in accordance with our
scriptures. Noble ideas of our scriptures regarding life, spirituality as well as
caste system should be honored and practiced. Swami Vivekananda says; the
ounce of practice is worth twenty thousand tons of big talks.
Alas! little do we think of the poor land less labourers, artisans and poor
farmers who live from hand to month, devoid of civic amentias It is they who
simply food grams, vegetables, fruits milk and other necessary articles to all the
people of towns and cities yet they are unable to impart proper education to
their children. They don't get proper price of their produce, People in
government and beaurocecy seem to be indifferent to their problems. some of
them are groaning under debt and some of them are forced to commit suicide.

May god bless our politicians and beaurocrats with good sense so that they may
think of their problems and do needful to redress their grievances. The mission
of government and society should be for the destitute, the poof, peasantry and
labouring classes.
Modern caste system is a barrier to India's progress. It is narrowing,
restricting and causing separation. A thorough overhauling of the present caste
system is necessary; but how to do it? They present institution of caste is not
real Jati, It is hindrance to progress Privileged class is a blow to caste and it is
not sign of caste in any sense. Dining together at the time of a feast of the
people of every caste inter caste marriages is not prohibited in any book. Break
down these barriers, Socioeconomic and cultural virtues should be assigning
factors in the formation of caste. The original idea of varma vyavasth and the
institution of caste should be revived Let the teachings of Lord Krishna and
philosophy of shankaracharya and Ramanuja prevail again in India. Therefore,
it is of no use fighting among castes. It will divide us and weaken the nation.