How did the Caste System Begin?
The Caste System is so deep rooted in the Indian psyche that there probably can be no cure for it. Now here is a new way of looking at the system. To begin with we have the four main castes.Then the scheduled castes and what not. The idea is this: It all began as unions, long back in history.Long long before the modern style unions were heard of. Those really were ‘trade unions’. Why not? Only check history to find that those were based on different occupations. Who , when and in which conference or meeting the idea was presented are but questions beyond our reach because no minutes were kept in those days.
Perhaps people in the same trade quickly grasped the potentials of the concept and readily accepted. Those of the noblest profession were to be the first. Others had to follow. In order to have it inull force, the division of the society was attributed to a divine will or intention thus giving it full religious backing.
The obvious advantage of the unions was that children in their young age started learning their respective trade with ease.Competition was eased by barring members of caste A from joining caste B. The untouchability law was the extreme case of distancing ‘other castes’ describing them, for full strength, as lower castes.
With newer changes in social thinking, educational developments and political changes, the rigid barriers are perhaps relaxing from one end? My knowledge of one family of barbers is in point. When i was very young a senior barber of the village would come regularly to our house- that was the custom at that time- and do the hair dressing. As his son came of age, he set up ’shed’ near their house as thei shop, we started going to the barber’s shop. Later he upgraded setting up a real shop in the near by little town. But his son was given sufficient schooling so he obtained a postman’s job. Now his son , in turn, studied more and becale an engineer, whose son is aspiring to become a doctor.
Now , nobody considers or calls this new generation as barber or anything akin. The caste is mentioned only in order to grab caste-related advantages in the shape of reservations etc.
In the beginning there were only two castes: Male and Female.
In the end there may lnly be two castes: 0 and 1
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Caste, religious, union
