                   India is a nation with a diverse biosphere. India has had a caste system in place since ancient times. The caste discrimination still exists in India to some extent despite all the advancements. Originally, a person’s caste was determined by the work they did. Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, Untouchables, or Dalits were the four main caste groups.
Caste Discrimination And Its Impact On Society
The caste system has several detrimental effects on how society develops. It prevented people from exercising their legal rights. People from lower castes experience widespread prejudice as a result, as well as an inferiority mentality. Even their fundamental rights to food, clothing, and the right to worship a deity were taken away from them. It gives upper-class people a false sense of pride. Hinduism: A well-known idea in India is called “Hindutva,” which stands for Hindu philosophy and encourages the hegemony of Hinduism in politics, even at the expense of others. The term “Hindutva,” which can be interpreted as “Hinduness,” was coined by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in 1923 and became an official term. Hindutva’s detractors claim that, in that it restricts the rights and beliefs of minority groups, it shares many similarities with fascism. The “Hindu Awakening” conferences, on the other hand, were organised by the Sanatan Sanstha in an effort to better India.
A Raja, the deputy general secretary of the DMK, caused a stir by making a remark against Shudras, which angered the BJP, who charged him with inciting animosity towards a group in order to placate others. The Nilgiris MP asserted that Shudras were insulted in Manusmrithi and denied equality, work, education, and access to temples.
“You are a Shudra till you remain a Hindu.” You are the son of a prostitute till you remain Shudra. You are a Panchaman (Dalit) till you remain a Hindu. “You are an untouchable till you remain a Hindu,” he said while addressing a meeting of Dravidar Kazhagam here.
In a video that went viral on social media, he was heard saying, “How many of you wish to stay as children of prostitutes?” How many of you wish to remain untouchables? Only if we are vocal about these questions, will they become elemental in breaking Sanathana (dharma).”
The former Union Minister claimed that the Supreme Court had ruled that if one is not a Christian, Muslim, or Persian, then one has to be a Hindu. “Is there any other country meting out such cruelty?” he pondered.
Mr. Raja, who took to Twitter to express his view, asked “Who are Shudras? Are they not Hindus?” and “Why have they been insulted in Manusmrithi and denied equality, education, employment, and temple entry. The Dravidian movement, as a saviour of 90% of Hindus, questioned and redressed these, which cannot be anti-Hindus.”
BJP State chief K Annamalai termed his justification as “a sorry state of political discourse in Tamil Nadu.”
Due to this caste discrimination, factors like marriage, education, and jobs are affected majorly for the commoners. The government has determined that the caste issue may be resolved by separating people into different castes and aligning them with a specific caste by providing special quotas. In fact, the Indian government gives lower caste individuals incentives to help them feel better about their meagre ancestry. However, the caste discrimination continues to linger in Indian individuals’ imaginations. As Ambedkar asserted, the following activities may help abolish the caste system:Â
Cross-caste marriage – Cross-caste marriage may be able to destroy the mentality of upper and lower castes. In India, weddings between various castes discrimination make up about 5% of all unions. Currently, about 25% of users on matrimonial websites are willing to wed beyond their own caste.
Inter caste Dining: Diversity and inclusion initiatives can be helped by addressing caste-related concerns at significant public gatherings. Local state governments planned a number of dinner occasions to invite guests from across the nation.
The political objective of Prime Minister Narendra Modi calls for the eradication of caste discrimination in the nation. India has made some progress in the twenty-first century. in a number of areas. There is, however, still a lot of room for development. The Indian government has a successful strategy for bringing individuals from various backgrounds together. However, there are certain underlying ideological inconsistencies that will make it difficult to find a solution. However, that shouldn’t dim our optimism about breaking free from casteism.
Hence, if the government wants to maintain the country’s diversity and togetherness, one of the first things it should do is to strongly condemn the so-called vigilante groups for their crimes against Dalits and other religious minorities. Vote-bank politics has so far compelled different parties to ignore this societal ill instead of taking action. The government should act quickly to end the caste system’s plague by (a) setting up fast-track courts to provide victims with immediate justice and (b) speeding up the “skill development” program so that the underprivileged can learn new talents.
