There is a massive books on Caste system in India with a long and diverse qualifications. This chapter is designed to review a few of the relevant literatures pertaining to the caste system prevailing in India. Different authors might have mixed perceptions relating to this particular subject matter for dialogue.
According to Louis Dumont (1980) in his book Homo Hierarchicus which has information regarding the caste system and its own implication, shows that Indian population was set up on a firm notion of hierarchy that was predicated on the relationship between your natural and the impure. It really is more of a religious than a politics or economic idea. He identifies hierarchy as "the rule by which the elements of a complete are ranked with regards to the whole, it being understood that in nearly all societies it is religion which gives the view of the complete, and that the standing will thus be religious in nature"(Dumont, L. 1980). He also points out the prevalence of traditional hierarchy which was predicated on 'varnas' or colours whereby people were divided into four categories specifically Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Sudras and; untouchables are beyond your classification.
M. N. Srinivas (1962) in his book Caste in Modern India as well as other Essays, highlights the "part played out by caste in democratic procedures of modern India in administration and education". The author came across certain conflicting behaviour among the folks of the elite school whereby one group wanted legislation to eliminate the communal evils pertaining to the caste system and on the other hand, there were people who weren't only determined not to fight the evil but also tried to practise this system. In his work he will try to describe the concepts of two cultural processes namely 'Sanskritization' and Westernization. Sankritization is 'the part of communal mobility as well as the idiom in which freedom expresses itself'. That is said to arise within the construction of caste whereas Westernization happens beyond your construction of caste. However, Sanskritisation can lead to caste's becoming unpopular using their neighbours whereby the market leaders of higher or dominating caste may show their bitterness by even torturing the members of the lower castes. In impartial India, the reservations and safeguards granted to the backwards portions especially the Planned Caste and Tribes have helped in the upliftment of the low caste. He also brings into notice the effects of United kingdom rule on the caste system which in a way helped in taking over the power previously exercised by the caste panchayats. A new basic principle of justice was launched by the Uk which said "all men are equal before the rules, and that the type of a wrong is not influenced by the caste of someone who is committing it, or by the caste of the individual against whom it is devoted" (M. N. Srinivas, 1962). This has not been fully implemented in the rural areas where caste panchayats remain functioning strongly. The writer argues that the 'Varna' system has certainly warped the caste but it has enabled ordinary individuals to grasp the caste system by providing them with a simple and candid system that is applicable to all parts of India. Towards the question of can castes exists in the India of tomorrow the author opines that only a minority considers caste as an evil to the complete nation and that minority is little by little increasing every day. In addition in rural areas you'll be able to come across urbanized teenagers who consider caste harmful to healthy relationships between people. He concludes by stating that nothing else however the people themselves must recognize that caste 'actually means casteism and that benefits it includes are bought at much price for the country as a whole entire'.
Taya. Zinkin (1962) in her book Caste Today explains the caste system in India. She considers its origins, just how it works, what democracy is doing to caste and vice versa. In her work she suggests that caste is not school and that each caste has informed and uneducated, wealthy and poor, well blessed and ordinary blessed. The author also says that caste is not dependent on colour because a Brahmin won't stop being truly a Brahmin if he's dark skinned nor does indeed an untouchable stop being one if he's good skinned. She also argues that caste is not based on occupation, however several other literatures might not exactly completely consent to what this creator states. Regarding to her "caste is a way of life which divides contemporary society into small categories, each which lives in a rather different way from the others". Because of these differences, small communities and important aspects of life like matrimony take place within them, these groups have immense control of ability and thus a better success. Before she goes into the details of castes, sub- castes and untouchability she tries to explain the concept of re- incarnation. It is stated that the complete system is based upon a combo of status set by labor and birth and rebirth. This means that a person's delivery in the prevailing life depends on the consequences of his deeds done in past life i. e. if one executes his obligations well complying using what he is likely to do then he may be reborn in a much better situation or not be reborn at all. Marriage customs fluctuate with castes and sub-castes. Untouchables usually make overdue relationships unlike the Brahmins who make early on arranged child marriages. Finally Tan Zinkin(1962) discusses the origins of the malfunction and the loss of notion of the Hindu modern culture. Change of attitudes one of the castes and sub-castes were observed. "More recently, loss of idea has been the effect, of the get spread around of education to the rural areas. With education arrived an arousing of new expectations, which through much of the Indian peninsula produced a fresh non-Brahmanical management, a leadership that was not only non- Brahmin but positively anti -Brahmin" (Tan Zinkin, 1962. pp38).
Tan Zinkin has been pretty much argumentative on the idea of caste. She strongly says what caste in not alternatively than what caste is. The theory about re incarnation has helped me to know more about the delivery and rebirth cycle with regard to the caste system.
Marc Galanter (1963. pp 544-559) in his article Rules and Caste in Modern India focuses on caste and laws pertaining to it through the British rule in India. He identifies how the legal regulations have an effect on the caste as an organization. The legal view of caste is explained under three headings specifically personal law, caste autonomy and precedence and disabilities. First being rights and obligations of an person which is determined by the individuality of the caste group to which he belongs. During the English period caste was little used for the event of legal legislation and additionally all castes regardless of their ranks had to check out the same protection under the law and obligations. However caste traditions mixed when it came to laws of succession, legislations of adoption and legislation of marriage. Relationships between different castes or varnas weren't allowed. Caste autonomy conferred some right to the caste communities to enforce certain guidelines which were not disturbed by the federal government. Precedence and disabilities dealt with the legal interventions with regard to the relationships between castes. Courts imposed certain guidelines such as limitation on the access of a particular caste into temples. This shows that even though the British did assist in minimizing the caste discrimination, on the other palm they finished up aggravating it to a certain degree. The writer also discusses the unbiased India where in fact the higher castes have lost their dominance over legal things and moreover the low ahs castes have purchased certain federal benefits regarding equality and other preferential treatments. Marc Galanter (1963) concludes this essay by stating that "British period may be looked at as a period of'Sanskritzation' in legal notion of caste". (1963. pp559)
"Caste- founded oppression in India lives today in an environment relatively hostile to its occurrence: a nation-state that has long been labelled the "world's Largest democracy, " a intensifying and protective constitution; a system of laws made to proscribe and punish functions of an discrimination on the basis of caste; wide-ranging- based programmes of affirmative action that include constitutionally mandated reservations or quotas for Dalits or so- called Untouchables; and a extreme economic liberalization campaign to fuel India's economic progress. " Says Smitha Narula(2008) in her article Equivalent for legal reasons, Unequal by Caste: The 'Untouchable' Condition in Critical Competition Perspective. The writer talks about the caste system and the discrimination mounted on it and the inequality observed in India today focusing on the caste and gender- centered discrimination and its own impact on the Dalits of India.
Dr. Santosh Singh Anant(1972) in his work The Changing Idea of Caste in India enumerates the emotional areas of caste, inter- caste relations and of untouchability. He comments on the theory of 'position consistency' which is defined as "the amount to which a person's get ranking positions on a given hierarchies are at a similar level (Hurry, 1967). A Brahmin working as peon in an office and an untouchable or anyone from the low caste working as a older official would be an apt example for status inconsistency. This is however happening because of the get spread around of education. He brings in one of the number of views about the foundation of caste system which goes back to 1500 B. C with the introduction of Aryans from Central Asia. Relating to Nehru (1960) The Dravdians were the conquered contest and Aryans the conquerors. Since the Dravidians were advanced in their civilization, Aryans considered them to be a potential menace to them. This is considered to be one of reasons why Aryans tried to press the Dravidians to a substandard position and thus created the idea of four- Varnas or the caste system. The author also highlights that socio-economic factors such as education, industrialization, and upsurge in mobility have abated the pace of discrimination of caste system.
Sree Narayana Expert the Ascetic Who Improved the 'Lunatic Asylum' into God's Own Country is a biography compiled by Murkot Ramunny about a saint who lived in Kerala talk about in the Southern part of India. Narayana Master was a philosopher as well as reformer who hugely contributed to the upliftment of lower castes in Kerala. He helped in bringing about freedom of prayer and education to an incredible number of under privileged in Kerala. It is scheduled to his selfless service to the culture that Kerala has achieved 100 percent literacy rate in comparison to other state governments in India. The writer in his article informs us that, even the daddy of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi paid him a visit and took inspiration from Master for the sociable Upliftment of the low casts or Harijans (Untouchables). One caste one religious beliefs one god for man was his motto. "It really is years since I left caste and religious beliefs. Even then a lot of people are working on presumption i belong to their community. As a result, an incorrect impression has been created in the minds of people. I really do not participate in any caste or faith. In order that only people who do not belong to any caste or faith should do well me" (Narayana Expert, 1091). This piece of books has helped me in this dissertation to know more about the caste system common in the talk about of Kerala.
According to Harsh Mandir, in his article Losing Baskets of Shame (2010 August 9. pp3), he illustrates a genuine incident of manual scavenging which had occurred in India couple of years back. The figures shown by him in this specific article concerning the number of individuals doing manual scavenging was about 6. 4 lacs in line with the Planning Fee in 1995. He represents about a plan called 'Safai Karmchari Andolan' (SKA) which was started as a non-violent mass amount of resistance to end this hideous practice of Manual Scavenging. This advertising campaign was began by an individual who himself was created into a scavenging family who witnessed this abhorring practice from his childhood. As reported by Harsh Mandir in this specific article SKA is the first movement to get rid of Untouchability in India. Nonetheless it should be right to say that this was one of the numerous movements which got taken place in several part of India during different period.
In the article The Indian Caste System by Madhudvisa Dasa (August 9, 2010) he will try to explain the caste system with regards to what has been written in the old scriptures. He quotes certain ideas from the Holy Reserve of Hindus, The Bhagavad Gita. The writer sheds some light on the'Vedas', which says that the Varnas or castes are not differentiated on the basis of delivery but my mere certification (Guna) and work (karma). He assumes that today's caste system has degenerated to the amount that people consider men blessed in Brahmin family members as a Brahmin even if he will not exhibit the qualities of any Brahmin. The writer agrees to the fact that one needs rebirth according to his past deeds or 'karma' but at the same time he says that to be remembered as a Brahmin adequate training is necessary and that it's not conferred automatically by beginning as observed in the present technology.
India's "hidden apartheid" (UNESCO Courier, 2001. pp27-29); articles written by Gopal Expert and Shiraz Sidhva criticizes the abhorrent caste system in India. This article opens with a note which says "India's traditional caste system persists, subjecting thousands to degrading poverty and individual rights abuses. Attitudes die hard, despite government legislations to usher in change. " They comment on the caste system as a means of deployment by the upper caste to curb the lower caste and so attain a monopoly within the wealth, knowledge, vitality and education. The magnitude of discrimination was enormous these so called untouchables were pressured to use drums in order to announce their arrival so that the top caste is not polluted even by their shadow slipping on them. This informative article informs us that the word 'untouchables' was abolished in 1950 under the constitution of India but there still is present a glimpse of discrimination against them. India has however tried to lessen the discrimination by reserving quotas and reservations for the low castes in education and for government careers.
Caste in doubt: The Indian Census and Caste (2010. June 12, pp46), an article which had been recently posted in 'The Economist' has information regarding the reservations and quotas being released for the low castes. This post also brings into notice the issue associated with the inclusion of caste system in the census which is to be announced in the ten yearly plan in 2011. However this have been faced with criticisms because since 1931 India hasn't counted caste in the census. Furthermore it is impossible for this be included in the census because India's caste system has not only the four Varnas but also many other sub-castes which might not be evidently recognized by the authorities. Regardless of certain obstructions, the economic growth of the country has added to the lessening of discrimination on the basis of caste because a amount of people have changed from the rigid public environment to the metropolitan towns and cities in search of jobs where family history is unimportant. "Many Indians have become caste- blind and marrying across caste lines. Anidhrudda, a 20 calendar year old software engineer in Calcutta, says his inter-caste matrimony was no big offer. But even he concedes that we now have limits. If he previously hitched a dalit, he says, 'my family wouldn't normally have been able to handle the world'" (The Economist, 2010. pp46).
Leaders: Untouchables and Unthinkable; Indian Business (The Economist. 2007. pp17) can be an article which highlights the point that says that Indian business does not discriminate up against the Untouchables or lower castes. Additionally, it condemns the practice of booking in private sector because it would damage the complete business system. "Responsibility for lower castes' lack of advancement will not rest with the private sector. There is no proof that companies discriminate against them. The real culprit is government and the rotten educational system it has created" (The Economist. 2007. pp17). It isn't possible to acquire reservations in Business like they have it educational systems. This post says that as people get richer their matter about the caste fades. Nowadays middle income Indian families are to be seen marrying outside their caste than the rural poor and less inclined to wrinkle their nose area at a Dalit.
Harold A. Gould in his work The Adaptive Functions of Caste in Contemporary India (1963. pg427) informs us that caste hasn't fully disappeared even with the advent of modern technology and other cultural structural changes. His research discovered that in rural areas, the lifestyle of caste by means of ritual purity, job, and system of hierarchy still exists in its way. In contemporary India, however caste system hasn't vanished completely but has declined in the cities among the educated middle class people.
From the above review of Literature and from many other reliable sources it can be understood that it's not possible to see an India without a tiny aspect of Caste system. This is because it's been deeply rooted in the brains of Indians since ages and it still remains in certain spheres with their life. Caste system has been a matter of great interest to the Westerners as it fascinates them about the two ideologies- of caste system being important and not being important, existing within the same country and folks. Recent articles from Economist that happen to be mentioned above, mainly discusses the reservations and quotas predicated on caste rather than discriminating against them on the basis of ritual purity and occupation. Nonetheless it is not completely true to state that caste system has vanished from the Indian modern culture. "Educated Indians know that caste is available, nevertheless they are unclear and troubled about what this means to them as participants of the contemporary society that is a part of the modern world. No one can say that it is not hard to give a specific and consistent profile of the meaning and significance of caste in India today" (Fuller. C. J, 1996. Caste Today. pp153)
