Caste System in India, continued......

My last post was about how the system originated and why it was actually favorable for the system to exist. A guy can know more about what his dad does than what someone else's dad does. And I have talked about 4 professions- Farming, breeding cattle, priesthood and ruling. Hindu society is divided into 4 varnas- Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudra.

Before I proceed further, I'd first bash all the people who say this division is God's decision and that some class of people are just more privelaged than others and so on... In other words, who maintain that this division is a real genetic thing rather than just a classification based on profession. I'm talking about two different things- 1. People of one profession are grouped as one class and 2. People are divided into classes based on their parents' class and they have to stick to their profession. The first one has no discrimination at all, you choose your profession and then they call you by that name, like if I do a PhD, I'm called a doctor and if I failed in tenth exams, I maybe called a cupper. The second one is what I'm talking against.

If this division into varnas was done by the so-called 'God', why doesn't it exist anywhere else except in Hindu community? Muslims don't have this. In ancient Europe, there were just two classes, the commons and the nobles (and maybe another class of wealthy people) but nothing like what we have. There are a lot of tribal people living in forests and mountains, and they don't have any of these divisions. All they have is a ruler and other common people.


The reason behind the division into varnas is, there were these powerful guys, the rulers, who wanted their sons to be the next ruler. And all people around him had to support his son in order to impress the king and the son was obviously more qualified due to his exposure and hence he became the next king, and so on for all other castes. What is not very obvious is the fourth varna, called the Sudra.

Again, long long back, this division called 'Sudra' was just a class based on profession until the generations after those just kept doing the same jobs and it became hereditary and after a sufficient period of time, people were forced to believe that a guy had to do only what his ancestors did. But anyways, how did 'Sudra' varna come into existence? Why would any guy want to be serving others instead of doing something that can give him a respectable position?

Consider the way Shaastra or Saarang work- there are cores, coords and vols and gen insti junta who are not any of the three. Cores are like the best in the profession... like kings and emperors as opposed to local officers, wealthy men among merchants, 'Rajaguru's among priests, Court musicians and poets among artists and so on.. Then there are the coords, who are responsible for work. Like the general farmers, priests, potters, sculptors, etc... Then there are the volunteers, who couldn't get a coordship for themselves because they didn't qualify. There were people in the society who really couldn't do anything by themselves because they weren't talented enough or they didn't have the facilities, like land for a farmer. Volunteers have to work 'under' the coords, do whatever work coords ask them to do, to get their grub coupons and t-shirts. If you can't be a coord and you are not a vol, you just can't get coupons and t-shirts. If a man couldn't be employed himself, he had to serve someone to survive. Hence, there was a class of people working for someone else. This class was never allowed to do something more useful, because no one would teach his profession to his servant's son. And so we have this 'Sudra' class.

When the only way to learn was from a guy's parents, the caste system made sense. But now, how many guys really know what his/her dad/mom do? In villages, maybe there's some exposure, but in cities, a clerk's kid knows nothing about that. A police's daughter can't just be a police. Most of what a person learns is from some public school, along with a lot of other people. Hence the basic concept of caste system doesn't even hold. But thanks to all the political leaders who keep talking shit about castes and thanks to the government that makes no move to eradicate this system, we still have people 'belonging' to a caste.

Hoping that was a little enlightening. Comments are welcome. If someone wants to defend the caste system, I'm ready for a debate.. post your comment.
Next post will be on some Brahmin traditions, not what an arbit priest follows, but the original things that were started by those 'real' sages who existed long back.

Caste System in India

Just a short note on the origin of caste. There was no inspiration for writing this post, was just thinking about castes and then I realized I actually had an opinion on the origin of castes. Religions have always had fine distinctions- different religions coming from different places or being formed when a teacher or a preacher does a lot of philosophical and spiritual preaching. But castes are always totally mixed up in the society. Here's my explanation to the origin of castes.

Long long back, before kingdoms and kings existed, just when caveman started to know things like agriculture, cattle raising, using metals and stuff.... There were these dominant guys who could control people with force or influence and they were obvious rulers. Go to any remote village and even this day you'll find they have village heads who are not elected, but are so because they're more influential in that part. Then there are the farmers who have agricultural land and who grow crops. And the milkmen who have cattle. And there were also wise men who were educated (not math and science and stuff, but in general about ways of life and how you can go around if u have a hard situation).

Now there's the next generation. The farmer's son knows everything about farming since he'd been working with his dad since he was a kid and the milkman's son knows everything about cattle. The farmer's kid can't raise cattle, nor can the milkman's son plough lands. It is only fair that the farmer's son becomes a farmer and the milkman's son becomes a milkman. Another reason is, the farmer won't give away his land and belongings to some other guys son, the farmer's son owns all that and he knows how to plough, sow and reap. Hence, professions were hereditary and it is only just for it to remain that way. It must be noted that in those days a farmer and a milkman was equally, if not more, important to the society as was the ruler.

The ruler's son had always enjoyed the privelage and support from people around him because his dad was powerful. He had probably also learnt to deal with people and he's the guy to rule next. You can see this now too. Look at the congress party- Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and now Rahul Gandhi... heads of Congress party.... Not because they're the best, but because since the time they entered into politics, all of the members supported them in order to make a good impression at the current head. Naturally, the ruler's son has a huge advantage against all others to become the next ruler.

Then comes the brahmins. I'd mention two kinds- The sages and the priests. The sages are those who just lived their life preaching and living on fruits and vegetables they pluck from trees, or by begging. They were only teaching. The priests were practitioners and made a living by using whatever they knew about philosophical or spiritual things. And these priests found they enjoyed a good status in society and hence they had no reason to teach what they know to everyone else. If they do that, they're not superior anymore and they'll be useless. Just like senior-junior in insti. The senior's God only because he knows more about insti and he has more fundaes on some stuff. If the freshie knows more than the senior, he won't bother about taking fundaes.

So, everything is hereditary because they have a good reason to be so. The problem was that some professions were exploited by others. In those old times, hereditary stuff had a meaning. But now when we have public schools, it makes absolutely no sense and there's no point in even saying you're of a particular caste.
Will write more on this topic soon, have to sign off now.

Independence day

And I start getting msgs saying "Advanced Happy Independence Day". Something urges me to publish this one before 15 August. The first thing that comes to my mind when junta start talking about our "Independence day" is, how many people really appreciate the position we currently enjoy. Some say we live in the best country, some say the government's too bad and corrupt and some don't really care.

What does independence and a democratic government mean to someone like me, an middle class student? Maybe right to education in any institute in the country, if I am eligible. Or maybe I can get some kind of scholarship. And I can vote and contest in elections and all similar things. Is that all? What if the country isn't independent or what if the government wasn't so good? One thing is there'll be some class of people who get things they don't deserve. And people without influence will have a really tough time. Maybe you'll have to pay more taxes. The last thing a normal person may think of is discrimination based on caste and religion and the most extreme thing may be riots.

Somethings I've recently realized. I'd suggest some movies that must be watched before you can think of "independence".

1. "Hotel Rwanda": This shows a civil war and how bad it can get. People get shot just because they don't belong to a certain class. And class isn't like our caste. People of the same race, religion, everything, just divided into two groups based on how they look and work. For absolutely no reason, children and women got shot.

2. "Schindler's list" and "The Pianist": If you haven't heard of the holocaust, look up in wiki. Jews in and around Germany were killed for just one reason- being Jews..

3. Crash: A movie that shows (or may be exaggerates, I’m not sure about how it is in there, I can only guess) how some African-Americans are treated in the United States. Not just African-Americans, just any guy from a foreign country.

4. Blood diamond: Another movie showing a civil war and how people with power exploit those without. There are lots of such movies.. Even Rambo 4 is like that...

The world war II happened when no person in Europe could ever believe he’d be safe. There were places where people were just too happy to survive just another day. Civil wars happened in Africa where people of the same country hated each other. There are countries in Africa that are struggling to survive. Even today, in Pakistan there’s a bombing once every month or two. Yet, in our country, a bandh happens and the bus service is suspended or maybe a guy’s bike gets damaged and we blame the government and say this is like hell.

The United States was too damn proud of its ideals and principles. It was believed to be the country built on freedom and rights and equality. Yet you see this country going for the Vietnam war. We, with all our strength and military, have not even thought of attacking weak countries around us, like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, etc.... We value the freedom of not just our country, but of our neighbors too. And how often do we even see the military interfering in state affairs? How often do we have a riot or how many times does the government turn against people forcing unease in the country?

Independence doesn’t just mean to fly the flag and then eat a sweet or greet someone. Think of this. If there was no government and no law, and you are going along with your girlfriend or your sister and a bunch of guys come and kick ur a** and rob you and harass her, what can you do? If you believe you can walk in the streets without being robbed or beaten up, that’s independence. That’s freedom and law and everything. How many times were you denied the right to board into a bus or were locked up for no reason or not allowed to sit with other people? We live in a country that’s probably the best in the world. Proud to be an Indian.

In a country where you’re free all the time, especially living in a place where I’m free to do everything I can (or almost everything), saying “Happy Independence Day” doesn't make a lot of sense to me, especially when you say that to show off you're the first guy to remember that the country got freedom on a particular day in August or do it just because that's just another occasion to send a msg or a mail.... I belong to a free country and I know that all the time, right from the time I walk on the streets to the time I have a laptop with an internet connection and I don't think anyone needs to be reminded that he lives in an independent India.
And I don't really feel I have to end all such posts with a "Jai Hind" in the end.. NO! I have respect for my country and I do follow most of the rules, atleast a lot more than most of the nation.

How to 'clear IIT'

An "IIT- aspirant", a +1 student: Hey, you're an IITian right....

Insti 3rd year gult guy: Yeah dude.

aspirant: Hii. I need some help from you. I'm "doing IIT" at Sri Chaitanya. I want to "clear IIT".

Insti guy: (crap. I need to tell about all those books again) sure. What do you want to know?

Aspirant: What pen did u use in the exam? What color?

Insti guy: (wtf??) I don't remember exactly, but I had the habit of using black technotip pens.. Why do you want to know that da?

Aspirant: My lecturers asked me to know everything that you guys did and follow you. I want to have perfect info... Anyways, what was ur supper when you were preparing for IIT?

Insti guy: (!!!!???) Rice, curry, dal and curd... occasionally rotis? How would it matter?

Aspirant: I want to have full info... And what kind of clothes did u wear for the exam? What color?

Insti guy: (this guy's a retard) I went in some casuals dude.. now cut the crap and ask what you want to know dude...

Aspirant: I want to know a lot more about your preparation.. like how you went home- in a bus or on a cycle or on foot, how many times you ate every day, how many pockets your trousers had, how.......

Insti guy: (shit.. now he'll ask me what color my undee is. Or maybe how many times I used to **** per day... he's such a ****head) (reaching to his cell n putting it to his ear) yeah dude.. oh.. k. I'll be there. (to this 'aspirant')Hey, sorry kid. I got to go now....
and disappears from there in seconds....




If anyone reading this post really tried asking your seniors such questions..., I'm sorry, no offense intended.