The answer to this question mainly hinges on what is unique to India vis-a -vis other countries.The Caste System and Hinduism plays a major role in shaping the mindset,values,attitudes ,behavior....well,every thing you can think of !Please be 'open' to new incisive findings you are going to read now.
How Does The Caste System Impact Indian Behavior ?
As a keen observer of the Indian Caste System in practice,I could not help but observe its undue impact on the mindset and attitudes of every Indian, irrespective of his religious affiliation.In fact every single move of an average Indian is directed by all the all powerful and pervasive Caste System or Caste Spirit(CS).
I have attempted a critical and well-researched study on the impact of Caste System on the Indian mindset and attitudes.For such a study to be realistic ,first of all,one needs to step out of the system and observe through the eyes of a foreigner.I am sure that you would agree on such a view, once you read the analysis in full. I would urge the readers to consider this study more as an introspective exercise than as a charge sheet against Caste System .If this study is considered as a charge-sheet,then it may unnecessarily prompt the reader to prepare a defence. After all,we need to know ,that all said and done Caste System undoubtedly remains as a curse on India, that needs to be mercilessly killed in the interests of the Nation.
· Caste System is not about people alone!
Often we think that CS applies only to’ human beings’ !Nothing can be far from truth than this thinking.If you critically analyse Indian life, you will know that the tentacles of CASTE SYSTEM extends into every area of human activity in India .
.Eg.The left hand of the body is treated as inferior to the right hand and is used for cleaning ***.Similarly the leg is treated as’ low’ as it carries all dirt of walking etc.Most Indians wash their legs when they return home after going out.Among drinks' coffee' is considered as ‘high’ and ‘tea ‘is considered ‘low ‘.The reason attributed is that tea is normally consumed by people who are into physical labour category and coffee is taken by ‘thinkers’! What about cars ? Maruti 800 is a’ low caste’ while Dzire will fit into high caste . Among the snacks, some are considered low and some as high depending on each area.In certain Hindu families the eldest son is treated like the high caste as against the youngest who is the servant caste.Similarly between man and woman, a woman is always the low caste and is entitled only to what is left after the men in the family have their full. ..Among the animals dogs are considered low and that is the reason why Indians have the minimum number of dogs as pets per household in the entire world .Brahmins never have any pets .
In (Satapatha Brahmana 14:1:1:31)
‘women ,dogs and shudra are equated in a verse ‘-“And whilst not coming into contact with Sûdras and remains of food; for this Gharma is he that shines yonder, and he is excellence, truth, and light; but woman, the Sûdra, the dog, and the black bird (the crow), are untruth: he should not look at these, lest he should mingle excellence and sin, light and darkness, truth and untruth.”
Among cattle the poor buffalo is low caste as its’ varna’ is black ! Cow is a Brahmin among the cattle.Garden lizards are to be killed as they are anti-Rama and squirrels are ‘reverential’ as they helped Rama in building the bridge to Lanka!
So Caste System extends to all areas of activities in India.
· Caste Spirit makes one knowledge-proof !
When CS rules ones mind, the person concerned may learn new things but nothing that is inconsistent with the CS enters their mind. So however high one’s education may be, he may acquire just academic knowledge but he continues to remain change -proof when it comes to his opinion or behavior with respect to superstitions, caste discrimination etc. Indians who are educated in Harvard, when they return back to India, do not change their behavior in any manner.They continue to practice whatever they they were practising before their overseas exposure.They observe caste while marrying. They do not fight against social injustice or superstitions ,as CS still controls their thought process.Space scientists in India who are capable of sending rockets into the space ,continue to look for auspicious omens before launching the rockets ! So CS effectively rules out change in superstitious culture of the Indian intellectuals,through acquired knowledge.
Compare this with a particular tribes in North Eastern India who used to kill their enemies and hang their skulls in their verandahs as a statement of valour.When the Christian missionaries who served among them, taught them that it was not correct,they changed their century old obnoxious practice immediately .How could they change a century old practice? Because they are beyond the control of the powerful CS !
· ‘Lying’ is the mother-tongue of Caste System !
We saw that the spirit of caste ,over rules every thing else in India.It shapes all your opinions and views.It determines the direction of your ‘decisions’ as well.
Eg. A Painting Competition was held in Chennai, in an office for the children of the staff of a PSB.The Paintings were first viewed by the public and given marks..A particular Painting P1 came first followed by Painting P2 ,in this viewers rating.The viewers who gave marks were not aware of who painted P1 and P2. Now a Brahmin Judge comes to finalize the award and he quickly gets to check who painted P1 and P2.Unfortunately P1 is done by a dark Dalit and P2 done by a fair Brahmin ! The moment he comes to know this the Spirit Of Caste(SOC) takes over the mind and commands him to comply with ‘Caste Dharma’.So the Judge tries and finds out some’faults’ in P1 and declares P2 as the winner of 1st Prize ! Here the beauty is that the Judge himself may not be aware that SOC has taken him over and that his decision is biased ! So it is not correct to blame the Judge for 'injustice' as he is not aware of his prejudice.A ‘foreigner’ observing the scene closely can sense it immediately.
Often we find it so exhausting in convincing the Indian intellectuals,on what is patently acceptable ,if their accepting that fact can go against the Caste Dharma.The intellectuals draw all their argumentative skills to the fullest extent and put down any argument that militates against the CD.Suppose a Dalit argues that the sun rises in the East,the response from the intellectuals would be ‘Well,depends on which direction you are sitting !’.The same argument is put forward by a Brahmin,the response would be something like this’That,of course, is a universal truth!’
This is the reason why Indian intellectuals keep on denying ground realities relating to ’untouchability’ ‘ beef ban’etc.They may not be aware that they are doing it at all,as they are under the spirit of caste..
As a natural consequence of this imperative,one is required to do any thing or pay any price to maintain and uphold the ‘Caste Dharma’(CD).That anything includes ‘lying/cheating ‘and that is why ‘lying/cheating’ is so common in India among intellectuals and others.When the intellectuals practice ‘lying/cheating ’,others tend to imitate the same.So’ lies’ breed ‘lies’ and soon it becomes the official language of the Caste Kingdom. ’Lying’ becomes an essential part of Caste System(CS) as it is an easy way out when the ground realities clash with the mandated requirements of CS.
This is the basic reason for lack of integrity among the intellectuals of India.While in foreign countries,it is very common to find the accused in criminal cases admitting to charges, the accused in India never admits to his guilt on his own.
· Caste System controls Judgment/Justice/Law
Caste System prevails over all individual judgments including all judicial decisions.
Let me illustrate the hold CS has over judicial ‘judgments’ with the following explanation.
The western concept of ' justice' implies the following:
1) just 2) equal 3) neutral 4) impartial 5 )without prejudice 6)fair 7) crime-based
The Indian concept of ’Dharma’ is concept unknown to the west.
‘Dharma’ implies the following.
1. Based on one’s birth in a ‘caste ‘,each caste is assigned a duty. The Caste Dharma is to do that duty sincerely. If they do not do their assigned duty and try do the duty of some other caste it is called ‘Adharma’.
2.‘Adharma’ is punishable under Hindu law.
3.The punishment for any crime committed,as per this dispensation, depends on the’ caste of the criminal ‘and not ‘on the crime’. This means for the same crime, different punishments are applicable according to the caste of the criminal.
For illustration, let us assume that X murders Y in England. The punishment for murder as prescribed in the criminal law of the land will be awarded to X in England irrespective of his race or colour.
1. But suppose the same X murders Y in India.
Let us see how Dharma works.
First of all the caste of X will be ascertained
The punishment will be as under.
a)If X belongs to Brahmin caste ( priestly caste) -Punishment will be very low ,say something like ‘ plucking a few hairs from his head’ etc.
b)If X belongs to Shudra caste(servant caste) punishment will be severe like capital punishment.The lower the caste, higher is the punishment
Hence Caste Dharma practically translates into’ injustice’.
So Caste Dharma is the opposite of 'Justice’.It is not crime-based but person-based.
It is unfair,unjust,prejudiced,,partial and unequal .
Now ,how does the concept of ‘Law’ fit into Caste System ?
Law & Practice
According to the constitution of India, India is a Sovereign, Secular, Democratic Republic.While the de-jure position is amply clear, what is the de facto position? Is the country secular and democratic as claimed and declared? Does rule of law prevail or rule of religion prevail?Let us examine.
Interpretation As A Powerful Weapon!
After completing the longest Constitution in the world,written after studying 70 constitutions , Dr.B.R. Ambedkar, Chair Man of the Drafting Committee, remarked 'If after all these checks and balances,the constitution does not work,well ,let us remember that man can be vile..' His expectation regarding the vile nature of man did materialise, with our legal experts diluting the constitutional provisions through' tricky' interpretations.
'No' means 'Yes'!
The word 'secular' played into the hands of our legal experts. Oxford English Dictionary authoritatively defines' Secular 'as ' Not connected with religious or spiritual matters:'
'
But our Authorities over- ruled the Oxford and defined' Secular' and defined it as 'relating to all religions'. Its like interpreting a clear' No' as sure ' Yes'! This small trick is a great leap for the religious forces to pierce through the formidable firewalls of the Constitution. Religious forces displaced the throne.
Result- utter chaos, hatred, harassment of minorities,beef on ban etc. To day the nation is at the brink of disaster due to a small trick of interpretation.
Collapse Of The Rule Of Law.
A series of such tricky interpretations has robbed the Constitution of its chastity and today the rule of law in India appears to be a distant dream. But it does not mean “ law" does not work in India!
What ‘law works and what law cannot work in India?
Three Types Of Law In India.
Those who keenly observe India, would have noted that everything in India is subordinate to one Supreme Power. Don’t ever think that the Supreme Power is God! That supreme power is nothing other than the great Caste System!
Anything, including “law" inconsistent with the Caste System does not work, what ever you do,however best you try! The opposite is also true. That is ,anything that strengthens the Caste System works very well even without any “law"supporting it or inspite of a 'law' against it!
So, in India, these are 3 types of Law, as under:
Type 1: Mandatory “law"
Which has to be carried out, against all odds. This category may or may not have legal backing. But it surely works. This category can work against legal “law" also.
Eg.Government opens a new building.There is no 'law' that you should perform a 'pooja' while opening a new building.In fact there is 'law' that says that India is 'secular'.But nothing can deter any one from this ritual and no Government scheme is launched without a 'pooja' preceding it!
The CS has a powerful parallel or superseding legal system which is enforced much more effectively than the constitutional legal system. Recently a kangaroo court in Uttarpradesh ordered “rape of two sisters belonging to Dalit community” as a punishment for inter-caste marriage! Imagine the guts with which such sentences are passed in a country which has the longest written constitution in the world.The peer enforcement mechanism in such cases is much more effective than the legal enforcement machinery of the Government.
Type 2: Enacted “law" which is beneficial to Caste System will be enforced
There are hundreds of laws in our statute book.Not all laws are equally enforced.But 'laws' which strengthen Caste System is always enforced by the concerned.
Eg.Pollution Control Laws are never enforced against the offenders,as the industrialists owning the units are always 'upper castes' but a simple phone call from some one prompted a raid on Kerala Bhavan, for allegedly serving 'beef'!
Type 3:Enacted law which is inconsistent or against Caste System.
This' law'can be treated as good as' dead law'.This 'law' dies as soon as it is born !It cannot be enforced at all even after exhausting all available legal avenues.At every level there is stiff resistance against its enforcement.It is very interesting to know how it works this way.
Eg.Let us take a case of an atrocity committed against a Dalit and he goes to the Police Station to file a complaint.The Scheduled Castes And The Scheduled Tribes (Prevention Of Atrocities)Act, 1989 requires the officials to register the complaint promptly and says " 4. Whoever, being a public servant but not being a member of a Scheduled for neglect Caste or a Scheduled Tribe, wilfully neglects his duties required to be performed of duties. by him under this Act, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to one year." But practically the complaint is no complaint is registered and more over the Dalit making the complaint ,is often harassed for making the complaint.At every stage of the proceedings,the Dalit finds stiff resistance.Suppose he stands firm and fights his way through till the end,he finds the case dismissed on 'fancy' grounds !.
In Tamil Nadu ,one dalit adolescent girl was raped,murdered and buried in the sand in Cuddalore District.Her hands were showing out through the sand and people who saw this ,reported to police.The case was taken up,proceeded and finally closed by the Police as a case of 'suicide'!How did the Police believe that a girl could commit ‘suicide’,then dig a deep pit,then crawl into it and bury herself into it , showing her hands out? The Caste System made them believe this incredible story !
· Media’s Major Role in Shaping The Caste System
Since media is a major instrument used for maintaining the Caste Dharma,media can ill afford to be true to the happenings around.The media has over a period of time,developed an inherent tendency to project events in a way that would strengthen the CS in some way or other.
Eg.In the 70s ,once a candidate who belonged to low-caste Dalit (named C. S. Das,if my memory serves me right)secured 8th rank in the Open List of the All India Civil Services Examination. Now,when media got wind of this info,they chose to suppress it completely ,as it conflicts with the CS propaganda that Dalits have no brains or merit .However,despite their best efforts,truth did leak out,but not many would know it !
A few years back,when the huts belonging to Dalits, in a village down in southern Tamil Nadu were torched,the Dalits decided to retaliate, with protests after a day of the incident.A leading English national paper published from Chennai ,carried the following headlines’Dalits on the rampage in ……’ The last line in the report casually mentioned’It may be noted that the caste Hindus in the village had torched a few huts belonging to Dalits two days back ‘. What one need to understand is that the paper has not published the first incident of torching the huts at all,as it is not ‘press-worthy’ in its eyes!
· Is ‘Exploitation’ an essential part of Caste System ?
Exploitation is an essential part of CS. The Caste Dharma demands servitude of the Shudra Castes and Dalits to the upper castes. So CS justifies’ exploitation’ as' natural and normal'.
Eg. When Government instructed Public Sector Banks to provide business loans to SCs for their livelihood, some enterprising youngsters availed the facility. Most of such units failed because the upper castes’ refused to patronize the units. One young Dalit running a Cycle Hire Shop in a village, complained that all upper castes did patronize and were hiring his cycles, but not paying even a paise, for the use! He felt utterly helpless against high caste customers under whom his caste serves. Soon the unit became sick for no fault of his! But a systematic propaganda that Dalits are not capable of running was let loose,to prevent further finance by the Banks!
· Caste System,sure Kills Conscience!
CS slowly kills conscience. As narrated in the fore-going case, if conscience is present, one will not refuse to pay after hiring the cycle.Conscience is bound to prick.
Few decades back ,a well known music maestro of Tamil Nadu ,donated Rs13 lacs for the renovation work of the famous Sri Rangam Temple at Sri Rangam. Money was received promptly and used for the renovation work.But when the renovation was completed and inauguration was done ,the donor was not invited, as he is a Dalit ! He is 'untouchable' but his money is not !
· Forgiveness has no place in CS!
CS encourages vengeance for any action against the individual or caste for any action that is perceived as intentional insult against caste. Nothing is accepted as a possible mistake. So there is no place for forgiveness in the CS and vengeance is almost a ‘certain’ consequence for any perceived offence.This spirit of vengeance can last for even 100 years in some incidents !
· What is Gratitute ?
CS defines that 'Dharma' is carrying out one’s caste duties without expecting any recognition or reward ..So there is no space for the quality of ‘Gratitude’ in the 'Dharma’dispensation. ‘Gratitude’is nothing but recognizing something good done by somebody to us and feeling thankful to him for it. There is no provision for doing something good to anyone in CS and hence no provision for gratitude also. In other words,CS is ‘good proof’ ! If some one oversteps and does something good to anyone, CS does not allow the ‘recipient’ of the benefit, to thank them.
Eg. Prior to the advent of the British rule in India,the CS did not allow any access to education for the the poor non- Brahmins. But the British decided against such a discrimination and opened the ’education to all the castes including the Dalits in India. How grateful should every beneficiary feel towards those who made available quality education to all for free ? But even national leaders who studied in English schools and enjoyed the benefits often speak against Christianity and the British.Sashi Tharoor went to the extent of claiming reparations for British exploitation of India,in a language that they taught him ! Why ? It is not him to be blamed but the CS that ensures that no one feels grateful when they enjoy any benefit .
Let me share an incident to illustrate this attitude. When I was serving as a Senior Executive in a PSB, I had to cancel a particular Banquet Meet fixed ,due to some unforeseen circumstances.I did not want the lavish dinner I had arranged for the meet to go waste and so invited some poor workers residing in the area ,to enjoy the dinner.They all came,sat and silently enjoyed the dinner.When they left NOT A SINGLE SOUL chose to thank me for the gesture of providing the dinner !They do not know what a ‘thanks’ mean and why they should ‘thank’.I won’t blame them but blame the CS that controls them.
· “Merit” according to CS means………..
Caste System has no place for’ merit’ as ‘merit’ is inherently attributed and reserved only to Brahmins who constitute just 5% of the society .By continuous propaganda , all people are made to believe that other castes do not or cannot have ‘merit’ what ever they do.This propaganda is so powerful ,even the target group themselves are made to believe that they have no brains !
What happens if some’ news ‘going against this propaganda leaks out ? Ramar Pillai, a Dalit village scientist from Tamil Nadu,invented a method of extracting petrol from herbs. Even though he proved the process before scientists of IIT Madras, the entire Indian intellectuals mocked at him and humiliated him on grounds of his low caste.Later the same process has got approved but not credited to him! Similarly while selecting sports persons ,low caste people are ignored even if they are excellent performers.Fishermen are excellent swimmers but never selected for swimming contests of national or international levels,as they winning in international events may add to the nation's pride but tilt the CS apple-cart !.
On this issue of ‘merit’ of Dalits ,I reproduce here under what one anonymous Dalit has to say, in the Quora Answers forum:
How does it feel to be a Dalit in India ? Quoras Answer.
“ In fact,being a Dalit in India, is not a problem at all, as long as one accepts the slot allotted to the Dalits in the prevailing social system.
This means a Dalit has to willing accept the following with out any kind of resistance.
1)He should allow the upper caste Hindus(UCH) to freely trample on him without any reason.
2) He should allow them to spit, insult or do anything extremely atrocious to him.
3) He should not aspire to raise in his life.
4) He should not dress well or wear slippers.
5) He should not talk back when asked to do something.
6) He should stand with a position of respect in front of them.
7) In case he does any creditable thing, he should not claim it.
8) Many more such expectations.
What happens if a Dalit chooses to revolt?
1) He is suppressed with all possible power/might at the command of the UCH
2) He is side lined and trapped in some misconduct or disciplinary proceedings etc.
3) If the Dalit is smart and intelligent,its all the more trouble for him. All people join together and launch a whisper propaganda against the Dalit.
4) Every body joins together to make his life a hell of a misery.
5) If in a incognito contest a Dalit scores high marks it is reduced the moment the identity is known.
I secured 142 general rank in a tough All India Exam competing with 78000 candidates in 1976,the moment they checked my papers,I was put under SC/ST category !
I topped as no 1 in collection of a particular business and the incentive foreign tour due for the achievement was given to a totally unconnected UCH !Even my own staff were shocked as my Brahmin Boss decided on this !I often got admitted for 'heart aches' whenever 'injustice'was unbearable. This only one example !
I joined as Level 1 direct officer and should have reached Level 12 in the normal course ,which is like MD, for my merit and performance.But with the Dalit tag ,I could not cross Level 4 ,at my retirement.
Now I publish my works in US easily than in India. US recognises me because its a nation of merit.
Often I tell my daughters "If your Dad was born in US ,I am sure he would have been a Bill Gates or like "
Thats it.”
This speaks about how ‘merit’ in India fares in 21st century.When India suppresses its ‘merit’ ,how can it compete with the world?That is why India(Rank55) lags behind even small countries like South Korea(Rank 5) in Olympics 2012 Medals tally.We demand ‘level playing field’ with other countries, while denying the same to our own nationals!
· ‘Socialising’ is ‘Antithesis’ in Caste System!
' Society' means” the aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community”.
If you apply the ingredients of this concept, I am not quite sure whether a caste- based- society would ever qualify to be called as a ‘society’at all. In the Caste System, the vertical hierarchy of the castes makes it more akin to a bossing military structure than a fellowshipping society. More over a period of time, lot of myth,superstitions, proverbs, adages about each caste have been created intently and floated, to ensure against free interaction among the castes.A particular caste is ridiculed for being stingy,another for being foolish,another for being crafty etc. This makes free interaction,fellowship,helping each other,working for common good etc as practically impossible.A kind of ‘hatred ‘between the castes is fuelled by constant back-biting.
I would like to share an incident to illustrate how this CS works against helpful socializing.When I was in Chennai during the 70’s I used to visit one of my close relatives staying around 20 kms away.I travel all the way in my car along with my family during the week-ends just for a social call. On two such occasions, it so happened that the head of the house, one old uncle of around 80 years old,fell sick.We were happy that we were there at the right time to help him reach the hospital for treatment. This happened two times.We felt happy that we were able to help during two occasions,but the wife of the old uncle did not feel so! She felt that every time we made a visit, the old man fell sick!What a perverted thinking ! What a world of difference between this perception and our perception of the same incident ! So she started indicating so to some others ,not to us ,that we were sort of ‘bad omen ‘bringing sickness every time we visit! How hurting to hear such remarks !Who will go visit them if they categorize people helping them like this? We also felt bad and stopped visiting.The winner is the indomitable Caste Spirit ultimately.
Now the question is, why are they not able to identify someone who is genuinely helping them? You cannot but blame the CS only,for this perverted thought.
- ‘Common Good’or 'Leadership' Has No Space here!
Since CS arranges groups of people into castes and the castes are vertically arranged there is no space for any common good.What is good for one caste is always considered as bad for another caste.This is the reason why people oppose any benefit given to any other castes.For example,if the government gives 3% reservation for physically challenged,there won’t be any noise among the communities.But if the Government gives reservation for any particular community or group of communities,there will be lot of noise and vociferous protests all around! Every caste wants to ensure that their position in the hierarchy remains intact.This means the lower caste needs to remain ‘lower only ‘and even if they try to move up a little high,there will be lot of resistance all around.Each caste is more concerned and bothered about other castes remaining as they are and its own members moving up in the ladder.
So there is no space for common good.This is the reason why the common roads are dirty,traffic is chaotic and any common facility is not taken care of.For example,I will throw all waste on the roads because it is not my caste duty to keep the roads clean! My job is to ‘dirty ‘ it and their job is to clean it !”Let them come and clean” is the general attitude.
Once in my friend’s marriage party held in southern Tamil Nadu,there was no low-caste person available to clean the dining tables .Dinner was served on plantain-leaves and as per prevailing tradition guests are not supposed to remove it.My friend did not know what to do as the leaves were piling up.At that point of time one hungry beggar came and asked for food.My friend thought that he can use him to clean the tables and give him food and some money,in addition.But the beggar promptly refused ,saying “I am a --------caste man,I won’t do such work !’My friend quipped ,” But,you are begging for food ! Is that ok for your ------caste ?” He would not reply but have the food full! Yes,CS permits any caste to beg rather than do work of the lower caste ! So however best we try,CS prevails over our intentions and make us comply with our caste mindset.
CS cannot produce any common leader for all as any leader can only represent the interests of his caste.This is the reason why India has no national leader of the stature of Abraham Lincoln who was willing to sacrifice his life for abolition of slavery.
· Caste System Determines All Sensitivities/Priorities !
It is quite interesting to note that the CS holds sway over all the ‘sensitivities’of Indians. So, it is very common to observe that the average Indian is not' sensitive' to what all civilized citizens of other nations are 'sensitive' to.Let us see the list of ‘insensitive’ and ‘sensitive’ aspects of an average Indian.
Not Sensitive To
· Chaos:
For example chaotic traffic does not disturb any Indian.Climbing into the crowded trains,hanging on train roofs, disorganized religious festivals like Kumbh Mela ,chaotic admission procedure in schools, colleges etc. nothing disturbs him All government procedures for obtaining approvals.are terribly chaotic but an average Indian takes it well in his stride..
· Cleanliness
An average Indian is not disturbed by dirt, filth, gutter water sewage seeping over the streets,pissing in the streets,shitting on railway tracks etc.But he would expect you to remove your foot-wear when you enter his shop for shopping !
· Queues
An average Indian is not disturbed by jumping of queues and given an opportunity he would also jump the queue happily.The reason is Caste Dharma assigns different rights to different castes.As such queue violation is a permitted value in the system.
· An average Indian is not sensitive to work commitment or perfection.
He will claim that' work is worship' and all that but when it comes to practice he will never care.Recently a electrician in Tamil Nadu working on a power transformer was electrocuted to death for a “minor mistake”. That ‘minor mistake’ was ‘working without wearing hand gloves’on a high-voltage transformer! No newspaper ever talks about such a major negligence but disposes off it as his fate’.Mind you,he is not an exception;he is the rule.
Caste System is against any kind of work ethics, as perfection does not matter at all ,in a CS environment .The job of each caste is assured from their birth and they need not prove their eligibility or skill to do it.Accordingly a Brahmin who is suffering from even contagious disease is not ineligible to serve as priest in a temple, on account of the disease.Compare this with the Biblical instructions on levitical priest hood which prescribes the following norms for priest-hood:
1)Num8.24 commands, “This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting, but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer. They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites.” God regulated the priestly office and limited the age of priests to 25 to 50 years. Anyone younger or older was not eligible to serve.
2) God held the priests to the most stringent standards of behavior and ritual purity (Leviticus 21). Abihu and Nadab were sons of Aaron and two of the first priests. They disobeyed God, however, and were instantly struck down (Leviticus 10:1–2). Later, the sons of the high priest Eli “treated the offering of the Lord with contempt” and were also judged (1 Samuel 2:12–17).
Since work ethics is not considered important,an average Indian worker is never punctual,not sincere in work,often misleading the customer,having tendency to do certain things stealthily without the customer’s consent and not feeling bad if caught red-handed.
An average Indian worker does not feel proud about his work or his skills.He is more concerned about making money somehow. A biscuit manufacturing unit in Tamilnadu had surplus capacity which was leased to a foreign biscuit company for manufacturing their products.But on one condition that the workers shall wear hand gloves without fail, for reasons of hygiene.The staff union agreed to the condition.However random inspections carried out subsequently, proved that the workers stealthily removed their gloves during the work, whenever the Supervisors were not seen around! Whatever best the management did to prevent this practice failed because of the workers’ mindset.Why do they do like that ?Who controls their mindset? You should have known it by this time !
But Sensitive To:
The average Indian,however is highly sensitive to the following.
· Any type of help done to the poor or needy.
Nobody wants any kind of help to be done to the poor labour category like porters, auto drivers, beggars etc. In Bangalore Cantonment railway station the maximum porterage charges payable to porters is fixed at Rs 70/- . I am not aware of any maximum charges on even brokerage fixed for real estate deals. But in case of a porter demanding Rs 10 extra an average Indian fights tooth and nail to avoid giving it. He posts complaints in social media for that Rs 10 /-extra !An average Indian is not willing to give Rs 10/-per month,for door collection of garbage but will happily give Rs 5000/- for a 10 day summer camp for kids ! To strengthen this attitude of not helping the 'poor' ,lot of superstitions have been floated over the years.One is that 'poor hate help from the rich.They hate extending their hand for help' This is to prevent poor from asking for help.There is another ,for preventing the rich from helping."If you help the poor,you will soon become like them !"
· The most sensitive area is that of 'caste'.
An average Indian can not tolerate any thing except any kind of benefit ,reservation or advantage that is given to a caste other than his caste.He employs all his arsenal to fight against such a move tooth and nail.More than the desire for benefits for his caste,the feeling that the other caste should not get anything rules.
He is also against any sort of dilution of the caste system through intercaste marriages. He will go to any extent to defend his caste.’Any extent’ means and includes’ killing of own daughter,son or sister who gets into a intercaste relationship’.This he considers as a’ honour killing ‘to save the caste system!
Sensitivities Determine Priorities!
Our pattern of 'sensitivities' determine our priorities.For example, suppose in my family the youngest brother is starving every day and I have lots of money.If I am sensitive to his suffering ,the first priority for me will be to provide him food.If I am not sensitive to his suffering,I can go for a lavish BMW car with the money I have.Does this explain why India is going for Space Research when 300 mnof its people are below poverty line ?.
· Is‘ Hatred’ ,a part of Caste System ?
Since the caste system is a vertical arrangement of various castes,every caste feels superior to the castes which are placed below them and inferior to the castes which are placed above them . So none of the castes except the highest that is ,Brahmins feel adequate and full.The lowest in the ladder, that is the Dalits feels the most crushed and rejected by every body .They are made to feel that they are zero in the system.
One common thread that seems to run through the entire CasteSystem is the utter contempt for the lower castes and high respect for the higher castes In practice,however this translates into a vein of ‘hatred ‘running through entire line of hierarchy. Due to this feeling of hatred the Hindus are not sensitive to the suffering of the other castes ,though they are part of their own religion. Even during the recent Chennai Floods, Dalit villages were not covered while rescuing victims.
Scant Aid For Low-Caste Villagers Hit By Floods In Tamil Nadu, Says Survey By Two Charities
A Dalit village in Cuddalore was left to fend for itself through 36 days of flooding
Sometimes,they may become be sensitive even to the suffering of people in different countries. The Government of India ,once raised funds for Nelson Mandela to fight against Apartheid in Africa, while 300 million Indians are still suffering under the curse of untouchabllity right on is own soil!
This inbuilt ‘hatred’ in CS works against creating the feeling of ‘one nation’.
· CS Sure Breeds Inferiority Complex
At the cost of repetition,let me tell that the caste system is a vertical arrangement of various castes. Every caste feels superior to the castes which are placed below them and inferior to the castes which are placed above them . So none of the castes except the highest that is ,Brahmins feel adequate and full. The lowest in the ladder, that is the Dalits feels the most crushed and rejected by every body .They are made to feel that they are zero in the system.Overall,every caste suffer from a strong feeling of ‘inferiority complex’s an essential part of CS mindset. Compare this position with the poor in Africa. Even the darkest Africans or Afro-Americans always feel proud about themselves.
· CS and Communication
CS affects effective 'communication' as such, as each caste perceives any issue or problems with its own eyes. In other words what is a problem for one caste need not a problem for another caste. Some times what is bad for one caste may even be a source of joy for another caste.This prevents level communication between two different castes. CS prevents free communication due to clash of interests .This is the reason for the foreigners’ feeling that Indians do not mean what they speak!
· CS and Suffering Of Others/Helping Unknown People
The treatment of each caste in a CS depends on the position they occupy in the hierarchy .As per the position the degree of respect or contempt for the caste concerned is decided .The higher the caste the higher the respect and the lower the caste higher is the contempt .Accordingly a low caste person is treated lower than even animals.While the animals are permitted to pass through the streets or the higher caste ,the lower caste Dalits are not permitted to pass through the same streets,As a consequence of this ,any kind of suffering undergone by the Dalits are simply not visible to the eyes of the upper caste ..As this attitude gets embedded in the Hindu mind set ,they simply ignore victims of accidents or those who are in a SOS situation.The person affected does not mind about this indifference of others who is suffering ,as he is conditioned not to expect any help from anyone.This is the main reason why bleeding accident victims in India are not helped by anyone passing by.They may give different reasons for their apathy,as they themselves may not be aware of these real reasons.
· How does CS impact Depression/Anger /Anxiety ?
Caste system nurtures negative feelings like ‘depression anger ,anxiety,etc’ in every one.The' lower castes' always live under a feeling of ‘threat’ despite having intelligence,etc .The higher castes who are the rulers never recognize the merit of the lower classes.As a consequence, these people suffer from constant anger,anxiety ,nervousness and related health problemsl.They are not sure of their future or even the next moment.
· CS and Cheating
Since CS does not accept ground realities which clash with the Caste Dharma,it has either to put it down through lies or through cheating.Many of the religious literature carry stories of vile cheating, tricks etc employed to save the CS from destruction.Hence cheating becomes an accepted and essential part of maintaining the Caste Dharma.
· CS and Personal Grooming
CS does not attach any importance to presentation,personality,looks etc which are required for executive jobs in other cultures.A Brahmin is considerd as belonging to a high caste even if he is half clad without any upper garment or in whatever look he wants.Similarly a person belonging to a low caste is considered as low even if he is smartly dressed in a coat and suit and well groomed.Consequently personal grooming in a caste society does not matter at all. all.Even public leaders are casually dressed and their personal looks are hardly given attention to.The only well dressed Indian political leader happens to be a Dalit,Dr.B.R.Ambedkar,always dressed right.Even ,a famous cine-actor,known for his ‘style’, appears in public meetings dressed in surprisingly inappropriate attire.In fact earlier before the advent of globalization in India,many Indians would not have had regular haircuts.More over certain communities believe in having tied up hair than a smart haircut as a part of their caste requirement.So when compared to even the poorest African countries,Indians do not attach any importance to looks and personal grooming.Married women moreover are not expected to ‘make-up’ for fear of attracting other men.
· CS and Helping Unknown People/Humanity
We have already seen how CS is totally insensitive to the suffering of the people of lower castes of the same religion.When the upper caste are so insensitive to the suffering of their own people,how will they react to the suffering of unknown people or the humanity.Their mindset is built against helping people.This is a reason why so much food is wasted in India when millions of people go hungry everyday.
Let Us Join Hands And Kill This Monster!
Before I conclude,let me admit that I have not covered the impact of CasteSystem on some more areas like hypocrisy,lust etc ,for want of space. Having known about the ill effects of Caste System over the mindset and attitudes of every Indian,I feel ,I need not emphasize the need to destroy the evil monster in the interests of the nation.The first step towards that can be taken by the Government of India and the State Governments.They can create a new category of casteless people in India called “Free Category(FEC)” and encourage people belonging to any caste to renounce their caste and be called the" Free Category“ category.Government can consider reserving 20% of all the Government/public sector/private sector vacancies to this newly created category.The reservation percentage may be reviewed later and increased if necessary.This reservation can be in addition to the stipulated maximum percentage of 50% for reservations.Apart from this Government can also encourage intercaste marriages whose offsprings can be categorized under “Free Category” category.All educational institutions should make available this option of declaration as “”Free Category" while admitting students.
Media should be barred from highlighting caste based activities and news.Caste references should be dropped in films,serials and talks and people encouraged to drop their caste surnames with incentives.
As building up this rigid caste system took around 3000 years,breaking it down may also make take sometime.Neverthless the first step needs to be taken so that the country moves forward to become a super power in reality.After all Caste System is nothing but celebration of division and hatred and not unity and growth !
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