Caste System, The Scourge of Indian Civilization

Caste system has been the scourge of Indian civilization and culture. The battle against this oppressive and inhuman is older than even some of the great religions of the world. The first warrior to wage against this system was probably Gautam Buddha who waged the war against this inhuman system in 6th century B.C. No doubt, Buddha was able to put some dents in the system, but after the Nirvana of Buddha, the system once again rose like a phoenix and gained strength to crush humanity. In fact, the system has proved to be the most agile and resilient against the liberal human traditions. According to Porter:

Caste represents the most memorable, comprehensive and successful attempt ever made by an order to oppress humanity in its own interest. Its enactments broke up the race into many fragments never to be reunited, separating Aryans from other peoples by impassable barriers, permanently fixing their occupations, interests, associations and aspirations. As men were born so they must remain. Their course of life was prescribed, their places after death predetermined. (Porter, 25)

The system not only crushed people, but also affected the history of humanity, as there were many people in the history, many unrealized geniuses who could not mature their talents and could not contribute to the advancement of humanity because they were forced to follow the professions that were predetermined for their caste. In the distant past, the system was fluid, as caste was based on individual and not inherited, that is why people like Valmiki could write a great epic like Ramayana and were respected by all and sundry. But the system became rigid in the Middle Ages when transcending the restrictions laid by the system asphyxiated the individuals and...

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...t that took my fancy, and wear it. I could go wherever I wanted to go. I could buy and eat what I liked. I could even have a few pieces of jewellery made for myself. I became aware that if you have little money in your hands you can gain some status, and prestige. And I realized that those who have the cash to spend can always live in comfort. (Karukku, 66)

Thus the message in her autobiography is clear that only education can emancipate the Dalits for ignominy of caste. Education did for Bama what conversion and promise of a dignified and casteless society failed to do for her and her ancestors.

Works Cited

Bama. Karukku. Trans. Lakshmi Holmstrom. Chennai: McMillan Indian Ltd. 2000. Print.

Porter, J.H. 1895. Caste in India. American Anthropologist 8.1, 23-30.Web. JSTOR.

Srinivas, M. V. 1996. Village, Caste, Gender and Method. Delhi: Oxford University Press.