Having reached a point where we are on to the 63rd year of Independence, it is pathetic that we Indians are still so much inclined to the dirtiest of the human acts as I believe, the Caste system. At this juncture, its high time we must understand that Caste system is one of the biggest impediments in the path of India’s success as a country. This is simply a complex system that makes the power and resources of our country divided, and its existence has resulted in disharmony and hatred among common people for no reason.
To add oil to the flame, political parties are bringing back the 'Ghost of Caste Census'. Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily has demanded for the caste based census. The last caste census was done in 1931. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, independent India’s first Home minister, had decided in 1950 that there will be no caste-based census from 1951 onwards, when the first census took place in Free India.
I feel this caste system is not a space different from one of the most filthiest of the human vurgarities, the racism. Attacks came from all quarters condemning racist acts against Indians in Australia. Match it with what is synonymous with our home turf and we can see the word ‘hypocrisy’ ringing loud and clear. Yeah, we are speaking here about Casteism itself. Blurry images splashed on newspaper pages and flashed on national television of Dalits picked out and forced to sanitize their schools because apparently their caste commanded them to do so. A recent talk show on medias brought forth how psychological trauma undergone by Dalits since childhood can propel them to exploit or abuse a high upliftment but their own selfish goal of staying in power.
One should have the basic common sense that human dignity is to be valued. Caste, like they say, has become a face of India. What began as a truly profession-based entity has taken the form of an identity today. It appears like Casteism is here to stay and solidify 'indefinitely', to the extent that Dalit become a dirty word. Reservation is yet another matter that has got unreasonably solidified here for years. Its been following as if a ritual or something, giving no ears or eyes to the reality. Maybe if we give the oppressed a conductive environment for studying and pursuing education, the issue of allotting quotas to the backward classes would die a natural death.
How long should we have to move further to throw away this evil system from our society, and foremost from our minds? If the clot in our minds regarding caste distinctions is not dissolved soon, the development of our country will hit many more bottlenecks. Beware!!
-Jithin BK
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