"I believe in equality for everyone, except reporters and photographers" - Mahatma Gandhi. I chose the above quotation from Mahatma Gandhi the father and founder of modern India because my topic for today is about India. More importantly, is not just about India but it touches on the raw nerves of that society. A taboo subject that many Indians would rather wish it is left not mentioned or discussed at all. It has to do with the equality and dignity of all men irrespective of the circumstances and place of birth. In India, they call it the caste system. Why am I discussing equality today? I believe this topic or subject is very relevant and is not out of order as all human beings at one time or the other have felt strongly about self respect. I have no background to Gandhi's statement and his reason for singling out reporters and photographers to deny them such recognition. The more disturbing part about the caste system is the level of insanity it can go to.
I am referring to the report that an India Dalit (Harijan or those at the bottom of the caste system) boy 'killed over high-caste man's name'. On 22 November, Kumar Neeraj who lived with his family in Radhaupur village in Basti district in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh left home after dinner to watch television at a friend's house. His body was found the next day and the police said he was strangled. What was his crime? He was a victim of the caste system, specifically the name given is undeserving in the sight of the privileged ones hence took away his life at the age of just 14 years. The police say Neeraj was killed for sharing a name with a man of a higher caste.
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| Neeraj Kumar was found dead in a field |
They said Neeraj Kumar's father Ram Sumer had been asked to change the names of two sons as they were the same as those of Jawahar Chaudhary's sons. Two friends of the Chaudhary family have been arrested. Mr Chaudhary denies the involvement of his family in the murder. He says the family is being framed by police. Dalits, formerly known as "untouchables", are at the bottom of the Hindu caste system in India. Although caste discrimination is illegal, biases remain in many areas. What is the caste system?
The Indian caste system is a system of social stratification and social restriction in India in which communities are defined by thousands of endogamous hereditary groups called Jātis.
The Jātis were hypothetically and formally grouped by the Brahminical texts under the four well known categories (the varnas): viz Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (kings, warriors, law enforcers, administrators,ruler, landowner), Vaishyas (traders, bankers), and Shudras (Artisans,labourers,agriculturists,cattle raisers,craftsmen, service providers). Certain people like foreigners, nomads, forest tribes and the chandalas (who dealt with disposal of the dead) were excluded altogether and treated as untouchables. Although identified with Hinduism, in the past (1883 year data) the caste-like systems were also observed among followers of other religions in the Indian subcontinent, including some groups of Muslims and Christians, most likely due to inherited cultural traits. Theoretically, all foreigners are considered to be casteless; in the 18th century, the high-caste Brahmins avoided undertaking sea trips, as they considered the European merchants as untouchable.This category is now called Harijan referring to "outside" the caste system(once known as "untouchables").
According to the proponents of the caste system, it has worked well for Indian people and still has a major role in modern India. Within each of these categories are the actual "castes" or jatis within which people are born, marry, and die. They all have their own place among each other and accept that it is the way to keep society from disintegrating to chaos.
Why must a 14-year old be killed because others do not consider him human being enough to bear the same name as they chose to use? When will man's inhumanity towards fellow human beings ever end? I can go on asking questions and questions and yet will not find the satisfactory answers. My only call is that this system irrespective of its usefulness in the preservation of the status quo within India, has outlived its time and has no place in modern order of things. Any system that leads to the destruction of human lives in order to be maintained is nothing more than barbarism and India billed to be the most populous nation soon as well as a member of the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, China, Korea and South Africa) cannot be entertained. BRICs refers to a symbol of the shift in global economic power away from the developed G7 economies towards the developing world. It is estimated that BRIC economies will overtake G7 economies by 2027. Being a world leader demands much more responsibility including respect for the sanctity and sacredness of human life. We should all say never again India. I have just one hope and faith though. "When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it--always" - Mahatma Gandhi.
