Caste system rears its ugly head
In recent days at least 16 people have been killed in violent protests by the Jat community in the state of Haryana. They are demanding the reinstatement of caste quotas for government jobs and education places.
The land-owning and relatively affluent community makes up 27% of the voters in the northern state and dominates in a third of 90 assembly seats.
In western India's Gujarat, the native state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an upstart leader from the 15 million-strong Patel community led huge protests last year, demanding quotas in government jobs for his community, despite their relative prosperity. Hardik Patel is now in prison, battling charges of sedition.
And down south in Andhra Pradesh, a violent agitation by the Kapu community, again seeking backward caste quotas, has spread to 13 districts - the community makes up some 26% of the state's 50 million people.
All the three communities belong to what India's complex terminology of castes define as Other Backward Castes (OBCs).
They are placed between the traditional upper castes and the lowest. They are mostly found in farming communities.
Like race in America, says sociologist Dipankar Gupta, caste in India can "neither be ducked or dodged".
In 1950, the federal government announced seat reservations in educational institutions and government to the scheduled castes and tribes, the lowest in the caste hierarchy, to correct historical injustices.
Much later, in 1989, quotas were extended to lower castes in education and government jobs - 27% of all educational seats and government jobs were reserved for the OBCs.
As with almost everything in India, the opening up of caste politics was a mixed blessing.
In many ways it eased the social stranglehold of the upper castes and deepened democracy: the latest parliament, for example, has MPs from more than 35 parties, many of them regional and birthed in the battle for empowerment of castes.
But a controversial and tricky methodology for deciding whether a community would be eligible for backward status ended up, believe academics like Dr Gupta, "carefully shielding the OBCs who are educationally and economically well-endowed".
More troubling is the withering away of any imagination to initiate a new conversation on quotas and the apparent ineptness of India's political class, as the latest incident in a BJP-ruled state shows, at dousing these mutinies.
Strange that we complain about racism and inequality in this region, yet is the caste system any less of an evil ?
Mohdata: Lovely thoughts! I do not teach anyone but do get to learn much from others. Off and on, I do share share things with other QLers and find the comments interesting. Its all part of life, and the ball must keep rolling on. I never keep keep any negative feelings in my heart against anyone. Life is just too short for that.
Accha: Another thing, I feel WT is basically anti religion and not just Islam... Him and others of his ilk see all the wars and destruction being done in the name of religion and thus blame the religion... It's an understandable reaction... But, having said that, I feel it's unfair to blame the game when its the players that are messed up... The game is good with clear rules and morals to be followed; but if the players won't follow the rules and insist on making their own, one can hardly blame the game... Hope they come to realize that.. Oh well.. I'm gonna take a nap now.. Tc,., later..
Accha: No bro, I see it as a case of being mistrustful of anything that is foreign or not in keeping with ones own world view... Not just WT, many people are afraid of what is different to their way of life... We have many Muslims too who cannot tolerate any thing that is from not their way of life... This is wrong and not what Islam teaches us... Anyways, I suggest you do what I do... Each time you talk to someone online, forget every interaction you had with them earlier and start afresh... Me and WT and others have argued with each other many times but I'm happy that we still laugh at each others jokes and can always find something in common even after we've had a less than friendly chat the day before... Lets all get along and exchange views and information about our lives and cultures and make ql an even better melting pot than it already is :-) you teach me some I'll teach you some lol...
mohdata: Thank you for your post. Frankly, from my observation I firmly believe that Wild Turkey carries deep prejudice against the Arabs, Islam and the Muslims. This is clearly reflected in most of his post. The current post had nothing to do with Islam but he was ever quick to drag Islam in, even if there was no space for it in the subject. I have realized he leaves no opportunity go by to hit and hurt Muslims and ridicule their religion. I have always tried my best to take a stand against his myopic views whenever I could. Ironically, I guess he lives in Qatar and continues to enjoy the best from this part of the world which he could not have dreamed of in own his land. Yet the hatred.
WT: Sorry, your use of the four wives topic is totally irrelevant here... Besides, if you're going to bring it up, you need to at least read up on it... It's nothing to do with equality and everything to do with the greater good of the societal fabric... Learn how difficult the requirements are for a man to marry more than one woman... Further, since you project yourself as thinking man; four children from four wives would clearly know who their father and mother are... Four children from four fathers would need a DNA test to tell them who their father is... Besides, I challenge you to find me one woman on this globe, who is up for the task of being a wife to four men and a mother to all their children... Research your prejudices and maybe they will turn into a deeper awareness and appreciation of a way of life that is different from yours but no less correct and acceptable...
Men can have four wives in Islam ONLY if they fulfill certain rules and regulations. If things are looked at from the biological point of view, it is the male which has the greater desire to mate as many females as he can. It is just a natural phenomenon and is evident even in animals let alone humans. As such if a religion has placed rules to regulate this desire allowing for a male to fulfill his great desire in a organized way, it is simply putting in a system to prevent total anarchy in the human life cycle and separate humans from animals. Having four wives is simply better than what takes place in the west where a man could have a relationship with a woman and then forget her just after he has finished with his job. Who has fathered the child always remains a big question in the west and as such is never asked while filling in forms. It is the name of the mother that is asked, as that can be just only one person.
Religion has always and will always be misused to create differences among people. The worst wars in history were religious wars.
Men can have four wives in Islam. Women cannot. You call that "equal"? You are either joking or you don't know the meaning of 'equal'.
Old Hindu rulers, with the help of then Religious rulers (Brahamins) created a caste system in India, in order to keep their grip on power and economic benefits. This master and slave relationship was therefore enshrined in the Hindu religion where each community or caste has a specific work to do.
In those days, the slave communities (lower castes) started to flee out of India by sea, to other lands, in order to avoid this subjugation. However the Brahimins came back forcefully and opined that Hindu religion forbids sea voyage, in order to stop them.
Moreover Hindus teachings outline that white skin are Aryans and hence are upper class, whereas dark skin are locals and are lower class.
Upper castes are in majority as per their statistics, but if you see the India, 90% of them are dark skinned, so the Hindus religious concept is wrong in their own teachings.
In Islam, there is no such concept, where everyone is equal and have equal rights.
Old Hindu rulers, with the help of then Religious rulers (Brahamins) created a caste system in India, in order to keep their grip on power and economic benefits. This master and slave relationship was therefore enshrined in the Hindu religion where each community or caste has a specific work to do.
In those days, the slave communities (lower castes) started to flee out of India by sea, to other lands, in order to avoid this subjugation. However the Brahimins came back forcefully and opined that Hindu religion forbids sea voyage, in order to stop them.
Moreover Hindus teachings outline that white skin are Aryans and hence are upper class, whereas dark skin are locals and are lower class.
Upper caste are in majority as per their statistics, but if you see the India, 90% of them are dark skinned, so the Hindus religious concept is wrong in their own teachings.
In Islam, there is no such concept, where everyone is equal and have equal rights.
Old Hindu rulers, with the help of then Religious rulers (Brahamins) create a caste system in India, in order to keep their grip on power and economic benefits. This master and slave relationship was enshrined in the Hindu religion where each community or caste has a specific work to do.
In those days, the slave communities (lower castes) started to flee out of India by sea, to other lands, in order to avoid this subjugation. However the Brahimins came back forcefully and opined that Hindu religion forbids sea voyage, in order to stop them.
Moreover Hindus teachings outline that white skin are Aryans and hence are upper class, whereas dark skin are locals and are lower class.
But if you see the India, 90% of them are dark skinned, so the Hindus religious concept is wrong in their own teachings.
In Islam, there is no such concept, where everyone is equal and have equal rights.
Nanofilm: Your comment "same in the sect of Muslims although religion is one" is totally off-center, incorrect and reflects your shallow knowledge of Islam.
The caste system as prevalent in Hinduism is based on social standing, heredity and ethnicity. To my knowledge, a person of a lower caste in India is not allowed to eat in the same plate or drink from the same glass that is in use by someone from the higher caste such as a Brahman let alone marry. Caste is a SOCIAL position. Caste is something you are b-o-r-n into and one just c-a-n-n-o-t change it.
Sect, on the other hand, is division of a religion. Sect is like a denomination. It is the difference in how one views and practices religion. People belonging to the two major sects in Islam Sunni and Shia do eat together in the same plate and even marriages take place between individuals belonging to the two sects. Also, people can convert to a Sunni from a Shia and vice versa and there are no restrictions in doing so.
Ya, That's in the news for some days ................................
caste system is in hindus...sect is in muslims....the believe that caste should marry the same caste although religion is one...same in the sect of muslims although religion is one...various caste system or various sect created is the main cause of destruction on earth...that is the reason no peace