Has Caste Lost Its Relevance In Understanding Multicultural Indian System?

What is Caste?

Caste is one of the most abundant salient feature of Indian society. 

It is hereditary, occupational endogenous group in which role and status of individual is defined from "varna system" which has four fold division based on occupation. Due to existence of many cultures in India, Indian system is multicultural in nature.

What Are The 4 Caste in India?

Varna System In Indian Society

1. Brahmins

2. Kshatriyas

3. Vaishya

4. Shudra


Relevance of Caste in Indian Society

Even with the passage of time Urbanization, Commercialization and hence the Modernization took place but still caste have its presence in society in different from:

1. Food behavior:  Many Brahmins avoid eating non vegetarian food.

2. Occupation: Most of the manual scavenging work is done by people lower caste (ie valmikis )

3. Votting pattern: Many political outfits have emerged due to caste assertion and they give priority to that specific castes. E.g Bsp claims to be the party of scs.

4. Education: Even though school are now for all , still SCs are comparetively less literate than others.

Caste Lines And Changes

Has Caste Lost Its Relevance?

With increasing consciousness, literacy, globalization caste lines are also getting blurred. It can be observed in various forms:

• Desanskritization: Even people belonging propereous and land holding class are claiming themselves as backwards. E.g - jats of haryana , patidars in gujrat etc

• Food pattern: People are consuming western food in hotels, even without bothering about the identity of food maker i.e chef.

• Clothing pattern: People are getting attracted towards western dresses such as jeans, shirt etc. leaving behind their cultural clothing styles.

Change in Tradition & Custom

Caste has been part of Indian society since ancient time, even in multicultural society, we see caste division even in Muslims and christian in India. 

But change is the only constant and change in tradition & customs can be seen as:

• Celebration of yoga day by all section of society

• Tribals community like gonds are celebrating Holi and diwali

• Increase in use of ayurvedic medicines

Mixing of cultures, accepting new normal, seems unity in diversity but till what extent it's development?

In the name of development is it fine to kill the multicultural system? and accepting only one which makes you look cool.

Did Caste Lost Its Relevance?

Why was the caste system created?

In order to get the answer we must know what is caste and why was it created.

Caste system was considered as necessary evil for Indian society.

Caste can be referred today as Indian version of racism in which roles and status of an individual is derived from his birth in particular caste. 

Caste is hierarchical in nature with partial purpose such as providing stability and harmony in society though, it later turned as creator of inequality in Indian society.

But it cannot be ignored for existence of any society as it requires certain fundamental elements such as political stability /economic stability and strong institution like family and marriage. 

And in pre–modern era caste used to act an catalyst for the function of Indian society. 

In various forms it provided:

• Economic stability– Most of the caste traces its origin from occupation. In this, occupation was fixed for each caste, so people had sort of Job security with them. At the same time, this arrangement led to specialization of work which resulted in more efficient use of human and natural resources

• Political stability-  As the role and status of people were fixed so there was very less space of change in pattern of power structure it implicitly conserved the large amount of human energy as large section of people were not engaged in the struggle for grabbing power, this provided a strong identity to individuals and they used to get recognition which was matter of proud for large population.

• Strengthening of social institutions – Caste system encouraged endogamy in society which absorbed many political confusions which could have been there. Firstly, it prevented the confusion which could have around due inter caste marriage like the occupation adoption by coming generation. It also promoted a sense of products as learning as code of conduct of particular castes were isolated from other as there was mixing of cultures. Caste also subordinated welfare of caste to the individual belonging caste that is why concept of caste punchayats was prevail. 

But Caste also turned out to be evil for large chunk of society with period of time it led to some of inhumane practices like untouchability. 

People discriminated in the name of caste, people were even deprived from basic amenities such as water which is major hurdle in social change. 

In India due to so called conception of being superior on basis of caste has led to occurrence of caste conflict.

Even though at one point of time, caste system was necessary for functioning of society but now it is the barrier in getting universal upliftment and reason for eradication of itself for example there goes a saying that,

“People in India don’t caste their vote, but they vote their caste“

It signifies how caste identity is slowing down political awareness and good governance similarly in other fields also it is acting as a barrier so this evil must be removed from our society.

And it is how caste lost its relevance in understanding multi-cultural Indian system and became hurdle in the path of development.

It is need of the hour to think of it as a mean to ensure multicultural identity and it should not be ignored for its multicultural relevance. 

Written By: Komal Jha