Markandey Katju, a supreme court judge, wrote an interesting piece in the editorial section of The Hindu earlier this month. The original versions of his two-part editorial can be read here and here.
He delves in depth on the basis of the caste system in India and questions the rationale behind having too many caste-based divisions in today’s society when the foundations on which they were established no longer hold true. He quotes:
The origin of the caste system was in all probability racial. It is said that caste originated when a white race, the Aryans, coming from the northwestern direction, conquered the dark coloured races inhabiting India at that time, probably 5000 or so years ago.
It does not require supernatural brilliance to ascertain that the Aryans who came into India from the north-west and conquered the native Indians form more than 70% of India’s population today. The whole of Northern India from Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa to Chattisgarh is over-run by Aryans. In one of my earlier posts, i had held that the discrimination faced by South Indians (who hail from the Dravidian race) in the hands of North Indians (Aryans) was on racial grounds. The commenters on the post did not quite agree with me. Mr. Markandey has the proof to demonstrate the truth.
He goes on to add:
While the caste system thus appears to have racial origins, it subsequently developed an altogether different basis in tune with the needs of the feudal society. In other words, the caste system, though it originated in race, subsequently developed into the feudal, occupational division of labour in society.
In theory there were only four castes: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. This, however, was only a piece of fiction. In reality there were (and still are) hundreds, if not thousands, of castes and sub-castes in India, many of which do not fit into the four traditional castes. For example, there are Yadavs, Kurmis, Jats, Kayasthas, Bhumihars and Gosains. Every vocation became a caste. Thus, in northern India badhai (carpenter) became a caste, as did lohar (blacksmith), sonar (goldsmith), kumbhar (potter), dhobi (washerman), nai (barber), darzi (tailor), kasai (butcher), mallah (fisherman), kewat (boatman), teli (oil presser), kahar (water carrier), and gadadia (sheep herder).
India prospered under such a divisional system because the various sections of the society contributed to the overall economic welfare of the nation by sticking to their professions. It was an unwritten rule for a potter’s son to be a potter and a dhobhi’s son to be a dhobhi. The carpenter or the craftsman would pass on his expertise to his son/daughter to keep the continuity going. The scene was no different in medieval England where surnames of Taylor, Carpenter, Baker etc are so common even today.
India was then a prosperous country accounting for nearly 22% of the world’s trade.The handicraft industry flourished in that period when India was known to have extensive ties with China and the middle-east.
It was only after the advent of the British Raj that many of these indigenous workers were forced to extinction. The English levied heavy taxes on this poor labourers to protect their own interests and completely wiped out the handicraft industry from India. During that period, India’s contribution to world trade dropped alarmingly from 22% to 3%.
The impact of education on the vocation of people took a major change too under the British raj. It was during this period that more native Indians got educated and no longer wished to continue in the profession of their ancestors. As a result, so many native Indians were no longer practised pottery or smithy to earn their living, although their surnames of kahar, kumar etc stayed on.
It is in this background Markandey questions the basis of the caste-based divisions that we see in our society today. He also prophesizes that the caste system cannot survive for long when its very roots have been destroyed. He urges the Indian politicians to stop playing vote bank politics and come together to remove this malady from our society.
Will they pay heed?
Posted by Khushi on January 19, 2009 at 10:37 am
The things have changed. One side we are saying that we are Indians and on the other side we divide India on this basis. From last twenty years we are saying we are developing nation and don’t know for how long we will say this thing. One thing is for sure if we didn’t triumph over this, we can’t lead ourselves to the road of developed nation. But, we could only move on this boulevard when we have knowledge and wisdom as our wheels and the drivers (politicians) as a person who can take us all simultaneously without dividing on that road. I completely appreciate the views. we should all make an attempt to eradicate this deep roots of casteism
Posted by Twelfth Man on January 26, 2009 at 11:58 am
I agree with your views Khushi. We got our independence from the British when we stood united as one for a cause. Now, there is a similar need to stand united as one, for the sake of our own progress leaving aside our caste-based and region-based biases.