CLASS AND CASTE- BACKWARD CLASSES AND DALITS

The term Apartheid was coined to define the social and political policy of racial segregation enforced by the whites on the black natives of South Africa. Apartheid of India is ‘Casteism’. So, is India a replica of South African apartheid? Certainly not. The South African natives were segregated on the basis of laws, made by men in authority ,which were later dismantled by human efforts, again by men in authority. But in India, the discriminatory nature of class as well as race is duly recognised by the Constitution but not practised as the men in authority here are not distinct. Hence, the apartheid between Bharat and India is beyond the reach and ambit of human intervention. Class and caste discrimination in India is as old as the Himalayas. The enormity of human degradation, inequality, discrimination and untouchability is beyond comprehension and is enforced by scriptures which are held and hailed as sacred. Violation of scriptural ordinance is blasphemous and therefore unimaginable.

It all started with the advent of the Aryans and the writing of the Vedas. The caste system has been there in India since then but it was merely a class system on the basis of division of labour. But it accelerated during the British Raj as they produced the Scheduled Caste List to enforce their ‘ Divide and Rule’. The colonial experience resulted in the obsession of Indians with fair skin colour. But even this inferiority complex fails to provide an explanation as to why Indians would dish out racial abuse against their very own people, the Dalits. Decades after Dr. B.R Ambedkar issued for its removal, caste still dominates the social, cultural, religious and political horizon. The sun migh have set over the British reign but not over the Caste reign.

The untouchables in India are called Dalits and the forest tribes are Tribals and there number is approximately 2,50,00,000 to 3,00,00,000. The atrocities on untouchables knows no bounds. It includes physical abuse, educational discrimination and dishonouring women. They are not allowed to live inside the village or consume water from the village common well. Even their shadow is considered impure. This is ironical because when even their shadow is impure why is dishonouring their women and beating them, not make the upper castes guilty of sacrilege. Official police records averaged over five years show that 13 Dalits are murdered every week, 5 Dalits’ homes or possessions are burnt every week, 6 Dalit women are raped everyday, Dalits are beaten everyday and a crime is committed against Dalits every 18 minutes. When such a large population under the distress, exploitation and with such frequent crimes against Dalits, nowhere under the sun peace, stability and unity can be achieved.

Its sad to say but these are realities still practised in Bharat which is doomed by social evils like casteism. A place where such petty things like a person’s surname, religion hold the utmost importance. And there is an India which is modern, mentally, socially and culturally advanced. A place where evils like casteism has no place. A place where humanity is the greatest religion, a place which is god’s own country. A place where there is unity in diversity, the India of our dreams but I guess its lost somewhere in the dreams. Bharat needs to wake up to the call of humanity. We need to stop fighting for the abstract and live in reality. We need to recognize India’s hidden apartheid and work towards ending it, not brush it under the carpet.