Contribution of Kalachand Vidyalankar Towards Elimination of Cast Discrimination
Towards the Elimination of Cast Discrimination:
The Indian caste system is the traditional organization of Hindu society. It divides Indian into a hierarchy of hereditary groups called castes or jatis. In broad outline, marriage occurs only within caste (endogamy), caste is fixed by birth, and each caste is associated with a traditional occupation, such as weaving or barbering. Hindu religious principles underlay the caste hierarchy and limit the ways that castes can interact.
The caste system is connected to the Hindu concept of the four ‘Barnas’, which order and rank humanity by innate spiritual purity. The highest Barna is the Brahmins, or priests. Next comes the ‘Kshatriyas’, the warriors, and then the ‘Baishyas’, the merchants. The lowest Barna is the ‘Sudras’, consisting of labourers, artisans and servants.
In practice, the caste system of Bengal consists of thousands of casts, generally of a local or regional nature. Each has its own history, customs, and claimed descent from one of the four Barnas. Members of a particular cast may undertake different professions, although commonly they will be related in status and nature to the cast’s traditional occupation. In fact, the cast system was initially introduced to divide the social responsibility according to skills and experiences amongst the people. But over the time it became hereditary and certain casts started promoting their profession as if their birth right. They barred the people not belonging to their cast to undertake their profession. Thus the cast system which once was introduced to bring social order in discipline emerged as a social evil.
Evidently wealth and power can rise with caste status. Individuals within a cast may be rich or poor. Thus several subgroups within a Cast may practice hypergamy or exogamy. There is no eternal or universal ranking that can determine the caste hierarchy. Precedence depends on the local community’s estimation of a cast’s secular importance and ritual
The Indian caste system is the traditional organization of Hindu society. It divides Indian into a hierarchy of hereditary groups called castes or jatis. In broad outline, marriage occurs only within caste (endogamy), caste is fixed by birth, and each caste is associated with a traditional occupation, such as weaving or barbering. Hindu religious principles underlay the caste hierarchy and limit the ways that castes can interact.
The caste system is connected to the Hindu concept of the four ‘Barnas’, which order and rank humanity by innate spiritual purity. The highest Barna is the Brahmins, or priests. Next comes the ‘Kshatriyas’, the warriors, and then the ‘Baishyas’, the merchants. The lowest Barna is the ‘Sudras’, consisting of labourers, artisans and servants.
In practice, the caste system of Bengal consists of thousands of casts, generally of a local or regional nature. Each has its own history, customs, and claimed descent from one of the four Barnas. Members of a particular cast may undertake different professions, although commonly they will be related in status and nature to the cast’s traditional occupation. In fact, the cast system was initially introduced to divide the social responsibility according to skills and experiences amongst the people. But over the time it became hereditary and certain casts started promoting their profession as if their birth right. They barred the people not belonging to their cast to undertake their profession. Thus the cast system which once was introduced to bring social order in discipline emerged as a social evil.
Evidently wealth and power can rise with caste status. Individuals within a cast may be rich or poor. Thus several subgroups within a Cast may practice hypergamy or exogamy. There is no eternal or universal ranking that can determine the caste hierarchy. Precedence depends on the local community’s estimation of a cast’s secular importance and ritual