Caste Prejudice

Name: Abhishikth Kishore

OT Code: C61

Title: “Caste, Prejudice and the Individual”

Author: A C Paranjpe

India, the land with cornucopia of cultures, ethnicities, and the most key identity, CASTE.

As a child I always used to ponder what this caste system is all about and why is it given so much importance?

I grew up thinking caste is an irrelevance and firmly decided that this should influence me neither personally nor professionally

When we were asked to take up a book review, I thought to understand the pulse of the students back in 1970’s about caste and the modernization through this commendable work of A. C. Paranjpe

To start off with, it is a very good attempt from Mr. Paranjpe in addressing the confounding scenario of the

The iniquitous practice i.e. caste discrimination across various religions in India is strikingly prevalent in the lower strata of the society. Crux of the reasoning is a surprise. Well educated, certified liberal, urban professional and pseudo intellectuals have associated to these traditional caste norms. This aggravated the situation and established hegemony.

In my opinion, caste loyalties are un-required and un-deserving relics of our un-verifiable history. As an intellectual heir of modern India, I explicitly reject caste. I look forward to caste anonymity. The movement across the social hierarchy in the stratified society has led to amalgamation of castes in the urban spaces. Inequality in rural India can only be addressed through discrimination which is positive in nature. Caste discrimination should only be used to correct the harsh and cruel realities of India but for nothing else.

The exploited group of the society voiced its opinion in a more emotional and frustrated way due to the deprival they went through for years back then as this piece of brilliance was made back in 1970’s unlike the so called higher castes majority of them who were proud of their caste and creed

The attitudes are found within the multiple personalities in different ways. Priority that they give to such feelings that is responsible for the struggle between the caste

Even though Government came up with many policies such as reservations but paradoxically has created an incentive to keep this stratification alive.

It has been almost four and half decades since the author has communed about his views and opinions. Lot of reforms were introduced and enunciated as a part of the education to bring in the change in the mental frame of the society

The caste system has been challenged over time by Buddhists, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and many reformist movements in Hinduism. However, aspects of the caste system continue to exist in India in all these religions

Even though it is part of indian political reality, such behaviour is scorned by urban indians. We are yet to see a radical change in the caste that such as Endogamy etc. Though solutions proposed by the author to transform this societal tendency are effective, it is vindicated that they have snail’s pace

Modern world, Modern society, Modern Life style, Education etc impacts 40% of the Indians yet the attitude change is not seen in most of the population

One good old tenant i.e. Rationality is the only option to eradicate the caste