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Caste System In India

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One of the distinctive and pervasive features of Indian society is the division into castes. Caste system provides rules of social behaviour which cannot be violated. Each caste tries to maintain its hold over its members and controls their behaviour. The traditions, customs and rules of behaviour differ from caste to caste. "Caste is undoubtedly an all-India phenomenon in the sense that there are everywhere hereditary, endogamous groups which form the hierarchy, and that each of these groups has a traditional association with one or two occupations. Everywhere there are. Brahmins, untouchables, and peasant, artisan, trading and service castes. Relations between castes are invariably expressed in terms of pollution and purity". It has been estimated …show more content…

The Constitution of India resolves to secure all its citizens social, economic and political justice and equality of status and opportunity. The first task of this Assembly (Nehru told the members) is to free India through a new constitution, to feed the starving people, and to clothe the naked masses, and to give every Indian the fullest opportunity to develop himself according to his capacity.
However, there was no unanimity among the makers of the Constitution regarding the abolition of the caste system. Nehru, Ambedkar, K. Santhanam and some others were strongly against the caste system. According to Nehru, caste IS an 'anachronism and objectionable '. K. Santhanam wanted India 'to get out of the medievalism based on birth, religion custom, and community and reconstruct her social structure on modem foundations of law individual merit, and secular education. ' On the other hand, Mahatma Gandhi, Vallabhbhai Patel, Rajendra Prasad, K. M. Munshi and others did not favour the abolition of the caste system. Their differences came to surface in the drafting of Article 17 regarding the abolition of untouchability draft with the following provision 'Any

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