Short Essay On Caste System

Caste and class have been a determining factor of a person’s status, place and position in the social hierarchy from the ancient Vedic times, to the modern era. The caste system, which was said to be introduced in ancient period to regulate and discipline the society and its smooth functioning, has paved way to discrimination and degradation. The four Varnas: Brahmin, Kshtriya, Vaishya and Shudra not only provided social stratification in a hierarchical manner but also assigned people an identity by their work and limited their social mobility. Dr. B.R.Ambedkar said that “caste system is not merely division of labourers- which is quite different from division of labour – it is a hierarchy in which the divisions of labourers’ are graded one above the other.”

Hindu society is said to have a human rights tradition as it has always had a way of incorporating the poor and socially ostracized into the social whole. In fact, the whole caste system can be viewed as a dharma,

Article 17 of Indian Constitution abolishes “untouchability,” forbids its practice in any form and makes “the enforcement of any disability arising out of ‘untouchability’ a punishable offence.” Article 15 of the constitution forbids discrimination on the basis of caste. The First Amendment of the constitution permits the state to make special provisions “for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.” But Mistry’s narrative shows a world, “where the liabilities of untouchability prevail despite the constitution, and the proclaimed class warfare of Marxist parties and other of political rhetoric, established power entrenches itself by neutering the democratic process.” (D’Cruz,