Yeah. It's been long I visited here to scribble something. I hadn't been recently spotted near the blog world.... mmmmm Actually no.. Not really. The statement is not entirely true. I was around but in different neighbourhood. And if I had to put that in a google way, I'd say what kept me busy was this new baby of mine :)
You (very very few actually) might have noted that I did change the title of previous post (by adding part-I as a suffix) and made current post as part-II. But actually it's not part-II as such as am not gonna write much on this. Honestly I'd never thought I'll be having a sequel for that post and definitely not so early at least. But alas.. I had to.. The time I completed my 1st post we, at one of my yahoo groups, happened to discuss about this very same matter about castes system in India. It started turning hot and I was amazed to watch people defending caste system, discussing how it is a must and required even in current age. Some suggested we can not immerse it without finding an adequate option for it. And the first time, I really felt am weak, am shy, or a complete nerd in reading society, opinions of friends or youth groups in general. I always used to think, after seeing how politicians brutally use caste system to win the ballot boxes, the general social discrimination these caste systems caused, at least the youths of this country will nothing but hate hate and only hate the caste system. But no. I was wrong. Absolutely and completely wrong. People still want to have caste system in tact. They still want to know what's your caste and still want to be known, identified by their caste.
I reach no terms on how people don't understand or realise how our ancestors and even in current age how people are getting the hard times due to this so called caste system. It's only and only caste system, the root cause of all the unseen and unforeseen problems. It encourages people discriminating a man Vs man. It refuses the basic human rights to alleged low caste people, like drinking water, education, access to temples. No I'm not talking about any fairy or fancy tale. It happens, it's happening very near to you. But you are dead inside or just pretend not to listen to their cries because you are from Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi or Kolkata who hardly suffer on these grounds. You are never at receiving end for such brutal things. That's why you never know how does it feel when you are not allowed to
1. Drink the water from common tap
2. Enter the temples
3. live in the village with others but you have to form your seperate community (!!) couple of miles away from main village.
4. go to school with others
5. do the main stream jobs coz you are a low caste
And/Or You are brutally beaten up if you try to rebel against any of the set laws (!!) mentioned (and hundreds of unmentioned) above. And believe me, if you are living in any of the metros or Tier-3 cities, you are just few miles (or a safe distance) away from the places where above things happen, are supported and encouraged.
I wonder how can you never notice how perfectly the political parties plan their strategies purely based on catching the votes on the ground of caste. This caste game plays wonder in elections and easily manipulates the entire voting system, the ballet boxes and the results in turn. (Have you read a booker price winner "The White Tiger" by Arvind Adiga? Check that out. He has described it pretty nicely and in most sarcastic way possible).. Just pick any book by Anil Avachat to know how this entire caste system and their followers ruthlessly run it to their advantage. It didn't spare the legends like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, Dr Ambedkar let alone you and me. But alas, it still happens, every day, everywhere, every time. Remember Bhaiyyalal Bhotmange tragedy in 06 in Maharashtra? There are number of them like that. Even the very cause of conversions is this corrupt caste system. Do you think people get converted from Hinduism to any other religion just because of threat, force or the greed everytime? If you think so then you are in your own paradise. Let me make it clear that I'm not a die-hard hinduism fan or anything else. But if you study the conversions a bit you yourself can reveal these facts. Many times it happened as the basic human rights are refused to people just because of their so called low caste (which is a very ingredient of their own sacred (!!) religion). So it made and force them to think that if my own religion doesn't care about me jsut coz of my caste then to hell with it. I'll change myself to different religion which will keep me away from the reach of these high caste supremos and I'd get at least my bare minimum rights back. Not only in hinduism, but the most of the afro-americans change their religions because of this very same reason.
I guess some dreams NEVVVVVER come true and the dream of caste-free society leads the list .... at least my list!!
