ravi@ut-sally.UUCP (Ravi Rebbapragada) (04/29/85)
After reading the various arguments on caste-based reservations, I figured that
a relevant topic of discussion could be the caste system itself.Has anyone
read any books which attempted to trace the origins of this social law that has become such an integral part of the society? I am sure that it must have been
given a rather effective religious camouflage , it would'nt have had a chance of surviving otherwise.
Aldous Huxley talks of a society with a sort of a "technological" caste system in his " Brave New World ", a society where all the babies are " manufactured"
in gene-factories, the " manufacturing techniques" enabling the creation of fourhierarchical classes of babies. Huxley probably got this idea after studying theIndian society, but could the caste-system have been the result of the doings of
a bunch of"wise-men" who when empowered by (or confronted with) the task of setting the framework for the functioning of a society, decided to opt for the caste/occupation class system. Or,was the original system designed for small social
units, and was then faithfully observed as people migrated to various parts of
the country.
Well, one could keep on hazarding guesses. The damage has been done; a study
might seem just academic ; maybe not. Is it possible to get an idea across a
people? assuming that you have the ,say, next 150 yrs at your disposal. A value
which advocates a shunning of the caste system would be a " new value". I
cannot think of any such "new" value that has impressed itself on the Indian
people after independence, maybe a sort of patriotism towards the Indian
Republic , but nothing of a very fundamental nature.
So, assuming that one has a reasonably good insight into the psychological
aspects of the functioning of the Indian society, assuming that one is also
given a reasonable chunk of time, an effective media for a propoganda-blitz,
and most importantly an individual or group who is/ are either politically very secure or non-political but very much revered and respected all over, does
it seem possible? In short, even if it only means arriving at a "paper"
solution, does anyone have any ideas?
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