The "Outcastes" and how they try to make it out of the caste system

The caste system is as horrendous as it has become inherently Hindu. This archaic system has survived and sometimes flourished as political and religious groups rationalize and propagate it within India using the Vedas, Karmic influence and ancient religious dictum.

The caste system was created as a form social hierarchy with strict boundaries based on occupation and levels of purity (the lower the caste, the more impure they are). The idea that impurity is transmissible by touch, sharing or marriage created strong deterrents to social interactions between classes, especially with any of the lowest of classes. Hindus are born into their casts and there is no mobility across the caste lines. Each caste is further divided into sub-castes. Even to this day many people insist on maintaining the purity of their lineage within these sub-castes. At some point in history the purveyors of the caste system decided that there were parts of the population that could not be included in the stratification. The "Dalits" or "Untouchables" were thus born. At the lowest end of any form of existence, they were relegated to the occupations that were considered unworthy and unclean. And like their jobs, they too were considered unworthy and unclean.

The caste system may have originated out of need for an organized division of labor but it has evolved into a much greater scheme of discrimination and persecution. At the top of the line, the Kshatriyas (warriors) and Brahmins (scholars, priests) have enjoyed being the upper crust and benefited by the perpetuation of the favoritism. The Shudras and Dalits on the other hand have suffered quietly. In some of the articles I read for this piece, the authors claim that the lack of organized resistance like that of which was seen to apartheid and slavery, is evidence of the system's innocuousness. It would seem to me that it is the religious and Hindu connotations to the caste system that have allowed the lower castes to be accepting of their plight as a consequence of Karma. They blame no one but their own past lives for their inevitable present.

Centuries of this social stratification has left the Dalits largely destitute, unskilled and uneducated. The past and present Indian governments began a path of affirmative action to help them out of the rut. But there has been little attempt to dismantle the system or belittle its significance. The affirmative action has allowed the Dalits to receive education and employment in some measure. This has also led to some empowerment and the Dalits are gaining a voice amongst themselves. Social advocate groups are also taking up their cause and hoping to change not just their lives but the collective mentality of Indians still ascribing to the caste system.

Dalits are also finding Christianity and Islam especially attractive. They are converting in droves to escape their branding as Dalits. There has been a lot of controversy about the conversions. (Many Hindu religious and political groups believe that the missionaries especially target the Dalits taking advantage of their desperation) The conversion to either Christianity or Islam is an automatic declassification in the eyes of Hinduism and the government. The person is no more a Dalit. As such all affirmative action once afforded to the Dalit is no more available to him. The exceptions to the rule are Sikh and Buddhist converts. The two religions are considered off shoots of Hinduism.

So Christian and Islam Dalit converts stand to lose not just their name tags but any benefit they received while they were legally Dalits. This could mean a job they have held for years or a seat at an educational institution. Local law enforcing agencies are able to report conversions to the concerned authority so that legal certificates stating their caste are invalidated. As such many Dalits shroud their conversion in secrecy. Recently there have been increasing calls from non-Hindu and social advocacy groups for the government to continue affirmative action for Dalit converts. They cite the terminations as unfair and continued discrimination along with the lack of opportunities as a need for the change in the laws to extend the special protection. There has been some headway in this matter just short of an actual amendment.

But by bringing an extended family of Dalits and ex-Dalits under the umbrella of special protection we are diluting the efficacy on those that need it the most; Dalits who remain Dalits. If religious conversion is a way to escape being a Dalit, relinquishing the benefits associated with being a Dalit would only seem logical. The program aims to uplift them to a point where they would not need any such assistance. At that point, the absence of having to declare your caste every time you apply for a government job, for instance, would help sink the significance of the caste system too.