The caste system in India is seen as one of the strongest racist phenomenons of the world. What started in the ancient times as a division of labour turned out to be a division of people based on birth and the work they did. Instead of being called a member of a certain class because of the job one was doing, people were classified members of a certain class by birth. The various castes also known as jati is divided into four basic varnas. These castes are traditionally arranged in a descending order, the Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the Shudras.
The Brahmans are identified with priests and the learned class. The Kshatriyas are identified as the rulers and warriors including property owners. The Vaishyas are associated with commercial livelihood (traders). Shudras are considered the servile laborers. The caste system divided the people in such a way that interacting with a person of the lower caste was and to some extent still is considered bad. The Shudras or commonly known as the untouchables were looked down by all the other classes of the society. An important fact is that the varnas does not mention a caste as untouchables, they simply see it as a way of life and how each caste have special role to play in society.
In the olden days, the 'untouchables' where restricted from doing many things, they were not allowed to enter the temple, or be seen in public. They were not allowed to draw water from the wells used by members of the so called upper class. If a Brahman or a Kshatriya or a Vaishyas enters a place the 'untouchables' are to move and hide so that the others do not seem them. A legislation was passed during the 1950's that made discrimination towards the 'untouchables' illegal and abolished the caste system. The Great Mahatma Gandhi fought for the rights of the untouchables. These are some of the customs that used to be part of the Indian caste system and still there is discrimination among Indians even after all these years.
India is such a country where there is no hope for the political system to change. However, I personally feel that a lot of people have left this caste system behind them. Many countries have been racist to a specific group so it is not new for India to do this as well. Also, I feel that Indians should not be hypocritical and realize what the country has done wrong in the past rather than ignore it. I agree with your perspective of the post and quite liked it as well.
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