The Antiquity and Continuity of the Caste System in India: A Dalit Perspective
Published: May 15, 2020
Photo: Prasad
According to Manu, ‘there were originally four varnas and four they must remain’. He also decreed that the untouchables ‘must remain separate and segregated without being a part of the Hindu society’. A still from a Dalit tola located on the peripheries of an upper caste village in Mysore, Karnataka.
Abstract: Why has the caste system survived in India for more than millennia is a question that baffles many. In order to understand it one may have to look into its past and how it was transferred generation after generation. People in denial at most profess to believe that it plays a role only in marriages. Is endogamy not the single most factor for the maintenance of the caste system? There is therefore a need to revisit factors that have kept this system alive and how it is being nurtured even today. Manifestations of the caste system and the inequality and violence it entails are quite broad.
TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE
Already have an account? Log In
Keep reading with one of these options :
OR
MORE ARTICLES
Myriad Challenges of the Coasts of India
Monitoring from space, aerial and in situ platforms in coastal regions will help develop models for interactions between ecological and anthropogenic processes, helping sustainable management of coast...
Our Fragile Coasts: Scientific Approaches and Solutions
The Indian coasts hold diverse geomorphological features—mudflats, rocky shores, cliffs, sandy beaches and deltaic reaches that shelter unique ecosystems. However, significant sections of the coastlin...
Need of Flood Warning System for Coastal Metropolis
Integrated Flood Warning System (IFLOWS) is an integrated GIS-based decision support system developed for Chennai and Mumbai that provides flood inundation scenarios and helps state governments to put...
Perspectives on Coastal Research
The Indian coastline sustains unique habitats that are subjected to increasing anthropogenic stressors. The National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), engaged in addressing coastal concerns over thr...