CASTE SYSTEM IN INDIA

Mahatma Gandi once said, “our struggle does not end so long as there is a single human
being considered untouchable on account of his birth”.
India is one of the world's wealthiest and oldest civilizations with a vast diversity of people
living in it. The caste system has existed in India from ancient times. Although it is a social ill,
it continues to play a role in the Indian society. In fact, it has remained the primary source of
social division and is now the primary source of reservation in education and employment.
The Vedas, Sanskrit-dialect books dating back to 1500 BC that serve as the foundation for
Hindu scriptures, provide early traces of the caste system in India. The Rigveda, written
between 1700 and 1100 BC, mentions the caste system in India and demonstrates that
social segregation was accepted. The importance of caste is also mentioned in the Bhagavad
Gita, which dates back to 200 BC. So it appears that the Hindu caste system in India began
to take shape sometime between 1000 and 200 BC.
Marriage, religious worship, and food are the three major daily issues in India that are
governed by the caste system. India's 18-caste system has hampered the country in
numerous ways. First and foremost, it is a major stain on India's progressive, democratic,
and developing reputation. The caste system in India is also a serious infringement of the
Indian citizens' basic human rights. Untouchability is one of the numerous consequences of
India's caste system. It is the most degraded sort of human behaviour that our country
practises. For several years, atrocities and killings of the lowest castes have gone unreported
and unpunished. Moreover, honour killings in our society are rooted on India's unshakeable
caste structure. According to a report by Human Rights Watch, inhuman, and degrading
treatment of over 165 million people in India has been justified on the basis of caste. The
India Human Development Survey data for 2011-12 showed that over 27% of
Indians admitted to practicing untouchability, despite the practice being
illegal. Approximately ten Dalit women and girls are raped every day in India, according
to government statistics. However, because only a small percentage of crimes are
reported and conviction rates remain abysmally low, the true amount is likely to be far
higher.
The caste structure in India is finally evolving as a result of multiple constitutional
modifications and the subsequent influence of human rights for which social reformers like
Dr. B R Ambedkar and Raja Ram Mohan Roy deserve a lot of credit. Mahatma Gandhi was
also opposed to untouchability and worked hard to abolish the caste system in India.
Cultural and economic equality across different sections of society minimises the likelihood
of jealously and competition. As a result, economic and cultural equality along with
providing value-based education to children from childhood are critical in the fight against
casteism.