28/5/2014 Social Prejudices

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Social Prejudices

Purushashuta of the Rig Veda states the Brahmanical theory of the origin of caste, that the

Brahmans have originated from the mouth of the Primordial Purusha, the Kashatriyas from the

arms, the Vaishyas from the thighs and the Shudras from the feet (Rig Veda 10.90.11-12).

Perhaps this forms the basis of common social perception that the Brahmans and other high

castes are more meritorious than the other castes, merit/talent being inherent in their gene

pool.

Earlier only the twice-born castes (the dvija castes) were eligible to receive education. The

story of Ekalavya is a classic case of discrimination that the low-castes faced in the field

education. Despite of being denied education from the Brahman Drona, he could excel with his

own effort so much so that he even out-witted Arjuna in the battlefield. This was an anathema

to the Brahmanical supremacy and therefore, as a conspiracy, Ekalavya’s thumb was chopped

off. Traditionally, the gurukula-ashrams were only open for the Brahmans and other dvija

castes. The same pattern of exclusion was also foloowed when the modern schooling systemwas introduced. Initially Daits etc wre not allowed to study in the private schools started by the

influential high catse people. Even when they were allowed to study, they had to sit outsidethe class room and listen to the teacher through the window. Gradually they were able to sit

inside the classroom but in a corner and at a distance from the high castes. They could neither

interact nor play with their high-caste classmates. The teachers in the class also never touchedthe low caste students and looked down upon. The general idea about these students was that

they are dumb and incapable of leaning owing to their less developed mental faculty. The

attitude of disdain for the low caste and class students continues even today, when the

teachers are usually from the high-caste groups. Teachers and students, belonging to high

castes, often can’t take it and tend to raise eyebrows in disbelief when they hear a Dalit or lowcaste student tops the merit list or achieves some other distinction in schools, colleges or in

their jobs. There used to be open or indirect comments about the capability of these students,

or they sometimes face difficulty in having friends from upper castes in the classroom or in theplayground.

A similar attitude of looking down upon the students of the disprivileged groups also results in

having separate coloured application forms and answer sheets for the candidates belonging to

SC/ST category in the IIT JEE entrance examinations. This would enable the teachers todiscriminate even when they evaluate answer papers of the low castes.

Recently the AIIMS doctors were protesting against the proposed reservation for OBCs in Delhi

by sweeping with the brooms and polishing shoes. This is again an indication of how we havetreated certain jobs as unworthy of the ‘educated’ (high-caste) people and are demeaning and

defiling in nature; and that it only fit for the low-caste and the non-literate people.

Caste consciousness, that makes us behave differently towards different castes, is still a social-

reality in India society. For those who claim that caste does not exist in today’s India live in aself-construed world, or deliberatey choose not to see the truth. Even today in many villages

Dalits are not allowed into the temples, are not tolerated when they become the Sarpanch and

if they ‘dare’ to live a better life-style. Last year in Orissa, a girl and her parents were beaten

28/5/2014 Social Prejudices

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up because she dared to ride a bicycle in the village road passing through the high-castelocality. In another incident, women belonging to barber caste (an OBC caste in Orissa) were

paraded naked in a village near Puri, because their husbands refused to perform the traditional

caste role of washing the feet of thebaaraati and accompany the palanquin in a marriage

ceremony. In Urban India, the scene is not very different. The matrimonial columns in the

newspaper or in the websites would give the idea of how strongly we want to maintain our

caste privileges.

Colour of the skin is also important in the identification of a low caste from that of a high

caste. If yo are fair in clour then it is safely assumed that you are from a Brahman Brahman

parent, all dark coloured individuals are seen as born of low caste parents. This colour

prejudice is basically a high caste propaganda in India and is also thoroughly internalized by

almost all castes so much so that now it is now an undesirable trait for all especially in the

marriage market. It is a problem for a dark coloured girl (and even a boy) to find a suitable

match as this becomes one of the priorities.