CASTELESS SOCIETY

1. Context

2. Background

• The caste system is unique to India. It has been an unfair system of discrimination based on the birth instead of merit or potential that has lasted for more than 3,000 years.
• We need to erode the caste system from our social consciousness.
• After independence in 1947, India introduced laws to make discrimination against underprivileged castes ‘illegal’ and to improve their socio-economic positions.
• Reservation quotas were introduced for disadvantaged castes in schools, college admissions and government jobs in India.

3. Caste: a disintegrating factor

• The discrimination based on the caste system is opposed to the idea of 'dignity of labour' and the rigidity of the caste system is opposed to the concept that we are all 'free and equal'.
• The caste system was historically designed to exploit the underprivileged castes, who were denied learning, social status, share in administration and the material and cultural benefits of advancements in civilisation.
• And today, while we have retained the caste system, to correct the historical wrongs by allocating reservation quotas this builds up economic discontent and social prejudices.
• The caste system has split society into thousands of hereditary castes and sub-castes and thus encouraged a spirit of exclusiveness and class pride.
• In this way, it has stood in the way of national and collective consciousness and proved to be a disintegrating rather than an integrating factor.
• Caste system also influences how people 'vote'. Politicians have won elections purely on the promise of social justice with no need to deliver on governance.

4. How did the caste system originate?

• There are different theories about the establishment of the caste system; religious-mythological, biological as well as socio-historical theories. According to the socio-historical theory, the caste (“jati” or “varna”) system originated around 1200-1500 BC.
• skin colour was perhaps an important factor in the caste system. The meaning of the word "varna" is not class or status but skin colour.
• The fair-skinned Aryans (who migrated from Europe), to secure their status, resolved some social and religious rules which, allowed only them to be the priests, warriors and businessmen of the society.
• The society was organised into four groups of caste/Jati/Varna –Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras.
• On the top of the hierarchy were the Brahmins; they were teachers and priests. Second, on the hierarchy were the Kshatriyas; they were the Aristocrats (warriors and rulers). Then came the Vaishyas; they were Landlords and Businessmen (Traders and Merchants). The bottom of the hierarchy was Shudras; they were the Working Class (Peasants and Labourers).
• Within these caste groups, there are overall 25,000 sub-castes, each related to a specific occupation.
• The Shudra is the largest Varna and it has the largest number of communities.
• While Dalits (Cleaners, Sweepers) were considered outside the caste system as untouchables.
• Each Varna member has to work in a certain occupation which only that Varna member is allowed.
• The Group is determined by birth and it cannot be changed. In the beginning, the caste system was not a strict system and people could move from one Varna to another.
• Indologists give different dates to this period of change (around 500 BC - 500 AD).

5. The idea of a casteless society

• The word ‘casteless’, simply refers to ‘an individual who does not have a caste or is an outcaste’.
• Yet, its implications and manifestations as a social concept run much deeper. The term ‘casteless’ refers to the ‘absence of caste’ in society.
• It advocates for a society free of caste­based discrimination and oppression. It aims to create an inclusive society that provides equal opportunity for every individual regardless of inheritance and birth.
• In a ‘casteless’ society, people from different backgrounds would be treated with dignity and respect.
• People would interact and work together freely, without caste­based discrimination or prejudices and everyone would have access to quality education, healthcare, and job opportunities irrespective of their caste or social status.
• Here a person’s worth and success would be solely judged based on their abilities, character, and hard work rather than their social position.
• The idea of such a casteless society has been a goal that many, including social reformists, have aspired to achieve.
  
• However, the reality is that the caste system remains deeply ingrained in our society with roots that extend back thousands of years.

6. Is being casteless a myth?

• The term ‘casteless’, as a sociological concept was popularised by M. N. Srinivas, an Indian sociologist who has written immensely about caste, Sanskritisation and social stratification.
• Srinivas in his book Caste in Modern India argues that caste is a complex social structure that has adapted and changed throughout history but remains a powerful force in modern Indian society.
• One of Srinivas’s key arguments is that the notion of being “casteless” is a myth in the Indian context.
• He explains that even though some people may claim to be casteless or advocate for a casteless society, they are often still influenced by caste in various ways.
• For instance, many media houses, universities and corporate organisations are filled with people belonging to upper castes, especially in higher positions.
  
• Despite many claims to be casteless, employers belonging to upper castes tend to prefer hiring people of their own castes than people from the so­called lower castes.

7. The reality of the caste

• The concept of castelessness is a response to the discriminatory practices of the caste system.
•  Indian sociologist Satish Deshpande, in his article “Caste and Castelessness: Towards a Biography of the ‘General Category”, argues that only upper castes are enabled to think of themselves as “casteless,” while the under­privileged lower castes are often restricted to their caste identities.
• The ideology of castelessness has successfully interpellated upper­caste subjects, enabling them to see their caste identities as incidental or irrelevant to their claims.
• However, it is presumptive because, in actuality, they do not have to give up their caste identities.
• They would automatically be presumed to be casteless if they did not explicitly invoke their caste.
• Therefore, they can retain their power and privilege while appearing to be casteless.
• Glimpses of caste pride among upper castes are witnessed in the caste surnames they carry, in their insistence to marry within their castes as well as through the caste associations and clubs they create.
• Caste identity and pride can be so deeply ingrained in an individual’s upbringing and socialisation, that they may not even realize the extent to which it affects their thoughts and actions.
• Upper­caste individuals are often able to attain better education and employment opportunities due to their sociocultural and economic privileges.
• It enables them to be seen as individuals who have achieved success through their hard work and merit while hiding the caste identity that helped them achieve it.
• On the other hand, lower caste individuals often face discrimination and barriers while accessing education and employment opportunities due to their caste identity.
• Claims of castelessness, among the upper castes, thus seem like attempts to resist affirmative action policies that aim to redress historical injustices and promote social and economic equality for lower castes.
• Upper-caste individuals claim the need for a casteless society by superficially arguing against reservation policies on claims that encourage certain castes to identify primarily with their caste identity, rather than as citizens of a unified nation, and that it works against meritocracy.

8. Dr Ambedkar's vision

• Dr Ambedkar acknowledged that caste was deeply entrenched in Indian society and that it would require significant effort to uproot it.
• According to him, Education was key to annihilating caste. Education could empower individuals socially, economically and politically.
• It could help them escape the cycle of poverty and oppression through economic independence.
• It could also help them to be more politically represented, giving them a voice in the democratic process to advocate for their rights.
• Economic and political freedom would help them in challenging the existing social order and breaking down barriers that had been erected to maintain caste­based discrimination.
• According to him, another important step towards creating a casteless society was inter­caste marriages.
• He argued that marriage was a means of reproducing caste privileges and maintaining the existing social order.
• Inter­caste marriage could break down caste barriers, as individuals born through such marriages cannot be associated with a single caste, challenging the traditional notion of caste purity.
• He believed that inter­caste marriages would help to create a sense of unity and shared identity, which would be necessary to achieve a casteless society.

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