Embracing Buddhist Values; Rejecting Caste/Hindu values

The clash of ideologies in India is about the clash of values and prominently the value of “equality”. Read about the what embracing Buddhist values mean –

The Hindu caste system is not about “inequality”, but it is more nuanced one “graded inequality” and therefore it is difficult to attack it as the exploited communities are divided into castes.

The conditioning of the caste begins with the birth-Jati.After the birth, as the child grows the unconscious social surrounding “educates” the child into the caste. The three so called upper castes Varna (Brahmans, Kshatriya, and Banias) have a ritual to initiate them into theses Varnas at the proper age. This makes them who they are.

But there is no ritual for the Shudras (OBCs) which will initiate them into Shudrahood. That is the reason why the OBCs are not technically Hindus, though they are the foot soldiers of the Hindutva forces. The upper three Varnas are called “Dvijas” because they are twice born, like snakes and birds.

Dalits/SCs are not part of the Varna system and they are Avarnas, very separate from the caste/Hindu system, but the practice of untouchability is practiced against them by all the four Varnas and also within the Dalits the internal discrimination is found to a great extent.

The problem is not with the individual, but the entire system of the caste.

And therefore the rejection of the caste system is the most important step and the most difficult one. How can more people eject out of the hell of the caste that is Hindu Caste system is the most important question.

Author – Mangesh Dhaiwale