Casteism -a divide that has shamed the nation...

The despicable and horrendous Hathras incident has thrown open many facets of human behaviour  especially in Uttar Pradesh which calls for severe soul searching. While the highly powerful Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the State Government is already acting in the matter to unearth the facts to nail the guilty there are many questions that dwell in the mind. This Hathras incident unfortunately may not be the last as it has its roots deeply embedded in socio-political thoughts of many which are as much deplorable as the  carnal instincts shown by the perpetrators of crime. In such light It is incontrovertible that the Hathras incident is not only a heinous crime perpetrated on a hapless young girl but also an act of oppression which has its roots in age-old casteism.

It is a point to ponder and calls for severe soul-searching that even after 74 years of independence and 71 years after India adopted its Constitution, arguably the greatest such document ever to be drafted under the sun, a larger section of populace is still being victimised and terrified under the garb of casteism. It is common knowledge that the greatest takeaway from our Constitution is equality-of gender, religion, caste, creed and sex. Simply put all citizens are equal before society, be it  in work places, places of worship and before the  eyes of  law. There cannot be any discrimination based on these aspects. But what is agonising is that even after seven decades the thought process of people have not evolved that way fully to embrace the dictum. A multilingual and multi dimensional country like ours  can ill afford a divide based on caste or  creed. While such discrimination based on caste is widespread the manifestation has been more profound in Uttar Pradesh. It is common knowledge that in UP even religion doesn’t matter as much as the casteism does. No human has any control on where and in which family (s)he will be born. Unfortunately, casteism which is so deep rooted that it often opens its fangs wide and swallows its victims. 

Those who practise this ill gotten scourge and differentiate another on the basis of caste perhaps do not want to remember that no human can choose his/her parents. Then why this “savarna” vs “Harijan” divide? The answer lies in our thought process. Generation one after another has been taught to identify who is superior. Through centuries innumerable leaders, saints and sages have taught us that a human being becomes superior through his deeds and  not by birth. Hopelessly, these have none or have miniscule effect on a sizeable portion of our population. 

No. The governments are not to be blamed. Ever since there has been a change in governance at the center, ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vishwas’ has been the mantra. The governments have not made any discrimination in any way. The blame should entirely lie on us. It is we who pass on our thoughts to our next generation. It is so ironic and almost ridiculous that a country which has made developments in so many fields; which is the fifth largest economy and a nuclear power, has failed to shield itself from the scourge called ‘casteism’. Come on India!! Let’s throw all these inhibitions out of window. The world does not bother which family we are born in; the world bothers about how much development we make or contribute to such developmental process. Let us make a new beginning and break the shackle and embrace everyone as being equal to herald a new india . It’s time we remembered Gurudev’s famous lines:

  

“Where the clear stream of reasons has not lost its way

Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit...”.

Let not the Hathras incident   not teach us a lesson-a lesson that is the need of the hour. India cannot wait to see another beti lose her life to rise from slumber or else it will be point of no return.

• The esteemed readers are welcome to come up with their august views in the comments box provided at the end.