Caste Discrimination and Social Change in India

Abstract

The origin and traces of the caste system and discrimination on its basis can be traced back to the ancient period of India. Social changes have taken place to a great extent due to the practice of caste discrimination in India. We find roots of caste and racial system with the arrival of Aryans in India. The society got divided into two segments, i.e., Dasayas and Dasuyas, i.e., original inhabitants and the Aryans. During the Vedic period we find the existence of caste system reflected in the Varna system, i.e., Brahmins,Kshatriya, Vaishyas and Sudras. It was based on the type of profession one adopted in his life, and a person could change profession, i.e., a warrior could become a priest, or a priest could become a ruler.With the passage of time during the ancient period, one more class in the society emerged, i.e., Chandals. They were treated as untouchables, and they did not find any place in the Varnas system. The social injustice on the basis of caste system and discrimination has affected the Indian society of Hinduism to a great extent. It has affected the unity and communal harmony among different sections of the Indian society, especially Hinduism. Only privileged classes were given the education and honored jobs. It led to the deplorable condition of the masses, which belonged to lower strata of society. Ultimately these sections of the society were ignored and became socially and economically backward. During modern times the British Govt. tried to encash every possible opportunity to make their rule lasting and stable by divide and rule policy. After 1857 the British government designed the army on the basis of caste, religion and regional basis. Many social reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Jyotiba Phule, Swami Vivekananda and other social reformers tried to reform caste system in India by promoting education among the Sudras and Dalits.Dr. B.R Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian constitution, also tried to bring the socially and economically weaker section of the society at par with the other privileged sections of the society by spreading education and awareness among them. Special provisions have been made in the constitution for their social and economic upliftment through the reservation system. There has been a great change in social and economic status of the deprived sections of Indian society. But, their social and economic status has not improved to the desired level. We often come across through electronic and other media cases of discrimination and atrocities committed on the people based on the Caste system.