Article Hinduism and Caste System by Jayaram V Hinduism is a universal religion.

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Hinduism and Caste System

by Jayaram V

Hinduism is a universal religion. Its primary emphasis is on universal brotherhood. It views the world as one family. It believes that man is divine in nature and realization of that supreme truth as the primary aim of all human activity. It is therefore unfortunate that for a very long time this religion of great antiquity has been in the clutches a few privileged castes. It would be a great service to the cause of Hinduism if the present day Vedic teachers identify bright children from the lower castes and start teaching them the Vedas and the Upanishads and allow them to serve God in the temples of India. The strength of Christianity stems from dedicated missionaries who come from all sections of society. The weakness of Hinduism and of Hindu society is a caste system, which divides people into divergent and bickering groups and keeps them apart. Perhaps there is no other nation in the world that is as openly and shamelessly as racial as India. To be born in an upper caste is a matter of pride whether the family to which a person belongs deserves it or not. A number of Indians who visit foreign countries often complain about being treated differently on account of their skin color or accent. They overlook the fact that a vast number of people in their own country exhibit a far greater obsession with an accent, skin color, and caste. Indian film stars put on white makeup, on the screen, and off the screen, even if they are black, to look acceptable and desirable. The country's democracy is not a true democracy, but autocracy, where people vote and leaders are elected to cast lines. The Indian political parties thrive and succeed by appealing to this base emotion of people. There are countless scholars who justify Hindu caste system quoting chapter and verse from the scriptures, ignoring the fact that they were convenient interpolations or authored by bigoted scholars in an otherwise sacred lore to justify a cruel and unjust system using the very authority of God. Caste System has been the bane of Hindu society for centuries. In terms of impact, it did much greater damage for a much longer period to a great many people than the slave system of the western world or the witch-hunting practices of medieval Europe. The Hindu caste system was a clever invention of the later Vedic society, justified by a few lawmakers. The upper castes found it convenient to retain and perpetuate their social and religious distinction and political and economic advantage. With the exception of Saivism and a few ascetic traditions, most of the ancient sects of Hinduism were caste biased. The idea of staying away from unclean people is understandable in a society that was obsessed with the concept of physical and mental purity. There is nothing unusual with people who are selective in choosing their friends and relationships. It is normal behavior to stay away from people who are found to be socially deviant, untrustworthy or unfamiliar. It is an expression of our social intelligence and self-preservation instinct. Personal hygiene, family background, and financial status do matter today in society as it was thousands of years ago. But what was wrong with the Vedic society was it recognized inequalities among men based on birth and family lineage and proclaimed it to be the will of God. This line of thought was perpetuated by Vedic scholars for centuries through the authority of scriptures and fear of divine retribution. They wrongfully created human stereotypes to justify a social structure that favored a few at the expense of many, denying a vast majority of people opportunities to use their inborn talents and pursue their own dreams and aspirations.

Requirements for assignment

- To enhance learning and to encourage fluency in current events, students are expected to read about current events in business and to contribute international news articles and summaries.

- The summary of each article should not go beyond one paragraph (about 5 lines)

- The article is to be selected from the business press. Suggested sources include The Economist, the Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, The New York Times, Newsweek, Fortune, Business Week, and Forbes etc.

- Article selections must be made CAREFULLY - The article you select must tie in with a specific topic(s) discussed in the chapters in this course.

Explanation / Answer

India's caste system has it's roots in race and later developed into occupational division of labour in tune with need of feudal society.

Major facts discussed were:

2. CASTE IS NOT A PAST. this article is from THE NEW YORK TIMES.

CASTE is not a word that modernizing India . It has receded to the unfashionable background. Newspapers reserve their headlines for the newer metrics of social hierarchy: wealth and politics, and those powerful influencers of popular culture, actors and cricket stars.

Facts discussed under this article were:

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