Casteism 2.O
SocialMela
Jun 2, 2019
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Do we have a place for caste based discrimination even in 21st century's India?
Our reply would be a big "No" but sadly it's not true. In our bustling cities, hectic lives, we often miss to see incidents happening around us, whether intentionally or unintentionally. But will turning a blind eye, terminate the plight?
India's caste system is one of the oldest surviving forms of social stratification. The idea of caste system has been so deeply rooted in Indian mind that it still exists in many parts of India. Marrying within the community is how such traditions are preserved. India has a long history of "honour" killings, where couples are murdered for falling in love outside the community. This self centred view is where the problem lies and that's the reason which threatens societal unity more than ever. In recent times our country has witnessed various vicious and malignant display of casteism.
Payal Tadvi, a 26 year old resident gynaecologist in BYL Nair Hospital in Mumbai killed herself allegedly due to caste based discrimination by three of her senior doctors. Dr. Payal had been facing harassment and humiliation by her seniors for several months before she was compelled to take her life on 22nd May, 2019. We can imagine if incidents like this are happening in a metropolitan city like Mumbai then what would be the conditions of villages.
In Gujarat there have been four cases in a week where wedding processions of "lower caste" grooms were targeted by the so called upper caste people. Angered by Dalit groom's decision to ride a horse for his wedding, the locals called for a complete boycott of the community and denied them access to essential commodities and services.
Such blatant incidents are dismaying. And it's not just Gujarat or Maharashtra where such intransigent display of casteism has been witnessed. There occurs myriad bigotry occasions where people are discriminated in the name of "caste". Even after 70 years of independence, the lower caste oppression and violence are still an everyday reality. All Indians, whether Christian, Muslim, Parsi, Hindu or Jain, carry some vestiges of the caste system in them. Government needs to tackle with this venomous social stratification but it's not just government's duty, people also need to change mind set in a way that it could help him treating others the same way he treat his own "group" of people. Everyone needs to stand by them and help them fight for justice.
Let's grow up and treat our people with respect!!!
Blog by:- Kritika Kashyap
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