Is the Caste System relevant in modern day Indian Society?
Although the Caste System is very old fashioned and traditional, I feel that it still has some relevance in modern day Indian society. Even though there is a lot of economic growth, an increasing middle class and effects of urbanisation on Indian society. Indian culture is still very rooted in tradition and religion. Indians of all classes tend to rely on traditional values when it comes to certain aspects of their lives like prayers, rituals and marriage. Hindus will most of the time insist on marriages within their own class (caste). In the villages the lower classes and Untouchables are still discriminated against. They live in separate areas and still have to do all the dirty jobs which other people won't want to do. The higher classes feel like they are too good to do any of those dirty jobs. An intercaste marriage between a brahmin and shudras for example could lead to the couple and their families being thrown out of the village and socially humiliated. The government's effort to provide educational opportunities for the "scheduled" or "backwards" class (Shudras and Untouchables) by reserving a large percentage of educational seats and jobs for them, has in my opinion actually made the Caste system more relevant for them. It has also caused a lot of resentment in the upper classes because even though they might be more qualified to get the educational seat or job they won't.
Although there are laws against discrimination based on caste, politicians make use of the caste system to get more votes. Mr. Narendra Modi, current Prime Minister of India, belongs to the "Other Backwards Classes" group.
Per the Economist ( http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2014/02/economist-explains-9 ) Mr. Modi made a speech stating that the higher caste Congress leaders were scared of dealing with a backward class politician. Mayawati, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (an Indian state), leads a party of people of lower castes and untouchables (Dalit) and has used caste as a way to be popularity and get votes. All this shows that caste is still very important to a lot of Indians, and since it is one of the ways for politicians to get votes they will make sure that there is no big change in the Caste system.
Thus the Caste System in India is not a fair or just system, and there are areas where its hold is not as strong as it was in the past, it still tends to hold relevance in modern day Indian society.
Although there are laws against discrimination based on caste, politicians make use of the caste system to get more votes. Mr. Narendra Modi, current Prime Minister of India, belongs to the "Other Backwards Classes" group.
Per the Economist ( http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2014/02/economist-explains-9 ) Mr. Modi made a speech stating that the higher caste Congress leaders were scared of dealing with a backward class politician. Mayawati, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (an Indian state), leads a party of people of lower castes and untouchables (Dalit) and has used caste as a way to be popularity and get votes. All this shows that caste is still very important to a lot of Indians, and since it is one of the ways for politicians to get votes they will make sure that there is no big change in the Caste system.
Thus the Caste System in India is not a fair or just system, and there are areas where its hold is not as strong as it was in the past, it still tends to hold relevance in modern day Indian society.