God, you shouldn't have done this to them!

O Krishna, why did you use the varnas as an example to guide Arjuna? O Krishna, O Krishna!
O Vinayaga, why did you let Krishna guide Arjuna in such a way? O Vinayaga, O Vinayaga!
O Shiva, why did you let Vinayaga write the Mahabharata involving varnas? O Shiva, O Shiva!
O Parvathi, why did you not together with Shiva prevent him from bringing in castes? O Parvathi, O Parvathi!
O Vishnu, why did you even bring in the caste system? O Vishnu, O Vishnu! You took 9 incarnations, but there is no say to this. O Vishnu, O Vishnu! Why did you give the preferences to the Brahmins and Kshatriyas and let the Shudras live in a torturous world? O Vishnu, O Vishnu!
O Brahma, you are the preserver of this world. Why did you not ensure that all Hindus were either Brahmins or Dalits? O Brahma, O Brahma!

My obsession with the caste system has indeed led me to read, watch and learn about the caste system itself.  Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. There's valour in the name itself. I watched the movie, Dr. Babasaheb Ambekar. What a struggling life a man had to live in India, despite talents and knowledge, just because he was an untouchable. Born into a Mahar family, he brought the Dalits or rather Harijans (whom Gandhi called the Dalits. It meant "Children of God" in Hindi) to light. The untouchables of India were referred to as Dalits. Untouchables mean that no one could touch you and no one would even dare to near you. If you were a Hindu and were born as a Brahmin, Kshatriya or Vaishya, you shouldn't near a Dalit. You would become a Dalit yourself if you touched a Dalit. I am a Kshatriya, which is what my father tells me. But I doubt that I may be a Shudra as Shudras are Non-Aryans, which means they are Dravidians. I am a Dravidian, but I am unsure if I am a Kshatriya or a Shudra. Whatever I am, I am not a Brahmin and I am not an untouchable. My main point here is: "Why did people have to treat the untouchables so badly?"

If you are not a Hindu, you would probably be confused over this caste system. What is exactly a caste system? Here's a picture:

The Hindu Caste System

The Brahmins were ranked the top, followed by Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras and the untouchables. The question here is, who were the Brahmins? Who were the Kshatriyas?

Brahmins are basically considered as the priestly caste of the Hindu religion. They involve themselves in religious ceremonies, studying religious texts (the Vedas and Upanishads). They were like the Orthodox of Hinduism. They even refrained from eating meat, as they believed in ahimsa (not to kill any living beings as it causes harm to them. Gandhi, India's father of nation emphasized this a lot.) and showed their ultimate devotion to god. The Kshatriyas in the past were the rulers, kings and warriors. The Shudras were deemed as workers. Then the untouchables? Perhaps scavengers or drain cleaners.

The untouchables were thought to be unclean. This was why those from the high castes separated them from the others. The untouchables were not allowed to enter the temple, read or recite the Vedas (a religious text which was forbidden to be read by the Shudras and the untouchables) or even touch the national flag. They were not even allowed to drink water from a lake in which those from higher castes drink. It is an unpleasant view from an untouchable's view. I can guarantee that. You would never know how the life of an untouchable is, until you are one yourself.

So why am I bringing this topic in? It is to tell people that the caste system still exists today. But now, the untouchables are given more preferences and the Brahmins are given the least. The untouchables are now known as "Scheduled Caste people". Those born in scheduled castes would be given scholarships and numerous benefits, seeing their ancestral background. They are given a widespread preference for their entrance to colleges and universities. This does upset the Brahmin community. But let us look at the wider picture of how the untouchables suffered in the past.

It is not only the Saheb (I am referring to Dr. Ambedkar) who has involved in rights for the Dalits. Down in the south, there are various leaders who were in favour to abolish the caste system, notably Periyar and Arignar Anna. Both of them had an everlasting rivalry in politics, but both of them were born as Kshatriyas and wanted to fight for the Dalits.

That's all I had to blog and share with you for today! I will come tomorrow! (Trusting that I will be alive the next morning!)


Yours entertainingly,
Engineer.