India is growing and changing fast, but some traditional views are still in

place. Institutions
like the caste system have been outlawed, yet caste discrimination and
segregation still occurs. The most recent economic data indicated that, in
urban areas, a wealth gap of 60%
exists between people traditionally from the highest and lowest caste.
So what is the Indian caste system? And how is it affecting modern India?
Well, the caste system is a hereditary, social hierarchy, also called the
Jati system, thats existed in India for nearly two thousand years.
Historians think that these social distinctions may be based in ancient
Hinduism, which delineates four major social classes, or varnas. On top
are the Brahmins, usually described as priests and scholars. Then come
the Kshatriyas, described as nobles and warriors. The Vaishyas below
them operate commercial businesses. And the Shudras, below THEM, are
referred to as laborers or servants. Then, there is a fifth group,
completely ostracized from traditional Indian society - the Untouchables.
Now called Dalits, this lowest caste is relegated to undesirable jobs, like
cleaning sewers.
Because they are considered impure, the Dalits have been regularly
segregated from schools
and religious temples, and there are reports that some have even been
punished for letting
their shadow fall on someone of a higher caste.
Experts think that this hierarchy wasnt strictly adhered to in the region,
until the
British claimed India as a colony, and wrote the caste system into their
laws. From there,
the system became more rigid, and when India gained independence
from Britain in 1947,
it was ingrained into the culture.
Obviously, the Dalits got the short end of the stick in this historical
arrangement. But in 1955, discrimination based on caste was outlawed.
And to help re-integrate lower-castes in modern society, the government
later implemented affirmative action-like quotas for certain jobs and
university admissions. However, vestiges of the caste hierarchy
undoubtedly remain. A politicians caste continues to be an important
deciding factor for many voters, and marrying or acting outside of ones
caste continue to be taboo in many rural areas.
For India to become completely caste-free, more education, government
policies, and social programs may be needed. Although this social
system is still rooted deep in India, it does have cracks. On one hand,
caste is losing its virility as India opens up opportunities and mind-sets,
while on the other, the forces of democratic politics ensure that it will

thrive and never be forgotten as a crucial social index.