dear friends,
in India, caste plays a major role. mainly in rural areas, during my fieldwork everyone in the village was interested in my caste then occupation. i also feel embrassed many times.
but, the view changed when, i came to know how this caste system is way to win the bread and reducing the exploitation. Hadaan village is a drought prone area and in summer government provide drinking water to villagers free of cost through Panchayat.because, Sarpanch belongs to forward caste starts negelacting lower caste people. now, these people does not get water through this scheme.after a span of one week, the lower caste people arrange a meeting with sarpanch regarding this matter.but, the problem was still their. At last, they (lower caste people) come together and block the state highway.
now, the problem come under notice of government adminstration. the seprate tanker is alloted to these people. which was managed by their own caste people and Sarpanch had been fined of Rs.5000/-.
in my view, in this view caste structure is good for sustainbility of resourceless people.
4 comments:
I would like to ask some questions, to know whether this is a caste or class problem...
For example,
1)do all the upper caste people have water?
2) are all the lower caste people without water?
3) inside lower caste people, how did the ones with water support the ones without water in the agitation?
4) did the upper caste people without water sympathize(or support) with lower castes wihtout water??
Out of this, I think the answer for 3rd and 4th question would determine whether this is a caste problem or a class problem...
the comments joseph has made makes sense to me, but amit would do bettter to throw some more light on the issue. Very often in indian villages caste and class are intertwined deeply and it becomes difficult to separate the two. If you would like my opinions on this issue then because of the involvement of a resource and its distribution it looks like a classic case of "class".
I in turn would like to make your life a little more complicated by asking-
how can the caste system be helpful when the problem itself was connected to it?
would you identify the naxalbari movement as a movement of "bengali peasants" or the oppressed class?
amit, this may sound very different but, i came across this view of caste system in india during my fieldwork.
this situation which i am talking about was a long ago, i cant tell you how long ago.
indian villages were self sufficient and caste system had a great role to play in bringing this status to villages. the village economy survived around agriculture. the farmer had to rely upon many artisans who supplied the farmer required tools, services etc., a farmer's produce was again used within the village. so all services of artisans were used within the village and farmers produced was consumed within the village.
now, the caste system, which was based upon the profession or occupation was in a greater way responsible for the self sufficient villages,,for example marriages within the castes was basically to get that specialised skill or labour or assistance which one acquired in his/her family.
this way i would say that caste system was good.
to think of such a system now is impossible as we have traveled a very long distance.
Collective action transcends every boundary of casteism....
Caste system may be helpful to identify the exact need, but i am skeptical about it.
Actually, collective is always taken that it will remove the caste system for attaining some broader objectives.
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