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Varna and Jati

• The varna division is alluded to in the late Rigvedic Purusha Sukta

• Varna is a broad framework that divides Hindu society into 4 hierarchical strata namely Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras.

• It saw its emergence in post vedic period when the division of labour

• Varna was given a cultural connotation to protect ones occupational dominance due to rise in population. And thus it was transformed from an open class system to rigid hierarchical system.

• On the other hand Jati is a localised phenomena. Each varna category is further subdivided into Jati and sub-Jatis

• MN Srinivas aptly said that Jati is the reality of India. He futher adds that varna system has produced a distorted imange of Indian society. For instance , he says , varna and caste coincides at the top and the bottom of hierarchy but is quite fluid in between. Further , he adds that there are many communities whose position in chaturvarna system is not clear . Eg: Kayasthas of North India and Lingayats of south India.

Growing economic disparities despite development planning.

• Planned economy to remove the various inequalities that pervaded our society. 

• Allocation of optimum resources to the various regions to ensure balanced growth

• The five year plans initially focused on community development program

• Economic disparity reached a peak after the liberalization and privatization policies following the 1991 economic crisis

• Crony capitalism, corruption, power politics, neo-liberal policies all have led to the sustaining economic disparity in our society.

Slow progress of Scheduled caste despite Protective Discrimination.

• The scheduled caste - most marginalized section 

• Very few SCs in the top managerial positions while they are over represented in the group III and IV jobs. More than 90% of manual scavengers are from SC. 

• Different forms of atrocities

• Although, the constitution has provided various safeguards to the SC- such as reservation in Parliament, state legislatures, jobs and education, banning untouchability, setting up of National commission for SCs, various scholarship and welfare schemes etc

• Resons: 

• Illiteracy and lack of awareness of these schemes

• Failure of land reform measures- which led to eviction of mostly dalit agricultura labourers. Being landless and uneducated as compared to upper and intermediate caste, Dalits have been unable to make use of constitutional safeguards like protective discrimination

• Lacking land prevents them from getting bank loans to start new ventures

• Being poor and discriminated, they are malnourished and hence in poor condition to compete with other well of sections in job and education

• Domination by dominant castes in rural areas. Systematic exploitation and atrocities are perpetrated against them.

• According to Andre Beteill untouchability is now replaced by atrocities by dominant caste – for example the Yadav landlords of Bihar against landless Dalit agricultural labourer

• Howeer, a small secion of dalits have made good use of protective discriminatn but have evolved into “dalit elites” who often ignore the plight of their other lowly brethren. Centuries of systematic exploitation of Dalits will take a long time to unwind and there are signs of change.

Whether the status of women in India is due to their inherent qualities or to social arrangements.

• Women in India have not always been a subjugated section, they enjoyed considerable autonomy during early vedic period. 

• In modern industrial society as well, women are enjoying more status owing to her economic independence by taking employment outside home. 

• These are evidences for the fact that women’s biological nature have nothing to do with her low status in the society.

• The patriarchal joint family of traditional India confined women to household matters. She had no say in the outside world, the higher the caste stricter was this rule. 

• B R Ambedkar attributes the low statues of women, her confinement to household, the ban on widow remarriage etc. to the rules of endogamy.

• The upper caste men needed control over their women to ensure the “purity” of their progeny.

• As the patriarchal joint family was desired and valued by lower castes, they started imitating the upper castes and prevented their women’s employment outside home, widow remarriage, started the evil practice of dowry etc.

• Thus the status of women in India was a consequence of social factors rather than biological traits.

• Social arrangements of role allocation , gender stereotyping has indeed played a major role in deciding the status of women in India . As the days went by , with better education and encouragement they have broken many myths of age old cultures. Now , it is for Indian society to dignify their status . A new initiative of HE for SHE by UN to increase gender equality would well be a way forward in this direction

• Identity of women as a social construct coming out of culture, extending pink pollar jobs, restricted access to occupation, social life etc can be added