10-03-2006, 06:47 PM
Hi all,
This is my first post. I find this thread very interesting. I also believe there are two sides to this, one positive and other negative.
The good thing:
Caste is European invention, comes from the word casta, I suppose. So it has nothing to do with class system prevalent in Europe and elsewhere, but rather a social structure based on varnashrama Dharma. VD is all about division of labor.
The bad thing:
That said, nobody practices VD anymore. It has degraded to casteism. Most Indians are obssessed with skin color, which reflects in numerous matrimonial ads (like wanted fair, good-looking woman), or in social situations (such as, "your baby has a good color" etc.).
Conclusion:
It doesn't matter whether caste is a European invention. Bottom line, Indians are practicing casteism, not varnashrama Dharma. So we should educate people on VD to elimiate casteism, rather than wonder whether caste is European. Knowing it's European doesn't solve our problem, because India is teh only country where people (officially) have castes. We ought to worry about that.
Hope nobody's offended.
This is my first post. I find this thread very interesting. I also believe there are two sides to this, one positive and other negative.
The good thing:
Caste is European invention, comes from the word casta, I suppose. So it has nothing to do with class system prevalent in Europe and elsewhere, but rather a social structure based on varnashrama Dharma. VD is all about division of labor.
The bad thing:
That said, nobody practices VD anymore. It has degraded to casteism. Most Indians are obssessed with skin color, which reflects in numerous matrimonial ads (like wanted fair, good-looking woman), or in social situations (such as, "your baby has a good color" etc.).
Conclusion:
It doesn't matter whether caste is a European invention. Bottom line, Indians are practicing casteism, not varnashrama Dharma. So we should educate people on VD to elimiate casteism, rather than wonder whether caste is European. Knowing it's European doesn't solve our problem, because India is teh only country where people (officially) have castes. We ought to worry about that.
Hope nobody's offended.