Caste System

http://nyti.ms/1QLZ9eb

The Enduring Curse of Caste

BY ANANYA VAJPEYI

Instead of withering away as Indian democracy matures, social discrimination has asserted itself in new ways.

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How appropriate I was sent this article today, as I and family have come back from a trip to India. It has been 10 years since I've been to India. The country has exploded, even more so, if possible. But one thing I noticed this time, was the simmering tension between Hindu's and Muslims, not least fueled by the Hindu Nationalist government of India led by Mr. Modi. He has in the past referred to Muslims as 'rats.' 

The injustices in that country are bubbling and wanting to burst forth and still, I also get frustrated at this caste system in that, it is so unfair and yet all of these caste issues can easily be set aside when the powers that be call for violence against Muslims, telling the uneducated masses that all their problems are because of the Muslims and thus easily deflecting attention from the ills of the caste system.  The uneducated, poor lower castes do the killing but the wealthy upper castes, like Mr. Modi, stay in power. And nothing changes. 

While there, I saw the marked difference between the have's and the have-not's, much more pronounced than in Bosnia or here in Indonesia. India is hurtling forward to the future, a growing middle class, but it is also leaving a portion of its population behind. I just don't see how that can be sustainable or successful. Even we in America grapple with this. 

Right, sorry, didn't mean to go off on a rant, but this is front in my mind of late, I saw more and more, issues of religious divisiveness this visit (or perhaps it had always been there but I hadn't noticed because all the other times I was in India, I was a child??).