Court ruling challenges India's caste system

[wtf]

I must ask though that if Zoroastrionism is given equal status in India or is it still not allowed to be preached openly?

Zorastrianism is allowed to be preached openly. They can set up temples where they like, but their towers of silence are hard to come by - I have seen one in Bangalore and Mumbai.

Zorastrians are one of the richest communities and are very well liked and respected. (Tata, Godrej etc. etc. are all Parsis).

 

[wtf]

But you have large scale slum in cities.
It's a new way of casting system

Actually Slums are a way of killing caste system - the poor people of villages all go to the cities to make money and end up living in slums. Since people are from different states (diff. languages) , religions and background no one keeps track of castes there . After a generation, the son of a Bihari immigrant falls in love with the daughter of a Telugu (who by this point both speak Bihari) and then thats the end of caste .

In my experience, the more rural and isolated an area is the more prevalent the caste system is.

 

[Communist]

Does not inter-ethnic marriages stand for ethnic cleansing?

I am not against inter-ethnic marriages. I support genetic hybridization of different races. In India, the Tamils have different looks, while north Indian, say Biharis, different looks, whereas Nagas of the northeast have different looks too.

The Hindu caste system prohibited marriages outside one’s caste to avoid inter mixture of the castes (varna samkaran), which is considered to be sign of decline of dharma and the very reason why the caste system was devised. The law books allow certain types of inter-caste marriages as an exception rather than rule. Marriages between a higher caste man and lower caste woman are less objectionable than marriages between lower caste sudra males and higher caste females.


http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/h_caste.asp

Why should a Bihari boy whose skin color is fair marry a Keralite girl whose skin color is darker? Why should not a Keralite boy marry a Bihari girl?

Why should not all stay separate as separate nation states to avoid blood pollution? Brahmins will have their own nations, so sudras and so the dalits. Why should all nations make a hodgepodge?

It is very confusing.

 

[Communist]

One's identity rests on one's look. Why should one want to loose one's look?

Caste system may protect the skin color and physical features, but caste system imposes one domination upon another in the name of Hinduism and that is disgusting.

 

[Bane Blade]

Zorastrianism is allowed to be preached openly. They can set up temples where they like, but their towers of silence are hard to come by - I have seen one in Bangalore and Mumbai.

Zorastrians are one of the richest communities and are very well liked and respected. (Tata, Godrej etc. etc. are all Parsis).

Are they allowed to convert others or marry outside their own in Zoroastrianism?

 

[DarkStar]

Actually Slums are a way of killing caste system - the poor people of villages all go to the cities to make money and end up living in slums. Since people are from different states (diff. languages) , religions and background no one keeps track of castes there . After a generation, the son of a Bihari immigrant falls in love with the daughter of a Telugu (who by this point both speak Bihari) and then thats the end of caste .

In my experience, the more rural and isolated an area is the more prevalent the caste system is.

What nonsense.

Then to cure the ills of the caste system, the ENTIRE population of Bharat should move to the slums?

 

[Unbeliever]

I am not sure what your point when you says it help in keeping social tension in check...if we go through social revolution which basically mean forcing the people...it will be harmful...we are trying for years to oblish this system...but you cannt expect people to change overnight..we are eraditcating this by educating people ......

Well my premise is that India has been changing so rapidly over the past years under the pressure of globalization (like so many other countries) and this change has created enormous social problems and tensions (like the slums).
To keep the country as a whole somewhat stable a means of social control is needed and the caste system provides just that. That in my opinion is why it is aloud to persist, it basically tells people, destiny decided where you are (socially) don't try to change that. Because although change and progress might always be slow, a lot more could be done against the poverty, wouldn't you agree?
It is just a theory though, I have to admit I am not as well informed on India and Hinduism as I believe myself to be when it comes to Islam and the Middle East.

Morover we have the politicians who exploit castes to get into power. THis is the most serious concern. So people can in no way forget caste system in the near future. All we can work on is the discrimination part.

That is kind of what I was getting at. The Elites are using the caste system as a means of control and to secure their power.

I mean extreme poverty is common place in so many countries, India being one of them and to subdue the anger and frustration that goes along with that, the caste system is used, just like Islam is in so many places for a similar purpose and Christianity has been for centuries in Europe and is now in parts of South America and some parts of Africa.

 

[wtf]

What nonsense.

Then to cure the ills of the caste system, the ENTIRE population of Bharat should move to the slums?

No, but moving to cities (high rises, slums or anything else) helps - as long as your wealth, your identity, your profession is unrelated to what was in the old ages tied to caste, it helps.

Positive reservation, education are the more important factors.

I was responding to the post which said that slums are a form of caste system - it is not. It is just a symptom of economic disparity - and as long as there is economic mobility (apparently there is in India), it is transient.

 

[wtf]

Are they allowed to convert others or marry outside their own in Zoroastrianism?

Apparently Zorastrians have different groups - some don't believe that you can convert into the religion. Some do, but only convert women on marriage. Some others allow anyone to convert. These are rules imposed by the Parsi groups though - there is nothing in the state rules that say anything about it (atleast in Maharashtra where there are the most number of Parsis).

There is no ban on conversion in most states.

Some states, like Tamilnadu imposed rules on so called forceful conversion and then they got repealed.
Gujarat under Modi has a law, but the courts so far have refused to enforce it.

christiancouncil.in - Gujarat High Court Decides Arrest Under Anti-Conversion Law is Illegal

Christian forum challenges Gujarat freedom of religion act

 

[wtf]

Why should a Bihari boy whose skin color is fair marry a Keralite girl whose skin color is darker? Why should not a Keralite boy marry a Bihari girl?

It is very confusing.

Maybe because the Bihari and Keralite love each other

Actually Kerala people and Bengali people marry all the time when they live outside their states - they both love fish and football.

(personal view)

I speak as a Kerala boy and I don't care particularly about the looks. I care more about education, profession and being well spoken.2 years ago I had 2 roommates while I lived in India - both from South India and from non-Brahmin castes. One married a Kashmiri girl (presumably Brahmin) and the other a Tamil-Telugu Girl (no idea what caste) - they met each other in workplace / college. I don't think atleast skin color was important for anyone concerned. In these cases even language did not seem to matter since everyone concerned spoke English/Hindi.

 

[Proud2Indian]

Well my premise is that India has been changing so rapidly over the past years under the pressure of globalization (like so many other countries) and this change has created enormous social problems and tensions (like the slums).
To keep the country as a whole somewhat stable a means of social control is needed and the caste system provides just that. That in my opinion is why it is aloud to persist, it basically tells people, destiny decided where you are (socially) don't try to change that. Because although change and progress might always be slow, a lot more could be done against the poverty, wouldn't you agree?
It is just a theory though, I have to admit I am not as well informed on India and Hinduism as I believe myself to be when it comes to Islam and the Middle East.

Ans to you questing lies in question....I will give you ex...India has huge workforce in IT....they are not only doing backoffice work...they are also involved in High tech jobs...the bleeding ede...but have you seen any virus coming out of India ...I have not reason.....nobody in India has enough free time...their are so much oportunity in India...everybody is trying to move to the next level......similarly once you start getting the benifit of GLobalisation...you don't have time to think abt these issues....once we have reached at certain level of devlopement may be people will start thinking about these things...but by then these issue like caste system will be irrlevent... today we are lacking for man power in every sector...today our worry is not people challenging trying to break free...

That is kind of what I was getting at. The Elites are using the caste system as a means of control and to secure their power.

I mean extreme poverty is common place in so many countries, India being one of them and to subdue the anger and frustration that goes along with that, the caste system is used, just like Islam is in so many places for a similar purpose and Christianity has been for centuries in Europe and is now in parts of South America and some parts of Africa.

Nope they are not kind of elites that you are getting at (I think so..) they are politician and in India anybody is free to have a shot at politics....few politicians try to exploit this but then...every one have their share of bad aples....


tx

 

[notsuperstitious]

Are they allowed to convert others or marry outside their own in Zoroastrianism?

Bane blade, not sure what u mean. by allowed u mean allowed by the state? then YES of course.

if u mean allowed by their own system, it depends, they have differerent views, but its their own choice.

curious, why any r u brining it up here?