Pakistan’s caste system: The untouchable's struggle

[IAFJawaan]

don,t know why many indians want to tarnish image of ISLAM and PAKISTAN ,
they come with articles and news that mostly has no existence in reality and there are only few cases of it...
such customs are more pronounced in hunduism and india.............


why any thing against hindusim or indian culture is taken as against morality, but any thing against ISLAM and PAKISTAN is ok and morally correct.
come on. u need to digest the truth that u can't ....

Blinding yourself to the fact wont hide the problem would it? Rather you guys should address it. Also I don't think its a shame accepting it because most countries suffer with this problem, merely named differently. Its nothing different from racism. Untouchabliity is still rife in rural India, but it is being addressed.

Also how do some of you guys manage to make everything a hindu vs muslim debate?

 

[newdelhinsa]

Well I never wanted to bring religion in, my point had to do with casteism in Islam and that of course is strictly forbidden for more than 14 centuries, its not like an idea that gradually modified with time.

Coming back to your post - I really found it bit disappointing. On one hand you are embellishing my knowledge, I am thankful to that, and on other hand you want me to do research as if I was trolling earlier with my half-knowledge comments.

Let me ask you few questions - DO you stand by the fact that Veda divides a society to four Varnas? Do you stand by the fact that Brahmins were created from the head, Kshatriyas from the chest, Vaishyas from the thigh and stomach and Shudras from feet? How do you define untouchability?

P.S: I am asking these questions to rectify my confusion, not giving my verdict on Hinduism.

Vedas are the core/axis of Hinduism and they do not divide humans into Vernas. Its Upanishads which details such division. Upanishads ('Upp' means 'sub', not main) are same like Hadities in Islam.

 

[Icarus]

Never heard much of the stuff in my life. Though yes, Pakistani Christians may sometimes be referred to as "Choorhas". This is not a derogatory term but is rather in keeping with local custom of including one's clan's name or the name of one's place of origin, as a mark of identity. The entire village of "Choorh" in Punjab converted to Christianity due to the work of British missionaries and hence many Christians have lineage extending to an ancestor in Chroorh. Thus the term "Choorah" as in 'From Choorh'.

 

[Ignited Mind]

Well I never wanted to bring religion in, my point had to do with casteism in Islam and that of course is strictly forbidden for more than 14 centuries, its not like an idea that gradually modified with time.

Coming back to your post - I really found it bit disappointing. On one hand you are embellishing my knowledge, I am thankful to that, and on other hand you want me to do research as if I was trolling earlier with my half-knowledge comments.

Let me ask you few questions - DO you stand by the fact that Veda divides a society to four Varnas? Do you stand by the fact that Brahmins were created from the head, Kshatriyas from the chest, Vaishyas from the thigh and stomach and Shudras from feet? How do you define untouchability?

P.S: I am asking these questions to rectify my confusion, not giving my verdict on Hinduism.

Vedas specifiy 'caste system' as a means of organising the social structure.

Kshatriyas - The fighters

Brahmins - The priests

Vaishyas- The Businessmen

Shudras - The proletariat.

The Vedas do not say that the son of a Brahmin has to be a Brahmin and so on.

The son of a Brahmin can be a Shudra if the kind of job he does falls into that category.

As per the Vedas, all castes are to be equal. There's no class that is to be 'upper' relative to another.

There's no concept of 'untouchability' or 'Achhoot' as they say in Hindi, as per the Vedas.

...Rest is all human concoction to suit one's vested interests.

 

[Jade]

The caste system is a curse on sub continent. It is time the caste system go.

 

[AVinayKumar]

Never heard much of the stuff in my life. Though yes, Pakistani Christians may sometimes be referred to as "Choorhas". This is not a derogatory term but is rather in keeping with local custom of including one's clan's name or the name of one's place of origin, as a mark of identity. The entire village of "Choorh" in Punjab converted to Christianity due to the work of British missionaries and hence many Christians have lineage extending to an ancestor in Chroorh. Thus the term "Choorah" as in 'From Choorh'.

Choora 12 up, 14 down
A slur for dark skinned people in Pakistan. Stems from the name of a class of people in India whose members are considered low class.

Also used as a slur for Christians in Pakistan.

Urban Dictionary: Choora

 

[Ignited Mind]

Choora 12 up, 14 down
A slur for dark skinned people in Pakistan. Stems from the name of a class of people in India whose members are considered low class.

Also used as a slur for Christians in Pakistan.

Urban Dictionary: Choora

Choora and Bhangi are two castes which I know exist in Pakistan.

Other castes I'm not so sure about.

 

[newdelhinsa]

Never heard much of the stuff in my life. Though yes, Pakistani Christians may sometimes be referred to as "Choorhas". This is not a derogatory term but is rather in keeping with local custom of including one's clan's name or the name of one's place of origin, as a mark of identity. The entire village of "Choorh" in Punjab converted to Christianity due to the work of British missionaries and hence many Christians have lineage extending to an ancestor in Chroorh. Thus the term "Choorah" as in 'From Choorh'.

I do not know where you live presently but the same term choora is used as mock, abuse, call names, describe his or her job in this part of the world, unfortunately. Saying some one 'choora' can land one in jail in India.

Also the concept of Islam fails when you suggest/ force/ encourage/ask/name/categorize people by their cast and distinct identity. A Muslim is a Muslim, that's it, isn't it ?

Name of the clan, heritage, identity has nothing to do with this particular word which has its origin from the same evil division of Vernas and has negative description of one's so called identity, heritage, clan. These words (clan, identity) are just facility of educated high cast people who deceive and cover up (same like [may be]the way you are doing) and make sure that low cast one's be keep at their place.

Vedas specifiy 'caste system' as a means of organising the social structure.

Kshatriyas - The fighters

Brahmins - The priests

Vaishyas- The Businessmen

Shudras - The proletariat.

The Vedas do not say that the son of a Brahmin has to be a Brahmin and so on.

The son of a Brahmin can be a Shudra if the kind of job he does falls into that category.

As per the Vedas, all castes are to be equal. There's no class that is to be 'upper' relative to another.

There's no concept of 'untouchability' or 'Achhoot' as they say in Hindi, as per the Vedas.

...Rest is all human concoction to suit one's vested interests.

Sorry Vedas do not subscribes to the Idea of cast system. Can you 'quote' any thing from Vedas to prove this.

 

[Kambojaric]

As a matter of fact I see Pakistanis being more fanatic about their caste. That's why they still carry caste names like butt, choudry, Malik, sethi, rajput ect generations after converting to Islam.

But we dont see ourselves belonging to a caste, rather the word zaat is roughly the English equivalent of tribe. Im a Kamboh (Kamboj), have got family/relatives from my tribe married to Jatts, Rajputs, Arains. There is no such thing as one being superior than the other. Its just a matter of pride belonging to one tribe, nothing more than that.

As for this whole "caste system" thing, well i have lived in Pakistan for most of my life and have never heard of any such things. Yes certain people are very proud at belonging to their "zaat" but thats it.

 

[AVinayKumar]

But we dont see ourselves belonging to a caste, rather the word zaat is roughly the English equivalent of tribe. Im a Kamboh (Kamboj), have got family/relatives from my tribe married to Jatts, Rajputs, Arains. There is no such thing as one being superior than the other. Its just a matter of pride belonging to one tribe, nothing more than that.

As for this whole "caste system" thing, well i have lived in Pakistan for most of my life and have never heard of any such things. Yes certain people are very proud at belonging to their "zaat" but thats it.

In India also, Zaat is the rough Hindi translation to Caste..

 

[Emmie]

Vedas specifiy 'caste system' as a means of organising the social structure.

Kshatriyas - The fighters

Brahmins - The priests

Vaishyas- The Businessmen

Shudras - The proletariat.

The Vedas do not say that the son of a Brahmin has to be a Brahmin and so on.

The son of a Brahmin can be a Shudra if the kind of job he does falls into that category.

As per the Vedas, all castes are to be equal. There's no class that is to be 'upper' relative to another.

There's no concept of 'untouchability' or 'Achhoot' as they say in Hindi, as per the Vedas.

...Rest is all human concoction to suit one's vested interests.

Thanks for the detailed reply... I have confusion with that bold part - If all the caste were/are equal then what was/is the point of dividing people into four classes? Everyone could do any sort of work.

A month ago I was watching question answer session of a peace TV program on youtube. A Hindu guy who happened to be publisher of a magazine called SHUDRA SHAKTI asked a question which surprised me.. In short he wanted to say according to VEDA everyone can't read Veda, Shudras are not even allowed to listen to it..

Here is the videos.

 

[Ignited Mind]

But we dont see ourselves belonging to a caste, rather the word zaat is roughly the English equivalent of tribe. Im a Kamboh (Kamboj), have got family/relatives from my tribe married to Jatts, Rajputs, Arains. There is no such thing as one being superior than the other. Its just a matter of pride belonging to one tribe, nothing more than that.

As for this whole "caste system" thing, well i have lived in Pakistan for most of my life and have never heard of any such things. Yes certain people are very proud at belonging to their "zaat" but thats it.

Trivia: Did you know that the word 'Zaat' is a derivative of the word 'Jaati', the Sanskrit word for caste?

Thanks for the detailed reply... I have confusion with that bold part - If all the caste were/are equal then what was/is the point of dividing people into four classes? Everyone could do any sort of work.

A month ago I was watching a question answer session of a peace TV program on youtube. A Hindu guy who happened to be publisher of a magazine called SHUDRA SHAKTI asked which surprised me.. He wanted to say according to VEDA everyone can't read it, Shudras are not even allowed to listen to it..

Here is the videos.

That's plain wrong. It's not right, and if it is, I would very much like to see the written source of it.

In fact the best way to read the Vedas is to read the Bhagvad Gita which is in fact the 'saar' (summary) of the Vedas.

If you have read the Bhagvad Gita, you have, in effect, read the Vedas.

 

[Emmie]

Choora and Bhangi are two castes which I know exist in Pakistan.

Other castes I'm not so sure about.

Sir, Choora is third class term for Christians and Bhangi is a third class term for Hindus... These are not the castes in Muslims please rectify your confusion.

 

[Ignited Mind]

Sir, Choora is third class term for Christians and Bhangi is a third class term for Hindus... These are not the castes in Muslims please rectify your confusion.

Over here, we refer to them as castes only. In fact, in the traditional caste system, they have always been castes of Shudras.

 

[AVinayKumar]

Thanks for the detailed reply... I have confusion with that bold part - If all the caste were/are equal then what was/is the point of dividing people into four classes? Everyone could do any sort of work.

A month ago I was watching a question answer session of a peace TV program on youtube. A Hindu guy who happened to be publisher of a magazine called SHUDRA SHAKTI asked which surprised me.. He wanted to say according to VEDA everyone can't read it, Shudras are not even allowed to listen to it..

Mate, We all have seen the distortion of Islam as you see in the world today, with most terrorists using their interpretation of Islam to murder people and incite others to blow themselves up using a distorted version of Islam. Hinduism has been around for much longer than Islam and hence people have had much more time to develop its distorted versions