Tuesday, February 23, 2016

India's caste system: Outlawed, but still omnipresent...

Growing up in India, I remember our middle school civics teacher telling us clearly: caste discrimination was a thing of the past.

And yet, not really.

Yes, the system that forced so-called "untouchables" to clean public toilets was outlawed; yes, the importance of one's caste was eroding as India grew more middle class, especially in the big cities. But we all knew that caste clung to us all. It was everywhere.

In many cases, it was broadcast in our surnames. Political parties were created to cater to castes. Marriages and business alliances were plotted to further them. Castes stuck together. Full story...

Related posts:
  1. The caste system has left its mark on Indians’ genomes...
  2. Hyderabad university shut after protests over Dalit student's death...
  3. Schoolchildren in India's Tamil Nadu 'made to wear colour-coded wristbands...
  4. Caste – India’s curse...
  5. Two children killed as Dalit family set ablaze in Indian village...
  6. Brazen caste atrocities against India's Dalits go unpunished...
  7. Lynching of boy underlines how the curse of caste still blights India...
  8. Hindu temple in India purified after low-caste chief minister visits...
  9. Dalit women in Tamil Nadu narrate tales of atrocities...

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