CAST AWAY CASTE AND UNIFY

CAST AWAY CASTE AND UNIFY

Yes, it is time to do away with caste as it obtains today as a socially divisive force, an institution that has lost relevance in the modern, fast-moving industrial world of quick changing job and shifting location. Natural caste in terms of acquired vocational expertise will remain in silent mode without birth playing any special role in it. Privilege must go in real terms and not merely theoretically or in law as prescribed in the Constitution. Caste in its original intended form will then obtain as a dynamic, vocational idea but not as a rigid, rotting, regressive, stultifying system.

Today, Hindus 🕉 must stand together as a unified body. That alone can secure Hindu interests. But for this we need to not only speak about eliminating caste but must make efforts to raise our women and the masses. That was what Swamiji exhorted us to do when he said, "Remember, women and the masses." Women empowered, the generations coming in the future will be strengthened as an enlightened and empowered mother can bear and rear stronger children. Also, half of humanity are women. Their labour, love, inventive genius, sensitivity, character strength, attributes otherwise cannot but be best utilised before we can contemplate the rise of the body politic of the Hindus. And the masses? Well, they are humanity itself. Life and civilisation centre in them, revolve round them in this age of the common man. Unless they are raised from their degraded and impoverished state, we cannot hope for a Hindu renaissance.

Written by Sugata Bose