The specifics of Indian society: who are the untouchables

This seems unbelievable, but in a country with nuclear weapons and a modern economy that launches artificial satellites into space and develops innovative technologies, the caste division of society is still preserved. And this is not just a formality or a tribute to traditions. Castes in India are clear rules of social order that are respected even in the 21st century.

The diversity of Indian castes and podcasts, which number about 3,000, is difficult for those who are not native Indians. Therefore, we will try to outline only the main features of the caste division of the population of this mysterious country.

It is generally accepted that there are only five main castes, or varn, as they are also called, in India, and they formed about three millennia ago at the dawn of the formation of Indian society. The basis for the emergence of the four higher castes was the division of people according to the nature of their activity, that is, professional affiliation.

The brahmanas are considered to be the highest caste, followed by the ksatriyas, vaisyas, sudras and, finally, the untouchables, who occupy the lowest level of Indian society. Caste affiliation determines the occupation of people. So, for example, the brahmanas are clergy, they can also be teachers or officials. Representatives of the kshatriya group are the military, leaders and leaders of the communities. Vaisyas are Indians who are engaged in agriculture, cattle breeding, trade, or some kind of craft. Sudras are usually hired workers. Such a broad concept includes people employed in agriculture, handicraft production or in the service sector.

With the untouchables, everything is somewhat more complicated. According to historians, this caste arose as a result of the conquest of India by the Aryan tribes. Local tribes that lived on its territory, could not become part of the new society. The alien population formed four higher castes, and the fifth became just untouchables, consisting of the indigenous population. They lived on the outskirts of the settlements, did not have their own land and could only do the most dirty and hard work, such as washing clothes or processing animal skins. They were also forbidden to attend Hindu temples and participate in rituals, as it was believed that they could defile the Brahmins, the highest caste of society.

Today, the untouchables make up 12-17% of the Indian population. In the XX century, they began the struggle for equality in society. Supported by many political figures, including Gandhi, the untouchables have achieved the recognition of them as equal to other castes. The Constitution of India, adopted in 1950, recognized the equal rights of representatives of different castes, including the untouchables. They secured quotas for higher education and even occupying managerial positions. Since then, the official policy of the Indian authorities has been aimed at eradicating the caste division of society, but everything turned out to be much more complicated in life.

The untouchables, or, as they are also called, the Dalits, which means "oppressed," continue to be infringed on their rights by representatives of other castes. Cases of violence and even armed clashes related to attempts by the untouchables to violate age-old discrimination are frequent.

In recent decades, researchers have noted that castes began to lose ground. But this happens, rather, in large cities and in business circles oriented towards the Western way of life. Most of the more than a billion people in India still live in rural areas, for which strict observance of caste division is a prerequisite for existence.