Monday 29th Apr, 2024
A requisite step to bring in promising change in the society.
Nothing else can be put forward as an authentication to with stand the article than the verses from the holy book of ‘Quran’ Chapter 49: ‘verse 13’, “Surah Hujurat“categorically stating …. “O mankind, we created you from one man and one woman, and then divided you into nations and tribes “SO THAT YOU MAY RECOGNIZE ONE ANOTHER”. Hence, there comes a clear assertion from the holy book of Quran itself that mankind was never distinguished under the three (high class, middle class, lower class) fold divisions of society. It should have been exculpated to every Muslim that only piety and virtuous qualities are the bases for differentiating the people and this differentiation is not associated with the distribution of social status. Islamic sanctions do not divide the community in to different endogamous groups but unfortunately in the traditional society this ideal sanction of Islam has not remained operative as under the impact of traditional culture, subsiding the creation of the Almighty man has always tried to lift his head and hands up to dwell his own inception, the Muslims did develop a caste-like hierarchy.
The story began when humans switched their interest from hunting or fishing to sedentary agricultural societies, with a surplus economy .Henceforth giving rise to a variety of occupations which were essential for the proper functioning of that society. After conversions ineluctably these functions began to be ranked hierarchically. People differentiated one another on the basis of descent and lineages. And that’s where the concept of superior and inferior prevailed. The societies began to have internal inequalities between the ones having tremendous amount of resources with surplus economy and the ones who did not have much to offer. This ultimately gave birth to social classes where in people would be distinguished into RICH and POOR. The economic aspect would not be the only field where divisions were made but people found other ways to parcel out other people into incomparable sects. The divisions were created on the basis of birth, religious knowledge, descents, lineages, and many more reasons which highlighted line bright between the created segments. This custom went on for long, so long that they are still going on. Contemplating the societies of Kashmir in specific where also caste have been attached to ascribe the status of communities, where ‘Ulemas’, ‘Syeds’,’Pirs’, and,’Sheikhs’ are at the top, ‘Wattals‟, at the bottom and rest in the middle class.
Another institution where caste system plays a vital role is marriages. Whether we realize it or not the marriages within castes are creating barriers and unnoticed social pathos. The people belonging to higher caste would not even attempt to marry those belonging to lower castes. This is not because the issue lies within the family customs or ways of maintaining relationships or overall life style but the issue arises when the questions are raised about the characteristics of being superior or inferior and if somehow someone manages to bring a change in the system they are socially boycotted for having violated the rules of the entire society. So the fear of social boycott as well as fear of choosing an “uncertain future”, we more likely choose someone from our own caste or sub caste.
This absurd system is still going on while no one is paying attention to it as it is real hard to digest. Even though most people would agree that societies are really equal but majority do not believe in and for that matter minorities are not counted!
Aspiring for eradication in the castes is the second thing, I haven’t even heard of, so much so that no one is even ready to talk about bringing slightest change in the subject at the first place. Not expecting much of assistance from the ancestors journals that would probably lead to the same path we are on today yet there is an immense need to make a different choice. Affluence in individual living standard alone does not make a better tomorrow, neither does that convey that we belong to a better sect .There is a need to help ourselves to get rid of the special ordinance instead the change has to begin from within this generation. And if we behold the dilemma that it would merely affect us then there is scope for precision, bisections still have a drastic impact on occupations as there is no swapping of professions among different castes, no novelty in jobs, which kill the creativity in the professionals and business class big wigs, Favoritism for the higher castes than those belonging to lower one to a larger extant.
For sure there has been a positive change in process as of what it was earlier but not positive enough that we could expect it to extinct. There still is a major scope for improvement; we still can bring promising change in the society. We no more are illiterates; we can make use of our education for cultivating a better society with better social rules that do not stand on the basis of someone’s caste, color, creed, birth, religious sect or region. We are no one to claim propensity to God by dividing the Ummah on surnames or so called titles. We do need to stand against the caste system for a preferable tomorrow so that future generations would just read about extinct castes which once upon a time existed.