Untouchables. Fight for equal rights

India as a state arose more than two thousand years ago. Almost from the moment of settlement on its territory, a rigid hierarchical division of Hindus according to class affiliation was formed. The first attempt to break the system and get closer to the norms of modern democratic powers occurred in the early thirties of the Goths of the last century. Then, for the first time in 2 millennia, an untouchable was awarded the position of member of the city council.

Since the fifties, the United Nations Organization has taken up the problem of caste division of the people. In modern India, caste is illegal, and discrimination can land any citizen in prison. However, as it turned out, it is impossible to destroy religious beliefs even in more than half a century. In the provinces and villages, people still divide the people into white (pure) Brahmins and black (achhut) untouchables, whose things cannot even be touched.

There are several theories about the origin of the untouchable caste.

1. The first of them says that they included people from tribes living in the territory of ancient India who did not participate in the conquest of the lands. People lived separately from other residents, did not have their own land and were forced to engage in any craft in order to ensure their existence. As a rule, they were hired only for the dirtiest and most humiliating jobs.
2. The second theory, to which most historians are inclined, is the overpopulation of the country, which gave rise to the massive spread of various infections. Medicine in ancient India was not effective enough, and then they found the only way out - to isolate the probable sources of the disease. The risk group included representatives of “dirty” professions. Hundreds of years later, under the influence of powerful religious beliefs, the alienation of the untouchables became much deeper than mere isolation.
3. Very for a long time People of the upper castes were not only forbidden to touch the untouchables and their belongings, but also to step on their shadow and even look at them. A person from the Achhutas could be stoned to death if his shadow fell on a Brahman - a representative of the highest caste.

Before understanding the reasons for the unquestioning obedience of the hierarchical system, it is necessary to understand that Hindus are a deeply religious people. The absolute majority preaches Hinduism, the core of which is the ideology of dharma. Religion is based on morality, duty, law, and each person has his own specific range of responsibilities. The more righteous a Hindu lives, the more happiness and prosperity awaits him in his next life. A sinful life leads to grief and troubles in rebirth.

The faith of people is so strong that it is almost impossible to break the old ways of India. If you are untouchable, it means you shamelessly did not observe the Dharma in past life and now must atone for his sins in order to be reborn in a higher caste.

This video presents 10 facts about untouchables in India.

In modern India, the lower castes are protected by the state constitution. They can go shopping like everyone else, pray in churches and be in any public place. In the villages they were finally allowed to draw water from common wells, sow grain and grow vegetables. Previously, farming was strictly prohibited for untouchables.

It is worth noting here that although the law began to work, the way of life in cities and villages remained the same. Religious villagers still prefer to live outside the modern laws, according to the laws of their ancestors. Untouchables were allowed to visit places Catering, but at the same time they must have their own separate cutlery. They can go to the store, but they cannot cross its threshold. The necessary goods are brought to them on the porch. Their children attend public schools, but are not allowed to pour water for themselves and must wait for several hours for an upper-caste child to help fill a glass.

The above discrimination is punishable by a fine, but people - and more often the untouchables themselves - do not want to obey the laws modern society. And for Hindus from the upper castes, such a division of the population is beneficial, since Brahmins are not used to getting their hands dirty with dirty work.

Since the introduction of fines and arrests for discrimination, the word “untouchables” has virtually disappeared from Hindu usage. Now they began to be called no less an offensive word– Dalit, which means trampled underfoot. In northern India, in the late nineties, entire groups of representatives of the upper castes were formed to exterminate Dalits. The criminals did not even spare babies and pregnant women. It is worth saying that law enforcement agencies were practically inactive, again due to religious beliefs. After 6 years of bloody brutal murders, the leader of the detachment was caught. He was blamed for the deaths of more than 400 people.

The United Nations believes that only 15% of criminal cases make it to court; the rest of the criminal incidents are “suppressed” during the investigation due to religious beliefs.

Despite the distance hard life The untouchables in India cannot be called the most unfortunate. Society treats widows the worst. Not only are they not allowed to wear traditional clothes, they are required to cut their hair and communicate exclusively with blood relatives. Everyone, including Dalits, believes that the society of widows can bring a curse on the family - rebirth in the next life as a dung worm.

This video presents the program "Unknown Planet", which talks about the castes of India. Don't forget to leave your questions, suggestions and

Four Indian Varnas

Varnas and castes in our time

One and a half thousand years BC, Indian society was divided into 4 classes. They were called varnas. From Sanskrit it is translated as “color”, “quality” or “category”. According to the Rig Veda, varnas or castes emerged from the body of God Brahma.

In ancient India there were originally the following castes (varnas):

• Brahmins;
• Kshatriyas;
• Vaishya;
• Shudras.

According to legend, Brahma created 4 castes from parts of his body

The emergence of castes in ancient India

There are many reasons for the emergence of varnas or the so-called Indian castes. For example, the Aryans (not to be confused with the pseudoscientific “Aryans”), having conquered Indian land, decided to divide the local people according to skin color, origin and financial situation. This simplified social relationships and created winning conditions for government. The Aryans obviously elevated themselves to a higher caste and took only Brahmin girls as wives.

More detailed table Indian castes with rights and responsibilities

Caste, Varna and Jati - what is the difference?

Most people confuse the concepts of “caste” and “varna”; many consider them synonymous. But this is not the case, and it needs to be dealt with.

Every Indian, without the right to choose, was born in a closed group - in varna. They are sometimes called the Indian caste. However, caste in India is a subgroup, a stratification in each varna, so there are countless castes today. Only in 1931, according to the census, data on 3,000 Indian castes were published. And varna is always 4.

In fact, there are more than 3000 castes in India, and there are always four varnas

Jati is the second name of caste and sub-caste, and every resident of India has a jati. Jati - belonging to a particular profession, to a religious community, it is also closed and endogamous. Each varna has its own jatis.

You can draw a primitive analogy with our society. For example, there are children of rich parents. This is varna. They study in separate kindergartens, schools and universities, and communicate mainly with each other. These children, growing into teenagers, are divided into subcultures. Some become hipsters, some become “elite” entrepreneurs, others become creative intellectuals, and some become free travelers. This is jati or caste.

Castes in India can be divided by religion, profession and even interests

They can be divided by interests, by chosen professions. However, oddly enough, people of this varna rarely “mix” with other, lower varnas and even castes, and always strive to communicate with those who are higher than them.

Four Indian Varnas

Brahmins - highest varna or caste in India. It included priests, clergy, sages, teachers, spiritual guides and those people who connected other people with God. Brahmins were vegetarians and could only eat food prepared by people of their castes.

Brahmins are the highest and most respected caste in India

Kshatriyas is an Indian caste or varna of warriors, defenders of their country, combatants, soldiers and, surprisingly, kings and rulers. Kshatriyas were the protectors of brahmanas, women, old people, children and cows. They were allowed to kill those who did not observe the dharma.

The most prominent representatives of the Kshatriya warrior caste are the Sikhs

Vaishya- these are free community members, traders, artisans, farmers, the working class. They did not like to do hard physical labor and were extremely scrupulous about food. Among them could be very wealthy and wealthy people - owners of enterprises and lands.

The Vaishya caste is often rich merchants and landowners who do not like hard menial work

Shudras- the lowest varna or caste of India. It included servants, laborers and laborers. All those who had neither home nor land, and performed the most difficult physical work. Shudras did not have the right to pray to the gods and become “twice-born”.

Shudras - low caste in India. They live poorly and work very hard

The religious ceremony that was performed by the three upper varnas or castes of India was called “upanayana”. During the process of initiation, a consecrated thread corresponding to his varna was placed around the boy's neck, and from then on he became “dvija” or “twice-born”. He received a new name and was considered a brahmachari - a student.

Each caste has its own rituals and initiations

Hindus believe that living a righteous life allows one to be born into a higher caste in the next life. And vice versa. And the brahmins, who have already gone through a large cycle of rebirths on Earth, will be incarnated on other, divine planets.

The untouchable caste - myth and reality

Special attention should be paid to the untouchables. The existence of 5 Indian castes is a myth. In fact, untouchables are those people who did not fall into the 4 varnas for some reason. According to Hinduism, they led an impious life in their previous rebirth. The “caste” of untouchables in India is most often homeless, poor people who carry out the most humiliating and dirty work. They beg and steal. They defile the Indian Brahman caste with their presence.

This is how the untouchable caste lives in India today

The Government of India protects the untouchables to some extent. It is a criminal offense to call such people untouchables or even out-caste. Discrimination on social grounds is prohibited.

Varnas and castes in India today

What castes are there in India today? - you ask. And there are thousands of castes in India. Some of them are few in number, but there are also castes known throughout the country. For example, hijras. This is the Indian untouchable caste, in India it includes transgenders, transsexuals, bisexuals, hermaphrodites, intersex people and homosexuals. Their processions can be seen on the streets of cities and towns, where they make offerings to the Mother Goddess. Thanks to numerous protests, the Indian hijra caste achieved official recognition of itself as a “third gender”.

People with non-traditional sexual orientation (Hijras) in India also belong to the untouchable caste

Varnas and castes in India in our time are considered some kind of relic of the past, but in vain - the system remains. IN big cities The borders are somewhat blurred, but in the villages the old way of life is still preserved. According to the Indian Constitution, discrimination against people based on varna or caste is prohibited. There is even a Constitutional Table of Castes, in which, by the way, the term “community” is used instead of “Indian caste”. It states that every citizen of India has the right to receive an appropriate document that indicates their caste membership.

In India, anyone can obtain a caste document

So, the caste system in India has not only survived and survived to this day, it still works to this day. Moreover, other peoples are also divided into varnas and castes, they simply do not give this social division a name.

The session involves 2 operators (O1 and O2).

Q: There are so-called untouchables. They have nothing in common with the untouchable caste in India. Does your VYa know what the untouchables on Earth are?
O1: Which cannot be annihilated and removed, nothing can be done with them. So? Yes, there is such a thing. Most likely untouchable, right?
Q: These are called untouchables, as I previously received this information. Maybe they are inviolable, it doesn’t matter, they can’t be touched. I know people who, for example, were approached by gypsies and tried to “let me tell my fortune,” and then a more experienced gypsy came up and apologized, saying that she (the first) didn’t know who you were, that you were untouchable. That is, this is already read at the level of gypsies. If even gypsies can count it, then specialists can count it, and anyone can count it. Accordingly, until you know about this status, you are simply lucky in life, as if straw is laid everywhere, but if you know about it, you can certainly use it in some way, right? “I have my will, I set such and such an intention, to remove such and such blocks from me.” How is this even possible?

O1: It's possible. Untouchable people are those who benefit everyone. Neither side will dare to remove them, it is impossible, it is like such a key embodiment that you are important to everyone. Without you, everyone is miserable. Therefore, they can intimidate you until you know who you are. They scare you into wasting energy. But if you realize this, then it is impossible to influence it in any way. Of course, you can also set an intention, but there are such powers there!

O2: For such people it feels different, they have always been like this and don’t know how to do it any other way, even in those incarnations that were for recreation. Another question is that it was very difficult to rebuild at first, because you know that you are very big, you can do anything. And at first it was very difficult to be in this body, in principle, in human bodies. Because you are completely disproportionate. And it’s also unclear what to do about it. And we need to find the settings in the body so that they are somehow combined with the top, adjust the body

O1: Personal development should go on regardless. Intention alone will not allow you to pump so much. That is, they (the untouchables) cannot strongly influence the rights now, because for this they need to develop. Come into your own and really work on your body. Lots of technicians. The human body, even backward and degenerate, is still infinite at some core. Even it can be pushed to very strong limits. Maybe not like before, giant bodies, or some others. The bodies were completely different. A human body You can also achieve this - by the way, this is one of the tasks - to improve your bodies so that there is an example to people of how it is possible.

Because bodies use about 3% of the capabilities that were originally built into them. And because people don’t remember that there is such power in their bodies, they use only the most simple types energy and simply use it for work. Even biorobots. But, let’s say, let’s take ordinary people - with a developed Spirit, the body can be brought to completely different levels. To the point where you can change your appearance- but these are still flowers. You can split, then reassemble, and thus move, overcome matter completely. You need to work for this. This needs to be developed. This requires discipline. And we have been given such an undisciplined consciousness, specially built in. Everything is for development, of course, but you need to overcome this undisciplined essence of yourself. It’s just in the body - if there is more order in itself, then the body will have more strength, and the intention, accordingly, will be much stronger.

To some extent, the untouchables are those who are called magicians, shamans, priests and even gods. IN different cultures they have left their imprints on the world and continue to do so to this day. It doesn't matter at all whether you are untouchable or not. Like any conscious being in this universe, you have rights if you believe they are being violated.

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The untouchables are not included in system of four varna They are considered capable of polluting members of higher castes, especially Brahmins.

The untouchables are divided according to traditional types activities of their representatives, as well as the area of ​​their residence. The most common categories of untouchables are chamars (tanners) and dhobis (washerwomen).

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According to one version, a group of untouchable castes arose in ancient times from local tribes that were not included in the society of the Aryans who conquered India. The untouchables were prescribed such activities as collecting garbage, working with leather or clay. Members of such castes lived in separate neighborhoods or villages on the sidelines of the settlements of “pure” castes, did not have their own land and for the most part were dependent workers on other people’s farms.

The untouchables were formally considered Hindus, but they were prohibited from entering Hindu temples or participating in Hindu rituals, and therefore they had their own gods, their own priests and rituals. The untouchables followed Gaudiya Vaishnavism and the Saivite Nath tradition.

In the 20th century, the struggle of the untouchables for equality began. Gandhi actively fought against untouchability. He began to call them Harijans (people of God). The fight for the rights of the untouchables in the 1930s and 40s was led by Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. He called the untouchables Dalits(oppressed). He succeeded in enshrining in the laws of colonial India, and then in the constitution of independent India in 1950, a system according to which quotas of vacancies were assigned to members of castes included in a special list (“scheduled castes”). public service, seats in legislative bodies and in higher educational institutions. The practice of untouchability is constitutionally prohibited and discrimination based on caste is a criminal offence.

However, in rural areas Dalits are often victims of harassment, violence and cruelty. According to the Madras-based NGO Human Rights Education Movement, on average every hour two Dalits are attacked, three Dalit women are victims of violence, two Dalits are killed and two Dalit houses are burned. For example, in June 2008, a crowd of armed rioters attacked people from lower castes in the city of Miapur (Bihar state) and shot dead 35 people, eight of whom were Dalits. The smallest Dalit claims to rights—a Dalit registered as a candidate for a local council, a Dalit boy courting an upper-caste girl, a Dalit using water from an upper-caste well—can provoke violence.

Millions of Dalits converted to Islam, Christianity or Buddhism to break away from the caste-based Hindu society. But traces of caste hierarchy remain in both Christian and Muslim communities.

Dalits are fighting for equality. They enter tea shops and break “separate dishes” (the caste system forces Dalits to drink from “their” cups). They enter temples, violating an ancient Hindu ban on Dalits entering sacred places. According to Hindu tradition, the groom rides to the wedding on a horse, but when Dalits try to do the same, they are subjected to severe persecution. In June 2008, in Rajasthan, a Dalit groom rode a horse for the first time, guarded by 400 police officers, ambulances and medical teams.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Dalit communities emerged across India political parties. The 1998 elections showed that the consolidation of Dalits with other minorities led to the creation of an influential voting bloc in many Indian cities. Dalit woman Mayawati became the Prime Minister of Uttar Pradesh. In 2008, the first Dalit became a judge of the Supreme Court of India.

Most a shining example Dalit emancipation is

What is the caste system? Caste (from the Portuguese casta - gens, generation and descent) or Varna (translated from Sanskrit - color), a term applied primarily to the main division of Hindu society in the Indian subcontinent. According to Hindu belief, there are four main Varnas (castes) - Brahmans (officials), Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaishyas (merchants) and Shudras (peasants, workers, servants).

Of the most early works It is known from Sanskrit literature that the peoples who spoke Aryan dialects during the period of the initial settlement of India (from approximately 1500 to 1200 BC) were already divided into four main classes, later called Varnas. Modern castes are divided into a large number of sub-castes - jati.

Hindus believe in reincarnation and believe that whoever follows the rules of his caste future life rises by birth to a higher caste, the one who violates these rules will lose social status.

Brahmins Brahmins are the most upper layer this system. Brahmins serve as spiritual mentors, work as accountants and accountants, officials, teachers, and take possession of lands. They are not supposed to follow the plow or perform certain types of work related to manual labor; women from their midst can serve in the house, and landowners can cultivate plots, but not plow.
Members of each Brahmin caste marry only within their own circle, although it is possible to marry a bride from a family belonging to a similar subcaste from a neighboring area.
When choosing food, a Brahmin observes many prohibitions. He has no right to eat food prepared outside his caste, but members of all other castes can eat food from the hands of brahmanas. Some Brahmin sub-castes may consume meat.

Kshatriyas
Kshatriyas are right behind the brahmanas in ritual terms and their task is mainly to fight and protect their homeland. Today, kshatriyas' occupations include working as estate managers and serving in various administrative positions and in the military. Most kshatriyas eat meat and, although they allow marriage with a girl from a lower subcaste, a woman under no circumstances can marry a man from a subcaste lower than her own.

Vaishya Vaishyas are the strata that engage in trade. Vaishyas are more strict in their observance of food regulations and are even more careful to avoid ritual pollution. Traditional occupation Vaishyas serve trade and banking, they tend to stay away from physical labor, but are sometimes included in the management of the farms of landowners and village entrepreneurs, without directly participating in the cultivation of the land.

Shudras“Pure” Shudras are a peasant caste. They, due to their numbers and ownership of a significant part of local land, play important role in solving social and political issues some areas. Shudras eat meat, and widows and divorced women are allowed to marry. The lower Shudras are numerous sub-castes whose profession is of a highly specialized nature. These are the castes of potters, blacksmiths, carpenters, joiners, weavers, oil makers, distillers, masons, barbers, musicians, tanners, butchers, scavengers and many others.

The Untouchables The untouchables are engaged in the dirtiest jobs and are in many respects outside the boundaries of Hindu society. They are engaged in cleaning dead animals from streets and fields, toilets, tanning leather, etc.
Members of these castes are forbidden to visit the houses of the “pure” castes and take water from their wells, and they are even forbidden to step on the shadows of other castes. Most Hindu temples until recently were closed to untouchables; there was even a ban on approaching people from higher castes closer than a set number of steps.
The nature of caste barriers is such that they are believed to continue to pollute members of “pure” castes, even if they have long since abandoned their caste occupation and are engaged in ritually neutral activities such as agriculture. Although in other social settings and situations, such as being in an industrial city or on a train, an untouchable may have physical contact with members of higher castes and not pollute them, in his home village untouchability is inseparable from him, no matter what he does.

Throughout Indian history the caste structure showed remarkable stability before changes. Neither Buddhism, nor the Muslim invasion that ended with the formation of the Mughal Empire, nor the establishment of British rule shook fundamentals caste organization of society.