Attack the system: Policy must deal not only with caste-based discrimination, but identity itself | The Indian Express

Attack the system: Policy must deal not only with caste-based discrimination, but identity itself | The Indian Express

Written by Alok Bansal |Updated: June 6, 2019 7:33:52 am

The writer is director, India Foundation and adjunct professor at New Delhi Institute of Management. Views expressed are his own.

Attack the system: Policy must deal not only with caste-based discrimination, but identity itself

Division of labour — or the rationale behind the Varna Vyavastha — does not exist today and the country certainly needs to get rid of its vestiges.

It is essential that the government create a category of people with “no caste” for all those who do not wish to subscribe to their caste identity.

One of the biggest achievements of the 2019 election was that the common man in India clearly showed that he is willing to rise above caste barriers for the national interest. The caste system is arguably the biggest bane of Indian society, and has adversely affected India’s growth, development and security over centuries. Primarily a Hindu concept, this malady has transcended religious frontiers and affected every religion in India.