Thanks Mervyn for pointing out one of the pros of the caste system.
Most of the pros of the caste system of course are related to marriage.
1) Un-marry-able people:
If a girl/boy of marriageable age is extremely undesirable as a spouse because of physical/ psychological/ mental defects then he/she would remain unmarried for ever. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing for him/ her/ society. But if he/she professes to be of a particular caste then a partner from the same caste will eventually be located, sometimes equally undesirable as a spouse!
2) Dumping:
Caste (and religion) sometimes is a very convenient excuse to get out of a relationship. There are many young men who have "dated" a female of another caste/religion and when the marriage question pops up they cite caste/religion incompatibility because of their "parents' wishes". That the parents did not approve of the dating, which did progress regardless, is conveniently forgotten. Commitment phobia exists worldwide but in a caste/religion centric society such as ours it becomes a convenient tool for dumping a partner when the question pops up.
3) Vote banks:
Caste (and religion) is also a valuable tool for the politician. Given a relatively equal choice we will vote for a person of our own religion. If there are two contestants of the same religion then caste sometimes is the decisive factor while voting. Why do you think there is always mention of the Bhandari Samaj lobby or the Saraswat Brahmin lobby in Goan politics?
Which brings me to another trivial matter. In school I remember we used to used phrases like "suneam castacho" and "dukra castacho" as insults. I always presumed that "castacho" meant "huge" as in "Jacoban kal castacho sorop dhollo" (Jacob caught a big snake yesterday). But now I wonder whether "castacho" has something to do with caste rather than size. I mean "big dog" is not nearly as insulting as "of the dog caste". Can some Konkani experts please clarify? Isn't caste "zat" in Konkani? Is there any connection between caste and cricket. Howzzat?
And since I mentioned snakes and size. Isn't it strange how we indicate the size of a snake or a fish by extending an arm out and indicating the size by placing the other hand on the forearm, biceps of shoulder of the extended arm. Whereas in the West the size of a fish (or snake) is indicated by the distance between palms facing each other with hands extended.
My forthcoming book on "Culture Conflicts - Goa and the West: Conversation and Gestures" is devoted to such idiosyncrasies. Asking a man/woman if he/she is married is considered polite and acceptable here in India but is considered extremely impolite in the West. This leads to strained relationships between visiting tourists and ambitious taxi drivers and hopefully my book will solve the problems in South Goa between the hotels and the Tourist Taxi Drivers' Union.
If anyone here knows similar cultural differences between Westerners and Indians/Goans, that could lead to tension, please post the same for inclusion in my book.
Cheers!
Cecil =====
