Thu Jan 22, 2009 8:22 am (PST)Letters to the EditorCaste as
vehicleS. Gurumurthy's analysis of the caste system as an economicdevelopment
vehicle (Jan. 19 -http://www.hindu. com/2009/ 01/19/stories/ 2009011955440900
.htm) isinteresting. However, he has not highlighted the evils that the
systemgenerated over hundreds of years. There must have been a time whenthere
was no caste system. From what I know, society needed 18 skilledprofessions.
They were inter-dependent and each profession was anecessity.When the gradation
of these skills took place and who placed one abovethe other are not known. But
when it happened, the caste systemevolved. It became rigid and migration from
one profession to anotherbecame impossible.R. Narasimhan,Chennai
Landed gentries such as Gounders, Nadars and Patels are not backward
in the real sense of the term. They replaced the top layer of the
'upper' castes using their political power. What is the share of the
real backward classes and the fifth varna in the economic development?
The economic development of a few so-called OBCs has actually
strengthened the caste system.
P. Sankara Narayanan,
Bhubaneswar
Reeling out statistics and selectively quoting the success of
well-entrenched castes in their protected fields, Mr. Gurumurthy
overlooks the historical injustices inflicted on the lower castes
through the ages. Sub-human jobs such as scavenging are still
inflicted on people of some castes. Should they be deprived of
advancement just because certain well-endowed clusters in the form of
castes have entrenched themselves?
How can one even argue in justification of such a divisive and inhuman
system in an advancing liberal society?
Kasim Sait,
Chennai
A few instances of entrepreneurs organising themselves on the basis of
caste and succeeding do not justify the plight of the millions who are
still oppressed and excluded from society in the name of caste.
Caste-based organisation has not helped us in building a modern
progressive society where every human being has an equal chance to
succeed regardless of his caste or creed. I agree that social capital
is a hidden wealth. But why can't it cut across castes?
Ravi Chandran,
New Jersey
I request the author to enlighten us on the progress achieved by the
people belonging to the caste of barbers, washermen, and scavengers.
The caste system is comparable only to slavery. Abraham Lincoln issued
the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) and abolished slavery in the U.S.
The southern States opposed the abolition saying slavery helped the
growth of agriculture. Can anyone support the inhuman system of
slavery today?
Kottapalli Suryanarayana,
Visakhapatnam
The article has examined only one side of the coin. The statistics
provided by the author considers only some sections, leaving out a
vast majority of impoverished castes. Such views are regressive and do
the nation no good.
D. Krishnagopal,
Adoni The writer aptly sums up when he says that elite India's dilemma
about caste seems outdated. Indeed, modern India must shun the evil
practices that characterise the caste system but must also be open to
the inherent social advantages that are derived from the natural
process of networking.
S. Devarajan,
Chennai
Ban jallikattu
Four persons lost their lives and many sustained injuries in
jallikattu (bull-taming sport) held during Pongal in Tamil Nadu. One
fails to understand the craze for such a sport among some sections.
Every year, participants and bystanders are gored by the bulls.
Compared with the bullfight in countries such as Spain and Mexico,
jallikattu is disorganised. It is time jallikattu was banned.
K. Venkataraman,
Mumbai
The so-called sport called jallikattu involves neither bravery nor
sporting skills. The argument that it forms part of the Tamil
tradition does not hold water as we have discarded many other
traditional practices in the name of rationalism.
In any case, none of our matrimonial advertisements these days seeks
bridegrooms with skills to tame bulls.
Rettavayal S. Krishnaswamy,
Chennai
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