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Caste system in India has been outlawed in that nation's constitution (BBC, 2009). As such, the system lingers only in terms of social norms and codes, rather than the rule of law. The way that I would deal with unwinding the caste system is twofold. The first step is education, to counter the influence of existing social norms. The second step is to eradicate the caste system from government functions and services. The provision of education and health care, to the extent the government provides these, must be for all castes with no segregation. Likewise, political and economic institutions must be open to all Indians equally. Recent economic liberalization has been shown to improve caste mobility and reduce oppression on dalits, the lowest class (Ross, 2005). This will reinforce the message we are spreading through the education programs. Lastly, I would target caste-based violence as a special crime with higher penalties, also serving to reinforce the already-instituted outlawing of the system.
The caste system is entrenched in India's economic life, with professions often designated by one's caste. Thus, I would expect resistance from the stronger economic classes. I would also expect resistance from devout Hindus, since the caste system is ingrained in their religion. Their opposition would be to the perceived dismantling of one of their defining institutions. The higher castes in particular would oppose this move.
There are some similarities to the U.S. civil rights movement. The lower castes have at times worked to improve their conditions and to remove barriers to economic and political mobility. Moreover, the sources of resistance are much the same. Those in power view the removal of barriers to mobility for lower classes as a threat to their well-being. Lastly, this has affected the pace of change. In both the U.S. And in India, such social change requires generations of effort, including education and improved economic mobility, in order to bring about the needed changes to the broader society.
Works Cited:
No author. (2009). Country Profile: India. BBC. Retrieved September 14, 2009 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/country_profiles/1154019.stm
Ross, Kelley L. (2005). The Caste System and the Stages of Life in Hinduism. Friesian.com. Retrieved September 14, 2009 from http://www.friesian.com/caste.htm
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