New trends in Caste System: the disorganisation of the Caste System has led some to infer that in the future the Caste System will cease to exist. But some scholars have refuted this doubt. According to G.S.Ghurye there is no fear of the injunction of the Caste System in the near future due to the following towing conditions.
1. Elections based on casteism
On the establishment of a democracy in India the government machinery is operated by representatives elected by the people. The method of election has done much to encourage the Caste System because of casteism among the voters. In this way people are asked to vote for their caste candidate and this casteism is maintained by the elected leaders after the elections are over. Some political parties sponsor only that candidate for elections in a particular are whose caste is the most numerous among the voters.
2. Special constitutional provision for backward classes
The constitution provides for the protection of the backward and Scheduled Castes. Some posts have been reserved for them in Government services. They are given all types of facilities and special scholarships for education. All this is most welcome and even necessary and yet more special rights have encouraged casteism in the backward classes since the caste is proving beneficial to them because of these prerogatives. In India, on the one hand, the caste is becoming weaker due to the influence of such factors as industrialisation, urbanisation, increase in the means of transportation, populating of English education, political and social awakening, democratic Government and laws abolishing untouchability etc and on the other such new organisations as labour union, etc, on the basis of occupation, post, capacity etc., are being established.
Due to an increase in the desire for money caused by the influences of western education the sense of superiority or inferiority is now based on wealth and social power of rather than or caste. The class consciousness, based on occupations, etc, is replacing the caste consciousness. All the changes led people to believe that the Caste System will generally take on the firm of a class system. But while, on the one hand, class consciousness seems to be progressing, on the other one can see progress in casteism as well. For people who are specially gifted in a particular occupation, other occupations are very limited in India and the paths to those that are available are difficult.
Children of those parents who have a small income or who have no wealth look out only for service. In some big business institution and sometimes even in educational institutions what happens is that the proprietors, organisations and senior officials. Casteism of a similar type prevails also in Government services and political elections. Hence it can not be asserted that at the caste is disappearing and classism is increasing. Actually, in India casteism is being transformed into classism.
Broad Changes in the Caste System
Though the changed structure of caste in the contemporary India has been analyzed separately in this chapter, yet briefly sepaking, the following outcomes in caste functioning may be pointed out in the present times:
- Caste system is not in the process of abolition but is making adequate adjustment with modern changes.
- The religious basis of caste has cramped.
- Old social practices of imposing restrictions of varied types have dwindled. Caste no longer restricts newly valued individual freedom.
- Caste no longer determines the occupational career of an individual, though his social status continues to be dependent on his caste membership.
- Serious efforts are being made to grant equality to the out-castes and the backward castes which had suffered because of the restrictions imposed by the caste system.
- Inter-caste strifes are increasing. However, these are more for achieving power than on grounds of ritual status.
- Casteism not only continues to prevail in community life but in a way it has increased.
- The jajmani system in the villages has weakened affecting inter-caste relations.
- The dominance of a caste in a village no longer depends upon its ritual status.
- Caste and politics have come to affect each other.
- On the one hand, some caste organizations have strengthened while on the other hand, a large number of castes have lost their group solidarity and a sense of responsibility.
- Caste no longer acts as a barrier to social progress and to nation’s development. India is on the move in spite of the caste system.