In order to limit, preferably to eliminate the negative and harmful role of caste in the Indian society and politics, we put forward the following suggestions/points for consideration and adoption:
(1) Indian mass media should continuously try to give less exposure to caste oriented news. It must not project a caste-based analysis of voting behaviour and results of Indian elections
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(2) Caste-based violence must be eliminated through committed and well organised efforts. Stern and quick action against the perpetrators and practisers of caste discrimination and violence should always be taken in every case.
(3) Political parties should voluntarily come forward to refrain from using caste as a tool for securing support for their power-goals.
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(4) The social service organizations, NGOs and the civil society must organise mass campaigns for integrating the people in the process of socio-economic-politico- cultural development. They should participate in a bigger way in the adult literacy and child education campaigns. Universalisation of education can play a big role in liberating the human mind from the bondage of caste-based thinking, bigotism and parochialism.
(5) For ensuring the success of secular living, well directed and well organised social movements and campaigns should be launched by the NGOs and other social service clubs and organisations.
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(6) Spread of education and removal of ignorance through concerted efforts (school education and non-formal education) can go a long way in helping the people to rise above their narrow caste affiliations and loyalties.
(7) All admission forms and job application forms must not include any such column as may seek caste-based information. Sub-caste as a surname may be retained, but every effort should be made to downplay caste. Census may record the caste of a person but only for its records and nothing more.
(8) All schools must encourage community living by organising community meals and all students should be involved in it both as organisers as well as active partners. School text books and curriculum should in no way contain anything that may make the students conscious of their castes.
Our national heroes like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawahar Lai Nehru, Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, Bltim Rao Ambedkar, S. Bhagat Singh, Ms. Annie Besant and all others should not be ever identified with any caste or religion or community. They are our national heroes and they must be presented as the leaders of all the people of India.
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Caste and Casteism has been a big challenge before Indian Democracy. Democracy and casteism are opposed to each other. Democracy is works on the principles of equality and equal freedom for all the people.
Caste stands for inequalities based on birth and maintained irrationally on the basis of certain evil traditions. Indian democratic state has for its basis, the principles of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. Since casteism involves a negation of all these, there is a strong need for the elimination of casteism from India.
Caste is only an identity mark. It should not enjoy any undue importance in our life and relations. Fatherhood of God and Brotherhood of Man must be accepted and followed in letter and spirit.
Faith in social, economic and political equality along with justice must replace the blind love for caste and casteism. Our educational system must inculcate the value of equality and fraternal bonds among all young men and women. It is essential for securing complete integration all of us as equal partners in nation-building.
In one of his Judgment, Justice Kuldip Singh has observed: “Over the last thousand years, the greatest curse which had afflicted the Indian nation had been the curse of castesim. The foreign invaders and rulers fully exploited casteism, divided Indian society and made our nation subjugated.
After their rebirth as a Sobering Independent Nation, the people of India firmly resolved to secure Justice, Liberty, and Equality and to promote Fraternity among all the people.
Unfortunately in the last six decades, caste and casteism have together continued to be the biggest block in the way of Indian social integration. In this new millenium, which is already about a decade old, we must work steadfastly to remove casteism from our society. This can be done by conscious efforts to secure the objective of Fraternity. ”
We must remember what Dr. Ambedkar said in our Constituent Assembly “Fraternity means a sense of common brother-hood of all Indians—of Indians being one people. Castes are anti-national. In the first place they bring about separation in social life.
They are anti- national also because they generate jealousy and antipathy between caste and caste. We must overcome all these difficulties if we wish to become a nation in reality. For fraternity can be a fact only when there is a nation. Without fraternity, equality and liberty will be no deeper than coats of paint”
Casteism has to be totally eliminated by adopting and promoting fraternity as the objective and secularism as the way of life. Fraternity is needed most for securing the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the nation, it is the cement needed for securing national integration and nation-building.
The only way to meet the challenge posed by casteism is to adopt secularism as the way of life. For this purpose, our educational institutions must secure freedom from such factors as caste, religion and language. These must impart qualitative, secular and empowering education.