Casteism...what casteism...?!

I remember when I was in college ie NIT Calicut, I was having this conversation with a friend of mine in Guwahati. The topic moved to eligible bachelors etc etc. Then she mentioned, she will definitely marry an upper caste Hindu. These scheduled castes and scheduled tribes dont have any brains or merit...

My late grandmother used to tell me...Baba, kayasta e biya korbi de...beleg jaati r suwali nanibi (Son, marry within the Kayastha caste only, dont bring a girl from another caste)

I myself am not clean. I remember discussions I had with my friends on how someone I knew got through IIT JEE after attempting just 29 marks...just because he was an ST (Hills).

One of my friends here in WIMWI once told me...Bataas...tujhe pata hai xxxxx SC hai

I am against reservations in their current form and more importantly there form of implementation. Earlier I used to be against reservations in general, but over the past 3-4 yrs, I have come to beleive that there is a need for reservations. But its not reaching the right people.

But then this post is not about reservations. Its about something much more profound...something too far more heinous...casteism

Was shown this documentary in class today...on casteism...untouchability
People...learned people...supporting it...
There was this person who was on the cover of Time Magazine and was the Physics prof of some univ...he is openly supporting it
Then some of the Hindu "learned" gurus making statements like...
Shudra pair hai...brahmin sar...khastriya haath...ab pair ko chot lagegi to haath uski madat ke liye jayega hi na...(Shudras are like legs...brahmins are the head...kshatriyas are the hands...if the leg gets hurt the hands would definitely go to its help)
He also went on to say that...trying to get over the caste system is like asking one to walk on one's head

Then there were these Rajputs in some part of Rajastan...who openly proclaimed that they made sure that the lower caste people were "taught a lesson" whenever they defied the maryada of the society. An 80 yr old harijan would have to address a 10 yr old Rajput as master...else that old dalit would be "taught a lesson".
They...the upper caste people...said...Its important to maintain the fear in the hearts of the Dalits...else they forget their maryada.

And this is not just in Hindus. In Muslims, there are an equal number of castes and there is discrimination based on those. The upper caste Syeds, Pathans and Khans discriminate against the lower castes. Same for Sikhs. The Jats look down upon the Dalit sikhs like Mazhabi Sikhs.
In Christians, its the same.

We are branding people for something they have no say in. Was it that child's fault that he was born in a Dalit household?
In the faint hope of equality, so many of the Hindu dalits converted to Chirstianity and Islam. But even there, the dream of equality eludes them.

Every religion...has in its roots equality as one of the pillars...but with time...people "add" strata to the society which passes down generations and generations...
Manu, better known as "Maharishi" Manu came out with his set of "Laws" which have become Shastras for us Hindus. It was in these shastras that casteism found its first mention.
Here are few of his "Laws"

Let (the first part of) a Brahmana's name (denote something) auspicious, a Kshatriya's be connected with power, and a Vaisya's with wealth, but a Sudra's (express something) contemptible.

A Brahmana who takes a Sudra wife to his bed, will (after death) sink into hell; if he begets a child by her, he will lose the rank of a Brahmana.

For he who explains the sacred law (to a Sudra) or dictates to him a penance, will sink together with that (man) into the hell (called) Asamvrita.

I have nothing to say...nothing at all