Dear Jeyamohan
Is casteism an integral part of Hinduism? is an eye-opening article for me. I never thought about these two questions. Did caste-like systems exist in Europe and other regions? Is Christianity or Islam responsible for the violence and holocausts created by them?
If one can ask those questions, he can get clarity on the original question.
Western colonialists created the formula “caste is equal to Hinduism,” and orthodox Hindus embraced it. Before this, Hindus held the belief that caste was a social structure they inherited from their ancestors. They never regarded it as a divine gift. No Hindu texts claim that caste is the basis of Hinduism. There are thousands of Hindu texts, and all of them only claim their Marga will give them freedom from eternal sorrow (Dhukha Nivarthi).
Now we have to ask that basic question: why was this formula created, and why is this still propagated with high power? Who are the benefactors? The ‘sanathanis’ or traditionalists are not the benefactors because they have nothing to gain from it today apart from a simple ego satisfaction. Then who?
Rajasekaran Adam
