Articles

Danger of Class or Caste Culture

by Chiranjibi Paudyal

While teaching a poem, an English teacher told her students that the class game is dangerous. The class game is a poem written by a working-class poet Mary Casey of Liverpool, United Kingdom. Working-class people have no access to renowned literary journals. Though they are free to write anything and anywhere but none will read their writing. They are considered nonstandard writing. There are no reservations to the lower- or working-class people like in India. It is the competition and they cannot compete. They could compete but people with higher or middle class think they are not able to use standard English or posh English to be featured in the renowned literary journal.

The teacher is a white female and British. She talked about the differences in class culture in the United Kingdom. ‘There is a massive and deep class culture,’ she said. ‘Do you know, even within the school some members of the staff do not speak to each other through working in the same school and even in the same department because of the difference in accent, different colour, different wearing, and way of speaking’, she said adding ‘I see every day that they turn away when they see some staff who are different to them.’ This is terrific.  There is racism within racism.

Teachers do not want to talk to each other thinking that some are from lower working-class backgrounds.  They turn away their head as if they do not know each other. They do not say anything. But in their thought and feeling there is that superiority complex.  They do not say you are from the lower class-working class and I am higher class or white or wear an expensive brand. But they do.  Teachers are doing the same job, working for the same salary but the difference is more dangerous than the caste culture. They talk about the caste system in India, they try to defame the caste saying it is very dangerous. But they do not realise how dangerous is their class culture. How divisive is their culture? Mary Casey is a working-class poet. In ‘the Class Game’ she writes reflecting the deeply rooted class culture in the UK.

How can you tell what class I am from?

‘Cos we live in a corpy, not like some

In a pretty little semi, out Wirral way

And commute into Liverpool by train each day?

Or did I drop my unemployment card

Sitting in your patio (We have a yard)?

 

John Agard in ‘Half Caste’ and Benjamin Zephaniah in ‘ No problem’ and many other poems have explained about the discrimination of colours. Legally everything is alright. But it is not working. It is like segregation if we read these poems.  The lower working class, middle-class professionals, and upper-class people go to different pubs and restaurants. Anyone can go anywhere. There is no discrimination but you do not see people of different classes mixing together. But when it comes to the caste culture, which came with colonialism is being marketed to highlight. They do not understand the essence of the caste which came from the Portuguese language ‘casta’ which means “race” or “lineage,” and was first used in the 1700s. The word came with colonisation. Sanskrit is the Varna system. Varna system is purely based on the profession which is in accordance with their inherent nature. Everyone is different. Bhagawan Shree Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita clearly states:  “O Arjuna, the activities of the brahmanas, kastriyas, vaisyas, and sudras are clearly divided according to the qualities born of their own nature.”

“The actions of a brahmana arising from his own nature are serenity, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge of the Vedas, wisdom and firm faith.“ “The actions of a ksatriya born of his own nature are heroism, exuberance, determination, resourcefulness, without a trace of cowardice in battle, generosity, and leadership.“  “The actions of a vaisya born of his own nature are agriculture, cow protection and trade; also the actions of a sudra born of his own nature consists in service to brahmana, ksatriyas and vaisyas.’’

“Following each his own activity, a man achieves finally perfection.’’ It does not mean one is superior to the other. The general public in the west is told that the caste culture of South Asia is like the apartheid regime of South Africa. They are not taught about the reality of caste which came into the Indian subcontinent with the colonial power. They used caste to divide, damage, and destroy the glorious rich cultural heritage of Sanatan Dharma, who pray for the welfare of all. Prayer is the most sacred thing people do, this is the wish which should come from within the depth of their hearts. When people in the temples and Gurudwaras and monasteries pray ‘ Sarve bhavantu sukhina sarve santu niramaya, sarve bhadrani pashyantu ma kashchid dukhabhagvavet.’ Then where is the discrimination in this prayer? The prayer ends with ‘ may none suffer.’ There is no Hindu, Christian, Muslim, or any religious denomination but all humanity. Indians should understand the importance of this great glorious tradition and preserve and promote it for the welfare of all humanity.

Only India can make a Dalit president, only India can give a minority Muslim president and only India can elect a low-caste tea seller as prime minister.  No need to be private school educated or Harvard or Cambridge or Oxford-educated to be the prime minister of India. Read your history of holy sages from ancient to the present day and glorify your great culture with pride.

 About the Author:

Chiranjibi Paudyal was a journalist by profession. He has worked in Nepal’s news agency ( RSS- Rastriya Samachar Samiti) as Chief reporter and Editor. He also contributed to the UNI as a Nepal correspondent and from London for some years and worked as a part-time correspondent for the Associated Press. He also worked as a Communications Specialist at the UNDP project in Kathmandu. Currently, he is a teacher at a comprehensive school in Reading and contributes articles to different media outlets.  

5 Comments

  1. This is the reality of our India. We do not realise our rich cultural heritage but we just follow what others say. We need to glorify our culture.

  2. Nice! Caste is used to Christianise and defame.

  3. We Indian do not recognise our own rich religion and culture that is the reason we are behind. We must recognise and be proud of our Indianness- which is great and glorious and we must be proud of it.

  4. We are undermining our religion and culture and great tradition. We must not listen what others say but must promote our culture and tradition which is peace and love.

  5. Happy Republic Day! India’s pride should be maintained. Its great history, great culture and great religion is not comparable. Good article.