Caste Is Not Past Analysis

The caste and class system are both social dividers that determines the way one lives their life. In India, there is the caste system where citizens are split up into groups based on birth and religious purity. The lower caste are workers, servants, or the untouchables who are commonly treated differently than higher castes. The lower the class the less money, privilege, and respect one is given. Much like the caste system in India, modern day United States has a class system categorizing people into groups regularly because of money. The lower the class, the less opportunity one has in the U.S. to receive an education, get a job, or even be treated the same as others. The strength of a country’s system is measured in how people are affected …show more content…
More than 80% of modern day India practice the Hindu religion. The original caste system was first formed by the teachings of Hinduism. Although Hinduism was much more strict in the past, it is still relevant today. Many are convinced that because it is against the law to discriminate based off of one’s caste in India, that the rules do not affect the Indian’s anymore. On the contrary, this system is recently most affecting politics and marriage. In the article Caste Is Not Past by Lavanya Sankaran, the author states that Indians, “are passionate about the caste of their politicians” and that “caste is still a primary determinant in choosing a spouse”. The defined rules of the Hindu religion that formed the caste system are not as strict in America because the class system isn’t based off of religious practices. In the United States, there is not an overarching religion that is behind the classes of citizens. Instead, the separation is caused by money and power. There are no set rules as the caste system in India. The caste system is much more severe because of the religious rules and routines that come along with practicing …show more content…
There has been countless uprising and protests in the United States because of how people mistreated due to their class. U.S. citizens have opportunities to have a say to change the way class works. In India, it is very rare to protest against the caste system. For citizens of modern day India, “it seems reactionary even to speak of caste” because people do not like to change what they are so used to. The higher caste enforce the caste because not only are they religious teachers, but they are praised because of their status. The higher caste will not allow the lower caste to have a voice for change which is why it is so unheard of for a lower caste person to speak up about their opinion. In the United States, there is still lots of problems involving class, but people still have the opportunity to work hard and change things that they find unjust by advocating or even protesting. As for India, the lower caste knows that they have to deal with their placement because it would be nearly impossible to change the minds of the county that is so strict about the system.
The historical and religious Hindu rules, and the absence of say the lower caste has prove that the caste system in modern day India is more strict than the class system in the United States. This not only shows citizens of the United States that their class