Caste System In Kerala Essay

Kerala was essentially caste dominated during 18th and 19th century. Majority of the people belonged to Hindu, Muslim, and Christian religion. Hindus society where sharply divided into castes and sub castes. Whole society was divided in the basis of caste. The settlements were also based on the cast. People of higher class lived in big buildings called mana and people of lower caste were lived in small huts near their work space. Brahmins or namboothiris where at the top. The observance of pollution in the cast system was strictly followed by the people. Untouchability (thottukudayma) and unapproachability (theendikudayma) was practiced widely. But the people of Muslim and Christian community …show more content…
If he was born to a particular caste he was only allowed to do the work that is meant for the people of that caste. Swami Vivekananda who visited Kerala once said that” Kerala is a mad house of castes”. There was a big barrier between peoples of different religions. They used to live different areas and there was no communication between them. Caste system changed a lot in colonial period. Emergence of communist party and formation of the government after independence made a drastic change caste system in kerala. The untouchability and unapproachability was completely washed off and low caste people got equal rights like higher class people. But many systems remain unchanged. Inter caste or inter religion marriage was impossible at that time, if it happens people who were mad about caste won’t let them live …show more content…
We can find a lot of examples like this in our surroundings itself. Now Kerala is one of the most literate states in India, but it is a very shameful thing that problems related to caste and religion still exist there in some fields like politics, education etc. Even though they live together there is a small separation between them. The number of inter caste marriage is very less in kerala. People are more conservative. They take pride on their community which they belong and does not appreciate marrying people from outside. The people who do inter caste marriage faces a lot of problems in their life. The society is reluctant to accept them, they will be thrown out from the family. They are forced to change their religion. People believes that to lead a peaceful life we have to stick to a particular caste in a religion, they forgets the fact that the caste and religions are made by us for our greedy needs, it’s time to break this big wall which separates