Caste System in our society: Boon or Curse?!

“Aap kaunsi jaath ke ho?!”
“Which caste do U belong to?”
“Tujhi zaath khanchi?”

Familiar phrases…aren’t they?! Often hear people around us using them. This question when asked to me makes me aggressive. I hate this question which distinguishes one human being from another based on some few characteristics.
 
Castes are those quintessential groups in our society which categorize or rank people based on occupations. A common belief is that the high caste is associated with purity and low status with pollution. A Brahmin or Priest Caste is born with more inherent purity than a Dalit. Even today, in the 21st century, some Brahmins refrain from physical contact with people of lower caste. Members of the Leather work caste are described to be of a very low status because of their association with the caste occupation of skinning dead animals and their leather. Butchers, who kill and cut up the bodies of animals, also rank low on the caste hierarchy because of their association with violence and death. When god made us there was no difference of caste, race etc.
 
I, representing today’s youth would term it as “Man -made disaster”. I understand the older generation‘s mentality in finding it difficult to
accept the fact that caste system is a man-made disaster as they have been thought to believe in for many many years. But it feels bad when I see some youth making the unnecessary categorization to the date.
 
I have seen some upper caste boy refusing a drink from a peer just because that peer belongs to a lower caste. But he willingly accepts a drink from his peer who belongs to his own caste. When questioned by anyone, he shows his thread which he wears under his shirt to the people.
 
Some temple priests (Purohits) in Goa are no better. I would like to highlight a personal experience which had me shattered and made me act somewhat like an atheist (someone who doesn’t believe in God) for some days. My dad asked me to visit a very famous temple at Vasco and perform an Abhishek (it’s a small ritual or puja which the temple priest performs for your well being). So I obeyed Dad. Dad had told me that the simple ritual would cost less than Rs.30. But when I inquired about it with the temple priest, he gave me a sermon on price hike on every commodity. I had to hear it for about half an hour. So finally the ritual which costs about 15 to 20 bucks at other temples cost me Rs.150 that day. It was a two minute prayer which he said and slipped the money into his pocket without giving me any bill (normally every temple priest gives a bill after a ritual they perform. This man did not give me any.)
Then he inquired everything about me and my family background including my paternal & maternal grandparents and my origin. I
felt for a moment that I was answering some matrimonial interview. I answered him very politely because my parents say no matter how badly a priest behaves, you have to respect him. But I was losing it at this man. After a while he called me to take god’s blessings inside the chamber of the temple where the god’s idol is placed. After a moment, god knows what got into him, he asked me a question: “Tu Saraswat Brahminach mago?” I kinda lost it at him and answered firmly to express my displeasure: “Na,haav saraswat nhi. Haav Dalit.” He immediately told me to leave the chamber and move away. And I did so. 

But what I didn’t understand is Does God Bless his devotees based on their castes? Who are these demons in our society to distinguish us from each other? I came home and told my parents all this and they were fuming in anger too! I didn’t pray or visit any temple for months after that. And I vowed myself that I won’t step in that temple till that psychopath rules that temple.
THESE PEOPLE NEED TO CIVILIZE. THEY HAVE TO JUDGE A PERSON BY HIS HEART AND BEHAVIOR AND NOT CASTE. WAKE UP INDIA. WAKE UP!!