Aliya Abreu
Panaji
Dr Ramachandra Guha, while presenting his views on caste and gender inequality in the sub-continent, on Thursday expressed disbelief that despite being converted hundreds of years ago by Portuguese colonisers, Goan Christians right up to this day, still talked about their castes, though caste is not an inherent part of the religion.
“It’s unbelievable that even after 500 years of being converted, caste exists, and people will proudly tell you ‘My ancestors were Brahmin’,” said Dr Guha, referring to the Christian community in Goa. “Islam, Christianity and Sikhism, in theory preach equality, but in practice, equality doesn’t exist,” he told the audience, mainly students and lecturers of the Goa University. Guha was giving a public lecture at the University themed “Is there an Indian Road to Equality?” as part of the ongoing Goa Arts and Literature Festival (GALF).
Guha was addressing inequality in society, specifically when it came to caste and gender. “The caste system is so obnoxious, evil and diabolical that only a man could have invented it,” said Guha, even as he admitted that the caste system was also a very intelligent way to oppress a section of society.
While condemning the structural oppression of the caste system created by Hinduism to keep the ‘Dalits’ out of society in many ways, Guha did not absolve other religions practiced in the country of any blame for perpetuating the caste system. “Christianity, Islam and Sikkhism adopted the caste system very energetically,” he said.
The noted historian, who won the Sahitya Akademi Award for his book “India After Gandhi” in 2011, explained that for society to achieve equality, people had to achieve equality before God, under the law, and in social practice.
Citing the recent Sabarimala Temple conflicts, Guha said that though oppressed castes in India had made some progress on the road to equality, women were still facing “structural discrimination” starting at home.
However, he said there was room for optimism that things would change. “It’s a long and patient battle for those willing to join it,” he said, while expressing that more responsibility lay on upper caste men who benefited most from the oppressive societal structures.
Guha concluded by saying that though in India, one person was equal to one vote, we were far from being a society where one person equalled one value.
