21

Nov

“Change in Mindset Essential to End Caste System”

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Syed Khaleeq Ahmad

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New Delhi | Friday | 21 November 2025

At a seminar on  “The Historical, Cultural, and Contemporary Context of the Caste System in India: With Reference to the Dalit Community” sociologists and scholars examined how caste continues to shape Indian society, asserting that while education and legislation have helped, caste remains deeply rooted in social attitudes. The event was organised by the Institute of Study and Research, Delhi (ISRD) organized a programme under its new lecture series.

Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Pradeep Kumar Shinde of Jawaharlal Nehru University said, “Eliminating caste in India is extremely difficult.” He noted that while caste existed before colonial rule, it was the British census that institutionalized it. What was once a local identity became a fixed social marker dictating food habits, marriage patterns, and social interactions.

Quoting historical sources, Dr. Shinde said Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, in his famous lecture Annihilation of Caste, made it clear that caste originated from Hindu religious texts — something not found in Islam or Christianity. Although some sociologists claim that untouchability has declined, Dr. Shinde argued that ground realities contradict this. “Dalits are still denied temple entry, attacked for riding horses at weddings, and subjected to humiliation,” he said.

Citing recent incidents in Rajasthan, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh, he pointed out that institutions such as the police and judiciary, which are supposed to be neutral, often display caste prejudice. “The Hathras case proved how difficult it is for Dalits even to register an FIR,” he said. Politics too, he added, reflects deep caste divisions.

Article at a Glance
At a seminar on the historical and contemporary context of caste in India, scholars emphasized that despite education and legislation, caste remains deeply embedded in social attitudes. Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Pradeep Kumar Shinde of JNU said eliminating caste is extremely difficult, noting that British rule institutionalized caste as a rigid identity.
He highlighted continuing discrimination, citing incidents where Dalits face violence, denial of rights, and bias within institutions like the police and judiciary. He added that caste has now gained global attention through cases raised in the UK and U.S. Professor Shashi Shekhar observed that caste still shapes marriage, social status, and campus politics, especially in rural regions.
 Jamaat-e-Islami Hind’s Dr. Mohammad Raziul Islam Nadwi stressed that true change requires a transformation of mindset, as legal reforms alone cannot end prejudice, which persists even among educated communities.

Dr. Shinde noted that caste discrimination is no longer just an Indian concern but a global issue. Efforts by Dalit groups in the UK and complaints filed in the U.S. have brought international attention to it. “To claim that caste discrimination will end simply because everyone is Hindu is a political illusion,” he remarked.

Professor Shashi Shekhar of Delhi University said caste remains a harsh reality. “You can change your religion in India, but not your caste,” he said. Even today, caste dictates marriage, entitlements, and social status. Sub-castes remain prevalent, and discrimination continues despite legal reforms.

He added that although education and urbanization have weakened the caste system somewhat, caste identity remains strong, especially in rural areas and during student elections in universities. “Classrooms may appear caste-neutral, but caste politics surfaces the moment elections begin,” he observed.

Delivering the presidential address, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Secretary Dr. Mohammad Raziul Islam Nadwi said that caste discrimination cannot be eradicated without a fundamental change in mindset. He clarified that caste consciousness among Indian Muslims is not rooted in Islamic teachings but is largely a social influence absorbed from the broader Indian environment. “While caste in Hinduism has a religious basis, Islam does not recognise any such division. Among Muslims, it is entirely social,” he said.

Dr. Nadwi cited the principles of equality in Islam, reminding that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ declared no Arab superior to a non-Arab, nor a white person superior to a black — superiority rests solely on piety.

He warned that social prejudice cannot be removed merely through legal reforms. “Making laws without changing minds is like giving a painkiller to a cancer patient — it may reduce the pain but cannot cure the disease,” he remarked. Many Dalits, he added, continue to face social exclusion despite economic advancement because caste prejudice persists in people’s hearts.

Rejecting claims that the British created the caste system, Dr. Nadwi said, “The British did not introduce caste; they simply maintained what already existed. Caste is thousands of years old.” Agreeing with Professor Shashi Shekhar, he noted that caste remains a social reality even among the educated urban class. He also dismissed the belief that interfaith marriages could end caste bias.

In his introductory remarks, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Delhi president Salimullah Khan observed that  mutual respect in a society is possible only when people genuinely understand one another, as ignorance breeds divisions.

ISRD Secretary Asif Iqbal explained that the objective of this exercise is to enable meaningful engagement with society. “Our aim is to study the social fabric of a diverse city like Delhi in a scholarly manner so that we can contribute positively,” he said.

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