Pundits delivering discourses both before their usual audiences and while appearing on the small screen telecasting programmes with spiritual slant can be commonly heard referring to the oft-quoted line from the sacred text of Bhagavadgita stressing on the appropriate implication of the classification of human beings into four identities based on their vocation, ostensibly to earn a livelihood. The speakers further aver that portraying that classification as the caste system of present times is not only incorrect but also the root cause of all the damage done to society that is there for all to witness. Moreover, the act of placing the castes and the sections of society with respective affiliations in a hierarchy, being a historical fact, has to be blamed for the acrimony ruling the inter-caste relationships.

Two relevant points are to be noted namely, a) an ancient sage favouring recognition of a person for adorning top spot in the caste-based hierarchical classification of anybody based only on his knowledge of the cosmos (Brahmaanda) and b) the scholarly and acceptable verdict as it were that no person should wear the badge of a particular caste based only by virtue of birth in the family with the incorrectly claimed caste affiliation, not based on specific vocation.

At some undeterminable dateline in the annals of recorded human history spread over several centuries, not only the caste-calling connect ceased to persist but also both factors witnessed breaking into numbers limited only to one’s knowledge about both. More importantly, the largely discriminatory identification of the members of society, particularly in this land, with its masses already divided on many well-marked points (ethnicity, languages, regions, social status and so on) has resulted in unedifying behaviour of people in public domain. Given the aforementioned features [a) multiplicity of castes as well as callings and b) man-made divisions hurting societal stability] one is prompted to call it a pipe dream if to think of returning to that four-some identification of people without wearing the badge of castes as it is in our times.

Lastly, the factor of caste deciding the two life-determining issues of a) jobs in the government and b) admission to livelihood-promising courses in colleges, irrespective of academic qualifications and proven competence, as provided by the land’s law, sections of the nation’s milieu are apt to ask, “Why acquire qualifications?” a question that is begging for an answer that stands scrutiny of the wise.