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11-05-2008
Glory
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: Oct 2008
: India
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Arrow Casteless , caste-ridden and caste-system based society

Different castes were ranked in social hierarchy on basis of their being ritually clean or unclean, nature and social relevance of their work, contribution of their activities for social subsistence, training required to perform their duties well and amount of self restraint/self discipline, they exercised. The system clearly specified duties, privileges and restrictions of each role separately and managed their relationship with each other and encouraged self-discipline, self-control and self-direction.Sreess on one’s responsibilities/duties rather than on rights, combined with principle of inter- dependence provided its own system of checks and balances over arbitrary use of one’s authority and led to automatic decentralization of authority in the past.


Change one must. Past should not be idolized. Any system, which in light of modern times appears to be ineffective or inefficient should be replaced by a better one. But it will be suicidal to sacrifice something to an increasing passion for change. Changes must be based on constant interpretation of past experiences and opinions.


Many intellectuals and social reformers regard that in its purest form, Varna system followed by caste system, was one of the most scientific social systems ever evolved anywhere in the world. It is based on the principle and a vision of an organic society. Society as an organic body needs services of all its constituents equally. All participating members are independent, yet their roles complementary. Key to understand the system is not in seeing it as a framework of hierarchical layers of social order, each fitting neatly below other, but as a series of vertical parallels, each part doing a particular function. All are equally important and indispensabe, need equal attention and care for balanced growth of the whole system. Co-ordinated functioning of all parts together keeps whole system fit and alive.