Born Behind Bars

India’s caste system organizes socioeconomic classes, or castes, into a hierarchy. This system has existed for millennia and, though it has undergone various changes relating to its legality over time, societal prejudices against the lower castes persist. The caste system has its roots in Hinduism, and most castes correspond to a part of the body of Brahma, the God of creation. This suggests that all castes are necessary for society to function; however, the Dalits aren’t associated with a body part even though they do important work. Also, not all castes are treated or valued equally even though people of all castes do important jobs to contribute to the collective. Each caste is associated with a certain income level and specific job types as well as societal privileges.

The highest caste is the Brahmin (which, as the highest class, has a name resembling Brahma), in which people have professions similar to teachers and priests in that they lead society in spiritual or educational ways. The Brahmin caste is associated with Brahma’s head because of their educational function. The next caste is the Kshatriya, in which people have professions that help protect society and lead it in logical ways, like politicians and soldiers.