BBC Radio 4 2016-02-25

BBC Radio 4 2016-02-25

Good morning. The damage to Delhi’s Munak canal at the weekend has left millions of its residents without water. Twelve people are dead, the army’s been called in, and the forecast is that it will take two weeks to restore the supply.

This sabotage was carried out by members of the Jat community who, oddly for a well-off social group, want some of jobs in the Civil that the government has reserved for the awkwardly titled: Other Backward Classes. This seems another manifestation of India’s ancient and troublesome caste system. But the situation is thoroughly modern.

The emphasis on education and training in India has produced millions of young people desperate for employment that matches their skills. And, despite a growing economy, India cannot hope to generate the 23 million new jobs it needs every year.

Caste is complex; it’s actually a British term that conflates two original concepts: jat and varna. Varna is defined in the Bhagavad-gita as the duties associated with one’s profession. It’s not fixed by birth, but determined by a person’s character, skills and application.

Jat, however, categorises one’s family and community by birth. And, in a static, agrarian economy, it’s natural that one’s job and family identity merge – like many British surnames: Smith, Tailor, Cook.

Unfortunately, over the centuries, unscrupulous brahman priests claimed that they were at the pinnacle of a rigid social hierarchy. But, that’s a dreadful corruption of the original Hindu texts, in which the various varnas are intended to work cooperatively. They’re described like the head, arms, legs and organs of the body. Each has a different, but essential, role and each receives the same sustenance and nourishment from the food in our stomach and the blood from our heart. If one part of the body is in need or trouble, the others react to help.

It’s human tendency to shrink into our own protected bubble of family, community, profession or nation. And, to campaign for what we see as fair treatment for our group. But, one person’s fair treatment is another’s special privilege.

Five hundred years ago, in India, the mystic philosopher and social reformer, Sri Chaitanya led a challenge to the injustice of the caste system. He famously claimed: I am not a brahmana, nor a warrior or politician, nor a merchant or farmer, nor any other profession or caste. So who am I? he asked: I am simply the servant of the servant of the servant of the Supreme.

I have a family, a community, a country – and these define my responsibilities, my external life. But, according to Chaitanya, knowing who I am as the servant of all God’s children defines how I may best fulfil all those responsibilities cooperatively and fairly.