Types of Inequality in India:
Casteism
The caste system is an ancient, age-old belief system that plagues India till today. It is a system that has divides Hindus into rigid, hierarchical occupational groups called “varna“. It considers some groups “pure” and some “impure”. This Varna system includes four Varnas- Bhramin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra, in descending order of purity. Today also, discrimination against people of various caste groups is common in rural areas, but surprisingly, even among educated urban dwellers
Untouchability
Due to the above Varna system, one of the most negative, yet unique features of India is the untouchability system. This system wrongly looks at the people from the lower castes as “impure”. Other people of higher castes used to refrain from touching them, thus calling them “untouchables“. When such cruel incidents are still seen in the news, it is an embarrassment to our country and us.
Gender Discrimination
In India, traditionally, females and males were given rigid roles that they had to follow. For example, in villages, women are expected to cook, clean, bear children and raise them and men are the ones who work and earn money. The law does not allow such kind gender discrimination. Males and females are equal in the eyes of law and they must be given equal dignity and opportunities.
Class Inequality
When we look around, we can see that everyone doesn’t have equal amounts of money or resources. We hear news of a billionaire whose house costs a billion dollars, but at the same time see beggars on the roads with no food or shelter. This called Class Inequality, where people of a high class have excess resources, while the majority live in poverty with no basic food, water, clothes or shelter. There is no equal distribution of resources.
Religious Discrimination
It is sad to see that in some places, people who follow a different religion than most people often face discrimination. They are looked down upon, often with suspicion. India is a secular country and these practices are not allowed by law. We are all free to peacefully practise any religion we want to.
Racism
India is a diverse country with people belonging to different places. People have different cultures, food, clothes and also look different but it doesn’t mean they should be discriminated against.