To Change or Not to Change?
Lotan H and Olivia D B3
The social life of India has changed through the years significantly, but continues to change and causes debates throughout the country. India is caught in a tug of war between traditional and modern ways of interacting with one another. Indians, for a period of MANY years, have had a social difference that determines their stature. But the Indians do not decide their status, it is determined by the family they are born into. If a baby is born into a family of untouchables, the lowest status, it remains an untouchable for the rest of its life. It cannot move up or down in status. On the other hand, the modern way of determining one's social status is different. A child is born and can change his or her status depending on what they do in life. If the child does nothing in an attempt to create a good future for him/herself, that child moves down in status and ends up suffering. In contrast, if the child does well in school and gets a well-paying job, the child may move up and make a good life for his/her future family. The dilemma is that Indians do not know whether to choose the traditional caste system or the modernized social structure. Some religions such as Hinduism revolve around the caste system; it gives Hindus motivation to improve their lives so that in their next lives they can live in a higher position in society. Many Indians are concerned that they will fall behind socially compared to the rest of the world, and are unsure what is best for themselves and their country as a whole.
Key:
BLUE=middle class change
PURPLE=upper class change
LIGHT BLUE=lower class change
Image created by The Famous Olivia Dorantes
These images help depict the Indian caste system(top image) and the modern class system(lower image). They also help show the difference between the two systems. In the caste system there are many different small groups that one is born into and their place in the society never changes. Where in the the modern class system the classes are very broad and one is born into a class but can move up or down depending on their goals and choices in life. The arrows in the modern classes system depict the ability to move through out the clases system. The dots in the Indian caste system image show that the people can not move freely among the caste system.
Mock Dialogue
Characters:
Traditional: Bansi, a Hindu Indian that follows the caste system
Modernized: Bill, an American that follows the American social structure
Bansi and Bill meet each other for the first time in many years; they are best friends.
Bill: Hey there, Bansi!
Bansi: BILL! Hi! It has been so long.
Bill: I know! I'm starving.. Would you like to go catch a bite to eat?
Bansi: Sure!
At the restaurant...
Bill: So how is India?
Bansi: Oh, it's okay. I'm having a hard time performing dharma, and my life will not last much longer.
Bill: Listen, Bansi, you need to relax more. Do you REALLY believe that people reincarnate? It's like believing in ghosts... It is impossible! When people die, they are buried underground. How do they possibly come back as new-born babies?
Bansi: Oh, it is not our body that rises up! It is our soul.
Bill: That is ridiculous! Why can't you change your social status either? You could work harder than anyone has worked in their entire life and not get anywhere!
Bansi: That is like attempting to change your looks. You cannot do it! You can perform plastic surgery and apply makeup, but you can never change who you truly are.
Bill: That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. You need a chance to prove yourself worthy in this world. It is not your fault if the life before you has not achieved dharma!
Bansi: But it is! This is why all Hindus attempt to successfully achieve dharma!
Bill: Why don't you just move to the modern way of social interaction?
Bansi: It is against my religion. That is like asking me to choose between Brahma or myself. Obviously, I must choose my God.
Bill: I see. You know, Bansi, I used to live in a poor family. Remember? We were farmers. I did well in school and worked as hard as I could, and now I am the CEO of Microsoft. My life is going so smoothly now. If you focus your mind on Hinduism, it could get you no where. How do you know it really exists - that Brahma really exists?
Bansi: You just have to hope and think positively.
Bill: If everyone works so hard to perform good deeds and have a better life, why are so many untouchables?
Bansi: Well, not EVERYONE does good deeds. Anyway, what can be a good deed in one's eyes could be an evil in another's. It is also harder for untouchables to become priests because they are the farthest away from God and are less religious.
Bill: It is like discrimination! With us, everyone is equal and has an equal opportunity to accomplish what they want.
Bansi: Not as I see it...
Bill: What do you mean?
Bansi: Why is it that blacks tend to live in poorer conditions? And the minority are always finding themselves in trouble?
Bill: I don't know.
Bansi: Exactly.
Bill: What are you saying?
Bansi: Your "modern" way of determining one's social status is not any better than ours!
Bill: Okay, maybe that is true. But there will always be discrimination in this world at our rate.
Bansi: Possibly. Excuse me.
Bansi goes to the restroom, and never returns. This marks the end of their relationship for good. The waitress DID end up coming in and looked a bit confused. Her name was Mary. The end.
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