Some thoughts on Jaati, Caste & Varna

There is too much negativity in Indian society and politics about castes, jati and varna. Politics has made it worse instead of solving it. Here are some of my thoughts on the same: 

1. Jaati is not caste and it's also not varna system.
2. Jaati is essentially a birth-based system.
3. Jaati is biological, main purpose seems to be endogamous. Indian society has largely been endogamous all along.
4. Jaati is also no heirarchycal system in society. All jaatis are essentially equal. Howerver it's us the people who based on importance have put them in heirarchy.
5. Jaati today makes sense only for the purpose of endogamy, that's also not to be followed strictly 
6. Every jaati is at the same level that maintains and supports the whole society.
7. Jaati systems help build knowledge in particular area over generations, skills thus acquired guided occupations
8. Jaati system deals with identity, the beliefs, traditions, geographical location, family lineage, language or dialects, customs, food habits, deities, eating/drinking habits,and propogates it through generations.
9. Today varna system has also lost it's meaning and importance.
10. Varna was only about categorising occupation so one gets into a varna once he/she starts working else one is not part of any varna
11. Today varna could be like groups of scientists, or businessman, or politicians...
12. In the past farmers have become kings, like Shivaji, or Bramans became rulers like Peshwas, 
13. There are 1000s of castes in India, can't be justified/blamed upon varna systems
14. Caste system did not come from vedas. It was created by britishers to manage Indian society just randomly.
15. People have always kept moving between their own traditional jobs non-kshatriya becoming kings
16. everyone was free to learn vedas and higher knowledge else how could artists create such wonderful temples, music, arts
17. Major kings of past 2-3 millenia were not necessarily Kshatriyas: rashtrakutas, cholas, mauryas were shudras, Shungas were brahmins, kakatiyas , Guptas were vaishyas,
18. Jaati has been very organic choice for Indian society all along.
19. Sampradaya: group of people following similar traditions like Shaivaism, strict follower of a guru, they follow a particular way of life within Hinduism. Lingayatism, is one such. 
20. there is no direct relationship between Jaati, varna, sampradaya and caste. They are completely independent.
21. Jaati as an Institution is very basis for hindu society.
22. sculpture, artists, dancers, singers, fabric makers, etc. were actually shudras. All the types of artists were part of shudra class who were greatly supported by kings and rich classes of the ancient times.
23. As people migrated from one region to another, they often changed occupation or were identified with a different class or varna.
24. Count of jati keep increasing over time. New jatis came during mughal era, during british rule, and still forming new ones. However Mauritius, Fiji, they don't have any such jatis.
25. Relevance to Jati/janma is only for roti, beti and worldly actions, not for spiritual actions.
26. Jatis are socioeconomic groups

27. Varṇa means “colour” and refers not to skin colour as some western authors opine, but rather “colour” of one’s character and disposition which can be of four dominant types (1) Intellectual, (2) Management, (3) entrepreneurial (4) proletariat.

    Jāti is a socio-economic unit based on occupational specialisation. Jātis operated like trade guilds of Medieval Europe.

Here below is link to a blog where this topic is presented in very thorough manner.

https://grassrootsindica.com/stop-demonizing-caste-why-we-should-stop-this-caste-hierarchy-nonsense/

Home Schooling: Some Thoughts

During this pandemic, many are toying with idea of homeschooling so thought of jotting down my own idea of home schooling. Here are some of my ideas of homeschooling, you may modify them as per your beliefs:

1. engage kids in drawing /painting, Internet offers many ways 
2. ask kids to enolve themselves in paper kraft, etc.
3. teach them prayers/mantras/shlokas and their meaning
4. discuss spirituality with kids so they become human, not just salary-earning robots
5. Watch Ramayan/Mahabharat with kids and discuss it with kids, they will lean humanity, spirituality, history
6. get kids to practice yoga, pranayam and meditation daily. This is going to be the most important skills for professionals in this new world
7. Watch Historical TV series/Movies, kids will learn history, no need to force them to read books,
8. read stories and then recite to kids every day
9. involve kids in every house chore that you do at home, so they become independent.
10. behave with them as you want them to behave with you, kids don't leant being taught, they learn by observing
11. leave them free some times every day/week and let them do what they wish to do
12. encourage them to learn a new language , internet helps in it
13. let them make mistakes, don't ever shout at them for mistake , instead help them understand why they made mistakes, what they can learn from them, how they should avoid same mistakes again. Making mistakes is way to grow...
14. take kids on tour, not to malls, but to museum, historical places,
15. watch great YouTube videos on science, technology, etc. Based on kids' interests....
16. Most important of all, as parent envolve yourself in each of these acts, don't just tell kids to do this/that and you watch your favorite TV or gossip. Parenting is job where we have to forget ourselves.
17. Above all, have a discipline for kids, not in haphzard manner. Discipline is the most important.
18. Homeschooling is success only if parents are fully commtted to it. And parents themselves have to be student and be willing to learn...

These are only few ideas, please add more....

Eduflation: Curse of India

Too many educated chasing too little jobs is eduflation.

With too many colleges mushrooming across and hardly any providing quality education, colleges churn up unqualified engineers, managers and graduates. Corporates can't employ them for obvious reasons. This whole system creates following problems:

1. undeserving degree holders flooding the job market, skewing unemployment market.
2. unfullfilled low level jobs which could have employed these youngs but since 'graduates' are over qualified so they wont do low level work.
3. Corporates not getting qualified employees.
4. Country and society suffering inspite of spending time, money and human resource.

This is the Eduflation.

Engineering colleges don't make engineers, management colleges don't make managers/salesman, other graduate colleges only produce degree holders. No skills are imparted in any college except few top notch colleges. Looks like whole higher education system is just crap.

Companies have to train again the recruits after uneducating them. Such a waste of resources.

What is needed is a different kind of schools/colleges where basic life education is given in schools and then on youngs go to skills specific training schools where only particular skills is given in dedicated manners only in few months e.g. schools for coding, salemanship, welding, car repair, etc. etc. Such skills could be given in upto 6 months, not more. They should be directly attached to actual work, not just theory. These training schools should be open to any age group.

Then there could be high quality higher education schools where there could be multiple ways to get into and there should ways for experienced people to get into, based on their experience and not only on degree....

A different level of education is needed today in this world, not the industrial level factory education to reduce Eduflation.