cast system in India a crime against humanity

[KhalsaWarrior]

This national consciousness you are talking about is a modern invention. It might be helpfull but it is not necessary for resistence. What is necessary is a beleif that when the fighting is over, you are treated as equal as everyone else. If I am living in a society with a caste system and I am in the lower caste, why would I fight if I dont have the oppertunity to be equal to the people in the higher caste. There would be no motivation for me to risk my life if I or my family cant be regarded as equal to ones Im fighting for.

This is why the ANA soldiers in afghanistan dont fight. Why should they fight for corrupt leaders that are only there to fill their pockets and swiss bank accounts. their is no motivation.

That bold part wasn't really a factor in wars right uptill the modern age. When Alexander met Porus on the banks of the Chenab, the soldiers were fighting because it was their job to fight. Kshatriyas fought as it was their dharma (ordained right) to fight. And a lower caste soldier still had to do his duty and fight for his king. The issue of lack of motivation could be relevant for a very small percentage of the population, the untouchables but for others the fear of being looted and killed by the invaders would be motivation enough to pick up arms. Just that they failed to defeat the invaders cant be attributed to the the caste system.

[khushal]

Khalsa,
I realize the soldiers job is to fight and realize India has had good and successful defenses, but Im not talking about that. Im talking about a popular uprising by the people that demand their voices be heard, that demand their rights be excersized. Before an invader invades, they have a plan of taking out the defenses of their foe, but whats unpredictable is if the people are going to accept the occupation, and in india most of the time people have accepted it because of the caste system.

For example in Afghanistan, everybody knew the Americans were going to take out the Talibans defenses without difficulty but what was unpredictable was if the people were going to accept the occupation or not.
I dont beleive that invaders would have so easily occupied India for centuries if the caste system was not in place. Even India's president Abdul Kalam has said that Indias has always been invaded and occupied, but with this nuclear bomb, no more will we be invaded and occupied. But he doesnt realize that getting rid of the caste system is going to be way more powerfull than the nuclear bomb.

You could say that Ghandi was successful in starting a popular uprising but in reality, India independence was the result of the British empires economy was about to collapse because of the war with Germany and other factors. With or without Ghandi India would have been independent just like all their other colonies. But Ghandi was actually a bad leader because he let the partition take place. He accepted a devided country vs full independence. He actually destroyed Indias future on the global stage.