The Village -17

....The high caste people are always ready to shed the blood if their Varna dharma is destroyed. The only condition is that it should not be their blood. This blood should belong to weak and poor untouchables who are not in a position to retaliate. If it is somebody stronger then they rapidly develop the tolerance with electrifying speed. However, when it comes to fifth stratum, they are effectively able to show them their place in the society and make them to behave. They maintain the eternal ways of their grand cultural heritage.

The police are deeply disinterested in filing their report and taking any action. A self induced paralysis develops in the police force when it comes to taking any action in any case of atrocities on the weak and isolated people. After all it amounts to taking action against their kith and kin and people of their own status. A whole farce is carried out which starts from filing of report and lasts till completing the investigation. The final report generally is that the atrocity actually did not take place or the criminal could not be identified because of want of witness. After this charade which may last up to court hearing, the culprits are usually honorably discharged. However, a feigned seriousness runs throughout the course. The Varna dharma runs deep down in Hindus society. It is deeply embedded in the psyche of the society.

In any conflict between higher caste people and untouchables, all the people belonging to the particular untouchable jati in the area are collectively punished for the supposed fault of a single man. This fault may be like raising the voice against the injustice. This group oriented punishment helps in preserving the purity of caste system by teaching the weakest group a solid lesson. Their economic boycott follows any violence against them. Only the physical violence is not deemed to be sufficient against them. The threat of starvation must hang on their heads. The untouchables are generally landless laborers who have to work on the fields of land owning high castes to make a living. In any boycott no farmer would give them any work on his fields. No shopkeeper would sell them any grocery item or anything else. They are also not allowed to cross the high caste fields to go to work. So they cannot earn and cannot buy anything to eat. The alternative is to go hungry or temporarily migrate to some other areas where their relatives live. Or capitulate before high castes. Physical subjugation is not enough; they have to be broken down mentally. And the famed Panchayats play a critical, pure and pious role in it. They decide and regulate this boycott. Any high caste person defying the boycott is fined by the Panchayats and threat of his ostracization looms large. The Panchayats are the upholder of grand inhuman tradition of suppressing the untouchables; they keep them in their prideless place. All this happens for the cause of maintaining the order in the society. The social harmony has to be maintained.....