http://www.guardian
An ancient hierarchy
Mary Griffin The Guardian
The caste system originates from the Hindu creation beliefs that the
first man split himself to form four castes from different parts of
his body.
The main castes - Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras - are
determined by birth and may influence a person's status and
occupation. Outside this system, the Dalits are descendents of
feudal-era outcastes. Within the Dalit "caste" there are around 45
sub-castes, further complicating status and boundaries.
While the caste system originates in Hindu scriptures, there are an
unknown number of Christian Dalits in Bangladesh, and the
International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) claims the practice of
discriminating against Dalits has also been adopted by the country's
Muslim majority. Many lower-caste Sikhs - whose religion was borne of
a rejection of caste hierarchies - also suffer oppression.
Caste discrimination extends beyond south Asia. CasteWatchUK claims
the system still has a powerful influence over the lives of millions
of Britons of south-Asian origin.
After extensive research, two special rapporteurs of the Human Rights
Council have drawn up the first UN framework for the "effective
elimination of discrimination based on work and descent".
Bangladesh Dalit Human Rights and the IDSN are now pushing for the
government of Bangladesh to use the framework to address the country's
caste discrimination crisis.
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