SOUTH ASIA

Sumary
We began with an exellent presentation about the religions that exist in this region that are Islam, Induism and Jainism, and we saw the issues involved with each of these religions and where they were practiced. Also the partners make an analisys on Hofstede´s framework looking each of the characteistics.
We saw deeply the caste and all the implication it had depending where you belong, and also we saw the works and attitudes the person of a caste can do o not.

At the end of the presentation we saw and learn about the company INFOSYS who are a entreprise dedicated to the manage of software and services. We saw how they work and what they did for being succesfull now days.

Question
¿Why be part of a low caste is the meaning of poverty, udevelopment and slavery?

To many people in India said that prefer to born again as an animal rather than as a harijan (dalit), because eveyone can notice the humiliation they suffer. In a region of India this is more specific, the region is Bihar, where after the floods millions of people lost their homes, belongings and even family members. But for the dalits of Bihar there is further misery: the caste system.

The unemployment is a variable that is affecting all Bihar population nowdays and because of their condition of dalit, is harder to get a new job or to be someone in life. The childres of the dalits always suffer for being hungry and for not having education. In Bihar the dalits work for earn about 40 rupees (80 cents) for a 12-hour day.

And the problem is bigger because affter this floods hundreds of dalit families are in extremely situations of poverty. In this emergency, when everyone should be provided with food, certain groups are denied access.

And the only persons that can leave the place where the upper cast members, because the dalits may stay home to guard their house and belongings. No matters if the guard is old or have also a family, because they just took advantage of their condition of dalit. It seems a strange sort of society where an old man stays back, without food or shelter, taking numerous risks to guard the house of his feudal lord.

But also is important to know that in this society there is no other support system for dalits family members. For many it has become a question of survival, they cant use the hand pump to get water as it belonged to upper caste people.

All people must understand they are also human beings, they need food and water and their children also feel hungry. Everyone must have to challenge the system, eventhough the problem is gigantic. But efforts need to be made. The critical point is that while equality may be an accepted philosophy it can only happen once people also agree in practice to be equals. Everyone in India must understand that equality means that all people should get food and their rights and dignity are respected.

Bibliography
GS GHURYE. Caste and Class in India. Popular Book Depot

HUTTON J. H. Caste in India. Its Nature, Function, and Origins. Oxford University Press, Bombay, INDE (1973) (Monographie)