Caste is an Indian system somewhat similar to Apartheid in the West, formed on the basis of one’s profession or trade. The highest caste is Brahmin caste while in the lowest is those doing lowest manual jobs. While I was doing my post-graduation at the Post Graduate Centre, Panjim, Goa, one day our Prof. Dr. Audi after giving a lecture on Caste system asked the students whether there is any one in the classroom who can call himself a Brahmin. Before this poser, he lectured saying Brahmins are those people who performed priestly duties and as such they are educated.
Unfortunately for me there was not a single student in the class claiming to be a Brahmin though according to my
knowledge there were at least 4 students only from Mapusa coming from “Negociante” class calling themselves as Brahmins but they were shy to declare their caste status openly in classroom when Dr. Audi requested. They were shy because they were not equipped with the real qualities required to qualify themselves to be Brahmins. In fact they were from Cloth Merchant families doing the business of Cloth Selling.
Caste system is a madness of people suffering from inferiority complex; it is a shallow pleasure of intellectually bankrupt people. Because of caste system Goan society suffered lot of divisions in itself leading to lot of destruction. Surprisingly against Christian doctrine even Christians follow and believe in caste system and acts accordingly. In the past the Goa Church was fully immersed in casteisms even some of the Church rites and formalities and duties were devided on the basis of caste system.
The door of Seminaries in Goa was closed for low castes Goans. Now in the absence of Goan boys “Ghanttis” are joining the Seminaries and they are welcomed there by the same casteist Seminaries that earlier rejecting low caste Goans. There is a saying in Konkani “Korta tea Mapan bhogta”. Christianity preaches universal brotherhood and not segregation of society based on caste system. As a human being Christ came from the lowest strata of society and also initiated picking up his apostles from the lower strata of society. Those Christians who believe in Caste system are doing disservice to Christianity and as such they are antichristian.
In Kuwait caste belief was very strong among Goan Christians; even jobs were given by analysing your caste status by the casteist Goan Managers. One Mr. X, a Brahmin Bhattkar from Saligao holding a top post in a top company used to select Goan candidates on the basis of castes, his preference going to high caste only even though you may be fit for the job educationally and professionally. Many times candidates used to tell lies to him about their caste status to get selected. When my turn came for an interview with him, he was deeply impressed of my credentials, discipline, presentation and mannerism and while putting his signature for his approval for my job, suddenly he asked me what caste I belong to. When I told him I belong to the lowest caste, he said “I cannot believe it because you show all the qualities of higher caste”.
When I insisted affirmatively again adding that castewise I am the lowest but classwise I am the highest, he asked me to give comparison. For this I replied saying “Sir, you may be highest castewise but compared to me, you are lowest classwise and precisely becuase of this you are suffering from Caste Madness which is irrelevant. Then I got up and left from there leaving the sick casteist Manager staring at me with annoyance. Incidentally, later on I came to know he was having a concubine in Kuwait working as a maid and coming from the lowest caste. For sex there is no caste barrier otherwise it is. What a shame!! What a hypocracy!!
Like our Saligao Bhattar we have plenty such casteists in our midst who think they are from British Royal family and yet shamelessly like slaves rotting in Kuwait. Those who claim to have high caste status must also show their high discipline and high character. In Kuwait most of the ill deeds are committed by the so called casteists only who blindly boast of their caste status as if they are come from outer planet. One can see them on Fridays on football ground how disgraceful they are, some clubs are boasting of having in their teams high caste players but incidentally behaving like "goondas" and rowdies. Some of them are sacked from their cultural associations for breaching the association discipline while others are known to rob the funds of their associations. High caste people do not commit such breaches. High caste people display high moral and physical characters. The so called "chaddes" are acting worst than "Maddes".
The late Dr. Rebello from Margao Maddel told that during his College days at Xavier’s in Bombay, some Goan students suffering from intellectual bankruptcy when they fall into the wrong side of the argument in the College Campus among Goans, they will raise the issue of the castes of the other group, just like what it is happening among us in Kuwait. Then Dr. Rebello added that raising the issue of one’s caste is the pleasure of weak and cheap persons. As for me caste factor is irrelevant, it is a big thing for weak and cheap people and intellectually bankrupt Goans who form majority among us. Incidentally many of them are the sons or grandsons of butlers.
I am not shy of my humble, poor and low background but I maintain my high dignified and decent life without cheating my wife and without having the sin of keeping a concubine. I am not cheating the community and not robbing the trust of the society. I am involved in so many associations but not a single association dismissed me for committing any breach. Not a single association accused me for financial irregularities. This is my dignity which is much higher than the cheapness of caste system which is the cheap pleasure of the third class Goans.
We have seen in some villages in Goa how the local Churches and their Pe. Vigars promoted casteism in their Church premises in the presence of the Holy Tabernacle thereby insulting Jesus Christ who preached human equality and universal brotherhood. We saw how in order to maintain and promote casteism in Cuncolim even an Independent Church of Cuncollim was established under the rebellious Pe. Cur, Fr. Alvito Vaz from Carmona against official Goa Church headed by the Bishop of Goa.
I don’t understand how the educated and civilised Cuncolkars tolerated this even excavating of the graves from the casteist Cemetry of low castes dead and dumping their corpses elsewhere? Or there are no civilised Cuncolkars in Cuncolim? Some Kuwait based Cuncolkars are taking pride in such actions of course shamelessly and they call themselves proud Cuncolkars. I feel ashamed of their presence in Kuwait among us decent and civilised Goans.
I don’t know how the so called holy priests Pe. Agnelo D’souza and Pe. Jose Vaz tolerated casteism in the Church during their time. I have not read anywhere they have revolted against this unchristian system that brought disgrace on Goan Christianity. I think by keeping their silence on this disgraceful system they committed a big sin against Christianity and because of this sin I feel God is not elevating them to the Sainthood. I don’t think their chances are bright to attain sainthood if they are guilty of keeping their silence on casteism in Goan Churches.
Our elder Tiatrists innumerable times criticised from the Stage the ill effects of Casteism practiced in the Church. Aristedes Dias and M. Dod de Verna were more vociferous like Minguel Rod and Kid Boxer earlier. In one of his songs “Vegllozar Komunheanvanchea Mezar”, Aristedes Dias condemns the caste system in the Churches in Salcette were there were separate lines according to the caste for receiving Holy Communion. Also he condemned the separate benches kept in the Churches for people to occupy according to their castes. What a disgraceful the Goa Church was!! I feel ashamed to be a Goan Christian when I ponder more and more on this topic.
In his own State in the USA, according to the apartheid system, Blacks had to occupy the benches towards the left side while Whites on the right side. While delivering his homily on one Sunday, civil rightist and Pastor of the Baptist Church, Martin Luther King told the Whites this “My dear friends, if you cannot integrate with the masses (pointing out to the blacks), you will never integrate with Christ because Christ is come from the masses. Segregation in the Church on the basis of Colour of one’s skin is an act against Christianity”, concluded Martin Luther. Did our priests preach such sermons anytime in our Churches? That one particular sermon of Martin Luther King was enough for bringing about changes in American society leading to the eradication of apartheid system in USA.
Because of caste system Goan society was splitted into many divisions leading to the disorder in our society. Even today and yesterday all our political happenings leading to the destruction of Goa happened because of casteism ingrained in our blood. If you see minutely Goan politics revolved not more on communal lines but more on caste lines. Our feasts in some villages were celebrated on caste lines and even dress codes in some Churches were followed according to the caste. In Bardez, Aldona church was famous for promoting caste system in the Church rites while Salcette it was more. It is a pity that some Saxttikars in Kuwait are still boasting of their caste status, of course shamelessly. Like slaves they are living and working in Kuwait and yet they talk as if they are masters.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
