Cast(e)ing doubts – Color of skin

This blog is in the series of blogs on – against – the caste system of India. Though this blog is on a Western Social Challenge. I wish some day we would value people on their

Capabilities and not Caste
Action and not Ancestry
Character and not on Color of skin

That we all connected there is no two (non-duality) no big vs small no higher vs lower. So let us first understand what is one of the challenges before we reach there.

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We first bought National Panasonic Cassette recorder and player in 1991. I was 11 years that time, I started listening to songs specially – Mukesh, Lata and Michael Jackson. Being a Hindi medium 6th grade student English was literally a foreign language to me. But, who heard MJ for lyrics the music was enough. When I came to know about Michael Jackson’s plastic surgery I came to know about the racial issues out side of India. Well, I was young so never thought about racial discrimination. In 2007 I watched “To kill a mocking bird” and heard speech “I have a dream” of Martin Luther King Jr. That time I realized how deep rooted the problem of discrimination was. Than in 2008 Obama won, seemed as if there is a hopeful positive movement, how much? I cannot comment on that, I have never been to the US.

Recently, I watched a movie Invictous. This movie is based on true incidents in South Africa. Nelson Mandela was elected as President of SA. SA organized rugby world cup in 1995. The idea was to bring black and white people of SA together – through the language of sport. Those who are from countries where Cricket is played might remember that in 1992 South African team again joined international cricket. Reason – in 1970s ICC removed SA cricket team due to racial discrimination “Apartheid“.

One of my friends later told me about Muhammad Ali, that Ali was a born Christan but changed his religion. Well, I rarely enjoyed watching boxing so was mostly unaware about the greatness of Muhammad Ali, anyways. When I heard about he changing religion I went one step beyond. I felt that we humans would remain like that. Currently we are fighting on supremacy of religion. Each religion has different sub-sects Muslims has Shiya and Sunni etc, Christans have Catholic and Protestants etc, Buddhists have Hinyan and Mahayan etc. Jains has Digambar and Shwetambars. Hindus? Well we have many sects and many caste based devision. In future we would fight on supremacy of the sub-sects (currently too that happens Syria, Iraq, Caste system in India etc) What we need as humans is increasing our consciousness we all are born equal – as humans. We need to respect each other as humans. Next if you need to value someone more and other less. Value him or her on

Capabilities and not Caste
Action and not Ancestry
Character and not on Color of skin

And of course other qualities rather than somethings on which a baby may not have control e.g. color of skin and caste of birth etc.