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great injustices and are deprived as a direct consequence of the Hindu
caste system. In great swaths of the country, untouchables are still con-

sidered less than human and therefore cannot participate in social life.
The sources that best describe the attitude towards the untouchables are
the ancient Manu scriptures, which are held in high regard by Hindus.
According to these sources, the untouchables fall into the same category
as cockerels, frogs, ducks, moles, dogs or beasts used for transport. 25
The caste system affects every aspect of life in India. It determines
everything from the food that can be eaten, who can cook it, how to
wash, the color and length of clothing, whether or not men can grow a

moustache, even to who is allowed to have an umbrella; nothing is omit-
ted. Punishments are administered according to the caste system too.
Whilst a member of the higher castes gets away with little or no punish-
ment for a certain crime, members of the lower castes can expect severe
punishment for the same crime. Professions are delegated to the various
castes and marriage is only possible within the same caste.
India is the only country on earth that has still such a cruel, unjust
and irrational system in place and Hinduism is directly responsible for
this. The caste system is a serious threat to social justice, unity, solidari-
ty and peace. The Hindus are irreversibly divided into thousands of

castes and sub-castes. The Vedas describe the caste system in great de-
tail and these texts are full of hatred and racism that impose the caste
system on the people. India’s first justice minister and co-author of its
constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar describes the situation as follows:
Hinduism is a veritable chamber of horrors. The sanctity and infallibility of
the Vedas, Smritis and Shastras, the iron law of caste, the heartless law of kar-
ma, and the senseless law of status by birth are, to the Untouchables, veritable
instruments of torture which Hinduism has forged against untouchables. 26

Current examples of the situation described by Dr. Ambedkar can

Islam And Far Eastern Religions