The caste system is an ancient hierarchical social segregation that has plagued Indian society for years. The result is a well-defined system of stratification and discrimination that has led to years of regressive behavior and oppression of lower castes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Caste is linked to Hindu philosophy, family structure, traditions and culture. It is believed to have had divine origin and sanction. The divine origin theory states that the Hindu god of creation, Brahma, gave birth to the four "varnas" that divided Hindu society based on birth and occupation. The Brahmins were at the top, then the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas and finally the Shudras. This system has been supported for centuries through religious and social practices. The caste system is based on restrictions and regulations of all members of the caste. Every aspect of an individual's life must be dictated by each his own caste which has its own rules and regulations. This rigid system has survived for centuries in India, it is practically a characteristic of the nation. One particular view that fuels the existence of this antiquated system in our country is that it has served the preservation and development of the Hindu community. It is considered a merit that the caste system has kept alive the traditions, cultures and spirit of ancient Hinduism. According to KM Panikkar, the Hindu people constitute one of the oldest integrated societies in the world: they have existed for over two thousand five hundred years. He referred to the organized social system of caste division as a system that has miraculously kept Hindu society alive over the years, making it an active and vigorous society, ready to find its place in the world. The caste system serves as a kind of Constitution for Hindu society – it has given structure and rules to all castes, along with consequences along the lines of social isolation if one does not adhere to it (for example, if a Kshatriya woman also marries a boy Shudhra, at the very least they would be removed from their communities). It has been hailed as a key source of social stability. The fact that the caste system is praised for keeping a particular religion alive is one of the main reasons why it should not exist. According to the preamble of the Indian Constitution, we are a secular nation. This means that no religion has received special treatment, none is ranked higher than another. Yet we allow the operation of an oppressive system, founded on the Hindu religion, that divided society based on birth and rank. This is a purely undemocratic obstacle to the nation's progress. The system that supposedly kept Hindu society alive divided it into hostile and conflict-ridden groups and sub-groups and led to the inhuman practice of untouchability. The caste system is the cause of the degradation of a large part of the Hindu population. The Shudras were and still are treated as subhuman. They are deprived of all social privileges and bound by numerous restrictions as a result of their birth. The caste system excludes hundreds of thousands of people from traditional Indian life even in the 21st century. The restrictions imposed by the so-called upper castes on the so-called untouchables have created disunity in Hindu society. The unity of the Hindu community has been lost over the years as systems have become more rigid and defined due to propagation by politicians and panchayats having their own political agendas. This not only hinders our progress as a nation, but also our unity.”..