Dubai lawyer writes to Indian government demanding abolition of the caste system

KK Bose, a lawyer and author living in Dubai, has written to the Government of India demanding action be taken to ensure social equality across his country.

KK Bose, 62, an Indian lawyer who has lived in the UAE for 36 years, has been researching the caste system for 40 years, and wrote a book on his findings entitled Caste Away! India, Hinduism and UntouShow more

ABU DHABI // A Dubai lawyer has written to the government of India demanding that it eradicate the caste system by the end of the year.

KK Bose, 62, an Indian who has lived in the UAE for 36 years, has been researching the caste system for 40 years, and wrote a book on his findings entitled Caste Away! India, Hinduism and Untouchability.

Now, he has asked that the system be abolished, through changes to the country’s constitution, to ensure social equality across his country.

The letter reads: “The Government of India must act on my two declarations that - (i) Declare all Hindus as Brahmans (the higher class of citizen); and (ii) amend the constitution and related laws, suitably to remove the caste stigma by or before December 31, 2014, failing which I will take the lead and do all that is necessary to wipe out the caste system and caste based untouchability from Indian soil”.

Mr Bose received a written acknowledgement from the government that his letter had been received.

He said that although the Indian constitution has abolished “untouchability” it does not say anything about caste system.

Untouchables are defined as a lower class of citizen, often segregated from the rest of society, unable to find employment and with few rights.

Bose claims that the caste system has become the revised form of untouchability and was introduced by the British to divide and rule. “It started as skin colour-based untouchability and then moved to working class-based untouchability. It is now converted into caste-based untouchability with constitutional sanction,” he said.

“In the year 1857 the American Supreme Court ruled that the slaves were immovable property like lands and houses that can be owned, bought and sold. During the same period, the British India courts ruled that there is a two-caste system in India, 3 per cent touchable Brahmans and 97 per cent untouchable Sudras,” he said.

Mr Bose is so determined to change the system in India that he is prepared to lead the charge himself, should no action be taken by the government.

“I have promised that if the government fails to comply with my demands, I will do it,” Mr Bose said.

He feels that his letter has already been making waves in India’s corridors of power.

“In the last few months, several leading politicians have issued statements to support the elimination of the caste system. Moreover several panic actions done by the present government shows that the government of India is in a do-or-die situation,” he said.

Earlier this year, Mr Bose travelled across India in 54 days to promote his cause and covered around 18,500km along with his 30 member team - distributing his book, free of charge, across the country.

He believes that despite living in the UAE, he can still make a difference.

“To make social changes, my mental and emotional presences are more important than my physical presence,” he says.

“The UAE is a country that I adore as it respects human beings and human values and treats everyone equally with dignity which is absent in India.”

He said his struggle in his home country would never effect his responsibility and obligations as a law-abiding citizen in his host country.

VB Rawat, a leading human rights activist, based in Delhi, India is actively involved in eradicating the caste system.

He believes that the country needs a cultural renaissance and not mere laws.

“We are experts in creating laws without changing the society. It is bound to fail. An undemocratic society cannot really create democratic system and therefore we need social reforms, changes in the mindset for which we will require a massive social awakening and democratisation process.”