Encyclopedia of Dalits (Scheduled Castes) in Bharat

Jāti may be translated as caste, and refers to birth. The names of jātis are usually derived from occupations, and considered to be hereditary and endogamous, but this may not always have been the case. The jātis developed in post-Vedic times, possibly from crystallisation of guilds during its feudal era. 

The jātis are often thought of as belonging to one of the four varnas.Varna may be translated as "class," and refers to the four social classes which existed in the Vedic society, namely Brahmins, Kshatriyas,Vaishyas and Shudras. Certain groups, now known as Dalits, were historically excluded from the varna system altogether, and are still ostracised as untouchables.

The varnas and jatis have pre-modern origins, and social stratification may already have existed in pre-Vedic times. Between ca. 2,200 BCE and 100 CE admixture between northern and southern populations in India took place, after which a shift to endogamy took place. This shift may be explained by the "imposition of some social values and norms" which were "enforced through the powerful state machinery of a developing political economy".

The caste system as it exists today is thought to be the result of developments during the collapse of the Mughal era and the British colonial regime in India. The collapse of the Mughal era saw the rise of powerful men who associated themselves with kings, priests and ascetics, affirming the regal and martial form of the caste ideal, and it also reshaped many apparently casteless social groups into differentiated caste communities.

The British Raj furthered this development, making rigid caste organisation a central mechanism of administration.Between 1860 and 1920, the British segregated Indians by caste, granting administrative jobs and senior appointments only to the upper castes. Social unrest during the 1920s led to a change in this policy.

From then on, the colonial administration began a policy of positive discrimination by reserving a certain percentage of government jobs for the lower castes. Caste-based differences have also been practised in other regions and religions in the Indian subcontinent like Nepalese Buddhism,Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism.It has been challenged by many reformist Hindu movements, Islam, Sikhism, Christianity  and also by present-day Indian Buddhism.

New developments took place after India achieved independence, when the policy of caste-based reservation of jobs was formalised with lists of Scheduled Castes (Dalit) and Scheduled Tribes (Adivasi). Since 1950, the country has enacted many laws and social initiatives to protect and improve the socioeconomic conditions of its lower caste population. 

These caste classifications for college admission quotas, job reservations and other affirmative action initiatives, according to the Supreme Court of India, are based on heredity and are not changeable. Discrimination against lower castes is illegal in India under Article 15 of its constitution, and India tracks violence against Dalits nationwide.This article is about Socio-political stratification in Indian society. For religious stratification in Hinduism, see Varna (Hinduism).

Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh's Hindu Bogey Demolishes His Inner Truth

Any and All religions, say it Hinduism or Islamism or Christianism profess the theme that the follower of that particular religion is one who follows and practices the true ideal and spirit of his choice of religion in his life, thought as well as in his day to day practice, without shame, shyness, fear, greed or for tiny benefits, that is because that shows ones conviction to the choice or acceptance one has made. In many of other parameters not included now, it simply for examples negates the theory of forced or for convenience conversion of one to any religion : to any religion say Hinduism or Islamism or Christianism or Buddhism, because in unconscious faith one seldom changes and it hits him always, asking him to show more diligence and otherwise outside frontal presentation to that accepted or adopted name of the religion. One such person of disguised personality is always hurt and afraid in his heart and gets easily provoked to show allegiance to this or that religion. He never understands that religion is the matter of utmost faith and acceptance in his inner heart,  and if one  presents different postures not similar to his deep consciousness, he always get defeated not by the world at large but by himself, as he must be afraid of the almighty he believes, who is never attached to any particular religion but He values only ones faith and conviction and purity of your need and thought, and why anybody should dare to cheat Him ?

The idea or the story guides us to behave true, not like Hindu or Muslim or Christian face mask, and it is  relevant to all people including the politicians and surely that include every one : Sonia, Narenedra, Digvijay, Mulayam, Mohan or Mamta. If you accept the ideology, the conflict ends then and there. If you are really visionary, intelligent, wise, you must understand and accept that why you are for small illusive materialistic gain of this planet throwing away your deep and hard, heart based conviction measured above of all  these planets.

It draws a leaf of illustration from the cruel puzzle Mr Digvijay has to pronounce through his Hindu assertion blog. The announcement of Digvijaya's faith is irrelevant, because as and when as a political man he calls himself Hindu, Christian or Muslim, as in his inner heart he is afraid and he has to defend by showing his adherence to his religion of practicing Hindu, and by giving many confirmations of his daily routine of prayers and nine temples at his residence. When he demonstrates all these to world it is only because  he is afraid that he is not true to his faith and also not loyal to his inner conviction, and the fear is real and world counts it.