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Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Of IITians and Hate
I was reading an article online and also many blogs in which I was shocked to see the hate-them attitude towards IITians. I would like to offer a few points.
I do concede that a lot IITians have a so-called attitude problem. But no one is inaccessible. Many of my friends complain that when non-IIT people meet them, they say, oh IIT you're so smart! Firstly, thats not always true. Secondly, see me as a person first and judge my intellect skills later.
It is not true that not a single earth shattering invention from an IIT-ian - Sun MicroSystems was co-founded by an IIT-ian. India's premier software service provider was founded by a group of IIT-ians. In IIT Madras, there are many Multi-crore companies that have spawned out of research projects in the final years in the TeNet group and some of these companies supply products that are unique in the world and only they have the patent rights for. Many of them also work for social benefit. Some of the world's fastest Analog to Digital Converters are made in a lab thats ten feet away from where I work. Hi-speed network protocols with hitherto unseen data rates are made a floor above me. Some of the world's most accurate quantum optics/electromagnetics based devices are produced right next to my work desk. Aren't these achievements? True they are not publicized like an ipod or a sony walkman but they are earth-shattering nonetheless. All these are components of products that shake our world. You must remember that research does not always lead to products immediately and while it is the products that get the limelight, none of them would be possible without all these components. Having said this, there is such tremendous scope to expand in terms of facilities and ideas and we really need an environment conducive for this.
Another point should be noted, as a student preparing for the IIT, I spent two and then three years of my life in social isolation preparing for it. I worked very hard. When others were relaxing in well-established coffee joints, I had to sit and prepare for my coaching class tests and completing both school and coaching class assignments. I studied sometimes 14 hours a day and the best part is I would NOT have been classified as the hardest working even with such numbers! I'm not trying to blow my own horn, but my point is, given I worked so hard and sacrificed a significant portion of my life towards getting in, don't I deserve a pay packet that matches the work I put in? Don't I deserve the 2 lakhs the government spends on me? After all, I worked for it.
I do know that all that hard work definitely raised my analytical skills from an above average level to one slightly higher. That is not to say others are not smart, in fact many non-IITians are much smarter than IITians, but my skills definitely got fine-tuned by all that practice. I can't help but feel that it is these skills that companies want when they hire.
I agree with the fact that as IITians we are respected (I think) for our core skills, in fact we are trained in that area. What comes to my mind is what was discussed in the task force meeting for revising the curriculum, you must remember the overall goal of education, it is not to impart you with expertise in a particular area but to develop you in an all-round manner and to give you a skill-set that will help you to 'get better' in any area you wish to pursue. In that respect if an institution is allowing you do that, to find yourself professionally, thats the best thing that can happen.
Also, in my own personal experience, many students after joining IIT have discovered that their set of skills is more suited to negotiating, organizing, procuring, communicating all the time, all skills that are common traits of management. Why should we as a society prevent them from climbing that ladder? IITians have tech skills, and as a person they might want to develop management skills to complement them as well. I don't see why we should prevent them from doing so. Individual freedom should not be curtailed.
Individually, I am more than willing to contribute to my country in its path to progress. But before that, I need to hone my own skills. In my case, it is to develop research based skills : a strong analytical ability to logically work out a path from the problem statement to a solution, which I hope to achieve through higher studies. In my humble opinion, I would want to work in an environment where there are stringent demands on quality of work done and where I receive exposure to demanding needs. When intellectually mature, I can then impose these same demands on anyone I work with professionally, and this is very important when developing our nation as a whole too! This is most achievable outside my country in my particular area. As you can see, the whole thing is entirely individual and for each person his/her decision will vary as per what they want. I do not think any of my friends would say let's just live out of the country thats better for us. They would only say, let's go where we are respected as individuals, presented with challenging problems to work on and are given the necessary means to work them out as seamlessly as possible. These problems could be solving bottlenecks in management and running of companies or solving equations in quantum mechanics or building up infrastructure for our own country. The ideal case is to provide yourself with the "ability" to solve them and develop yourself accordingly, not to get a B. Tech degree and work only in that area and try to make money out of it.
Its definitely a bit sad that people who do BioTech and Aerospace in IIT end up in generic software companies. True it would be nice if they at least stayed in related areas. But I would also like to know what a person doing his aerospace engineering in IIT Madras would do sitting here, other than a few mid-level companies that do not hire 200 people per year there is hardly anyone who would take them up. The only option if working in their core field is to move where they have jobs and that is outside this country. Again the question arises, wouldn't you as a person want the best environment around you as professionally where you can grow and let others grow with you?
True, money is a driving factor but it is only a means to an end, not the end itself. Money is what enables you to invest in new machines, build new roads, it buys you power, and a lot more. I would like to think that as a professional, I have a certain set of skills attached to me. These may be very good or average or below. If they are exceptional, don't I have the right the charge for them? I guarantee a certain quality of service and a certain advanced skill-set that I provide with the money. Don't I deserve some amount of means to comfort that assuages the stress and strains of my job? That is the whole idea behind paying IIT-ians such salaries I expect. Needless to say, if I were a good manager and I found out that I DON'T get the quality I am paying for, I have every right to remove the concerned party.
It is true that companies with money-muscle power recruit IITians and entice them with high salaries. But these salaries are commensurate with the work they do. In addition, they are not meant to be long term jobs, in the sense that the person concerned will not go far if he/she doesn't take the effort to improve his/her skills further and more importantly shows the willingness to learn and in the short time he does work, he will be subjected to horrible, horrible timings/deadlines. And if someone wants to work in such a place, if he enjoys the thrill of it, then why do you want to stop him?
Lastly, I DON'T think IITians are a waste of taxpayer's money. The 250 billion dollar odd foreign exchange that we have today is in a large part due to sons and daughters sending dollar notes to their parents. The 60,000 jobs a year from Infosys are because of a dozen odd IITians dared to dream and rise against the odds. Even excluding these, IITians contribute tremendously in management circles, Tata,Reliance being cases in point.
For research, you need good infrastructure, talented workers and the ability to spend without expecting anything in return. Our country is only just beginning to support that kind of culture, it is something that has been perfected outside. It will happen but only as we get richer as a nation. Also, it is not easy to perform research after you've just completed your Bachelor's degree, you need expertise, either working in a Core R&D company, which in India is just beginning to show up, or to work with a research group in a university. Also, I do NOT want to do research in a society that awards degrees and accepts people based on what caste they come from. I want to work in a meritocracy. I admit that working abroad will invite racial taunts, but if you have something good to offer, all racial discrimination you'll find will be ignored.
The bottomline is this, if one is going to keep a closed mind, not willing to learn,to not keep his attitude in check, and not keep high standards for himself, he will never grow. That is true whether he is an IITian or not. Such people should not be encouraged. The other side is true as well, I'd like to think that a person who did well and were from IIT would have done well even if they weren't in IIT in the first place. It is the never-say-die-attitude that is very important. You have to be willing to cooperate, accommodate everyone else and communicate yourself well.
Berhael
I do concede that a lot IITians have a so-called attitude problem. But no one is inaccessible. Many of my friends complain that when non-IIT people meet them, they say, oh IIT you're so smart! Firstly, thats not always true. Secondly, see me as a person first and judge my intellect skills later.
It is not true that not a single earth shattering invention from an IIT-ian - Sun MicroSystems was co-founded by an IIT-ian. India's premier software service provider was founded by a group of IIT-ians. In IIT Madras, there are many Multi-crore companies that have spawned out of research projects in the final years in the TeNet group and some of these companies supply products that are unique in the world and only they have the patent rights for. Many of them also work for social benefit. Some of the world's fastest Analog to Digital Converters are made in a lab thats ten feet away from where I work. Hi-speed network protocols with hitherto unseen data rates are made a floor above me. Some of the world's most accurate quantum optics/electromagnetics based devices are produced right next to my work desk. Aren't these achievements? True they are not publicized like an ipod or a sony walkman but they are earth-shattering nonetheless. All these are components of products that shake our world. You must remember that research does not always lead to products immediately and while it is the products that get the limelight, none of them would be possible without all these components. Having said this, there is such tremendous scope to expand in terms of facilities and ideas and we really need an environment conducive for this.
Another point should be noted, as a student preparing for the IIT, I spent two and then three years of my life in social isolation preparing for it. I worked very hard. When others were relaxing in well-established coffee joints, I had to sit and prepare for my coaching class tests and completing both school and coaching class assignments. I studied sometimes 14 hours a day and the best part is I would NOT have been classified as the hardest working even with such numbers! I'm not trying to blow my own horn, but my point is, given I worked so hard and sacrificed a significant portion of my life towards getting in, don't I deserve a pay packet that matches the work I put in? Don't I deserve the 2 lakhs the government spends on me? After all, I worked for it.
I do know that all that hard work definitely raised my analytical skills from an above average level to one slightly higher. That is not to say others are not smart, in fact many non-IITians are much smarter than IITians, but my skills definitely got fine-tuned by all that practice. I can't help but feel that it is these skills that companies want when they hire.
I agree with the fact that as IITians we are respected (I think) for our core skills, in fact we are trained in that area. What comes to my mind is what was discussed in the task force meeting for revising the curriculum, you must remember the overall goal of education, it is not to impart you with expertise in a particular area but to develop you in an all-round manner and to give you a skill-set that will help you to 'get better' in any area you wish to pursue. In that respect if an institution is allowing you do that, to find yourself professionally, thats the best thing that can happen.
Also, in my own personal experience, many students after joining IIT have discovered that their set of skills is more suited to negotiating, organizing, procuring, communicating all the time, all skills that are common traits of management. Why should we as a society prevent them from climbing that ladder? IITians have tech skills, and as a person they might want to develop management skills to complement them as well. I don't see why we should prevent them from doing so. Individual freedom should not be curtailed.
Individually, I am more than willing to contribute to my country in its path to progress. But before that, I need to hone my own skills. In my case, it is to develop research based skills : a strong analytical ability to logically work out a path from the problem statement to a solution, which I hope to achieve through higher studies. In my humble opinion, I would want to work in an environment where there are stringent demands on quality of work done and where I receive exposure to demanding needs. When intellectually mature, I can then impose these same demands on anyone I work with professionally, and this is very important when developing our nation as a whole too! This is most achievable outside my country in my particular area. As you can see, the whole thing is entirely individual and for each person his/her decision will vary as per what they want. I do not think any of my friends would say let's just live out of the country thats better for us. They would only say, let's go where we are respected as individuals, presented with challenging problems to work on and are given the necessary means to work them out as seamlessly as possible. These problems could be solving bottlenecks in management and running of companies or solving equations in quantum mechanics or building up infrastructure for our own country. The ideal case is to provide yourself with the "ability" to solve them and develop yourself accordingly, not to get a B. Tech degree and work only in that area and try to make money out of it.
Its definitely a bit sad that people who do BioTech and Aerospace in IIT end up in generic software companies. True it would be nice if they at least stayed in related areas. But I would also like to know what a person doing his aerospace engineering in IIT Madras would do sitting here, other than a few mid-level companies that do not hire 200 people per year there is hardly anyone who would take them up. The only option if working in their core field is to move where they have jobs and that is outside this country. Again the question arises, wouldn't you as a person want the best environment around you as professionally where you can grow and let others grow with you?
True, money is a driving factor but it is only a means to an end, not the end itself. Money is what enables you to invest in new machines, build new roads, it buys you power, and a lot more. I would like to think that as a professional, I have a certain set of skills attached to me. These may be very good or average or below. If they are exceptional, don't I have the right the charge for them? I guarantee a certain quality of service and a certain advanced skill-set that I provide with the money. Don't I deserve some amount of means to comfort that assuages the stress and strains of my job? That is the whole idea behind paying IIT-ians such salaries I expect. Needless to say, if I were a good manager and I found out that I DON'T get the quality I am paying for, I have every right to remove the concerned party.
It is true that companies with money-muscle power recruit IITians and entice them with high salaries. But these salaries are commensurate with the work they do. In addition, they are not meant to be long term jobs, in the sense that the person concerned will not go far if he/she doesn't take the effort to improve his/her skills further and more importantly shows the willingness to learn and in the short time he does work, he will be subjected to horrible, horrible timings/deadlines. And if someone wants to work in such a place, if he enjoys the thrill of it, then why do you want to stop him?
Lastly, I DON'T think IITians are a waste of taxpayer's money. The 250 billion dollar odd foreign exchange that we have today is in a large part due to sons and daughters sending dollar notes to their parents. The 60,000 jobs a year from Infosys are because of a dozen odd IITians dared to dream and rise against the odds. Even excluding these, IITians contribute tremendously in management circles, Tata,Reliance being cases in point.
For research, you need good infrastructure, talented workers and the ability to spend without expecting anything in return. Our country is only just beginning to support that kind of culture, it is something that has been perfected outside. It will happen but only as we get richer as a nation. Also, it is not easy to perform research after you've just completed your Bachelor's degree, you need expertise, either working in a Core R&D company, which in India is just beginning to show up, or to work with a research group in a university. Also, I do NOT want to do research in a society that awards degrees and accepts people based on what caste they come from. I want to work in a meritocracy. I admit that working abroad will invite racial taunts, but if you have something good to offer, all racial discrimination you'll find will be ignored.
The bottomline is this, if one is going to keep a closed mind, not willing to learn,to not keep his attitude in check, and not keep high standards for himself, he will never grow. That is true whether he is an IITian or not. Such people should not be encouraged. The other side is true as well, I'd like to think that a person who did well and were from IIT would have done well even if they weren't in IIT in the first place. It is the never-say-die-attitude that is very important. You have to be willing to cooperate, accommodate everyone else and communicate yourself well.
Berhael
Of Buses and FootBoards
This picture is courtesy www.enidhi.net . I just HAD to share it!
Talk about innovative ways to prevent footboard travel.
Talk about innovative ways to prevent footboard travel.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Of Constitution and Articles
Article 19 of the Constituion : Expressing Right to Freedom :
19. Protection of certain rights regarding freedom of speech, etc.-
(1) All citizens shall have the right-
19. Protection of certain rights regarding freedom of speech, etc.-
(1) All citizens shall have the right-
(a) to freedom of speech and expression; (b) to assemble peaceably and without arms; (c) to form associations or unions; (d) to move freely throughout the territory of India; (e) to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India; (g) to practise any profession, or to carry on any occupation, trade or business. (2) Nothing in sub-clause (a) of clause (1) shall affect the operation of any existing law, or prevent the State from making any law, in so far as such law imposes reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the right conferred by the said sub-clause in the interests of [the sovereignty and integrity of India,] the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence.] (3) Nothing in sub-clause (b) of the said clause shall affect the operation of any existing law in so far as it imposes, or prevent the State from making any law imposing, in the interests of _16[the sovereignty and integrity of India or] public order, reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the right conferred by the said sub-clause. (4) Nothing in sub-clause (c) of the said clause shall affect the operation of any existing law in so far as it imposes, or prevent the State from making any law imposing, in the interests of _16[the sovereignty and integrity of India or] public order or morality, reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the right conferred by the said sub-clause. (5) Nothing in [sub-clauses (d) and (e)] of the said clause shall affect the operation of any existing law in so far as it imposes, or prevent the State from making any law imposing, reasonable restrictions on the exercise of any of the rights conferred by the said sub-clauses either in the interests of the general public or for the protection of the interests of any Scheduled Tribe. (6) Nothing in sub-clause (g) of the said clause shall affect the operation of any existing law in so far as it imposes, or prevent the State from making any law imposing, in the interests of the general public, reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the right conferred by the said sub-clause, and, in particular, [nothing in the said sub-clause shall affect the operation of any existing law in so far as it relates to, or prevent the State from making any law relating to,- (i) the professional or technical qualifications necessary for practising any profession or carrying on any occupation, trade or business, or (ii) the carrying on by the State, or by a corporation owned or controlled by the State, of any trade, business, industry or service, whether to the exclusion, complete or partial, of citizens or otherwise]
Of Gandhi and Castes
Inspired by recent events in Maharashtra I will be publishing a series of reports pertaining to regionalism/casteism/national integrity.
Here is the first one from the Father of our Nation Gandhiji and his view on casteism, note the evolution of his ideas with the years gone by :
1920: "I believe that caste has saved Hinduism from disintegration. But like every other institution it has suffered from excrescences. I consider the four divisions alone to be fundamental, natural and essential. The innumerable sub-castes are sometimes a convenience, often a hindrance. The sooner there is fusion, the better....
"One of my correspondents suggests that we should abolish the caste [system] but adopt the class system of Europe - meaning thereby, I suppose, that the idea of heredity in caste should be rejected. I am inclined to think that the law of heredity is an eternal law and any attempt to alter that law must lead us, as it has before led [others], to utter confusion.... If Hindus believe, as they must believe, in reincarnation [and] transmigration, they must know that Nature will, without any possibility of mistake, adjust the balance by degrading a Brahmin, if he misbehaves himself, by reincarnating him in a lower division, and translating one who lives the life of a Brahmin in his present incarnation to Brahminhood in his next.
1920: "The beauty of the caste system is that it does not base itself upon distinctions of wealth-possessions. Money, as history has proved, is the greatest disruptive force in the world.... Caste is but an extension of the principle of the family. Both are governed by blood and heredity. Western scientists are busy trying to prove that heredity is an illusion and that milieu is everything. The... experience of many lands goes against the conclusions of these scientists; but even accepting their doctrine of milieu, it is easy to prove that milieu can be conserved and developed more through caste than through class.... As we all know, change comes very slowly in social life, and thus, as a matter of fact, caste has allowed new groupings to suit the changes in lives. But these changes are [as] quiet and easy as a change in the shape of the clouds. It is difficult to imagine a better harmonious human adjustment.
"Caste does not connote superiority or inferiority. It simply recognizes different outlooks and corresponding modes of life. But it is no use denying the fact that a sort of hierarchy has been evolved in the caste system, but it cannot be called the creation of the Brahmins. When all castes accept a common [religious] goal of life, a hierarchy is inevitable, because all castes cannot realize the ideal in equal degree."
1925: "There is no harm if a person belonging to one varna acquires the knowledge or science and art specialized in by persons belonging to other varnas. But as far as the way of earning his living his concerned, he must follow the occupation of the varna to which he belongs, which means he must follow the hereditary profession of his forefathers.
"The object of the varna system is to prevent competition and class struggle and class war. I believe in the varna system because it fixes the duties and occupations of persons.... Varna means the determination of a man's occupation before he is born.... In the varna system no man has any liberty to choose his occupation."
1931: "I do not believe in caste in the modern sense. It is an excrescence and a handicap on progress. Nor do I believe in inequalities between human beings. We are all absolutely equal. But equality is of souls and not bodies.... We have to realize equality in the midst of this apparent inequality. Assumption of superiority by any person over any other is a sin against God and man. Thus caste, in so far as it connotes distinctions in status, is an evil.
1932: "No matter what was the position in ancient times, no one can nowadays go through life claiming to belong to a high class. Society will not willingly admit any such claim to superiority, but only under duress. The world is now wide awake....
"When it is suggested that everyone should practice his father's profession, the suggestion is coupled with the condition that the practitioner of every profession will earn only a living wage and no more.... The lawyer or doctor ought by practicing his profession to earn only a living wage. And such was actually the case formerly....
"Boys [between 9 and 16 years of age] should be taught their parents' avocation in such a way that they will by their own choice obtain their livelihood by practicing the hereditary craft. This does not apply to the girls.... [From] 16 to 25..., every young person should have an education according to his or her wishes and circumstances."
1933, Ambedkar: "There will be outcastes as long as there are castes, and nothing can emancipate the outcaste except the destruction of the caste system."
Gandhi: "Dr. Ambedkar is bitter. He has every reason to feel so.... [Yet] I do not believe the caste system, even as distinguished from varnashrama, to be an 'odious and vicious dogma'. It has its limitations and defects, but there is nothing sinful about it, as there is about untouchability, and if [untouchability] is a by-product of the system, it is only in the same sense that an ugly growth is of a body, or weeds of a crop."
1919: "Interdining [and] intermarrying, I hold, are not essential for the promotion of the spirit of democracy.... But as time goes forward and new necessities and occasions arise, the custom regarding... interdining and intermarrying will require cautious modifications or rearrangements."
1925, Correspondent: "I was surprised to read in a recent article [your] repudiation of intermarriage between touchables and untouchables...."
Gandhi: "I have repeatedly expressed my view of caste and intermarriage.... I cannot picture to myself a time when all mankind will have one religion. As a rule there will, therefore, be the religious bar; people will marry in their own religion.... The caste restriction is an extension of the same principle. It is a social convenience.... I am opposed to untouchability because it limits the field of service. [But] marriage is not an act of service."
1942: "When I said that removal of untouchability did not include the removal of restrictions on interdining and intermarriage, I had the general Hindu public in mind, not the Congress workers or Congressmen. These have to abolish untouchability from every part of their life."
1935: "It must be left to the unfettered choice of the individual as to where he or she will marry or dine. If the law of varnashrama was observed [with regard to hereditary occupation], there would naturally be a tendency, so far as marriage is concerned, for people to restrict the marital relations to their own varna."
1926: "You are of course a free man; so I cannot force you to do anything. But I write to you as a friend. "What you desire is contrary to dharma If you stick to Hinduism and Fatima follows Islam, it will be like putting two swords in one sheath.... What should be your children's faith? ...It is adharma if Fatima agrees to conversion just for marrying you.... "Nor is it in the interests of our society to form this relationship. Your marriage will have a powerful impact on the Hindu-Moslem question. Intercommunal marriages are no solution to this problem. You cannot forget, nor will society forget, that you are my son. "If you enter into this relationship, you may not be able to render any service. I fear you may no longer be the right person to run Indian Opinion [which Manilal had been editing ever since Gandhi had left South Africa]. "It will be impossible for you, I think, after this to come and settle in India. "I cannot ask Ba's permission.... Her life will be embittered for ever. "In proposing this marriage you have thought only of momentary pleasure.... I want you to get out of your infatuation.... May God show you the right path."
1932: "If anybody asks my opinion, I would say that marriage between persons following different faiths was a risky experiment.... I do not advocate marriages between persons of different faiths as I advocate inter-caste marriages because I desire the disappearance of sub-castes. I would not agitate against such marriages either. This is an issue on which every man and woman should think and decide for himself or herself. There cannot be a uniform law for all. "
Copied and Pasted by Berhael
Here is the first one from the Father of our Nation Gandhiji and his view on casteism, note the evolution of his ideas with the years gone by :
1920: "I believe that caste has saved Hinduism from disintegration. But like every other institution it has suffered from excrescences. I consider the four divisions alone to be fundamental, natural and essential. The innumerable sub-castes are sometimes a convenience, often a hindrance. The sooner there is fusion, the better....
"One of my correspondents suggests that we should abolish the caste [system] but adopt the class system of Europe - meaning thereby, I suppose, that the idea of heredity in caste should be rejected. I am inclined to think that the law of heredity is an eternal law and any attempt to alter that law must lead us, as it has before led [others], to utter confusion.... If Hindus believe, as they must believe, in reincarnation [and] transmigration, they must know that Nature will, without any possibility of mistake, adjust the balance by degrading a Brahmin, if he misbehaves himself, by reincarnating him in a lower division, and translating one who lives the life of a Brahmin in his present incarnation to Brahminhood in his next.
1920: "The beauty of the caste system is that it does not base itself upon distinctions of wealth-possessions. Money, as history has proved, is the greatest disruptive force in the world.... Caste is but an extension of the principle of the family. Both are governed by blood and heredity. Western scientists are busy trying to prove that heredity is an illusion and that milieu is everything. The... experience of many lands goes against the conclusions of these scientists; but even accepting their doctrine of milieu, it is easy to prove that milieu can be conserved and developed more through caste than through class.... As we all know, change comes very slowly in social life, and thus, as a matter of fact, caste has allowed new groupings to suit the changes in lives. But these changes are [as] quiet and easy as a change in the shape of the clouds. It is difficult to imagine a better harmonious human adjustment.
"Caste does not connote superiority or inferiority. It simply recognizes different outlooks and corresponding modes of life. But it is no use denying the fact that a sort of hierarchy has been evolved in the caste system, but it cannot be called the creation of the Brahmins. When all castes accept a common [religious] goal of life, a hierarchy is inevitable, because all castes cannot realize the ideal in equal degree."
1925: "There is no harm if a person belonging to one varna acquires the knowledge or science and art specialized in by persons belonging to other varnas. But as far as the way of earning his living his concerned, he must follow the occupation of the varna to which he belongs, which means he must follow the hereditary profession of his forefathers.
"The object of the varna system is to prevent competition and class struggle and class war. I believe in the varna system because it fixes the duties and occupations of persons.... Varna means the determination of a man's occupation before he is born.... In the varna system no man has any liberty to choose his occupation."
1931: "I do not believe in caste in the modern sense. It is an excrescence and a handicap on progress. Nor do I believe in inequalities between human beings. We are all absolutely equal. But equality is of souls and not bodies.... We have to realize equality in the midst of this apparent inequality. Assumption of superiority by any person over any other is a sin against God and man. Thus caste, in so far as it connotes distinctions in status, is an evil.
"I do however believe in varna which is based on hereditary occupations. Varnas are four to mark four universal occupations - imparting knowledge, defending the defenceless, carrying on agriculture and commerce, and performing service [to other humans] through physical labor. These occupations are common to all mankind, but Hinduism, having recognized them as the law of our being, has made use of it in regulating social relations and conduct. Gravitation affects us all whether one knows its existence or not. But scientists who knew the law have made it yield results that have startled the world. Even so has Hinduism startled the world by its discovery and application of the law of varna.
"[Yet] according to my definition of varna there is no varna in operation at present in Hinduism. The so-called Brahmins have ceased to impart knowledge. They take to various other occupations. This is more or less true of the other varnas."1932: "No matter what was the position in ancient times, no one can nowadays go through life claiming to belong to a high class. Society will not willingly admit any such claim to superiority, but only under duress. The world is now wide awake....
"When it is suggested that everyone should practice his father's profession, the suggestion is coupled with the condition that the practitioner of every profession will earn only a living wage and no more.... The lawyer or doctor ought by practicing his profession to earn only a living wage. And such was actually the case formerly....
"Boys [between 9 and 16 years of age] should be taught their parents' avocation in such a way that they will by their own choice obtain their livelihood by practicing the hereditary craft. This does not apply to the girls.... [From] 16 to 25..., every young person should have an education according to his or her wishes and circumstances."
1933, Ambedkar: "There will be outcastes as long as there are castes, and nothing can emancipate the outcaste except the destruction of the caste system."
Gandhi: "Dr. Ambedkar is bitter. He has every reason to feel so.... [Yet] I do not believe the caste system, even as distinguished from varnashrama, to be an 'odious and vicious dogma'. It has its limitations and defects, but there is nothing sinful about it, as there is about untouchability, and if [untouchability] is a by-product of the system, it is only in the same sense that an ugly growth is of a body, or weeds of a crop."
1919: "Interdining [and] intermarrying, I hold, are not essential for the promotion of the spirit of democracy.... But as time goes forward and new necessities and occasions arise, the custom regarding... interdining and intermarrying will require cautious modifications or rearrangements."
1925, Correspondent: "I was surprised to read in a recent article [your] repudiation of intermarriage between touchables and untouchables...."
Gandhi: "I have repeatedly expressed my view of caste and intermarriage.... I cannot picture to myself a time when all mankind will have one religion. As a rule there will, therefore, be the religious bar; people will marry in their own religion.... The caste restriction is an extension of the same principle. It is a social convenience.... I am opposed to untouchability because it limits the field of service. [But] marriage is not an act of service."
1942: "When I said that removal of untouchability did not include the removal of restrictions on interdining and intermarriage, I had the general Hindu public in mind, not the Congress workers or Congressmen. These have to abolish untouchability from every part of their life."
1935: "It must be left to the unfettered choice of the individual as to where he or she will marry or dine. If the law of varnashrama was observed [with regard to hereditary occupation], there would naturally be a tendency, so far as marriage is concerned, for people to restrict the marital relations to their own varna."
1926: "You are of course a free man; so I cannot force you to do anything. But I write to you as a friend. "What you desire is contrary to dharma If you stick to Hinduism and Fatima follows Islam, it will be like putting two swords in one sheath.... What should be your children's faith? ...It is adharma if Fatima agrees to conversion just for marrying you.... "Nor is it in the interests of our society to form this relationship. Your marriage will have a powerful impact on the Hindu-Moslem question. Intercommunal marriages are no solution to this problem. You cannot forget, nor will society forget, that you are my son. "If you enter into this relationship, you may not be able to render any service. I fear you may no longer be the right person to run Indian Opinion [which Manilal had been editing ever since Gandhi had left South Africa]. "It will be impossible for you, I think, after this to come and settle in India. "I cannot ask Ba's permission.... Her life will be embittered for ever. "In proposing this marriage you have thought only of momentary pleasure.... I want you to get out of your infatuation.... May God show you the right path."
1932: "If anybody asks my opinion, I would say that marriage between persons following different faiths was a risky experiment.... I do not advocate marriages between persons of different faiths as I advocate inter-caste marriages because I desire the disappearance of sub-castes. I would not agitate against such marriages either. This is an issue on which every man and woman should think and decide for himself or herself. There cannot be a uniform law for all. "
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