ABSTRACT
Caste is a relatively recent institution in the long history of Indian civilization. But at one time caste was said to form the basis of an ideal, harmonious society in which functional tasks were performed in a co-operative manner by individuals born into various vocational roles. Nevertheless, in its most venerable form, Hinduism did not incorporate a caste system, as Gandhi emphasized in advocating a modern, Hindu state in which caste as the basis for a proscribed occupational career was abolished, and all religions were given both freedom and equal status within a modern, democratic society (Dumont, 1970). Caste may have been introduced as a concept which consolidated the power of an elite group, and was then cloaked in a metaphysical idea concerning alleged sins in a previous existence, so-called fate or karma (Ramaiah, 1994).
