Chaturvarna stratification still structures Indian society into the present era

Evidence

Though they call the age we are living through the Kali Yuga, Ram Rajya could be just around the corner. The fourteenth-century Babri Masjid, supposedly built on the birthplace of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, was demolished by Hindu storm troopers on 6 December 1992, Ambedkar’s death anniversary. We await with apprehension the construction of a grand Ram temple in its place. As Mahatma Gandhi desired, the rich man has been left in possession of his (as well as everybody else’s) wealth. Chaturvarna reigns unchallenged: the Brahmin largely controls knowledge; the Vaishya dominates trade. The Kshatriyas have seen better days, but they are still, for the most part, rural landowners. The Shudras live in the basement of the Big House and keep intruders at bay. The Adivasis are fighting for their very survival. And the Dalits—well, we’ve been through all that. — Ambedkar, B R, Annihilation of Caste_ The Annotated…, 442

Categorization

• XREF: Echoes the four-varna structure and ‘sick men of Hindustan’ themes central to Ambedkar’s own critique earlier in the book.