Inter Caste Marriage: Still A Taboo

Marriage is considered to be an institution by all religions. There are certain codes for marriage in each religion and are being followed since time immemorial. These codes are sometimes very stringent and even small deviation is not acceptable. One such prohibition is inter-caste marriage. One can only marry within his or her caste is a rule that is strictly followed by Hindus and Muslims. There is Gotra system in Hinduism and marriage cannot even occur outside the gotra prescribed by the religion.

Designer Marriage Card

Caste System – deep within veins
Caste has become the life and breath of almost all religions and it is marriage that is believed to keep this system intact. Marriage is believed to be decided in heaven and executed on earth and it’s execution is something that is to be dealt very seriously. Love marriages within caste are too an extent acceptable but marrying outside one’s caste is believed to be a crime and is unpardonable. Many believe that such marriage would impure the blood of coming generations and would bring ill luck; they are considered to be a shame for society and family too sometimes to an extent that families commit suicide. For such Marriage Interfaith Invitations are also seldom printed and if printed these are circulated in a restricted manner only.

Inter caste marriage leads to social boycott
The graveness of caste system is more in villages and people go to an extent of boycotting the families whose children have committed such mistakes, they are even murdered. There are many religious leaders who approve of inter caste marriages and many others who does not. Inter caste marriage has become a debatable issue and people have their own opinions regarding it. The ratio of people who does not approve inter caste marriage is much higher than those who approve of it.

Honor killing is the ugliest face of inter caste marriages
The trend of inter caste marriage is more in western countries. Hindu and Muslims take their caste to be their honor and if the honor is lost nothing remains for them. Girls and boys are taught about caste from the childhood and also that they have to adhere to the rules laid by their caste and should not in any condition deviate from them.

Changes is in the air, but it’s too slow
Although many changes have come and people have started accepting inter caste marriages but only few people approve of it. Villages have Khap panchayats that are strictly against inter caste marriages. Newspapers and media have taken up the issue many times but have not achieved much success. One’s religion is believed to be given by God and marrying outside it is believed to be altering his will. The modern society members give intellectual reasons like understanding and adjusting in other religion or caste is difficult, rituals also differ but the mindset is same that inter caste marriages are not acceptable. The religion and its rituals are something that is imbibed by the child from the day he arrives and getting married in other caste means renouncing all the customs that the families have been following. Inter caste marriages require a lot of adjustments and people who go for it needs courage as they are not easily acceptable to the society.