For instance, the Brahmins - the highest caste, are the priests and the teachers. They are allowed to perform religious rituals, to study the scriptures etc but lower castes are not allowed to do these things.
Fact is, even now, in many parts of India lower castes may even be stopped from entering temples.
Coming back to the subject of duties - tasks such as cleaning etc are assigned to the lower castes and the upper castes look down on the lower castes who perform these duties. This may explain why India struggles with hygiene and cleanliness.
Now, apart from the whole subject of duties being tied to a person's caste, Hindu scriptures also prescribe very different punishments for the same crime with the upper castes getting the least punishment.
Also, intermarriage or intermixing between castes is discouraged in the Hindu scriptures.
Of course, over the years with greater education, more western influence etc, the hold of the caste-based thinking has reduced but it is still quite strong.
But if people start to understand this they'll start to understand how their interpretation of Gandhi was total bullshit. That Gandhi in reality wasn't against violence, in fact the was pro-violence. He was above violence. I believe he said at one point that he sees violence as one way to achieve an outcome. Not the only way, ideally not the best way, but sometimes necessary. As in, he wants violence done, but not by him, and not against him or any Brahmin. He, personally, shouldn't be anywhere near it. He is not a man of peace, he is a general sipping tea over maps, hundreds of kilometers from the front.
I mean Gandhi achieved a lot. Just not by peaceful means. Multiple millions died in the partition wars, giving Gandhi what he wanted (ie. India). He just wasn't directly involved in the killings (I mean, yes, arguably only Pakistan was, but ...) Hell, it's even true that he actively tried to prevent it and succeeded in some of that ... with more violence.
> Also, intermarriage or intermixing between castes is discouraged in the Hindu scriptures.
That's putting things mildly. Very mildly. There are prescribed punishments.
Would like to learn more about this.