Classes of People in India

There are a few Caucasians in the hotels and at the airport.  Other than that, when we were are driving or walking around in India we see very few people who are not Indians.  We stick out in the crowd but there are a lot of people on the streets that seem invisible to the crowds walking by or driving by.  They are begging for food or money on many busy corners.

The caste system that is found in India divides people into 4 social classes.  You are born into a class and there is no way to get out of your class.  The classes are like a 4 level pyramid with a few holy men at the top, warriors and soldiers next, merchants, skilled labor and farmers next at the third level and the most people are in the lowest class, the unskilled labor and servants.

Then there are 200 million people who are not even considered to be in a class at all.  The Untouchables are out of the caste (outcast) and are the invisible people who do the jobs that nobody else will do such as handle the dead, clean out sewers.  These people are not allowed to get an education, they are stuck in the deepest poverty and many are hungry and have no homes.

It is shocking to see the different levels of people here and how their lives are so different just because of who they were born to.