Dalit Voice gives more space to articles on the role of Sikhism in eradicating casteism which is neither true nor factual. Sikhism is a great social and religious movement only against untouchability but not against castes if we consider endogamy to be the main social cause of its origin. This is also the thesis of Babasaheb Ambedkar. All other sociologists of India and abroad have pin-pointed endogamy as one of the characteristic features of caste system. Recently, a noted historian, Irfan Habib, has also come out with his conclusion in his small brochure in Hindi, Bharat me Jati Ka Itihas.
No intercaste marriage: The social progress and economic development which Indian society has achieved also indicates the same to be true. We have eradicated the physical aspect of untouchability through as a psychological notion it persists and moulds the behavioural pattern of upper caste Indians. But the caste structure is unaffected and is fully in tact. The Sikh gurus were great spiritual humanitarians but there is nothing to be noted in Sikh history where inter-caste marriages were encouraged and promoted as the reliable method of abolishing castes. No Sikh organisation has even preached the break-up of endogamous system of marriages. The caste system is very rigid even among the Scheduled Castes (Dalit). All their subcastes are intact. If the Dalits want to abolish their subcastes, they too will have to go in for inter-subcaste marriages. There is no other way of breaking down the caste barriers among Indian peoples. Mere economic development will not automatically abolish the caste system though it may alleviate poverty among the Scheduled Castes and other people.
