The way forward

Social groups and social engineering approaches based on them are a reality. Any new development in the country will have to consider them as two parameters of action. No purpose will be served in supporting them or rejecting them. Their effect will be there on society for indefinitely long time. However, a beginning has to be made for building a humanistic order that takes society off from neo-social-group nationalism to human nationalism and from there to creation of a more humane world order. This requires two things: (a) promotion of inter-caste and inter-religious marriages; and (b) reducing income in good quality jobs by 50 percent, and with those savings doubling the present employment level. It must be stressed that failure to expand employment at a time when there is revolutionary expansion of education at all levels can be disastrous for the country. The degree to which we can succeed in this will measure our capability to deal with the risks. Groups of intellectuals, women, youths, physically handicapped, tribals, slum dwellers, and rural poor can play a conducive role in building an environment for this. Women have a special role. It is their moral responsibility to fight against the practice of hypergamy and to be able to live alone, marry an equal, superior or inferior male partner or live comfortably with a female partner. Non-violent but committed groups of women must understand the social processes and connections. They must understand the religious and moral roots of patrifocality and patriarchy and assert their right to marry outside caste and community. Enlightened men should help them from outside.