Making a scathing attack on the caste system prevalent in India, during a lecture on ‘Dr Ambedkar and social transformation’, Dhammachari Subhuti, a leading teacher of modern Buddhism from The Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO), London, UK, said it was the worst form of social oppression and discrimination anywhere in the world. Caste system degrades human values, he said.

Subhuti termed caste system as the biggest hindrance in the path of progress and development of India. “The reason why India lags behind China, despite being equally resourceful is the presence of caste system. Ambedkar’s vision of making a forward looking country through Buddhism needs to be realised,” he added.

According to Dhammachari Maitrvir Nagarjuna, despite being a British national, Subhuti had inspired lakhs of people in India to work for Ambedkarite vision of Buddhism in the last decade. He said in the Western Buddhist Order they had been engaged not only in practising the Eightfold Path, but also in developing a new kind of Buddhist movement on the footsteps of Dr B R Ambedkar.

The organisation was working towards creation of a casteless society in Haryana and the rest of the country and in October last, SAGAR had taken a pledge to take Haryana on the Buddhist path, according to Karamvir, General Secretary of SAGAR.