Girl thrown on fire for being "low class"

^ Ravenladyj, I, too, hope the girl recovers from being burnt, but my impression from the story is that she was burnt quite badly indeed. I do not see any reason why 'different rules' in different parts of the world could possibly be respected enough to tolerate this sort of behavior. Skyblue, As you are from India, I should think you'd have a more first person perspective on the caste system and the treatment of the "Untouchables" in general. I am led to believe that the situation in the cities is less severe than that in rural India. Positiveminded1977, Ah, very nice to hear someone else from India speaking up and explaining that the situation is rare. Highflyingxangel, But, I didn't see anywhere in the article what his reaction to his crime or punishment might be. To assume he was remorseless in the absence of any indications of remorselessness seems a bit premature. You could be spot-on .. or he might have had an intention to push the girl for being on the wrong road yet not have intended to push her into the fire. Consider a situation in a United States high school where you have a "Senior's Table" and a Freshman sits down there by accident. They might get shoved or threatened, but if they fall over backwards and split their head open, it would be unfair to assume the Senior classman intended that to happen. He's still responsible and charged according to what happened.. but his intentions do matter, I think. K1tten, There very well might have been a reason for the caste system at one point and time. I don't think it was ever fair, but their might be a reason. Consider, those who handle animal carcasses and clean out public latrines might carry infections or parasites to which they have developed a resistance but which might be fatal for the higher-born. And, before we get too high and mighty about the caste system of India, we should remember that America has a caste system, it is just one that is not so obviously recognized. The sons and daughters of the wealthy are able to afford a better education, get better healthcare, possess superior "networking" resources of friends and family, and otherwise have more advantages than the poor. Those born into the upper-caste are more likely to be well-to-do. The sons and daughters of the poor are more likely to remain poor as well. The difference is that, in theory, even the poor in America who work hard should be able to attain wealth. The problem, in reality, is that the High-Born and Low-Born do not, actually, have equal opportunities given equal aptitudes and effort. It is a caste system of a sort, just not mentioned as one. Consider, again, a High School, where children divide into cliques of haves and have-nots based upon the attire which one can afford or the place in town where one lives. Now, I would wholeheartedly agree with a statement like, "I do not agree with any sort of caste sytem." I would concur. America holds great value in the idea of free enterprise, and any sort of a caste system maintains a superior position for those in power at the expense of opportunities for the lower-rungs of society to improve themselves. It is non-competitive and very much like a monopoly from a certain point of view.