India’s caste system: a marriage between the classes that led to a tragic ending

Many of us live in societies where we are free to choose the person we marry, regardless of social class and ethnicity. However, what if the society in which you lived was built around a hierarchy whereby sexual relations between classes was taboo? What would you do if you fell passionately in love with someone from a different social class?

This is a problem that confronted one unfortunate couple living under India’s caste system. According to latest reports from India’s media, the body of a 19-year-old man was recently discovered by the side of the railway line in Tamil Nadu. The man’s name was Ilavarasan, and under the Indian caste system, belonged to the lower class referred to as “untouchables”. It is believed that he fell in love with a 22-year-old woman from the upper classes, however was forced to separate from her in May due to the fierce opposition.

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