Varna - The indispensable part of the Hindu Society

Disclaimer: I have no intentions of arousing fanatic emotions or condescend on anyone. I am expressing my views after analysing the contemporary society from my perspective. I do not believe in supporting or deviating from any popular view. Instead I am giving the state of affairs and what best has to be done in order to make society achieve some direction.
When it comes to caste, rationalism is given no credence or worse there is none which exist. It looks as though there is one set of people who support it staunchly, illogically and in obsolete manner. While the other set vehemently oppose this without even understanding the reason or the implications but projecting themselves as radical, benefit-the-human-race reformers. Does either of them purport any benefit to the society or improve the situation? Is this not making the creek deeper, differences glaring, confusing more and denying stability?
I hear many elders strongly support the “varna” system of the Hindu society. I believe as an open society/culture, they have enough freedom to express their views and thrust some of them on their kids. In fact as kids many traditions/practices/rituals are thrust. This should be no different. I have also seen people of my generation (I am going on 28 while writing this article) vehemently oppose these views of elders. The reason for their opposition is that they feel it is a taboo in this modern society. They seem to don a cap of a super-hero (I am no gender biased... this applies to girls also) among friends when they openly ridicule their elders, purportedly perform an inter-caste marriage just to teach a lesson to their elders. Who is benefitting in all this? Parents are losing value before their children, while the children are made to look wayward.
Parents thrust mannerisms, traditions and rituals. As the kid comes of age, he evaluates each of these traditions to his level of belief, importance, convenience, ease of performing and chooses those which he can follow. This is nothing shocking or new and has been a continued over ages. This offers a chance to over throw anarchic, inhuman, impertinent traditions. Thanks to do this we no longer have the practices of Sati and Child marriage. So for the kid to take the right decision on which traditions to choose, it is the responsibility of the parents to impart the belief and make him understand the importance. If they are unable to reason out and explain, why it is important or why one should believe in it and instead thrust it blindly they simply cannot expect him to follow it for long. But does that mean the kids are not at fault?
One thing a contemporary young member of a Hindu society should understand that the caste system is in vogue for more than 3000 years now. If it was an inhuman practice it would not have survived the test of time. It would have been discontinued after a few centuries just like Slavery or Colonialism or Sati. But the very fact it still exists in modern world implies that there is some credibility in the system which has to be observed and analysed. If parents are unable to provide sufficient reasoning for a tradition, it is the responsibility of the kids to study the roots of the tradition and analyse what he is supposed to do and what is actually prohibited. Blindly declaring that elders are anarchic and flouting their tradition is no solution. This would not end/resolve the division of society. Especially because Indian politics, businesses, religion, culture are all closely knitted in the web of “varna”. It is not prudent to think that by an inter-caste marriage they are erasing the discrimination. In fact if they understand and respect the roots of this practice, it will be make them more helpful. They should realise that this “varna” is a part of the Hindu society and cannot be erased. What should be erased is the discrimination and not the division!!
When one matures and realises this truth, it brings clarity on his freedom and limitations. To marry through an inter-caste wedding and to declare “caste-agnostic” does not help anyone. They will be faced with perpetual question of caste identity. Subsequent generations are also troubled with identity crisis. (After all even in this modern age, Indian Government mandates us to declare caste in schooling, job and welfare activities.).
Does that mean I am against inter-caste marriages? No. I believe that it is better to identify the marriage with a particular caste. But practice day-to-day rituals or traditions according to convenience of both partners. This way there is enough respect for the traditions of both “varna” while at the same time it is giving enough identity for the subsequent generations. I do not claim this as a panacea for the age-old problem. But by doing this I see that the discrimination for “varnas” does not exist at the same time giving due credit to the division respecting our age old traditions. This also addresses the concern of the elders on the losing identity for future generations.
I claim no originality in suggesting this. In all my extensive reading of the Indian culture and history this has been the practice. Vatsayana Kamasutra gives an account of when an inter-caste marriage can be performed and how it can be performed. Vedas speak on what to lay importance during a wedding and marriage (Caste system did not exist when Vedas were written). History has examples of inter-religion, inter-caste marriages which are successful. In all cases, it was evident, that their success was because of acknowledging the realities of society and identifying with a particular religion/caste but at the same time giving freedom for each other to follow their individual traditions.