Let me begin by borrowing a line from one of my Masters in learning, Professor Wole Soyinka, who said that "Any act of injustice is belittling to anyone that dispenses it.
And I must quickly assert here that the discrimination against these people termed as Osu-caste 'Outcast' is injustice and it has for so long engendered a very cold sensation in our midst, which then deny us to a great extent the warmth of brotherhood that should have been the norm of our integration. It therefore situate us at crossroads that restricts us from exploring our very own environment, and as such belittling us. Which is in order words "being prisoners of self-built dungeon".
This erroneous belief that some persons within the Igbo race have towards some particular people within their domain, has been a form of tradition- which some of the Igbo people - sorry to say that majority of the Igbo elites hold it so dear to heart, and thereby prepare for the absolute hand-down to their progeny. With this pattern of living, the future generations will thereby hold on to this evil treasure given to them by their ancestors; which makes it almost an impossibility to say that this Osu caste will someday faze out from the Igbo terrain.
This "Osu caste' which is in other words called Outcast was one of the task the great Mohandas Mahatma Gandhi took upon himself in his fight for freedom during his days in India. And for which he was able to conquer through his dogged ambition for liberation.
This Osu caste system in the Igbo land has its impediments and restrictions over the lives of these particular people being discriminated against as well as to those that carry out the discriminatory act from being free within their common environment,as there is usually the feelings of insecurity, low self esteem which engenders sense of inferiority on the minds of the so called Osus or Outcasts. There is breach of inter-marital affairs between these Osu people as against the Free-born, who always perceive themselves as the legitimate persons. Those presumed as Free-born always term themselves the Superior Race.
Oh! I'll say it's a shame on those who feel superior over others in this issue of Osu Caste in Igboland. This is because any act of discrimination is an act of injustice which leaves an incurable wound on the human landscape.
Do keep a date with us at Good Morning Nigerians for both the previous and subsequent hot topics right here. You'll definitely not going to spot any dull moment.
No comments:
Post a Comment