Why are 6,000 Indians converting to Buddhism in the New Year? In Maharashtra, India many Indians known as OBC (Backward Class), are converting to Buddhism as their religion due to the caste system in the Hinduism religion. The OBC are dealing with a lot of discriminations due to the caste system. They are unable to get good jobs and better education to better their lives. Therefore they have decided to convert back to their religious roots of Buddhism. They were able to trace their religious roots back to Nagvanshis, a group of Buddhist which were descendants of emperor Ashoka, a very notable Buddhist. By doing this it gives them a better course in life that they are unable to pursue in the Hinduism religion. Though the Maharashtra government has not stopped any of them from converting, they fear there will be a backlash due to their previous status in the caste system. Therefore they are keeping an eye on how they are treated by the government and those of different ranks in the society. The Hinduism caste system has been a burden on Hindu society for a very long time. The caste system has done great damage and continues to do so to this day. The caste system is like slavery that existed here in United States many years ago. The caste system divides its people up by their social class, bloodline, and occupation. There are four main caste that are recognized by the Hindu occupations they are, Brahmins (priest), Kshatriyas (warrior class), Vaisyas (merchants), Shudras (servants), and Chandalas (untouchables). Though there are only four levels of the caste system that are recognized, the Chandalas are below all the levels. They are not recognized as anything, they are considered the outcast of their society. The caste system has but limitations on its people of the lower levels. Instead of giving the lower classes a chance to better their lives they exploit them