The recent agitation of
Patidars in Gujarat for inclusion of their caste in the OBC category is another
example of how improvement of financial status of backward communities (due to
reservation or no reservation) is seen as a threat to the dominant castes of the
society.
The reservation has helped improve many socially backward people earn respect and dignity by allowing them easier access to good education and strengthening them politically. When a section of the society, which has been for ages used as a cheap source of labour to do all the ‘dirty’ works by high and mighty of the society, began to assert itself, it is natural for the privileged class to feel threatened.
The anger against reservation is only an excuse for the society that had prospered for ages by exploiting these people to stop the upward movement of the depressed class in the economic and social order.
A lot of the hatred for the likes of Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Yadav or Mayawati stems from the fact that they are from a society who were ‘destined’ to do small works and not rule the enlightened upper castes, who were born with the holy mandate rule.
Unlike the popular belief, caste biases are not just in the rural areas, they are very much there in cities, but in different forms. There the lower castes are not treated violently but are made to realise rather subtly their origin, background, family profession, etc every now and then.
Every time they argue against the popular discourse of meritocracy, or cultural hegemony of a caste society of the past they would be mocked at by some oblique caste references. If a lower caste senior snubs an upper caste junior, he would be derided (obviously in his absence) by referring to his caste profession.
And don’t forget every time a lower caste individual commits a mistake (even if it is a harmless mistake), it is attributed to his background (read caste). So, a Yadav is not expected to sound intelligent, a Dalit is not expected to be fair-complexioned and a Harijan woman is not expected to resist advances from upper-caste men.
The flawed argument of meritocracy against reservation belies the truth on the ground. How, do you expect a lower caste student, who is asked to clean the toilet and floor of the school, to have the confidence and dignity to compete with another kid of his class with whom he is not even supposed to share food?
When I was in college, I remember a friend of mine from Rajput community making a comment—agar shudra aurat ke ch*** mein Rajput ka virya jaye toh woh aurat shuddh ho jaati hai (a dalit woman should consider herself fortunate if a Rajput man has sex with her). He was referring to an affair of a Rajput boy with a Dalit girl. His comment can also be seen as a justification of a rape of Dalit woman by a upper caste man.
I would quote another instance that shows how insensitive (upper caste) men can be towards lower caste people (especially women). This journalist (a Brahmin) from one of the oldest English dailies in the Lucknow was telling this to another journalist (again a Brahmin): “Humare gaon men kehte hain ki chamarin ko ch**ne se peeth ka dard kam ho jata hai (There’s a saying in our village that if you f*** a Dalit woman, you would be cured of your back pain)”.
These are not just sexist ‘jokes’ but are proof of deep caste biases and insensitiveness towards lower castes. Don’t forget how people mock at Mayawati for her looks, her sense of dressing and even the handbag that she carries. Don’t tell me such contempt has nothing to do with her caste background.
Another example of animosity towards lower caste in our society is proven by the massacres of Dalit by private army of upper caste land lords (Rajput and Bhumiyar) in Bihar. Recently, a sting operation by a news portal revealed some big political names (Murli Manohar Joshi, Yashwant Sinha, etc) not only gave patronage to this private army, but also ensured that all of them (arrested for the killings) escape any harsh punishment.
Recently, a Khap panchayat in Uttar Pradesh announced that two Dalit girls be gang raped because their brother eloped with an upper caste woman. I wonder if a higher caste woman would be subjected to similar punishment.
Such is the rigid caste structure of the society that even institution likes police and judiciary refuse to give justice to those victimised by caste discriminations and violence.
Caste discriminations are real, not just in rural India but also in cities, where the discrimination would be more subtle. Reservation has given both political and economical support to the lower castes, who have been exploited for ages.
The call for end of reservation would keep increasing—helped by the noises created by high and mighty of the society—journalists, economists, academicians, and educated modern day youth—many of whom are probably sitting in places because of some connection, ancestry or power of money.
They forget the ‘reservation’ of ancestry and lineage is more detrimental to meritocracy than reservation to the exploited section of the society.
The reservation has helped improve many socially backward people earn respect and dignity by allowing them easier access to good education and strengthening them politically. When a section of the society, which has been for ages used as a cheap source of labour to do all the ‘dirty’ works by high and mighty of the society, began to assert itself, it is natural for the privileged class to feel threatened.
The anger against reservation is only an excuse for the society that had prospered for ages by exploiting these people to stop the upward movement of the depressed class in the economic and social order.
A lot of the hatred for the likes of Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Yadav or Mayawati stems from the fact that they are from a society who were ‘destined’ to do small works and not rule the enlightened upper castes, who were born with the holy mandate rule.
Unlike the popular belief, caste biases are not just in the rural areas, they are very much there in cities, but in different forms. There the lower castes are not treated violently but are made to realise rather subtly their origin, background, family profession, etc every now and then.
Every time they argue against the popular discourse of meritocracy, or cultural hegemony of a caste society of the past they would be mocked at by some oblique caste references. If a lower caste senior snubs an upper caste junior, he would be derided (obviously in his absence) by referring to his caste profession.
And don’t forget every time a lower caste individual commits a mistake (even if it is a harmless mistake), it is attributed to his background (read caste). So, a Yadav is not expected to sound intelligent, a Dalit is not expected to be fair-complexioned and a Harijan woman is not expected to resist advances from upper-caste men.
The flawed argument of meritocracy against reservation belies the truth on the ground. How, do you expect a lower caste student, who is asked to clean the toilet and floor of the school, to have the confidence and dignity to compete with another kid of his class with whom he is not even supposed to share food?
When I was in college, I remember a friend of mine from Rajput community making a comment—agar shudra aurat ke ch*** mein Rajput ka virya jaye toh woh aurat shuddh ho jaati hai (a dalit woman should consider herself fortunate if a Rajput man has sex with her). He was referring to an affair of a Rajput boy with a Dalit girl. His comment can also be seen as a justification of a rape of Dalit woman by a upper caste man.
I would quote another instance that shows how insensitive (upper caste) men can be towards lower caste people (especially women). This journalist (a Brahmin) from one of the oldest English dailies in the Lucknow was telling this to another journalist (again a Brahmin): “Humare gaon men kehte hain ki chamarin ko ch**ne se peeth ka dard kam ho jata hai (There’s a saying in our village that if you f*** a Dalit woman, you would be cured of your back pain)”.
These are not just sexist ‘jokes’ but are proof of deep caste biases and insensitiveness towards lower castes. Don’t forget how people mock at Mayawati for her looks, her sense of dressing and even the handbag that she carries. Don’t tell me such contempt has nothing to do with her caste background.
Another example of animosity towards lower caste in our society is proven by the massacres of Dalit by private army of upper caste land lords (Rajput and Bhumiyar) in Bihar. Recently, a sting operation by a news portal revealed some big political names (Murli Manohar Joshi, Yashwant Sinha, etc) not only gave patronage to this private army, but also ensured that all of them (arrested for the killings) escape any harsh punishment.
Recently, a Khap panchayat in Uttar Pradesh announced that two Dalit girls be gang raped because their brother eloped with an upper caste woman. I wonder if a higher caste woman would be subjected to similar punishment.
Such is the rigid caste structure of the society that even institution likes police and judiciary refuse to give justice to those victimised by caste discriminations and violence.
Caste discriminations are real, not just in rural India but also in cities, where the discrimination would be more subtle. Reservation has given both political and economical support to the lower castes, who have been exploited for ages.
The call for end of reservation would keep increasing—helped by the noises created by high and mighty of the society—journalists, economists, academicians, and educated modern day youth—many of whom are probably sitting in places because of some connection, ancestry or power of money.
They forget the ‘reservation’ of ancestry and lineage is more detrimental to meritocracy than reservation to the exploited section of the society.
