To, the Youth for Equality.
This is addressed to all those who claim to be the fighting for equality in India.
A Dalit in a village in Rajasthan was happy and excited as he was getting married that day. His family too was excited. They thought having the groom on a horse would be more fun, in a traditional sort of way. The news reached the upper caste people of the village. They reached the place in numbers and forcefully made the groom climb down from the horse. This was as supposedly lower castes didn't have the right to climb a horse for marriage. The groom and his family were threatened against approaching the police. They still did. The police filed a complaint according to the Scheduled castes and tribes Act. This led to a boycott of the community by everyone else in the village. They are not allowed to have anything from the shops. They are not allowed to have water from the 4 tankers in the village. The family has continuous police protection around their house fearing an attack. But the family is still under fear as there are threats that they will be attacked.
I've not made this up. I saw this report on NDTV today. This is the reality of India. Nobody believes that casteism exists. But it does. Not only in villages where it is present in it's open form but also in cities where it is in a subtle form. I think the fact that the groom had a horse means that they were not the poorest financially. But do you see what happens? Do you think their children will be growing up with the same atmosphere as an upper caste guy of the same economic background? People even in Mumbai still ask the caste of a person, and not only in colleges and offices. In friends, that is when the Brahmin guy says proudly that he is a Brahmin; the Kshatriya says proudly that he was a warrior. And the scheduled caste guy…well I would let you think what happens to him. Many… many people are out on the streets against reservations…agreed. But does that make them right? Do they see the other side of the picture? I agree maybe the marks of the reserved category guy are lesser than the open guy, but that's not because of lesser merit but the circumstances. And do not talk of financial conditions please as I have already made my point. I request all my reservation protesting friends to please see the bigger picture and not get affected by the emotional power of the anti reservation wave.
I would request the youth for equality to do something about the plight of the family in Rajasthan. I hope you fight for equality on both sides. Another thing I would want to you to look into now that you are in such great strength all over India is the 100% reservation of Brahmins in the occupation of priesthood and the 100% reservation of the lowest classes in the occupation of sweepers, sewage cleaners and garbage collectors. There should be equality in representation, don't you think?
A Dalit in a village in Rajasthan was happy and excited as he was getting married that day. His family too was excited. They thought having the groom on a horse would be more fun, in a traditional sort of way. The news reached the upper caste people of the village. They reached the place in numbers and forcefully made the groom climb down from the horse. This was as supposedly lower castes didn't have the right to climb a horse for marriage. The groom and his family were threatened against approaching the police. They still did. The police filed a complaint according to the Scheduled castes and tribes Act. This led to a boycott of the community by everyone else in the village. They are not allowed to have anything from the shops. They are not allowed to have water from the 4 tankers in the village. The family has continuous police protection around their house fearing an attack. But the family is still under fear as there are threats that they will be attacked.
I've not made this up. I saw this report on NDTV today. This is the reality of India. Nobody believes that casteism exists. But it does. Not only in villages where it is present in it's open form but also in cities where it is in a subtle form. I think the fact that the groom had a horse means that they were not the poorest financially. But do you see what happens? Do you think their children will be growing up with the same atmosphere as an upper caste guy of the same economic background? People even in Mumbai still ask the caste of a person, and not only in colleges and offices. In friends, that is when the Brahmin guy says proudly that he is a Brahmin; the Kshatriya says proudly that he was a warrior. And the scheduled caste guy…well I would let you think what happens to him. Many… many people are out on the streets against reservations…agreed. But does that make them right? Do they see the other side of the picture? I agree maybe the marks of the reserved category guy are lesser than the open guy, but that's not because of lesser merit but the circumstances. And do not talk of financial conditions please as I have already made my point. I request all my reservation protesting friends to please see the bigger picture and not get affected by the emotional power of the anti reservation wave.
I would request the youth for equality to do something about the plight of the family in Rajasthan. I hope you fight for equality on both sides. Another thing I would want to you to look into now that you are in such great strength all over India is the 100% reservation of Brahmins in the occupation of priesthood and the 100% reservation of the lowest classes in the occupation of sweepers, sewage cleaners and garbage collectors. There should be equality in representation, don't you think?
Comments
Hmmm, I think you have a very fair point there against all of us who want reservation based on economic condition instead of caste. Food for thought. Good one.
To confused-First of all, the case shows a lot of things as I look at it,
1.That casteism isn't actually out of people's minds. So nobody can deny that it no longer exists.
2.Nobody said reservations are the only way to destroy this caste monster. It needs social reforms, it needs a social change that condemns casteism as much as racism is condemned all over the world. Sadly that's more difficult coz caste has become a part of the religious beliefs. Reservations have done too much still.They have let the downtrodden have a voice, stand on the same ground as others. The former president of India, K.R.Narayanan was a dalit.
The vice-chancellor of Mumbai university was from a scheduled caste. These people would have been nowhere probably cleaning gutters or something if there were no reservations. It is just a help to bring them towards an equal ground, it is not final solution, just a part of it.
3.It shows how sad the situation is that people from all over India are fighting against something for helping that poor kid in Rajasthan but no one says anything against casteism in the name of equality. I would really like to see such an agitation against this kind of unequality. It's sad when people say there is no casteism in India anymore and cite it a reason against reservations.It's just ignorance.
4. This also strengthens my argument that reservations should be caste based, and not on economic condition.
So I think this case doesn't weaken but strengthens my argument.
About the Jat thing, it is sad. There is corruption in everything in India. It's ok if we fight against such injustice but why punish the deserving for something the not deserving have done?
That's my stance.
So, isn't it valid in all walks of life. Dude, its flawed if one says first let everyone change their behaviour and then we will let go of equality norms. What is ingrained in people will take time to be erased, it will take a long time. It will change with education and development. But trying to do it at the cost of snubbing a equally competent man is not done man!
You spoke of equality, that's what everyone's speaking of too.
Coming to the point of the dalit. Yes, thats unfair. But hey education can change all that. Let everyone get educated all those social stigma's that you are talking about will change.
And your post is veering way out of context. Dude, there is an issue here. Stick to it. If you speak of the bigger picture then one would have to generalize everything.
And get your facts right. 100% priests are not Bhrahmin's. Tamil Nadu, AP, J&K, HP and even rajasthan have priests from various communities. Again, 100% sweepers is not true. UP, AP and TN again are having bhramins taking up sweeping jobs.
See, if you get down to these small details, the issue gets diluted. The basic stance of anti-reservationists. Have reservations. But never let any "one" well-to-do person who has the access to the best of education be treated to undue advantage because of caste.
Now, if you want redemption to every injustice meted out then man, its going to get us no where.
I think its way over time that we come out of mental cobwebs such as casteism..
You say equality shouldn't take place at the cost of an equally competent man. fair enough. but what about those from the 'lower castes' who are equally competent and without reservations they wouldn't get a fair chance.
What you say is right, education does seem to be the solution and that's what these peole want. reservations are just there so that they get an equal chance of education. Nobody's asking for a lower cut-off or anything. It's just that some seats are kept to be filled with the downtrodden.
You say it's gonna take time to rid of such mentality and you are ready to wait for that but when it comes to reservations everybody is up saying it's being going on for way too long.
ok, even if we agree the states you mentioned have got priests of other castes isn't that bad that there only these many. It does show that there is are still reservations in that regard. About the sweeper thing, I did see the news report that some higher castes are taking up sweeping but that is such a big deal coz they didn't till now.And only a few have just started, maybe they will be shunned by their community...who knows. it doesn't signify the change in mindset.
The other factor that I have already mentioned is the fact that caste discrimination takes place across all financial levels.
And any ways, I've seen the majority of people out there who are against reservations as a whole. That is the basic point I'm against.
If you are not against it, great I'd have nothing else to argue about.
ButI think you should decide what you wanna say. there are many points where you seem to be completely against reservations.
Now are you are you not?
And you think without any redemption, with injustice still happening, going ahead would take us somewhere?
85% politicians are from reserved castes. 100% policies favour reserved castes. What else is left to be redeemed?
As I posted at atlantean's blog, there is nothing that will come out of thses protests. You still have the quota raised, will do so in future till there are no seats left in open quota.
The only rationale that i get from these pro-quota bloggers - we have been fucked for some time now, so ballz to all the maturity, intelligence and education. Now its our turn, so we will fuck everyone else now.
Go ahead man. Do it. Its been this way for 60yrs and lets keep it going forever.
I don't see any place for reason and logic in this argument when the boldest of the statements by anti-reservation guys is never ever being understood.
For the record and one last time - WE ARE NOT AGAINST RESERVATIONS. hAVE 50% RESERVATIONS, BUT ONLY FOR THE ECONOMICALLY DOWNTRODDEN PEOPLE. NOT FOR FILTHY RICH RESERVED CASTES.
Man, if you can understand this one point above, just this one point and nothing else, we would consider all the hue and cry worthy of it.
And please don't talk of maturity, intelligence or education, they don't suit you you might try ignorance, greed, selfishness though.
So you think 60 years is too long. I hope you are this agitated about casteism being there for this long. But I am sure you would not be.
They are not gonna be forever just till everyone's on an equal playing field.
"85% politicians are from reserved castes. 100% policies favour reserved castes. What else is left to be redeemed?"
Don't quote from Stupid statistics.com and about your question, did you not read my post at all?
About your argument,(again?? you didn't read my post, did you?)Discrimination is not done according to economic status but according to caste.
If you can understand this I will consider writing it in my post, my comment before and again now to be justified.
Most of these points I've already mentioned, I request you to read the earlier comments before commenting.
Another thing, Although you want to say that you are not completely against reservations. you know inside you are,don't you?
All your arguments point to that.
Ok there are people(like confused) who are not completely against but you are as much as you may deny.
@Atlantean & adi- Point taken. Now where's my thanda?
Adi, it was just my interpretation of a fact. Coz when people think of people who need reservations they think of people who are so poor that they have trouble feeding themselves. They can't accept the fact that money is no barrier to caste discrimination(see above).
Pranay and Ravi, chill out guys :) After all, it's just a debate, not a war. As Advitiya said, nothing is going to come out of this. And I'm tired of it.
Peace. World peace :)
As Atlantean said, World peace.