How India and Caste are inseparable

Let’s address the elephant in the room. Caste would still exist even if the Mughals or the British Empire hadn’t set their feet in India. The British merely exploited what was already there to their advantage. That’s classic British: divide and rule.

History is convoluted; the narrative keeps changing depending on whoever is in power. There are many independent observations by travelers. They had witnessed caste discrimination taking place and noticed a visible yet rigid hierarchy that favored some and excluded the majority. It proves that the caste system was in place before the invaders arrived.

Perhaps the most significant example is genetic mixing. According to 2013 and 2019 research studies, endogamy (marrying within groups) increased 2000 years ago. What caused this shift? Manusmriti, a Brahmanical text that solidified the rigid ranks, was written and was being practiced in the same period. What started as a metaphorical distinction of work turned into an inescapable hierarchy.

The result is that people were assigned work by caste, and marriages happened within the groups. Manusmriti codified who should marry whom, what the punishment was based on caste, what pure and impure occupations were, and discouraged intercaste marriages. This is the reason why there is no diversity in genes.

Coming to the 21st century, although there are laws that protect Schedule Caste (SC) people, crimes against them are increasing year after year. In 2023, there were more than 57,000 crimes registered against SCs. In the same year, there were 2835 rape cases recorded against SC women. And every day more than 11 SC girls are raped in India.

Casteism doesn’t stop there. People who feel pride in their caste take it to the communities, political rallies, movies, family gatherings, and even to the workplaces. Caste tags are boasted in their usernames, on number plates, and while introducing themselves.

Why, despite the laws and years of education, does casteism still prevail? Why is there so much pride in something you didn’t achieve, or rather, you happened to be born into? Will there ever be an end to it?

Caste is a social fabric of Indian society. There is no getting away from it. It is so innate that it influences how you think, how you function, and with whom you talk. It also influences politics, entertainment, and friendships.

Politicians appeal to their caste members so that they could win. They make promises and give lengthy, boring speeches about how grateful they are to be born in this caste. Caste fanatics cannot see what is obvious. They cast their vote for a guy who shares a caste name rather than who makes the society a better place.

Of course, politicians want to stay in power. They will play caste and identity politics. Representing minorities isn’t the issue. Keeping them where they are and profiting off them for your benefit is the problem. When you can genuinely lift them up, and not doing so is a serious crime.

When we talk about caste, the obvious question upper-caste people ask is, why not abolish caste reservations? Why should I pay the price for what my ancestors did? Those are genuine and valid questions. Let’s talk about them one by one.

First, America is a land of opportunities. Indians rally up to pursue education and careers in the USA. It might come as a surprise, but California is the first state to ban caste discrimination. Clearly, there is no caste-based reservation, and everyone is treated as equal. If reservations are the reason for you to discriminate against SC and ST people, and they don’t exist in the US at all, then why discrimination? It shows that casteism is in the blood.

Second, limiting reservations to people who have already benefited from the system is usually debated among intellectuals. Some suggest removing them for families who benefited more than 3 times. That’s a valid point. But are politicians ready to do it?

Obviously, they lose votes, and opposition parties promise they will keep reservations in place. Your party loses when you are trying to make something revolutionary. And reservations are not equally distributed either. Benefitted ones are getting to benefit again, leaving out the unbenefitted one.

Reservations are complex. More than 70% of Scheduled Caste people work as landless laborers in India. Although making up 32% of the population, SC people don’t own any land in Punjab. Historically, they are denied owning land. And land is concentrated in a few upper-caste individuals.

I am starting to understand that reservations are not for education or jobs. It is about representing minorities who have been marginalized for centuries. You cannot uplift them in a decade or two. In spite of having a platform to rise above ground, they still face discrimination every day.

This reminds me of what Thomas Sowell, an American economist, said: affirmative action or reservations will cause resentment in people who belong to groups that don’t receive them. This is so true. I often see my relatives talk about it. They are so visceral.

The American and Indian perspectives look the same. But SCs have been detained from growth for at least 1500 years. When caste is the very social fabric of the society, without reservations for the poor and disadvantaged, it is impossible to rise to the top and have a life. Because at every point, there will be someone to stop them. Why do you think they sell land to a Dalit who they hate to the core?

I think we should be empathetic and compassionate in general. I know the feeling of not getting a seat in a government college despite scoring a good rank. Someone with a reservation got it. But I had a lot of options in my life. For that person, it might be the only option.

The moment we start seeing SCs, STs, and other minorities as fellow humans, caste dies by itself. When you are filled with hatred and feel superiority for an imaginary caste, everyone below looks dehumanized. Take out the caste lens and put on the humanity lens. Life gets so much better.

As long as caste pride and grandiosity exist, we will see more discrimination cases every year. I am hopeful that at least future generations see through this shit and reject it. I am also skeptical that there won’t be any change. For most, caste is their identity. I hope they open their eyes.