Truth of Casteism: People claim they are anti-caste but marry within their caste, this is casteism too

Caste plays a vital role in a person's life in India.

In a way, it like religion or gender, though some might disagree.

You may convert to another religion but can you change your caste?

It is not just Hindus, but Muslims and Christians too practice casteism in India.

This cartoon sums up the attitude towards caste in the country.

Everyone you meet keeps saying that 'caste is bad' and the 'caste system hurt India'.

In fact, many even go to the extent of saying that in 21st century, caste is meaningless.

But that's far from truth. Caste is a harsh reality in India.

This cartoon sums it up well. People do claim that they are against caste system and claim that they have never practiced it. But when it comes to marriage, they search for the partner belonging to the same caste.

The fact is that if you search for your partner from the same caste, you are also practicing casteism. You are promoting it, continuing it now and you can't say that you are anti-caste. You may justify but the reality is what it is.

Even in colleges, these days, many youngsters 'fall in love' after identifying person of their own caste. Yes, that's true. Some give the reason that they have to marry the person later and they don't want to irk their parents in old age.

There are several other similar things that are said to justify marriage and love within the caste. Like, 'same culture', 'it will be easy as our traditions are same' and 'lack of opposition from relatives'. But in in the end, it is about  your belief in the caste and practicing casteism. 

Why Yadavas are vilified, made villain so easily: Snatched power in North India, hence media sees 'Jungle Raj' in Yadav ruled UP Bihar

Why Yadavas are made villains so easily and why it is so common to talk about Yadav-raj or use words like Yadav-gardi?

Aren't there other castes, members belonging to different religions and groups, who are powerful and indulge in lawlessness!

On Facebook and social media, people easily dismiss SP or RJD rule as 'Yadav-waad' and post blatantly casteist, anti-Yadav posts.

There must be some reason! After all, why it happens that just three-four Yadavas in an office or appointment of 10% Yadavas [as per their representation] raises issues of 'Yadav-waad'.

That's the caste which changed status quo, snatched power from Upper Castes in entire North India--UP & Bihar. The Upper Castes are out of power since 1989 in UP-Bihar.

If you see it in this context, you will realise, why Yadav is the villain. Muslims were already out of power structure. The powerful Brahmin-Kshatriya-Bania and Kayastha leaders are no longer holding the reins.

But they still dominate mainstream media. Some of our 'intellectual friends' would say, 'Yadav to waise hi dabang jaati rahi hai...'.  Yes, they would say it and you can't expect anything better.

Casteism blinds us to such an extent that when all 185 persons belonging to Upper Castes are appointed in a single institution in UP, it never leads to the charge of casteism.

Your personal feelings about SP, RJD apart, they have been a power, and have changed power equilibrium in North India. Hence, they will be villains.

This is the main reason Lalu Yadav is hated by the influential section of media. And also, why it becomes 'Jungle-Raj' so easily in UP or Bihar, but Gujjar agitations in Haryana, Patidar movement in Gujarat or Vyapam killings MP will never make it 'Jungle Raj'.

Media indifference towards Delta Meghwal's murder: Criminal silence over Dalit girl's rape, killing in Rajasthan

A teenaged girl was found dead in suspicious circumstances in a college in Rajasthan.

Subsequently, it was found that she had been raped before she was killed. All attempts were made by the local authorities to suppress the information and hush up this case.

The girl's name is Delta Meghwal. But the shocking case has still not drawn the attention of 'national media', seven days after the incident.

This is despite the fact that soon after her death, it was clear that there was an attempt to manipulate and conceal the facts surrounding her death.

It was also felt that the college management and the influential persons were trying to save the culprits. It was clearly a case of collusion.

Rajasthan is not far from Delhi. Yet, for national media it was not a major news. Why? On one hand, protests were held in Rajasthan and other states, media remained indifferent.

Delta was just 17. She had left her home and dreamt of becoming a teacher. A painter, she was a felicitated by none other than the chief minister for her talent. A college instructor (PT) is suspected to be involved in the crime.

The teenaged girl had been given the task to clean the teacher's room, once again showing how Dalit students are made to suffer in 'institutions of learning'. The warden had sent her to clean the PT instructor's room. There, she was allegedly raped. 

INSENSITIVE MEDIA IGNORES 

After death, the body was taken away in a garbage collecting tractor. That's the level to which the institution stooped down, to.

For days there was no action. A latest report suggests that he has now been held.

Once again it seems to be an institutional murder. The Jain college where the incident occurred, its management, warden, all those must face the law.

The failure of media to highlight the case, in fact, ignoring the news, is similar to its role during the death of Rohith Vemula, the PhD scholar, who was harassed and had to end his life in Hyderabad, recently.

Clearly, Indian media that has an obsession with rich and famous, needs to introspect that why it is so casteist, anti-Dalit and anti-poor.

Caste killings in Southern India: Dalit man butchered for marrying Upper caste girl in Tamil Nadu

In a horrific incident, a man was killed in Tamil Nadu, as he had married an Upper caste girl.

The victim--Sankar, 21, was attacked with knives on the street, in broad daylight. He succumbed to the injuries.

Sankar had married Kausalya, 19, nearly eight months ago. He belonged to Pallar caste, and came from a poor family.

However, the girl's family was upset with the wedding, as they belonged to 'Upper Caste'. On Sunday, assailants came riding motorcycles and attacked the couple.

Both of them were injured in the attack. However, Sankar was brutally attacked and he died because of the injuries. His wife is undergoing treatment.

The incident occurred in full public view. However, no one could dare intervene or stop the attackers, who killed Shankar and then sped off.

The deceased's kin told journalists that Sankar had been receiving threats from the girl's kin as they were not happy with the marriage. It was a love marriage.

Even fifteen days ago, he had reportedly been threatened. Kausalya had refused to go back to her parents.

The couple had gone for shopping today when they were attacked. The police have begun investigation and hunt is on for the killers.

Inter-caste marriages often lead to violence and killings as Upper Caste families resent such marriages.

Though North India, particularly, Western UP and Haryana are notorious for casteist killings including honour killings, such incidents are often reported from Southern India too.

Photo courtesy: Hindustan Times
Link and photo: TheNewsMinute

Caste discrimination, untouchability in India: Dalit boy not allowed water from school hand pump, goes out to well, falls and dies

In a horrific incident that reveals the extent of caste-based discrimination in India, a school boy died due to 'untouchability' practiced in his school.

The Dalit boy was not allowed to take water from the hand pump in the school.

Hence, he went out to the well. Being a kid, he couldn't fetch the water alone, and slipped into the well.

The child got drowned. Still, it took a long time before teachers could come out and try to rescue him. The body was recovered later.


The boy--Viren, was a student of IIIrd standard. The small boy had to go out of school to quench his thirst because scheduled caste (SC) students still face casteist discrimation.

He couldn't get water from the well as he was all alone then, accidentally falling into the well.
The heart-rending incident has occurred in Bundelkhand region in Madhya Pradesh.

Now, the entire school staff has been suspended by the authorities. But can the boy's life be brought back? No. Damoh is among the districts that are notorious for casteism and apartheid with lower castes.

1. SEE LINK to the STORY
2. PHOTO OF KIN CARRYING THE KID'S BODY, THE NEWS LINK TOO

[Representative image, photo courtesy: http://www.adpulp.com/no-place-is-safe-from-corporatization]

Caste discrimination lead to religious conversion in Pakistan: Dalit Hindu converts to Sikhism to escape oppression, says BBC report

Shocking it may seem but caste discrimination exists among Hindus in Pakistan.

The extent is such that people are forced to covert to other faiths.

Tharpakar district in Pakistan has a large Hindu population.

Here, Dalits claim that they face discrimination and are forced to lead their lives like second class citizens.

They allege that measures for uplift of Hindus mostly end up helping the Upper Castes.

The lower castes don't have equal rights and face misbehaviour--not allowed to enter temples with Upper Caste Hindus and can't eat with them. Nukhbat Malik has reported it for BBC from Pakistan.

"Hasanand was a Dalit who converted to Sikhism along with his family to escape the brutal casteist apartheid. He has now taken a new name, Jagjit Singh", says BBC report.

"I don't want to leave this place and want to live like a rebel here. My children are sastisfied that they would not have to suffer insults and though I am termed son of Meghwal caste, they would be known as son of Sardar", he says.

Dalit activists also say that the situation is bad for the community as Dalits are socially backward and economically weak. An activist is quoted as saying that the threat to them is not from Muslims but from Upper Castes.

[Photo courtesy BBC.com] Read the report in Hindi on BBC website. READ

READ: Tharpakar, Hindu majority district in Pakistan