The saying ‘don’t judge the book by its cover’ is passé. Award-winning Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut has updated it. Now we should say, ‘don’t judge a book by a tweet’. The book in question here is Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, by Pulitzer-winning African-American journalist Isabel Wilkerson, which Oprah Winfrey sent to 500 American CEOs and leaders. Kangana Ranaut’s response to the book was not only ill-informed because she based it on a tweet, but was classic upper caste obfuscation that many Indians are hard-wired with.
Kangana Ranaut is an upper caste Indian like many others – Shashi Tharoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Nitin Gadkari – who say they believe in a casteless society and are caste-blind. They say with pride that they don’t recognise caste. This is the same mentality that forces you to look at the BJP’s politics as patriotic and the Congress as a national party, but the BSP, the SP and the RJD are labelled ‘casteist’ parties.
But every upper caste Indian’s rejection of caste is basically rejection of caste-based discrimination, a cloak used to cover up the atrocities that mostly go unreported unless they involve heinous acts such as public flogging in Gujarat’s Una. The oft-repeated claim that caste “has been rejected by modern Indians”, as Kangana said in one of her tweets, is a convenient assertion only found in privileged upper caste circles whose members begrudge the reservation system. A look at some of Kangana’s tweets shows what most upper caste Indians believe.
1. Cast (sic) system has been rejected by modern Indians, in small towns every one knows it’s not acceptable anymore by law and order its nothing more than a sadistic pleasure for few, only our constitution is holding on to it in terms of reservations…
2. Especially in professions like Doctors engineers, pilots most deserving people suffer reservations, we as a nation suffer mediocrity and brilliance finds a reluctant escape to The United States. Shame
3. Cast (sic) in Hinduism supposed to be your Guna/Quality not your identity, I am born to fight, I can handle pressure I suppose I have good leadership qualities I do believe my gunas are of a Kshatriya, most members in my family don’t feel the same, I am Bhartiya that’s my only identity.
4. …there are many ways of uplifting the oppressed other than gifting them the ranks they don’t qualify for, learn to earn your worth that’s what I stand for, reservation works on the same law as nepotism, undeserving gets the job cos of which Nation suffers, SIMPLE.
5. …let’s establish a system which makes our Nation the best, if you wanna talk about individuals I know thousands of Doctors, IAS officers, judges, engineers whose children drive Audi and getting reservations.
Also read: Oprah Winfrey sent a book on caste to 100 US CEOs but Indians still won’t talk about it
The normalisation of denial syndrome
Kangana is amplifying six basic arguments that caste-discrimination deniers make.
1. Caste is a thing of the past and in modern times, Indians do not practise caste.
2. Caste is an issue only where it concerns the reservation policies envisaged in the Indian Constitution.
3. Reservation is against meritocracy and results in brain drain.
4. Reservation is akin to nepotism.
5. Rich people are reaping the benefits of reservation.
6. Caste has nothing to do with one’s identity. It is related to one’s qualities (guna).
Kangana has stated the commonly held beliefs of the upper caste people who are opposed to the idea of egalitarianism and the constitutional idea of reservation in jobs and education. Children in upper caste families grow up listening to these ideas from their elders. These ideas become their pool of knowledge. They normalise such ideas by repeating them among their peers, and they do it because this is an integral part of their primary socialisation — rejection of caste to project oneself as ‘modern’. It is not a surprise that Kangana said these things. To the best of her knowledge, she is saying the “truth”.
It is also true that she or her parents or her relatives might not have killed or raped or discriminated against lower caste people. So, why should she own the blame for the horror that India’s caste system brings to millions of people? In one of her tweets, she asks if she should take revenge on every man because women have been discriminated against for centuries.
If Kangana had bothered to first read Isabel Wilkerson’s book, she might not have said such things regarding caste and reservation.
Also read: Why upper castes polish shoes or sweep roads when protesting quota for Dalits and OBCs
Quota, a support system
In her book, Wilkerson tells us a story of an old house, which looks perfect from the outside but when checked with infrared guns, scores of cracks and ruptures appear. She narrates the story of the house – “Many people may rightly say, ‘I had nothing to do with how this all started. I have nothing to do with the sins of the past. My ancestors never attacked indigenous people, never owned slaves. And, yes. Not one of us was here when this house was built. Our immediate ancestors may have had nothing to do with it, but here we are, the current occupants of a property with stress cracks and bowed walls and fissures built into the foundation. Unaddressed, the ruptures and diagonal cracks will not fix themselves. The toxins will not go away but, rather, will spread, leach, and mutate, as they already have’.” She argues that there is a problem in the house and that needs to be fixed.
In the case of India, reservation in jobs and educational institutions is only one of the mechanisms to fix the problem of the system of caste-based discrimination. It might not have fixed the problem of upper caste hegemony and might not have delivered the desired results. But to do away with the reservation will be akin to removing the ventilator of the patient, without making any alternative arrangement.
And yet Kangana and others will continue to oppose the reservation system — though you won’t hear them say anything against the Narendra Modi government’s 10 per cent quota for the upper castes.
Also read: Not a single Dalit in 60% of Kolkata’s neighbourhoods. How caste divides Indian cities
The invisible privilege
But if Kangana is unable to see the problems of the caste system, then it is not entirely her fault. It is an invisible knapsack of power and privilege that is passed down from one generation to another. Caste works like an invisible code or, as Wilkerson says, like the grammar that “we encode as children, as when learning our mother tongue. Caste, like grammar, becomes an invisible guide not only to how we speak, but to how we process information, the autonomic calculations that figure into a sentence without our having to think about it.” Or as feminist author Peggy McIntosh argues, while discussing White privilege, that it’s like “an invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was ‘meant’ to remain oblivious. (It) is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools, and blank checks.”
Although, in India, the caste system many times works in a very crude, raw and violent manner. Cases of caste atrocities abound, especially in rural and semi-urban settings. But in the case of NRIs, urban Indians and Gen X, Y and Z, it works mostly in a subtle manner.
Invisibility of caste makes it more lethal, more dangerous and gives it longevity. As Wilkerson says, it’s in the bones. “Caste is the infrastructure of our divisions. It is the architecture of human hierarchy, the subconscious code of instructions for maintaining, social order.” Caste is not always visible. It’s not required. “They are like the wind, powerful enough to knock you down but invisible as they go about their work.” Just take Kangana for instance. She wields her Rajput identity at will. She did it at the time of the release of her film Manikarnika. In normal times, she acts ‘Indian’ or casteless.
Also read: Lagaan to Dhadak: Bollywood has a Dalit problem and it refuses to fix it
The opportunistic system of caste
Caste system in India asserts itself at opportune moments. For instance, dominant caste groups asserted themselves while opposing the caste census in 2011 or at the time of the enactment of 10 per cent reservation for them in 2019. Once the caste purpose is served, the upper castes recede into hibernation and the caste system suddenly becomes non-existent. When the caste system lies dormant, the dominant groups claim that caste is a “thing of the past” or “caste system exists only in the villages” and so on.
Kangana’s claim of castelessness is fluid. She claims that though she has all the qualities of a Kshatriya, her only identity is that of an Indian. But her claim of castelessness is a privilege only upper caste Indians enjoy. The nomenclature of the general caste in itself is the biggest manifestation of this privilege. Satish Deshpande argues that “the privileged upper castes are enabled to think of themselves as ‘casteless’, while the dis-privileged lower castes are forced to intensify their caste identities. This asymmetrical division has truncated the effective meaning of caste to lower caste, thus leaving the upper castes free to monopolise the ‘general category’ by posing as casteless citizens.”
Wilkerson argues that “caste system works in silence, the string of a puppet master unseen by those whose subconscious it directs, its instructions an intravenous drip to the mind, caste in the guise of normalcy, injustice looking just, atrocities looking unavoidable to keep the machinery humming, the matrix of caste as a facsimile for life itself and whose purpose is maintaining the primacy of those hoarding and holding tight to power.”
This invisibility of caste has made the upper caste Indians oblivious to the horrors the caste system perpetuates. Writer Dhamma Darshan Nigam says that “for such people, manual scavenging is just an occupational hazard and sewer deaths just another occupational fatality. Caste-based atrocities are very normal and Dalit-Bahujan (identity) politics is the worst thing happening to India, caste-based reservation are a loot of national treasures.”
At the time of the last decadal census, a group of upper caste influencers opposed the enumeration of castes, formed a coalition, and named it Meri Jati Hindustani. As if only lower castes have caste identities and all the upper caste people are just Indians and nothing but Indians. They are not Brahmins, not Kshatriyas — regardless of the amount of pride (or hurt) they invoke, regardless of the claims, by Lok Sabha speaker no less, that ‘Brahmins are superior’ — they are just Indians. Kangana should be happy that she is not alone in her utterances regarding castelessness.
The author is the former managing editor of India Today Hindi Magazine, and has written books on media and sociology. Views are personal.
कोई जवाब दें
मुश्किल यह है कि तटस्थ भाव से सोचने का माहौल नहीं रहने दिया जा रहा है। दलितों के मन में घृणा भरी जा रही है।यह उतना ही खतरनाक है जितना कभी दलितों से भेदभाव की भावना रही होगी। सवर्णों से उठकर सामाजिक व धार्मिक विभूतियों ने भूतकाल,में एवं वर्तमान में भी भेदभाव की मुखर आलोचना की जिसका उन्हें विरोध भी झेलना पड़ा ।दलित समाज से ऐसी कोई किरण नजर नहीं आ रही है कि वे इस पर निष्पक्ष विचार कर सकें । इसे सामाजिक समस्या न मानकर राजनीतिक हथियार बनाया जा रहा है ।इसी वजह से दलितों का एक हिस्सा ही उन्नत हो पाया। प्राचीन काल में अपनी आजीविका के कारण अछूत माने जाने वाले आज भी वहीं के वहीं हैं । कहीं कोई मरता या घायल होता या पिटता है तो उसके दलित होने को उभारना फैशन बन गया है चाहे उसके दलित होने का उस घटना से संबंध हो न हो । जहां वास्होतव में होता है वहां से फोकस खत्म हो जाता है।कई बार अत्याचार का कारण गरीबी होता है जाति नहीं । दलितों के समर्थ वर्ग के लोगों को खुद आगे बढ़कर आरक्षण को अपने निचले पायदान के लोगों के लिए छोड़ने की घोषणा कर देनी चाहिए।
This guy shows Mirror to so-called upper-caste people
Hinduism has the highest philosophy – such as Advaita, nirvikalpa samadhi, super-consciousness, ashtanga yoga etc.. It also has the most dismal record of untouchability, in which about 20% of co-religionists / humans were considered so filthy, that even to touch or approach or see them was considered polluting. It is strange how one and the same religion has the full spectrum of highest philosophy and lowest kindness towards fellows. No religion reaches the rarified atmosphere of nirvikalpa samadhi found in Hinduism. Again, no religion reaches the dismal ugly depths of untouchability, condoned by Hinduism. Strange and weird. I can’t figure out the world.
Hinduism is fake religion. They have converted Buddhists temples into Hindu temples and made Buddhists people lower castes and banished them from Buddhists temples.
The oldest Vedic script is mere 500 year old. There is no archeological proof of Hindu religion. Nor the devnagri script in which Hindu scripts are written.
Whole point of Hinduism is caste system. If they ever talk about few good things then that is mere hangover from buddism.
Dear D0G, Ray of despair, this mental disease attacks, when a lost guy like you suddenly knows whom you have known your DAD, is fake, so sad for you,
Indeed it is strange that core of Hinduism teaches that God exists in everyone but unfortunately the same Hindu does not acknowledge God in the Dalit.
Hinduism is practised differently by different people according to their level of knowledge or ignorance. For the common man it is experienced through idol worship in temples and mythological stories. For the followers of advaita vedanta it is all about discovering that consciousness is One through meditation or self-enquiry. For brahmins it is about following the Vedas and prescribed rituals. For hatha yogis it is about reaching the ultimate spiritual state through physical exercises and pranayama.
Hinduism can be very confusing.
Bullshit, read Veda to understand Hinduism, F00L.
In Zen Buddhism the practice of meditation and concept of samadhi is highly developed. Zen shows that core spiritual practices can be practised by anyone and enlightenment can be attained by anyone. Spiritual attainment has nothing to do with your janma, gunas or the caste you were born in. Even performing elaborate rituals and worshipping is pointless.
Merit merit ,which merit .if they were so talented then why they failed to develop Microsoft, Google,you tube and other things of technique in India.you are very cheaper ideological lady.in these days only she wants to show herself bhakht of ruling party nothing more than that.micromax ,and videcon, onida are all Indian companies .does they follow reservation system.why they failed.How many iit professors bags the noble .there is no reservation in iit.any single thing you talented has developed which the world has bought.shamful nothing you could.every strategical industry in India has run with help of RUSSIA,BRITAIN,GERMANY,FRANCE,AMERICA ETC.Xiomi ,redmi,oppo,Samsung,LG are ruling and will rule.86 percent military hardware belongs to foreign origin.now blame it is due to reservation.engine ,radar,x,Ray’s,atomic structure ,periodic table,newton law,Fleming law,bernoulli theorem, telescope,Bulb,battery,electric current,telephone etc were all founded in western world when India was no having reservation.what you did you have here from constitution.where were your ancestors.you people does not have reservation in Bollywood.you too have reservation in Bollywood.so you don’t need to intervene in social matter.india is very complex state.caste system has ruined the life of dalits.every inch of land has been grabbed by so called upper caste.is this not a reservation since centuries.in Punjab upper caste land lords are looting rights of lower caste by grabbing panchyati land every year.billions of doller gold is resting in temples from where that had come.
Dilip Mandal, I have always wondered why the lower castes, especially the Dalits, who were treated extremely badly, never wanted to get out of Hinduism. There were many alternatives – Sikhism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism – but why did they not get out of Hinduism? Can you throw some light on that?
Isnt that how conversions happen?
That Caste system still prevails in India, is a fact…But it is also a fact that it is not as oppressive as it was in the past…. A combination of lot of factors, have reduced the level of oppressiveness…. two major factors …one is the evolution of hindu society itself, where it is wanting to correct itself…. second Reservation system based on Caste…. A system which has been in existence for about 1000 years or more is not something that is going to go away overnight… but yes it has to be fought, every which way that anybody can…. but it is also necessary to review the reservation policy in a manner which will positively benefit the oppressed and benefit the nation….
Parents who consider themselves dalits too should imbue the lessons of success in their children. These are the lessons that upper caste parents routinely teach their children. Since many upper caste parents manage to teach a significant part of these lessons to their kids, a significant number of upper caste kids end up being productive. It goes without saying that they are quite successful too. Those upper caste parents who fail to teach these basic lessons of life rear children who are useless. Look at Rahul Gandhi for example.
It does not matter how dalit you are or how poor. These are lessons that do not require money.
They only require your time, dear dalit parent.
You can still teach your child to
*work hard,
*work diligently,
*work systematically,
8be confident,
*read a lot,
*write a lot,
*be careful to stick to the truth
*learn skills to judge the truth
You attribute the guna/quality of upper caste children because of their parents
I have observed people and colleagues in many workplaces.
Upper caste people suffer from same insecurities as those from lower castes. The upper castes have feelings, they too have jealousy, greed, etc. But given same qualifications for the job, upper castes are socially smarter and more controlled. They certainly know how to navigate the hierarchy because they are socially advanced. I have seen many OBC’s endowed with better cognitive intelligence but they unfortunately don’t focus on presentation and communication skills. The social smartness in upper castes has automatically developed over hundreds of generations because they were the ruling classes, close to the corridors of power and had to impress kings. It’s not because of parents alone, it’s also about the genes.
So the socially backward castes are at a tremendous disadvantage. It may take centuries for them to catch up anywhere near the upper castes. An upper caste person may be economically backward but definitely he or she will never
be socially backward.
So according to you most upper caste people are productive, confident, work hard and smart and speak The truth.
So Lower castes are lazy, unproductive and are not parented to be honest or sincere.
You seem to be expressing disdain for people who perform physical labour and menial jobs. So people who clean your sewage and waste do not know how to do their jobs sincerely. They are doing these jobs because they were not parented well.
Clean your own shit for a day. You will then understand your own holier-than-thou attitude.
Just like casteism in past are loopholes in a house, poverty is a loophole too. 10 % reservation is more for economically weaker peopls than for upper class people.
If there is any selection process in comments, it should be shared.
If reservations should not be there, why don’t we see any non-brahmins as temple priests?
Hmmm…Mr. Tamil-boy, from the state that is also called the birth place of reservation, aka rewarding mediocrity…I think you may want to consider a job that pays at least Rs. 1 lac per month in your reserved category, guaranteeing accelerated promotion plus miscellaneous benefits, etc. than consider getting a meager pay of Rs. 1500 per month that a Brahmin Pujari makes. Imagine having to get up at 4 AM, having to refrain from alcohol and meat. Not for you Mr. Tamil-boy! Quitely take reservation, consume meat, alcohol, vote for DMK every election and be happy with the bones they throw , don’t ever complain about Brahmins, ok ?
Any time someone dares to talk Merit and income level to be the basis of reservation, if at all, these so called brokers jump into maligning and painting these brave voices as castiest.
Author is dilip mondal great grand son of yogendra nath mandal who gave Dalits a caste less country back in 1947 , this dilip mandal is trying to again create a new country for Dalits for their prosperity like his great grandfather. Being dalit by caste is acceptable but being dalit by brain like mandal is not acceptable
Sanadhana Dharma prescribes Castes, based on their origin of parts of the God., And attributes qualities(Gunas) for each four groups. Further, in Geetha, it is clarified that no mixing of castes is allowed, and lower Castes can not attain the Caste Brand, just by becoming expert practioners on the so called ‘Branded’ castes. It further says…it is great sin.
After this political take over, we find many loud voices, in praise of Ram Rajya, Sanadhana Dharma and Manu Needhis and to implement them in running the Government.
Needless to blame, perse, the above Dharmas are bad, there are many noble stories to be followed in individual’s (R) individuals lives. But, let us understand,vthose above Sharma’s basic foundation is Caste based Society, where the Temple Priest is Supreme Human, and rest Soldiers, Kisans, Manual Artisans, Butchers etc., are all to assist him to conduct rituals to please the Gods, so that rain, sun shine, etc., will appear in time. Thus he became the fulcrum of the Society. In the garb of Raj Guru, he even manupilated the mighty Kings to dance as per his tunes, despite, the Manthiris were there. We need not to eloborate the high handed atrocities, these miniscule Caste cimmitted against the Majority Castes, by naming the GOD.
Britishers came….good and bad. The clutches of High Mini Caste got unfolded, by education becoming for public consumption, and various practices were disbanded. We know the prominent Hindu High Caste Leaders of those days, who were against abolition of Devadasi System, Sathi System and Temple Entries by Shudras.
Never ever, these Caste or Mutt Heads had repented for their past atrocities and ask for penance, as worldwide, such penances are being done.
And, they have still have the audacity to bring the old Needhis, without removing the Caste based System.
And, who should bring this except the High Caste Community or various Mutt Heads who command the millions of Hindus..Or the BC, SC ST, communities.?
The present Government who proudly presents Hindutva, can bring legislation in one stroke of pen, to remove the Caste barriers.
Now…this reservation. The argument that merit had been sacrificed at the altar of Best.,is nonsense. I had seen many Brahmins posts that their Jaathy people should not go to a Doctor who came up under reservation. What a mind set…… True, the system is being misused, over stretched, does not reach to the needies. Again, this is the deliberate part of Administration to allow such things to pop up and give a chance to these Upper Class to cry foul.
A Fair Society which want to live in harmony and peace, must ensure the have nots to be treated more fairly than others. One such thing is …. Reservation. Reservation had brought a Rickshaw puller’s, a scavenger’s, a way side vegetable, tea seller’s kids enter into prominent Government Services, and without Reservation, into Country’s top Defence Academies.
Having given a chance to study, they had proved that they are not less than a Brahmin Boy or Girl. And we are finding many blood mixes going on, to the chagrin of some High Priests and Proudy caste leaders. Yes, the Science and Technology is doing the ” unifier”,
Job efficiently.
And, it is better for One India.
As for Brahmins who complain about reservation in education, I tell them they had reserved education to themselves for 5000 years. They never thought about it.
There is a small anomaly in Dilip Mandal’s article. He mentions that Kangana Ranaut, Amitabh Bachchan, and Shashi Tharoor are all upper caste. I would like to point out that Shashi Tharoor belongs to the Nair community which makes him a Shudra.
The Nairs, though not Brahmins, they were in the upper echelon of Kings/Queens administration as Warrior Clans, and at times superceded the Brahmins, in Kerala Dynasties.
Reservation has taken a very communal and nasty turn. It is the Indian version of racism and apartheid. Reservation is not reaching to the needy people. Rich and powerful people and communities have been grabbing the reservation one generation after the another. Earlier the communities which used to give employment to the people are now bagging for the quotas and reservations. The quotas and reservations have crippled the people. All the guotas have been grabbed by Christians, Muslims, Yadavs, Vokkaligas, Lingayats, Marathas, Jatavs, Meenas, Modals, Nadars, Maalas, Nadars, Vanniyars etc. it is against the principles of equality and human rights. This is a repression of general category. Only villagers, soldiers, and the poor should get the reservations.
While most of the debate is on upper caste vs lower caste, there is a new dimension arising out of reservation- large castes versus small castes.
Small castes are those with small populations like below 50,000 – they don’t have any political representation and their vote bank does not count. Large castes which have population running into millions – even though numbers wise they may have large number of economically backward people , still they are not lacking in political representation or access to money, position s and power. Quite a few in these large castes are rich businessmen, powerful politicians and large agriculturists.
Smaller backward castes are completely isolated. If their previous generations are somewhat educated they are able to thrive. If not, theirs is a struggle and they remain perpetually backward as no one even hears their voices.
In America they had slavery that was recognised by the Democratic elected govt and slavery was removed 100 years after formation of United States in fact the blacks got right to vote after 1948 but still in us the y don’t have 85 percent reservation as in India . Other fact is that in India brahmins never ruled even when India got it freedom most of princely stats we’re ruled by king from the classes that have reservations today .or by muslims
85% reservation? Where did you even get that number from? Please check your facts before ranting!
Blacks form only 10-15% of US population. In USA the government has affirmative action programs to increase opportunities for disadvantaged people.
Cast based reservation is reason this cast system is there.. the dag we abolish this cast based reservation we can see fall of cast system
I don’t know how such a crappy and factually incorrect artice got space and published in The Print. In the garb of justifying reservation inter alia, it has concocted the things so as to make its baseless point. This really is misleading to the audience.
You are both right and wrong. It’s a highly grey area and circumstantial. Depends on which side on situation you are in. And EVERY human being is fundamentally selfish in individual capacity including YOU and ME. Caste, religion come afterwards. We tend to utilize what give us bucks and fullfil our other needs. In this case author is utilizing his title to do the same. Infact what you are writing on, needs much more hard work and analysis and can’t be an off the hook article. The print is taking a courageous step giving space to such articles. It has its own risks considering it’s reach, language and reader base. And it may or may not help what it’s trying to achieve with something written under every article.
As usual. Lefties. Want to highlight non muzzies in bad light. You will not succeed.
Such a fake propeganda you are running.
People like you will never let this country to respect the merit.
Why don’t you ask for only free books, good teachers and monetary help, so that poor dalits can perform well and become meritorious instead of having a certificate and killing a merit.
Shame on such a newspaper.
If India will go for a Civil war because of this reservation system then people like you will be responsible for it.
Lol… With such kind of articles I don’t think people would even give you a chavanni!
Haha True – I have just stopped my payments after I ready these regressive articles
Definitely feel this article is written with an agenda
And we love our Queen, Kangana 🙂
No money from my pocket will go to Print for such articles
What she said is correct …. Even though its complicated but this articles logic is big time flawed
dilip mandal, so-called journalist how much did you get paid for writing this instigative crap about kangana? If your pen had any power you could have uncovered the heinous crimes being committed in bollywood today like Mr arnab goswami but no you choose to target kangana with a vengeance! Desirable print, i will never subscribe to an anti national media house like yours.
Does Mr. Arnab Goswami work for free? Mr. Arnab Goswami presents opinions most of the time with a little blending of facts and so does this article. So one opinion is allowed to be expressed but the other should be suppressed.? Perhaps we should be more concerned about being patriots rather than nationalists. Patriots encourage diverse viewpoints and and work to find a common ground. We all suffer from confirmation bias – we try to find views that match our views and seek validation. We are a diverse nation we can and should cover several topics at the same time. All the best to you.
Our small town girl has such large space in a single day. Way to go Kangana! You will be analyzed, ridiculed, judged by some, loved by many.
She got what she deserved. Called herself kshtriya lol. Working in entertainment industry.
Thank you, this is what I knew about her. She is a Hypocrite.
Lol, who is debating on CAST? A Mandal, hardcore castist member of a hate mongering CULT created by vermins like EVR and Ambedkar, who again were specially groomed by Rothschild’s ‘Divide and Rule’ agenda.
Ambedkar, a vermin; Nehru, deshdrohi.
Then who is the ideal being?
Savarkar? Nope, sorry!! ; )
Someone is making an issue of castes. And it’s neither Modi nor BJP for a change.
She started it, you took the bait. Congrats!
You are using Mandal and promoting Mandal caste system.
Print providing column to casteists.
All the above who are supporting the author pl come forward and say what affirmative action u have taken. Do not always blame the so called upper caste. Do ur bit.
Didn’t expect such trolling articles from the Print.
Prime Minister has on many occasion made appeal to people of India to rise above caste based discrimination and politics based on same. But now a days the tendency to divide society on the basis of caste is even more and politically motivated.
Many ills of our Indian society are originated from the caste-system. A lots of people recognize this fact, but there are still a sizeable amount of people who don’t realize how bad it is. Because caste system made one superior and the other inferior. The superior ones have enjoyed the benefits since their birth and it makes them that advantage as birthright. The inferior ones feel the suffering since birth and it makes them feel that it’s their fate. So the statement that we’re all “Indians” or “Bharatiyas” is only a rhetoric, it’s not become a reality yet. When will it become a reality? Only when during marriage Indians simply ignore the caste (and also religion).
How can India become a casteless society? The easiest thing is to start with education system. Make education completely public, and spend all resources in giving the same curriculum with same facilities for all students from classes 1-12. This education must be free, students should get the same free food, same quality of dresses; everything same. There should be no private schools, private tuitioning should be banned. In fact there should be hostel facility for all from class 6. Just think of this: children of Mukesh Ambani, a nameless labourer will get the same education. Or imagine that Kangana Ranaut and Karan Johar getting exactly the same priviledges. Caste system will go away in 15-20 years and it will become history.
Print is using caste to attack kangna sad.looks like they have lot of pressure on them defame her
You are a biased magazine with biased journalists..
Can Mr. Dilip Mandal assure that those who are using caste based reservation DO NOT become upper cause for other underprevilaged?
Can he assure that all the people using reservations use the services of doctors who got their seats in reservation, if they have choice?
Can he show any society without hierarchy?
Can he engage with Ms. Kangana Ranut and people like me for a full scale CONSTRUCTIVE discussion, rather than using old narratives created and maintained by selfish people to divide the society?
Srinivasa K. Rao, Ph.D.
Srao123@gmail.com
All societies have hierarchy, which is inevitable. Problem is, when hierarchy is birth-based, which is what caste is. No use quoting Gita saying that Varna is quality/merit based. Practically no Hindu self-analyses and then CHOOSES to become a Brahmin / Kshatriya / Vaishya / Sudra. All follow only birth-based Varna. Even in ancient times, there were no incidents of people CHOOSING Varna. Except Vishwamitra, there does not seem to be any case of CHOOSING Varna. So Varna is birth-based , despite the high-sounding quality/merti-based concept as it is mentioned in B.Gita. And birth-based Varna is not good. That hierarchy is unnatural, unlike all other hierarchies.
Kangana should have read more about caste before speaking publicly, I was so disappointed to hear her ill informed arguments, or at least she should interact with the kind who read and study more on socio political issues of the country.
Reservation in miss India… what say?
Great article, sensibly and detailed.
This has become a Pattern at Print.Attack everything that is against the Bollywood mafia /Aghadi in the SSR case.
First came the attack on Biharis,then glorifying the mumbai Top Cop, and then pulling Kangana Down.
Meanwhile you have attacked Nitish Kumar,Supported Aghadi..
Good job Print! People can read your behind the scenes nefarious dealings.You have lost many honest readers and will continue to be devoid of monies to keep you going.You are no better than Arnab Goswami.
Without a doubt paid article by a lobby. Were you on drugs when you wrote this ?
Varna system does exist in this country. Although in pre vedic period it was intercovertable. Over period of time it got fixed. Dynasty politics. And when a system get into mediocre thinkers it gets adultrated. But the truth is neither govt promotes it, neither buddha promoted it, neither sai baba promoted, neither adi shankara promoted it, neither nanak promoted it poeple were holding on to it. Neither anybody killed buddha or basavanna or Kabir for speaking against. Unlike other country if anyone speaks against they will issue killing. Neither our scriptures speak about it orbpromote discrimination. Yes definitely one person king akbar did not allow his son to marry anarkali based on discrimination. Probably he promoted it. In India amrapali heard of, disciple of buddha. Tathagat.
Buddha, Sai Baba, Nanak, Basavanna, Kabir – yes, they didn’t promote caste. In fact, most of them were explicitly against caste. But you can’t say that of Adi Sankara. He was clear that Varna system should be followed, based on birth. His works clearly mention that Varna system should be followed. His mutts follow Varna even to this day. You can’t ever find a non-Brahmin in the top Sankaracharya post in any Sankara mutt. In fact, even to this day, Brahmins alone are fed within the premises of Sankara Mutts, while non-Brahmins are fed OUTSIDE the mutt.
How can we abolish something that is not there ? Kangana sees nepotism all around but does not see casteism in India , is that exceptional , you see only what you are affected by .The upper castes are not affected by casteism but are afflicted by reservations so they grumble . Again nothing exceptional .Miss Ranaut is a fine actor , that is great and though many actors take advantage of the public nature of their profession by plunging into politics and making a success of it , i am skeptical of their prowess of to understand social ills or to making any meaningful contribution to ameliorate these . Let actors act and occasionally indulge in electoral politics but let us not take their social views seriously .
Perfect article..and so many comments reflect exactly the same mentality mentioned in the article.
Remember the agenda
1) Keep caste division alive and a burning issue to DIVIDE AND RULE HINDUS.
2) IGNORE THE MASSACRE OF HINDUS IN PAKISTAN BANGLADESH N KASHMIR
3) IGNORE how racism is dividing Christians
4) Ignore how Muslims aren’t SAFE even when they are absolute majority.
5) Ignore how HINDUS ARE REFORMING IN A PEACEFUL WAY VIS A VIS OTHER RELIGIONS.
6) The success of REFORMS WITHIN HINDUS TERRIFIES PROSELYTIZERS AND THEIR PAID MERCENARIES.
Dilip Pandey is the reason why I will never donate to Print.
Mr. Mandal, can you please inform readers of The Print of your indirect and insidious connections to the Pakistan establishment & Chinese Communist Party?
Two articles on Smt Kangana Ranaut in a single day in The Print. Way to go girl!
She’s kumari, not smt.
You are writing against her, because you get feared that it may raise awareness in intelligent Indian youth, but you just want that youth of India always remain divided.
This news channel is very extrimist who just speaks against to only to a few things but close its eyes when comes to look for other side.
No doubt in that reservation is hurting meritorious student, if you dont support merit than please write only a few certificates matter not your marks.
And India had seen a Mandal in 1947, and india dont need another Mandal.
Paid publisist like the print, quint, wire..if you try to kill India you will end up being killed.
Even if u suceed in destroying 10 years or 100 years you will have to pay your bills.
Paid publisist like the print, quint, wire..if you try to kill India you will end up being killed.
Even if u suceed in destroying 10 years or 100 years you will have to pay your bills.
It’s complicated. Some dishonesty is on both sides, but more on the so called upper-caste side. Yes, there is exploitation of the reservation system by most well off “Dalit” families, no doubt, but majority of Dalit families are still struggling to find respect and dignity.
India is a filthy place, definitely the filthiest G20 country, only because most, if not all, “upper caste” Indians believe that cleanliness is NOT their responsibility. They don’t even want to clean their own house and take out their own garbage. WHY? Because someone from the lower caste will come and do it. Caste system is the most evil thing ever designed by any human society, and the results are right in front of you.
Bullshit just like dalits dont spread waste.
India has garbage, litter and spit /paan spots everywhere. It is one of the dirtiest countries in the world.
The reason people behave like this is because they know some lower caste person will always be there to clean it up. There is no respect for workers who deal with waste in this country. And most of the waste pickers are Dalits.
It may happens in your house but not in ours. It just happens because they are there. If in any case there is any upper caste worker same thing will happen & it is not anyone’s responsibility to uplift everybody who comes along.
I am really fed with this whole narrative of being upper caste & all.
It can’t be both ways; if quota is given then it has some basis to it but it must be discussed now & then to improve it.
I agree with the fact that quota should be given to those who need it. But why is that when someone raises point to review it, they all get burn.
& everytime somebody questions the de facto, this whole debate about uppercase being egalitarian starts.
I belong to this so called upper caste & it breaks my heart that everyone is being meseaured with same scale.
Whoever writes these kind of articles is biased because they are writing from their experience.
Because I have never seen anyone write anything good about…………….
Prejudiced
&FYI upper caste have may not have same experiences but they as go through hard times.
Mubarak ho aapko ye intelligence which is hell bent of proving that upper caste is monsters.
& Please know this you are imprinting hate (writer of the article)
That’s like saying “oh nobody has murdered me, so murders dont exist” Kudos to you for being fortunate and privileged that it “never happened in your house.” It never happened in my house either. But privileged people like you and I cannot invalidate sufferings by marginalized communities
i feel you are still living in 1940s
WHY ARE YOU EVEN TAKING HER SERIOUS
“the privileged upper castes are enabled to think of themselves as ‘casteless’, while the dis-privileged lower castes are forced to intensify their caste identities. ” Isn’t Identity politics the reason for this? Isn’t the “dalit pride” columns trying to shift the caste system to find pride in being Dalit instead of abolishing it. I have my reservations about Kangana, but a meritocracy is the ideal place where Dalit, or Brahmin, Hindu or Muslim, will find the most egalitarian treatment. When there will be judgement of a person by the contents of their character, not their caste, skin colour, or religion. I understand that someone will find an upper caste person saying he or she doesn’t see caste is trying to use their privilege. But the goal is what then? Making castes equal or not treating the caste as is. Your idea seems to remind me of Ibram X Kendi’s anti-intellectual rant about being an anti-racist. White Privilege is racists. So is upper-caste privilege casteist. Understanding someone faces prejudice because of their caste, shouldn’t lead to a differential treatment on the other end. Martin Luther King Jr. rolls in his grave whenever we try to find solutions in invoking caste and race instead of abolishing it.
Whatever Kangana or me or any other so called uppper caste person says is immaterial..affirmative action in the form of reservations will continue forever. It will take a few centuries for the deprived castes to catch up. The rest of the points is simply a waste of time.
Why uppercaste people talk of doing away with reservation but not doing away with the caste system entirely? Why cant we just ban caste like we banned Dowry or Sati
Because banning caste is like banning Hinduism. It is the main, indeed only tenet of Hinduism.
Upper caste people would like to abolish reservation, but when it comes to marriage they will never marry a lower caste person.
Casteism is all about believing in the superiority of one’s genes and not wanting to genetically mix with lower castes.
Casteism is also about believing that certain types of professions are superior to others. There is no respect for labour class but priests are to be respected because priesthood is a dignified profession.
The superiority feeling in upper castes also comes from the feeling that God prefers and honours their excellent genetic material.
how can u ban caste,this is a identity ,like sikh jain parsi etc,u can ban untouchability and discrimination,but u cant ban someones identity.
if u r not happy with my identity then ignore why i giveup my identity.
Caste system can be abolished if there is a political will. If there are no caste certificates, how will reservations be given? Like Dowry or Sati or minimum marriage age, some may practice it after being abolished but illegally.
For caste based upliftment, providing the benefits to the women first (or women exclusively) would be better – as they have had to suffer through the worse oppression. It would probably lead to quicker trickling down of benefits to those in worst circumstances, and speed up social justice.
By the way, what is “upper caste” (or that matter “lower caster”)- it seems to be an arbitrary definition, and pressure tactics? And dalit is even more loosely defined (for example there are Christian dalits, arent Christians casteless?)
In today’s world from a tier II city, I was curious out my caste after class XII for the first time. I can assume I was from a privileged background and did not bother, but other students from same privileged backgrounds (with better conveyance than we had and in a better socio-economic status) got more benefits from the ‘system’ (reservation) than I did. The point I intend to make is privilege and caster do not always go hand in hand.