Of late only minor shocks have been inspiring me to write. Not complaining - I could do with any kind of inspiration right now, honestly.
Anyway, it was just another day at the gym last evening when I was chit-chatting (yes, I do that from time to time) with a girl who works out around the same time as I do. Typical getting-to-know-one-and-other conversation until she popped the question:
“Which caste do you belong to?”
Um….I caught myself thinking that this is why I hate chit-chatting. I inhaled and popped right back: “Sorry?”
Bam. The same question again, without batting an eyelid. In all earnestness.
Instead of giving her a piece of my upper caste mind, I told her I belonged to what was considered to be a knowledgeable caste. (I figured I might as well give my caste credit for my expansive knowledge.)
But the real question is what made her ask me that? Why would an educated, aware person (who heads the marketing division in India for a popular international brand, might I add) ask anybody this question? Why indeed? Research, I reckon.
Did she want to make sure I got my caste right in case it is included in the census? Did she have a special list where she told herself that in order to be a secular individual she’d have to befriend a given number of people from all castes, creed and religions?
This has long been a favourite topic of mine. It’s amazing how deep rooted the caste system is in our society. I remember sleeping through most of the social science classes that provided a discourse on this hugely interesting topic. Perhaps that explains my amazement.
Nevertheless, the frequent naps in school notwithstanding, I did manage to understand somewhat that this is a big deal in this country. And like all other “educated” people, I blamed the lack of education for the continued existence of this virtue.
But is that it? Does being educated equate to being free of prejudices? Of course, the educated “class” is far too wise to be that naïve. So why is it still the excuse we use most often?
Just look around you. All of us have prejudices. We all discriminate. But I also think that despite the variety of prejudices, there are some things which are just not acceptable to the majority of the people.
My point is caste doesn’t figure in that list. Despite the shameful history India has when it comes to caste and the fanaticism it generates, educated people too are shackled by it. It’s so commonplace that it doesn’t shock anybody.
The only time people acknowledge it is when the dreaded word reservation crops up (which is once in three to four years, close to or soon after a major election). Parents want to know what caste their kids are marrying into; hell, even school applications require you to mention it. It’s all part of the process.
So are we alright with the process? Should we pause to think why it is still a part of our lives? Or think what we need to do to make sure it isn’t a part of our lives?
On cynical days I tell myself, this is India, what do you expect? On brainstorming days, I think the generations that have already got caste into their system should undergo selective lobotomy (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind style) so there is no way we can pass on this toxic information to the next generation.
On realistic days, I feel that regardless of the fact that this is India, it has a sizeable population with brains that are largely in working condition and cross my fingers and hope that they will be put to use.
But today is brainstorming day.
