Casteism: A Stark Reality in Modern India

Casteism is a huge issue in India, and people hold some truly archaic ideas about it. It’s sad that we’ve forgotten the original purpose of the caste system and now discriminate against people based on their birth. In ancient times, a person’s caste was determined by their profession, not by the caste of their parents. However, today, a person’s caste is decided by the one they were born into. I had always thought that these practices were no longer strong in Indian cities among educated people, but something happened to me yesterday that made me think twice. It made me realize that people who discriminate against others based on caste are everywhere in India.

My uncle, a professor from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, was visiting me yesterday. He had first gone to his village and hired a taxi to come to Varanasi. The taxi driver was also from his village and knew my uncle well. I was supposed to arrange dinner and accommodation for them at my home. After showing my uncle to his room, I was about to give the driver a separate room when my uncle said the driver wouldn’t sleep on a bed; he would sleep on the floor. When I asked him why, he said it was because the driver belonged to a lower caste called Pasi.

I was shocked to hear these words from a professor. I told him I had no problem with the driver sleeping on a bed in my home, but my uncle wouldn’t allow it. All this was said in front of the driver. I was so ashamed to hear this, and when I looked at the driver, he was staring at the floor with his head down. I couldn’t bear to see this happen and told my uncle to let him sleep in a room on a bed, but my uncle was adamant. He told me to provide the driver with a mat on the roof so he could sleep there instead.

Summers are terribly hot and humid in Varanasi, and I knew it was not at all comfortable to sleep on the roof. I felt so bad for the driver but I felt powerless. Finally, I had to provide a mat for him on the rooftop. Then it was time for dinner. I took food for the driver and was about to go to the roof when my uncle appeared again and told me to change the dishes. He meant that I shouldn’t give him food in the dishes we use every day. This was simply too much, but again, I felt I couldn’t do anything.

I told my uncle that it was no problem for me if a person from a scheduled caste ate from my dishes, but he said that if I did that, he would not eat at home because it would make my home “impure.” I think hearing these words from a well-educated person was the biggest surprise for me in the last few years. He told me to take a plastic plate and serve the food in it. I took a plastic plate, but I didn’t have a plastic bowl, so I used one of our steel bowls. He didn’t even want this. Finally, I had to arrange a clay pot to serve the food. I was so angry that I didn’t want to see or listen to my uncle, so I just did what he asked.

I felt terrible after seeing what happened to the driver. I wondered how our society could ever change if evils like my uncle still exist. It’s unbelievable that a well-educated person could do such a thing. Politicians are also taking full advantage of this system by introducing new reservation policies every day without any talk of ending them. India talks about becoming a world power, an IT hub, and a super-strong country, but if we don’t even respect our own people, our own society, how can we even talk about development? Is money the only measure of happiness? Do happiness and equal rights mean nothing? Is India really changing? Are we truly developing and becoming a superpower or a happy country? After this incident, I can easily say, “NO.”

the food in a plastic plate with clay bowl and plastic glass