Caste in its existence (even in the 21st century ) is so normal a phenomena that to talk about it is only a useless rant (still!). To talk of equality is a fashion statement, especially of the Gen-X and Gen-Y, who believe in sharing more than anybody else did, but alas it’s all virtual! (Not that I don’t know that some of it is not!) From ‘Facebook-to-Whatsapp-to-Twitter’ they share the news to views and most of their duties are done. They talk voraciously on “equality”, the way they sense it, that is; on how reservations should be ended, on how Vemula should not be politicized, etc. on the social media and a lot is done too, which runs from the individual to the social and political. For instance, to look at it, we have gone ahead and pitched in the next president- a Dalit. Not that there is a problem with it (plus-minus the political calculations, Kudos to that! Definitely.)
But, there’s another breed of the virtual platforms which runs parallel and homes these same “equality- claimers” of the social media, roping them beautifully into the old fold of caste system, which they propagate against on the social media. It reports the best of where we are in terms of abolition of caste. The ‘ground reality’ can thus be found on these virtual platforms of “real relationships”, as they proclaim, but just a bit away from what we see “#trending” on the Internet. Yes! Welcome to the Matrimonial websites. Most of the seekers sitting there proudly mention their caste, and, why notIJ There is a column to fill it in, after all! A perfect example of individual freedom albeit in the ‘cast(e)’- perfectly moulded as per the Demand. One has to be case-d then, impeccably according to the requirements, in order to be accepted. The requirementsIJ (Well, if you are a “feminist” man or woman, let me warn you to go for a total troll. For if you have forgotten- it’s all about personal choices, and isn’t it perfectly fine given the liberal and free society of individual choice that we live inIJ Mind yit!). So here are some of them as mentioned there– the bride has to be ‘smiling, fair, very fair’. Do not be surprised if you ever happened to hear the famous ‘Dark is Beautiful’ phrase anywhere. And not to mention the caste and the sub-caste column!
To think of its coverage, it is a trend followed with pride by the Indian Hindus to the Indian Muslims, inspite of the fact that Islam is declared to be a religion free of inequality, at least in terms of caste! There would be proud proclaimers of being ‘Khandaani Khans’ or rich ‘Rajpoots’ to the ‘Shreshthshreni Brahmin’, and, not ‘just a brahmin’. In case you missed out on some category, there would also be the hypocrite lot in the best ironical framework possible: I am a person who believes in equality in action and not just in words. looking for an alliance from a Sheikh-Sayyed[1] family. [2]
This, after years of the debates between Ambedkar and Gandhi on caste, let us not forget the inter-marriages and inter-dinings, some of which did happen then, some even forcibly, with the aim of rectifying the caste system instead of abolishing it. And, here we are, the discrimination existing as normalized as possible. Even if we go by the Hindu-Varna system, the ones who were highly learned would automatically be considered to be Brahmins. But this is not a lone cry. There are so many who have somehow managed to educate themselves, and when they look for decent educated matches, they have to land on the haunting reality that most of the “educated ones” already belong to an upper class, which inevitably is the upper caste, and hence what comes in hand is denial, rejection.
Caste matters after all, no matter what education or achievements you have. But, more than the one bearing the caste, it is a blot on the Indian society as a whole, for yet being where we were more than 60 years ago. It certainly would not serve to just blame the matrimony system or websites, they are a result of who we are as a society, and what do we want. We already have the farmers’ agitation, the ongoing demand of Gorkhaland is at its peak; and before it is too late it’s better to have realized that tokenism is certainly not the key. In fact, it is just a refined way of discrimination. There has to be a more sorted out, rational solution to it, which has to be wanted by one and sundry. It’s time to reflect perhaps, to let the inner voice be heard and hear other inner voices too and to get out of every discriminatory legacy that we carry with us, in the names of religion, culture or custom. May annihilation (from the body, mind and the system) be the answer for a truly just society.
(The Writer is a PhD scholar in the School of language, literature and Culture Studies, JNU, New Delhi. The views expressed in the article are her own)