In recent posts, I’ve explored the Chaturvarnya system, identifying new untouchables, new-age Shudras, and new-age Kshatriyas, and the ruler-slave dynamic between Brahmin and non-Brahmin Hindus.
Some of you might wonder why I’m writing this; some may even dislike me. But to the awakened among you: applause! You are the rare gems who are neither ignorant nor indifferent. As Dr. Ambedkar said, “Ignorant people will be forgotten by history,” and “Indifference is liberty’s greatest danger.”
Social and Economic Boycotts
In Indian society, social and economic boycotts are not new. Since I began discussing these issues, I’ve faced challenges—losing clients and friends. My family is also worried for me. Even so, I choose to continue, seeing this as a humble service to my country.
Interestingly, my biggest cheerleaders are my Brahmin readers, despite me calling them the biggest exploiters. I see them as open-minded people, and I respect you all. That said, I will continue criticizing anything I believe harms our country. I hold nothing against any person or community, only against actions that go against the Indian Constitution, democratic values, or the social fabric of India. If you take constructive criticism personally, I can't help you.
Generational Trauma Among Marginalized Communities
On the other hand, some Ambedkarites think I’m doing
this for publicity. I don’t blame them—they’ve faced constant betrayal,
not just from so-called upper castes but even from some of their own leaders.
I understand the generational trust issues this has
created. The emotional damage endured by this community over ages is
unimaginable. It can deeply affect people’s psyche, making them reserved,
unwilling to open up, and hesitant to fully participate in society.
What Defines India?
One question has always baffled me: “What is India?”
Many describe it as a land of diverse cultures, caste systems, numerous
languages, colorful festivals, or as the land of Buddha. While these are pieces
of India, they don’t define it fully.
From studying ancient history, I see India as a land of people who gave refuge to everyone who struggled at their homeland—a sanctuary for those fleeing challenges. This includes some Brahmin communities, Jains, and Zoroastrians, drawn by stories of this generous, welcoming land. Muslims and Christians have different story so not including that for this article.
Some may disagree with my statement that certain communities of lack Indian roots. But this perspective isn’t solely mine—Savarkar
himself explored it in his writings. While it’s a controversial topic, can
there truly be smoke without fire?
India: The land of love not hatred
India has not only been a refuge for many but also a teacher to those who invaded it. Empires that came as raiders often stayed, adopting its culture and becoming part of its fabric, or took India’s wisdom back with them, influencing the world—transforming raiders and empires into nations striving for democracy. Considering all this, I can say one thing “India was built with love, not hatred.”
This love gave rise to India’s rich tapestry of cultures,
languages, cuisines, different religions and so much more. Yet today, as our government pushes for oneness
in language, religion, and food habits, I wonder how this will unfold. Why the pressure
to erase diversity? And most importantly, why the hatred?
India’s Democracy: Ancient Roots and Modern Challenges
Believe it or not, India was the first to implement a
democratic system, long before we had our Constitution, earning the title Mother
of Democracy. And no, I’m not referring to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar,
though he gave us our Constitution. India practiced democracy way before that.
You might ask, “Who introduced the idea of democracy to
the world, when most were busy fighting and raiding?” That’s an interesting
question—and the topic of another blog.
In my previous article, I criticized not just the Brahmins, but other groups too, highlighting how adopting the Brahminic thought process could lead to exploitation and damage the social fabric. I had to address this, as there’s a gang of people trained in “whataboutism.” Although I see “whataboutism” as manipulative tactic to divert from the real issue at hand, criticizing everyone was essential. And in this article, I want to dig deeper.
When we talk about exploitation, people often think only of financial exploitation, but psychological and emotional exploitation are just as crucial.
Jains and Zoroastrians
Let’s begin with the Jains and Zoroastrians. If we look at their origins, I don’t see them as different from the Brahmins although Jains have had a long battle with Brahminism. The difference lies in what they worship—Jains follow Tirthankars, and Zoroastrians worship entirely different gods. In today's time, these communities are not rulers, nor are they pushing the Hindutva agenda. They don’t have the multitude of temples that Hindus have, with Brahmin priests, Babas, and Kathawachaks.
However, they still hold issues with SC/ST/OBCs, and their origin explains this behavior. If we remove financial exploitation still Emotional and psychological exploitation of lower caste communities exists among these groups, similar to the Brahminic thought process.
Sikh's
Now, let’s talk about the Sikhs. Often labeled as Khalistani's
by both Brahmin Hindus and non-Brahmin Hindus. Well, non-brahmin Hindus blindly
follows whatever the Brahmins say. However, the Sikh struggle is with Brahmanism,
not with non-Brahmin Hindus—a fight that has been ongoing for centuries.
Their demand for a separate country, known as Khalistan, stems from the realization that in a democratic India, they would not thrive unless they sought independence. Sikhs rejected slavery and never hesitated to fight, when necessary, often with weapons too, to challenge Brahmanism. Any rational person would want to avoid constant conflict as it hinders overall progress. You can call them terrorists or Khalistanis, but if you truly study their history and view the situation through their perspective, you’ll begin to understand their side of the story.
Similar to Jains and Zoroastrians, Sikhs have their Gurdwaras but not control over temples. Their ideology is built on Sikh Brotherhood, yet many Dalits who converted to Sikhism didn’t receive the same treatment and had to build their own separate Gurdwaras. While financial exploitation through temples, Kathawachak's, and Babas is absent, psychological and emotional exploitation of lower caste amongst Sikhs still persists. This is the deep-rooted issue that's ingrained in Indian society that damaged social fabric for long and created not only divide but also inequality.
Ambedkarite's
Lastly, the most interesting—Ambedkarite's. I’ve mentioned they can be exploitative too but how? These individuals have been deprived of resources, education, and work opportunities in their own land. The most emotionally, psychologically, and financially abused people on the globe, they managed to get back on their feet with little to no support. Yet they did everything in their power to rise above their situation and succeed. Honestly, that’s true resilience and bravery. Now, some will talk about "reservation" or engage in "whataboutism"—let’s save that for another blog.
It would be unreasonable to say that these people are exploitative towards Brahmin or non-Brahmin Hindus. However, there are internal issues, and it’s no secret. This may explain why the Ambedkarite group has split into so many factions. Internal small little exploitation might be there like any other group but exploitation towards the whole country? I leave up to you to answer.
These individuals don’t control temples and large number of them follow Buddhism, but even the important Buddhist stupas are controlled by Brahmin priests. So, financial exploitation through Buddha's stupas and also Temples out of question. Buddhist monks only accept offerings from the community, not from the entire Hindu population so that also out of question.
They were starved of financial support, support from society, emotional and psychological support, starved of any kind of power or participation in society, and had not given voice. When they come out of slavery their situation was still bad this is why the split happened—because each individual struggled to hold onto something, to feel a sense of support and belonging, and for once, to not feel exploited or like they are nothing. Internal turmoil led to internal community struggles which lead to split, small or big does not matter.
Little introspection and fixing the issues within individually and as community is no harm if you want to grow as community otherwise it will always minority within the minority people leaving and ultimately failing to achieve the larger goals.
The Ethical Dilemma of Treating Humans as Outcasts
So, were these individuals always outcasted by Indian
society? Why were they outcasted? Were they bad people? India is a land
of mystery, waiting to be unraveled. I hope you’ll try to find some answers on
your own, or you can wait for me to write about it.
For now, I can say one thing: anyone who holds the mentality that these people are low-born and outcasted, I actually feel sorry for them. What kind of person you are if you think treating another human being as a slave and psychologically and mentally abusing them until the end of world is justifiable by some superpower, God or whatever.
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