I know only one way — educate yourself and write.
I don’t have any political interests, but when politics starts affecting my daily life in a negative way, speaking about it becomes necessary. Politicians and bureaucrats are public servants. We pay taxes so they can make us feel safe, protect us from harm, ensure quality education, healthcare, good infrastructure, and create employment opportunities — so that we can all contribute to global progress of entire human race. That, at least, is my understanding of democratic governance — unless democracy exists only on paper.
I had decided to stop writing about caste, religion, and other socio-political issues. I wanted to focus on my work and chase my dreams. But time and again, I find myself pulled back into these topics. I even went as far as unpublishing my earlier articles because I found them too triggering. Yet today, I’m republishing them — because people and leaders keep giving me reasons to write.
So, if it’s triggering and you don’t want me to write about it, it’s simple — don’t give me a reason to. If I feel safe, cared for, and heard by my leaders and bureaucrats, I’ll have no reason to complain. I’ll simply focus on my growth — maybe by creating job opportunities, writing about positive things, or contributing in other ways. Dear leaders, don’t you think progress is what I should be focusing on? If yes, then remember — I can only do that if I feel safe.
You say casteism is over, and then someone throws a shoe at the Chief Justice of this country. You say casteism is over, and then temples are cleansed with cow urine or Gangajal. You say casteism is over and yet rapes of Dalit women and murders of Dalit men continue. What kind of example are we setting — that anyone can harm lower-caste people, no matter their position, and face no consequences?
Our leaders have failed to hold anyone accountable for this inhuman, antisocial behavior. Yet we can arrest a scientist like Sonam Wangchuk simply for speaking up and asking that promises be kept. Why does no one know about the scientist G D Agrawal sat on protest to save rivers and died fasting? Why do we hate our intellectuals and celebrate criminals facing charges as serious as rape? Have we completely lost the understanding which behavior should be called antisocial or antinational?
I’ve often felt that my writing influences Indian politics — and lately, it seems even my conversations do. That’s one of the reasons I stopped expressing myself for a while.
Recently, I spoke with a few people about how the West is putting psychological pressure on us by increasing H1B visa fees. And now, by inviting Taliban leaders, we seem to be returning that psychological pressure on the West. We even allowed them to demand that our female journalists be barred from conferences — something even Afghanistan refused to do. How spineless!
I don’t feel safe in this environment. That’s why I have to dig deeper — to study, question, and understand why India is the way it is. Maybe it doesn’t bother those who aren’t on the receiving end, though it should. Basic human empathy demands it. It bothers me. So, I write.
I used to think caste was India’s issue. But no — the earliest evidence of caste systems and slavery actually came from the Middle East. History itself can be told through slavery, corruption, temple prostitution, and caste systems — all justified in the name of religion. These oppressive practices were the very reason Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad stood up against the system. Thinkers like Socrates and Marcus Aurelius rose for the same reason.
My question is — why did India adopt it? I guess the Indian priestly caste owes us an explanation. I don’t come from that caste, so I don’t.
This is why, when the caste issue comes up and the West comments on it, it’s not because they’re targeting India — it’s because they know it’s not an India-specific issue. It has affected them before, and if left unchecked, it will affect them again. It’s only Indians who believe it’s unique to us — mostly because they’ve been kept ignorant and uninformed. It’s not entirely their fault; they’ve been blinded by the machinery that benefits from their blindness. And no — you cannot justify what’s happening in India by saying the West killed its own indigenous people to acquire land. That does not make it acceptable, and no one should treat it as beyond question.
That’s why, when leaders like Chandrashekhar Azad say it’s our “internal issue,” I can’t help but think — that’s coming from ignorance. Let me be honest: as much as I have a problem with upper-caste leaders, I have an equal problem with Dalit and other lower-caste leaders who often raise the caste issue. Let me say this clearly — your leadership failed because you adopted the same ideology as your oppressors and applied it to the very people you claimed to protect. So yes, as much as I have a problem with upper-caste dominance, I also have a problem with lower-caste leadership. And by that, I don’t mean only Dalit leaders — many OBC leaders are no better. Too many have sold their souls, unable to see where they’re leading this country.
India is a highly status-driven society. We value material possessions over intellect, and this mindset has bred a society that lacks basic empathy — not only for its people, but also for its infrastructure, natural resources, and everything it touches. That’s why Indians often lack civic sense. You can’t expect respect, kindness, or compassion for the environment when you can’t even show it to your own neighbor once you know their caste. Now, please — don’t tell me about cow protection or vegetarianism. To me, that’s just performance. This is a society stripped of ethics, etiquette, and collaborative spirit — and that’s exactly why we can never become a Vishwaguru. What are we going to teach the world? To be crabs like us, pulling each other down?
Here, even mentors and seniors won’t hesitate to steal your ideas or projects instead of guiding you. How can a nation grow when its people lack accountability and ethics? This is why Indians face resentment — and I’m not ashamed to admit that we are responsible for our own downfall.
Anyone who says India is suffering because of Western colonization — I can only turn my head and take a deep sigh. India is still a slave nation, but not to the West. The West, for all its faults, brought one defining change to the world — it ended slavery. They didn’t start it; they ended it.
Dear Sir Elon Musk’s, I owe you an apology I doubted your vision for very long time. But now, I understand clearly — and it makes sense. I didn’t believe in you before, but after my research, you have my full respect.
Happy Sunday and stay safe!
Hard times are not coming; they’re already here.
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