Everyday or the other we would either be reading in the newspapers or viewing on TV channels or hearing from someone that a Dalit student who lost seat after failing to pay Rs. 17.5 thousand fee on time or committed suicide by hanging or jumping from the terrace or a Dalit woman raped and thus silenced with Rs 2.5 lakh or teachers beat a Dalit student over haircut or a few Dalit girls were gang raped and their bodies hanging tied to a branch of a tree in a main village junction where everyone could see.
The casteist corroded mind-set tends to employ the most gruesome and medieval methods to show their anger against the Dalits who have been withstanding all forms of violence for centuries. It is deep-seated passed on to generations over centuries. Hatred and anger put together can go to any extent and to any levels as well. Even in 2025 we are surrounded with such news that targets a community in such heinous ways. Caste is like an octopus that has many tentacles. It can change its form and so is very deceptive. Likewise, case has been changing its form as the situation demands.
The tentacles of caste are like that of octopus that are so vicious and poisonous. Like that of octopus caste also has a signature move. The spineless mastermind seeps its sucker-studded tentacles along a surface which it is involved in multiple acts—exploring, probing and grasping. Caste is also like that—it ducks, erupts, swirls and swings. Though it is social construction, it is being divinized and sanctified. Caste has permeated into all segments of the Indian society—economic, political, cultural, educational, and religious. Caste is also being exported to other countries wherever Indians live and does manifest even in the work places.
Caste is there and everywhere. Caste is present and manifests in such hideous ways. For instance, a 21-year-old Dalit woman, who was allegedly raped by an upper caste man in August 20, 2023, was later forced to “settle” the matter at a panchayat and paid Rs. 2.5 lakh to remain silent. But that incident did not end there as her family moved to another placed to escape the harassment and social barbs, and arrange marriage in a place far away. The accused got the information and sent a video of the sexual assault to her fiancé, which prompted the wedding to be called off. It did not end with that. The accused’s family demanded the money. Unable to meet the ongoing pressure and threats met Hapur SP Kunwar Gyananjay Singh. An FIR was filed, but the accused’s family continued to give all kinds of troubles.
In another incident that took place on Jan, 25, 2025, eight teachers of a prominent school in Bulandshar, UP, were booked for severely beating a class-12 student with sticks and hurling casteist slurs over his haircut. The student, a Dalit returned home with head wounds which required stitches and fractures in both hands. The teachers belong to dominant castes were immediately suspended by the school authorities. Though those casteists who tried to hush up the matter, an FIR was filed against those involved in the incident. On similar vein, two Dalit girls, aged 15 and 18 years were found hanging from a mango tree in an orchard at Bhagautipur village in Kamimganji area of Farrukhabad in August, 2024.
In one of the fascinating incidents that sent shock waves to many that IIT-Dhanbad a Dalit youth who lost seat over seats. Invoking its extraordinary power under Article 142 of the Constitution to do complete justice, Supreme Court cane to the rescue of a Dalit student who could not get admission in IIT-Dhanbad because he could not pay the admission fee of Rs. 17,5000 The court directed that the petitioner be added to the electrical engineering course in IIT-Dhanbad. It directed the Institute to create an additional seat to accommodate him without disturbing other students who have been admitted.
The court said: “We are affirmatively of the that a talented student like the petitioner should not be left in the lurch. The power of the court under Article 142 of the Constitution to do complete justice is to address such situations.” Coinciding with this, six years ago, a 26-year-old MD student Payal Tadvi, who faced all kinds of discriminatory practices and did undergo constant humiliation the dominant-caste senior students. Unable to face the constant harassment that emanated due to heinous caste system had decided to end her life by committing suicide.
Mumbai police which investigated the case, found a three-page ‘suicide note’ in which Tadvi had in detail described her ordeal and the failure of the medical institution T.N. Topiwala National College and BY.L Nair Hospital to stop the brutalities inflicted upon her and several other Dalit and Adivasi students. Many students of this sort hardly come to the notice of the public. Most of the institution with money power and political clout tends to hush cases of this sort basically discriminatory in nature.
‘Stand UP India’ launched by the PM Modi is not that active as it failed in its affirmative action because of those who are the top functionaries belong to dominant castes. Whatever legal and policy changes that are brought about would be cleverly deflected and scuttled by the bureaucrats the affirmative schemes and programs. Though the scheme meant to promote entrepreneurship among SCs, STs as well as women having the potential to provide an alternative to traditional caste-based reservation in the long-run is yet to take-off as it hardly trickledown to the people it meant for. Reservation, as envisaged by BR Ambedkar was temporary device meant to help the Dalits and Tribals to acquire education and skills that would give them dignity and bring them into the mainstream of society.
According to BR Ambedkar reservations were just a tool to abolish the all-pervading caste system from public. But the Mandal Commission expanded the ambit of reservations, institutionalsing caste and making “quota” a way of life. The Mandal report is being used by dominant and powerful castes to demand a share of the pie in the urban jobs across the country. In recent times we find that reservation is being abused right and left. Deserving Dalits and Tribals do not get what they ought to get, only the creamy layers within the Dalits and Tribals or others from dominant castes manipulate and avail those benefits.
Whatever may the potential and dynamism of the program or scheme the successful implementation of those rests on those who executes. For any affirmative action, it requires consistent attention after immediate political utility has been exhausted. As Andrew Young point out: “Some kind of affirmative action is important in a democracy and for economic competitiveness.”
dr. john mohan razu
Nagaland Post Launch on 30 Dec 1990 is the first and fore-most english daily newspaper of Nagaland.
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