First of all,thank you for giving such an importent and relevent article.But sir,here we have so many people having full of love.I beg you don't see everyone in same angle.I am sorry sir,my english is not strong.if there is a mistake,parden me sir.

Good article. we need at few thousand people more like you to uproot this evil...

While I agree with your view that things need to change i find your solution utterly ridiculous. Giving dalits any preferential treatment over other sections of society would only breed contempt against them. What we need to do is to help all poor and backward in india (not just dalits) anyone below the bpl should have a qouta in the best schools. I say make it mandatory 33%(put caste qouta here if you wish although i donot think its necesary).
Giving quota at university level will not help any one a person's primary development is complete by the time they reach that stage anyway. Hence we need to start as early as possible.
We call ourselves a secular nation but we favor these "lower classes" (the ones who get qouta are quite rich and dont need it) any chance we get.Does that sound right?

Sir, you are right. Those who claim to be from upper caste, are actually from lowest rung of human values. They need to be educated to respect humanity.

i m of mixed heritage (so called high n low castes). n through my personal experience, i believe a good way to promote social integration n hindu-national unity is through inter caste marriages. We could start with say- poor hindu people who marry harijan will also get access to reservation facility. or something like that

As I wrote earlier, the dalits & the poor (sometimes they are synonimous)are getting the worst deal. The ones who are not allowing them to come up to a better standard of living are (i) their own leaders who are after politicasl power (as you have rightly mentioned) and (ii) the creamy layer among them. These people can better thier lot by themselves by choosing the right type of leaders and fight for removal of the creamy layer from the list of benificieries.

Congrats Tarun! This is one of the most honest and straight to the point commentary on plague called Casteism thats eating up our great religion. I wish some of so called countless Gurus that have mushroomed all over would dare and answer even some of this question.I pray that a healthy debate begins and restore it to its old glory!

Superb post!! I can feel the rage within you. Unfortunately, our nation is full of hypocrites who prevent our nation from becoming a caste-less society.
However, I personally do not agree with you view on quotas for these untouchables in Education or government jobs. I mean the United States have never had any quotas for Blacks in any field, and today they have a black president. If they can do it without quotas why not us??

wouldnt the solution be to find that gem of a dalit political leader and let him or her show results as a PM or as a senior minister ? Helps heal the mindset of both 'sides' - the so called 'upper caste' who are denigrative of the 'lower castes' would see that merit exists equally amongst all people and if given the right and fair opportunities - they would shine as well as anyone else. The Valmikis on the other hand would be able to claim their right to success with this example without a bias.

Well said. I am not sure if Dalit journalists are the answer to the solution, how are they going to be different than Dalit politicians. After all female journalists didn't think it a Girl burned. The change has to come from within from every Indian.

Sadly all the issue needs is a tweet from celeb on it for it to grab attention.

Instead of answering all. 4 approve. 7 YES 8 know one.

When a Safai Karmachari needs a glass of water, he/she goes to a Muslim home for he/she knows that only a Muslim would have the humanity to offer him that without any second thoughts. Let the higher caste hindus start their doctrinal cleansing by offering a clean glass of water, a glass in which they themselves drink, to the safai karmachari - then you may talk about Islamic extremists ganging up with the Dalit leaders for whatever agenda that you may allege them of. Answer a simple question: Do you find enough humanity in you to offer a glass of clean water to a Dalit?

Tarunji,I (a so called upper caste)was helped by one of Dalit friend(who is now himself a topshot in a big company) in searching job and was helped by him.

I fully agree with your points above.We need to ensure that not only the measures like reservation etc to SC/ST are supported by upper castes but also ensure that the Valmiki Samaj gets due recognition and love from our Dharmic and spritual Gurus.After all without Valmiki -would anyone have known the glory of Ram?

On realpolitik, today there are 3 groups of people:
1.who oppress the so called lower castes or the oppurtunists from so called lower castes who would like to encash this sense of victimisation
2.The people who would like to put caste oppression behind and work towards an equal society.
3.People who would like to ensure that caste oppression perpetuates so as to ensure intra-caste rivalry so that Hindu solidarity remains fragile.

Its upto us Hindus whether we want to choose the right option no.2 above or chose the suicidal options 1 o 3 above.

Not thought provoking, but it is the fact. This preclusion is what concerns me the most and towards the solidarity of one nation. Honest policing, speedy judiciary and more awareness and appropriate publicity of rights to information could be a solution.

I agree with Mr.Tarun Vijay.The problem is perpetuated by leaders by reservations and identifying the people and the caste.Abolish Caste system and reservations.Anybody can become a doctor or engineer or politician so why not a priest?By the way most of the Upanishads and Puranas are written by non-Brahmins.Original Hinduism had no caste system.Good article!

i agree with you, that the gap should be reduced...but the only way to do is that the reservations should be according to the income rather than just caste, coz most of people who actually benefit from these reservations are rich backward class people than the truly poor people...

Very nice article Tarunji. But the problem is majority of Indians don't know the basics of RSS and how gr8 work RSS is doing to remove caste bias from India. For them and also for majority of communist media, RSS is nothing but a Bhraminical organization. In a recent news article congress blamed RSS and Jinnah for the partition ignoring the fact that RSS always wanted a united Bharat.

No comments/discussion posted yet !!! I have seen hundreds of comments on LESS Serious issues than this. But, its painful to see how insensitive and careless "the upper castes" are from our inner core to think/discuss about this genuine issue. I have been studying this issue for a long time, but never get a encouraging response. People around us prefer to mum when It comes to the incrimination of our own brothers.

Finally! Good to see a columnist talk passionately, sincerely and practically about a very real problem that lies at the root of our moral failure as a society.Indeed those who feel the need to call themselves superior due to accidents of birth are the ones who are truly low.Excellent piece.Helped me recover from some of the truly judgemental and small minded columns that we have been seeing lately.Wish more people would write like this and tell us why and how they have earned a right to talk about issues that should matter.

Tarunji,

A good article. This is something to ponder. Todays Media needs leaders like you for it to be effective instruments of change.

Well said Tarunji. Every incidence related to cruelty towards so called lwer castes makes headlines around the World. Enemies of India also use this rift for their own selfish ends. I suggest ban the words which classify people into various categories; School curriculums should include clear and correct subject matter to diffuse the differences and find ways of creating level playing fields for all citizens.

Good on you Tarun. I hope this thought provoking article is read fully by all high caste readers and help shed their prejudices.

Very well written article. I congragulate author for comming up with such a thought provoking article. I wonder most of the readers are keeping mum on such an important isssue.

I have recommended in the past that, Singapore type lashing law be passed in India. TOI never published the comments. The culprits are a bunch of cowards who prey upon helpless children and women. Their bodies sprayed with acid or other chemicals which either deform/disable and/or kill them. There should be no mercy for such violent culprits. These culprits eyes sprayed with "bhoot jolokia" chilli pepper until they feel the pain. Should anyone feel this to be way out of line then, try putting yourselves in the victims shoes.

Casteim is racism ,recently it has been debated in international forum where all countries met.In subtle sense casteism should be banned legally and constituion should be amended to correct the wronged done by casteim in the society as it divided the people and it is subtle kind of reservation which is going on for ages by which higher castes benefit in all the fields while lower castes are at the receiving end in every way economically,socially and politically.This curse hampering India`s integration as one country one people.

Tarunji, why are the usual suspects from our side- m/s Togadia, Singhal, Kishore & co are or why are they oh so quiet? I did not read T trying to barge into Hissar as he tries when it relates to Muslims or Christians? So, in fact, all sides have no clothes - sab naked hey.

I have lot of friends who happened to be born in so called dalits. We dont see any difference. Some of them are doctors and computer engineers. We will have food in their kitchen and they do same with us. Atleast in Tamilnadu we dont see such cruel treatment to dalits thanks of Periyar.

Thank goodness....there is atleast someone who seems bothered by this heartless butchery

a real shame...4 d country,d media n most importantly,4 humanity

We have to up root the social unequality from constitution and polluted minds of many of Indians.The biggest national shame.

4. If your daughter wants to marry a person of her choice and that happens to be a Valmiki, would you approve or disapprove?
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THE DAY THIS HAPPENS , AT THAT TIME WE CAN SAY THERE IS HOPE IN A CASTELESS SOCIETY IN INDIA

www.poemhunter.com/dr.yogesh sharma Sir I support the views expressed by you. no body will support the killings of dalits. They are our dear brothers. But here I want to add some points. For this type of hatred Indian model of ugly secularism and vulgar social justice system is also responsible. Due to this in our country virtually religion and caste states have been made over the years. For example Kashmir is a Muslim state, Punjab is a Sikh state, Nagaland and Mizoram are Christian states, Haryana, a Jat state, Tanilnadu, for Dravids, UP and Bihar are almost SC/Yadava/Kurmi/Muslim states, Maharashtra as Maratha state etc..List can be stretched. Religion and caste are become state protected subject due to ugly secular and vulgar social justice system which add bitterness and hatred resulting Haryana type killings. Social reformers are responsible for this division. They have fabricated and spread thousands of years oppression theory dalits by upper caste Hindus but the reality is this That Hindus have been very brutally oppressed and torture by Muslims and Christians for centuries. Leaders of schedule castes are also responsible for this division and hatred for their dirty vote bank politics. You attend any SCs gatherings they will also spread scorn and hatred for other castes. They are also expert in misusing the different SC acts. As far as marriages are concerned it is a personal subject but Hindus are very liberal. Ambedkar had a upper caste wife. Jagjivan Ram had one upper caste daughter in law. Ram Vilas Paswan has got one upper caste wife. Large number of SC academicians and bureaucrats have upper caste Hindu wives. Even caste system is there among Dalits. Upper caste dalits like Jatavs, Paswans, Weaver, Washer-mans, Khatiks, Vanniars, Panas, neo-Christians or neo Buddhists can not marry their daughters/sons with lower castesdalits like Valmikis or doms. Upper caste dalits also oppress the lower castes dalits. I have enough material but space is limited.

I was one of your critics Tarun Vijay, but these last two artices "Their millions and our millions" and this one have made me your fan. Simply excellent.
There is no greater Dharma than Humanity.

but isnt it ironical that the govt. on one hand talks of eradicating the caste system, and on the other hand introduces caste based reservations in education. shouldn't the reservations be given to economically backward people from all sections of the society? what if a poor student from so called 'upper caste' denied an opportunity simply because he/she cannot pay the fees?

a profession (journalism)where there's a passion for masala..and for an organisation (TOI)where there's greater emphasis on marketing than journalism.....Sir, plz don't expect anything better than this...things which make money will always lead as d lead story.

The politicians belonging to all castes, the so-called upper castes, the so-called Other Backward Castes and SC/STs are hardly concerned about their poor brethern belonging to their own castes. They are only interested in making money for themselves or their families or for making a name in the history or for building a status. When Dalit leaders like Mayawati do not even visit the Khailanji massacre of Dalits victims, why should other political leaders bother about Dalits. Mayawati is too building in building marble statues of herself and her elephants and wearing garlands of rupees to bother about Dalits. Same is the case with other Dalit leaders like Meira Kumar and Ram Vilas Paswan. Everybody is interested in only himself and his family. Then why should media bother about Dalits? Even the National Commission for SCs does not bother about Dalits. The members of the Commission only want to make money and status for themselves. In India, once a leader is elected, he forgets his electorate and starts minting money. Common man is too occupied with his own problems to make any contribution to the welfare of the Dalits. Even if you develop Dalit intellectuals into media men, soon they would be behaving like other media persons and covering IPL, Sania-Shoaib Nikah, etc. and the Dalit burning for them would also take rest. Till there is reservations for Dalits, they would never fight for their rights but look to the seats reserved for them by the Government. The Dalit officers are even more arrogant than the other officers. I know because as a Babu, I have served under many Dalit officers. I do not know whether you would like to publish my comments but this is the truth.

There is no need for special consideration to give justice to any one low or high. Simply ensure that the law is enforced honestly and the victim will get justice automatically. In this case, investigate the fire cause and file the case of arson if found that. In every case if the law is applied properly, no one will take chance of being high caste, influential, strongarm, gangster etc. Who will apply the law having all the existing biases is another tedius question. So many journalist are not enough then double that number also may not suffice. What is the difference if you know or not about the black money in swiss accounts of Indians.

YOU CAN ONLY DREAM ABOUT UNITING HINDUS, ONLY VERY VERY FEW EDUCATED HINDUS READ YOUR BLOGS, MAJORITY OF THE UPPER CASTE HINDUS STILL BELIEVE THEMSELF TO BE SUPERIOR TO LOWER CASTE HINDUS AND WOULD KEEP ON HATING THEM.
SO THE ONLY SOLUTION IS ISLAM AS ISLAM STANDS FOR EQUALLITY AND PEACE, MANY MUSLIM ORGANIZATIONS ARE WORKING WITH THE HELP OF FUNDING FROM GULF COUNTRIES (SPECIALLY SAUDI ARABIA) TO CONVERT LOWEST CASTE HINDUS TO ISLAM.
INSHALLAH WE WOULD ACHIEVE OUR MISSION........

If the dalits got oppressed for thousand years, that was wrong.
Making Reservations for everything for Dalits without making the economical status check, is another wrong step. With this the real dalits will never get the the benefits and you will end in a state where you have created another class./"NEO RICH DALITS" WITH ALL THE CONTINUING FACILITIES OF RESERVATION.
TWO WRONG CAN'T MAKE MAKE ON RIGHT.
On top of it "QUALITY Of WORK WILL ALWAYS BE COMPROMISED"
These 'NEO RICH DALITS' will of course be never get assmilitated with poor dalits and will in routine not be accepted by the Upper Caste.
E.g: Brahmin converted Christians never intermarry with Dalit Converted Christians. Go to Kerala and Goa to check my statement.
Moreover coming back to the article, Poorers over a long period of
time becomes low caste or loose their origional caste because poorers always down upon by the society, if the Sanskar are not right.
Rest Later.

As per your article you seem to be educated and concerned about the society and especially the dalits. but to put forward in simple words, the solution is not to give them preferential treatment. What for do you want the quota system to be there in the education and the other spheres of life. The general category people are not getting admissions to the institutions just because they have the money. They have the intelligence and the zeal to work hard towards their better future. What do you think a person would think after scoring way higher marks than someone who get the admission through quota system after scoring at best dismissal marks. Lets not fool ourselves and repaint the caste-system into quota-system.

I dont agree with your views fully.We have Mayawati who is a dalit and has come up to become the CM of largest state,the reason is her education.She is well qualified. The people who are deprived of basic education in the society actually become dalit(whether they are upper caste)and later when they are unemployed they engage in the unlawful activities.When we achieve 100% literacy we will wipe out caste system from our country. The burning of dalit and other social crimes are absent in Kerala.

It certainly is a well written and straight from heart article. But I fear solution suggested is long term.
Immediatley there is a need to ensure Justice for the girl.I think Tarun ji is better placed to start it and we all will join from the begining. The culprit must be hanged till death. and all of us who care and feel strongly about the issue must vow not to rest till the goal is reached. Let no Ziaudin detract us

The writter seems to be far away from Hinduism.Hinduism will cease to exist if castism is removed.Hinduism flourishes on Brahiminsim and for brahminicel elite to exist castism is the only route.So the writter is promoting a castless society which can never be acceptable to serious Hindus.A socialist or communist ethos can never be merged with Hindu teachings.Insidently women can never be Brahmins,a per scriptures she can only be a Shudhra.So burning a shudra shudra girl will only add to your good deeds.If you wish to come out of this bondage Jesus will liberate you at the speed of thought.

I agree with your full article....but I do not think you have the best solution. I think your solution will have short-term affect. The solution has to go to the root of the problem - IGNORANCE of what the true caste system is. I HAVE DONE MY OWN RESEARCH INTO THE SCRIPTURES AND FOUND THAT 99% OF HINDUS HAVE MISINTERPRETED IT (YES PEOPLE FROM OTHER RELIGIONS ALSO MISINTERPRET THEIR SCRIPTURES ON A LARGE SCALE BUT HINDUS ARE MISTAKEN HERE). Mind you all that I am a ardent Hindu and devotee of Shri Krishna. The solution is to educate people. The is caste system everywhere in this world because there will be the dufferent types and fields of occupation everywhere in the world...But caste based DISCRIMINATION was never preached and untouchability came in through egoistical Brahmins just how 'heresey' came in through insane Christian priests in the medieval times. So educating everyone is the KEYYYY!

I agree with you. As regards media coverage, the incident was from Haryana and not from Gujarat and the victims are Hindus and not Muslims or Xians.

casteism is the basis of hinduism.it was made to keep aryans genetically safe from original indians.as original indians were black aryans were white.naturally the war began...and it still continues....it is the same like racial discrimination like that in USA...this will continue as long as original indians do not overpower the aryans..

If this problem is needed to be solved then India should be divided religionwise,castewise then there wont be any problem.Put Brahmin in one state,Kshatriya in one state,Vaishya in one state and Shudras in one state and ati shudra in one state.Muslim in one state,sikhs in one state,Buddhist one state,Christian one state.Parsi in one state,Jews in one state so all problems will be ended.Then there will be no conflict.

NO BODY IS LOWER CASTE OR UPPER CLASS BY BIRTH. ANY BODY IS SO BY HIS THOUGHTS AND DEEDS.TO DECLARE ANY BODY LOWER OR UPPER BY BIRTH IS THE GREATEST CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY.DO THE UPPER CLASS COMES SOME OTHER WAY OR MADE OF SOME THING THING EXTRAORDINAR.SHAMEFULL THOUGHT AND ACT.

a few more people like you will enlighten the world regarding this evil which is still prevalent

Change is needed, but that does not mean recruit only dalits,help dalits. It should be equality, help anyone when they are in need, not based on caste or creed.
You were asking whether we visited any of the harijan's place. Why are you again taking caste here, you should ask whether we visited anyone poor.
Politicians should clean up all the areas, try to get the poor people go to school which is the basic need and right of every child. Provide at least one person in a family a decent job where he can earn and provide bread and butter to his family.
What are the dalit leaders doing? they just provoke people telling that we don't tolerate a dalit leader, why are they not doing anything to poor. Go ask them whether they have visited their brothers and helped them, ask them to donate some of their money to people who are in need. They are not dalit leaders, but they are dalit blood suckers.
Treat everyone as equal.

Tarunji, you have exposed such face of Hindu society, generally, we don't like to see. Very honestly. The treatment to the social class by any means of behavior is disgusting. The divide which was created by our leaders (religious, social & political - in Correct order) are true culprits. Recently at Porbandar, 115 dalits braced budhisam. well their choice. But who forced them to take such decision? We are socitey within society. Each one wants to prove their height and humiliating & neglecting other humanbeings. Social reforms are always starts from small actions. It can't be imposed.

Truly a worth sharing fact piece. Thanks once again Tarunji.

The caste etc are outdated concept should be discarded lock stock and barrel.No one should mention their caste or religion.Then there will be true India and all will be true indians.

Excellent article! Tarun.It is a shocking news that a young girl was burnt alive along with her father.It always happens in incredible India.Burning bride for dowry,buying husband at the time of marriage by paying money to the bridegroom's parents and untouchability are the regular features of Indian society.But now, we are in the 21st century- the age of computer.I wonder why Indian mentality is still primitive.The word 'casteism'is a funny word.Those who exercise casteism are the biggest jokers in the world.I am also hindu but I don't follow all the principle and rules written in the book because 10 percent of the important words are written by god and 90percent is added by men.The same case is with other religions too. We have to look at the logic behind the text.Religion only breeds hatred and spread amongs the people and results in communal disharmony.So, Indians need to change their mentality to change the society so that in future such burning incidents will not happen. With this the criminals should be executed as soon as possible. PM.Manmohan sigh should not remain silent. He should do something against primitive society.
memeova-a peace lover