Winter is here: caste and gender

Supriya Ingle
Aug 26, 2017 · 3 min read

Social Media is platform with open dais, it has been golden opportunity of expression to those who often could not speak their mind in public. Their point of view, thought process, stories they believe in and assumption are being expressed through ‘Tag’, ‘thumbs up’, likes and followings. True revolution has chances now, now that everyone is ready to express and so there lies chances of real confrontation. These days, my most favourite ares of confrontation is of sexism and caste based reservation. It is really interesting to understand what are different point of views are out there.

Sexism and caste based reservation is hot topic for Indian crowd because of polar opinion, here I am going to focus on caste based reservation only. One pole is pro reservation, who takes are beneficiaries of it or just love the concept of reservation in its depth. And on the other side, there are those who hate it because they feel “ bashed up” by reservation policy and are angry that reservation is privilege to certain caste people, where as caste should not be defining factor when it comes to education and jobs. They believe such policies are created to divide Indian people and Indian politician are using it for their own political benefits.

Now, there is lot of knowledge available out there to understand why reservation has created, why it is caste based, how it runs, who gets benefit of it. This write up is not intended to explain where their pain is coming from but simply to question where are we as a Nation leading from here — Hot bed of anger and hate.

We in free India (since 71 years) must have conscious efforts towards development of our collective consciousness and intellectual capacity to resolve heat around common mouthed topics such as sexism and reservation. If we are going to fight amongst ourselves, we wont be able to fight the bigger battle (Because winter is here). Thanks to social media, which made such communication wide and open. And, only if, our debate and discussion is in intellectual space framed by principle of equality, love for life and free will, our way forward is up to the top as better nation and society. Unexpressed prejudice, will, anger and contemplation come to life as biased behaviour, we have seen it as caste and gender inequality.

Those who believe women and men are not equal and caste is natural phenomenon that people of certain caste are of superior quality than another, then I urge you to get some good mental rest, read some books and then open your mouth. ( with all due respect ) I honestly believe that every individual is naturally empowered to use their intellect without diluting it with emotions, borrowed opinions, prejudice and fear. I am no one to tell anybody what is right or wrong on any topic or situation. But I am ready to die explaining what is wrong and right in my current understanding and at the same time, having courage in my heart to know better no matter from where, from whom.

We as nation always have proud feeling of having diversity, but I doubt our capacity to hold all variety together in one tri -colour band. We go forward not by bitting everybody around us, but healing every bitten up on our way. If we are to stand together (those who hates reservation and who believes in reservation) with intention to develop as one happy — prosperous nation, all will have to confront line of conflict, their stories, their ideas, their anger. A pro — reservation person will have to genuinely try to hear why there is anger, how could we present the idea of reservation in better light so that we all could heal from the stories of 5000 years of oppression, the myth that reservation and caste are two different topic has to be explained. And a reservation haters will have to understand the concept of caste with open mind and to know what is inequality on surface and in reality. And if possible then bring about better solution to create equilibrium in society.

Because winter is here.

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Supriya Ingle

Written by

Poet/ Warrior/ Doctor/ reproductive health activist/ I-am-the-journey/love

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