Renaming Caste, Retaining Privilege

Attempts to 'invisibilise' caste through definitional alterations – whether in terms of an organic community or of a cultural community – are enmeshed in long-range socioeconomic transformations. Ankur Barua and Vishal Ananthakumar write.

#caste #casteism #HinduPhilosophies #advaita #AdiShankara #vivekananda #HinduScriptures #manusmriti #AryaSamaj #BRAmbedkar #brahmins #TamilBrahmins #brahminism #class #untouchability #india

https://www.theindiaforum.in/caste/renaming-caste-retaining-privilege

Despite Untouchability, Contractual Service, Paltry Remuneration — Why Bihar’s Mehtars Scavenge Human Excreta for a Living

Despite financial constraints, the community has promising aspirational youth who are countering the notion that individuals from marginalized castes lack the desire for education.

#bihar #ManualScavenging #dalits #mehtars #untouchability #CasteViolence #labour #education #caste #india

https://en.themooknayak.com/dalit-news/despite-untouchability-contractual-service-paltry-remuneration-why-bihars-mehtars-scavenge-human-excreta-for-a-living

Merchants of Virtue: Hindus, Muslims, and Untouchables in Eighteenth-Century South Asia by Divya Cherian (2023): A Review by Alfisha Sabri

Set in the kingdom of 18th-century Marwar, Cherian’s study traces the rise of the financial and social capital of the mercantile class consisting of the Vaishyas and the Jains.

#BookReview #DivyaCherian #caste #untouchability #dalits #IndianMuslims #history #histodon #bookstodon #books #india

https://doingsociology.org/2024/04/21/merchants-of-virtue-hindus-muslims-and-untouchables-in-eighteenth-century-south-asia-by-divya-cherian-2023-a-review-by-alfisha-sabri/

TN: Caste violence makes this village’s Dalit residents demand separate polling booth

On April 8, 2023, three Dalit residents were allegedly attacked by Vanniyars, a dominant caste group, after the trio tried to enter the Dharmaraja Draupadi Amman temple in Melpathi of Villupuram.

#TamilNadu #villupuram #dalits #vanniyars #CasteViolence #TempleEntry #untouchability #caste #casteism #elections2024 #india

https://www.thenewsminute.com/tamil-nadu/tn-caste-violence-makes-this-villages-dalit-residents-demand-separate-polling-booth

Banaras Hindu University researches Manusmriti ‘applicability’

Banaras Hindu University is researching the continuing “applicability” of the Manusmriti, which codified what became the caste system and gave women the status of family property, with government funds earmarked for worldclass academic projects.

#UttarPradesh #BHU #manusmiriti #education #brahminism #casteism #CasteSystem #sexism #misogyny #untouchability #CasteDiscrimination #hindutva #BJPStates #india

https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/banaras-hindu-university-researches-manusmriti-applicability/cid/1919602

‘Freedom fighters were not necessarily caste equality champions’: Writer Manoj Mitta

An interview with Manoj Mitta, author of ‘Caste Pride: Battles for Equality in Hindu India’.

#interview #ManojMitta #caste #FreedomStruggle #FreedomMovement #casteism #congress #MKGandhi #BRAmbedkar #CasteDiscrimination #untouchability #IntercasteMarriage #history #histodon #books #bookstodon #india

https://scroll.in/article/1064088/freedom-fighters-were-not-necessarily-caste-equality-champions-writer-manoj-mitta

Tamil Nadu: Police arrest two women in Dharmapuri for practicing untouchability

The accused belonging to Kongu Vellalar community have been booked under the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act.

#TamilNadu #dharmapuri #dalits #paraiyars #KonguVellalars #untouchability #casteism #caste #SCSTAct #HumanRights #india

https://www.thenewsminute.com/tamil-nadu/tamil-nadu-police-arrest-two-women-in-dharmapuri-for-practicing-untouchability

Tamil Nadu: Study says caste pride reigns in schools, identifies casteist teachers

The Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front submitted a study highlighting the prevalence of caste violence and discrimination in schools to the state government, seeking action in one month’s time.

#TamilNadu #casteism #education #schools #CasteViolence #TNUEF #dalits #adivasis #untouchability #HumanRights #RuralIndia #caste #india

https://www.thenewsminute.com/tamil-nadu/tamil-nadu-study-says-caste-pride-reigns-in-schools-identifies-casteist-teachers

Rajasthan: Over 56,000 caste crimes in 5 years, a shrinking conviction rate, ‘shoddy’ final reports

Conviction rate in SC/ST atrocities cases fell from 27% in 2020 to 22% in 2022.

#rajasthan #CasteViolence #CasteCrimes #dalits #adivasis #untouchability #CasteDiscrimination #casteism #caste #congress #india

https://www.newslaundry.com/2023/11/16/rajasthan-over-56000-caste-crimes-in-5-years-a-shrinking-conviction-rate-shoddy-final-reports

This book examines how the Gandhi-Ambedkar debate on caste influenced theories on the public sphere

An excerpt from ‘India, Habermas and the Normative Structure of Public Sphere’, by Muzaffar Ali.

#BookExcerpt #MuzaffarAli #BRAmbedkar #MKGandhi #ambedkar #caste #dalits #untouchability #CasteDiscrimination #hinduism #CasteSystem #HumanRights #history #histodon #books #bookstodon #india

https://scroll.in/article/1057059/this-book-examines-how-the-gandhi-ambedkar-debate-on-caste-influenced-theories-on-the-public-sphere

California governor vetoes caste discrimination bill, calls it 'unnecessary'

Activists in the state are dealt a blow as Gavin Newsom says the state’s laws already offer civil rights protections.

#california #GavinNewsom #CasteDiscrimination #SB403 #dalits #adivasis #casteism #untouchability #brahminism #hinduism #hindutva #india

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/07/california-caste-discrimination-ban-vetoed-gavin-newsom

Saving the World Like a Savarna

Savarnas can pose as extremely radical and culturally progressive and then, with the flip of a metaphorical switch, slip back into their privileged family lives without the slightest existential friction. This switching is possible because Savarna social lives are largely public-facing performances, writes Prof. Ravikant Kisana.

https://theswaddle.com/saving-the-world-like-a-savarna/

#caste #savarnas #UpperCastes #brahminism #LiberalBrahmins #casteism #CasteDiscrimination #untouchability #communalism #brahmins #india

In Gujarat, villagers won’t buy ration from Dalit’s shop, collector transfers all cards to nearby village

Patan Collector Arvind Vijayan said that the order was passed following internal inquiry and opposition from the villagers.

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/kanosan-villagers-ration-card-dalit-shop-8949446/

#gujarat #patan #dalits #thakors #PDS #CasteDiscrimination #untouchability #caste #casteism #RuralIndia #india

Meet the trio who will soon become TN's first women temple priests

Ranjitha, Ramya, and Krishnaveni are thrilled at the prospect of becoming the first women priests in Tamil Nadu but are also aware of the long and arduous journey that lies ahead of them.

https://www.thenewsminute.com/tamil-nadu/meet-the-trio-who-will-soon-become-tns-first-women-temple-priests

#TamilNadu #TNGovt #HRCE #temples #WomenPriests #caste #equality #WomensRights #dalits #brahminism #untouchability #CasteDiscrimimation #DMK #hinduism #india

SC woman cook row: Kanimozhi, Collector have breakfast with children

DMK MP Kanimozhi on Tuesday visited the Usilampatti panchayat union primary school near here, where children were reportedly prevented by their parents from having the food prepared by a woman belonging to Scheduled Caste, and had breakfast with the students.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/sc-woman-cook-row-kanimozhi-collector-have-breakfast-with-children/article67298956.ece

#TamilNadu #madurai #dalits #DalitCooks #untouchability #CasteDiscrimination #casteism #schools #education #DMK #kanimozhi #RuralIndia #india

Sanatan Dharma: An Ideology or the Entire Hindu Community?

Even V.D. Savarkar, the most influential ideologue of Hindutva, hardly conflated ‘sanatan dharma’ with the entire Hindu community, unlike the BJP's position on the current controversy over the term.

https://thewire.in/history/sanatan-dharma-an-ideology-or-the-entire-hindu-community

#SanatanaDharma #hindutva #SanatanDharma #BJP #savarkar #HinduMahasabha #caste #CasteDiscrimination #untouchability #hinduism #india

Tamil Nadu students refuse to eat breakfast prepared by Dalit cook, District Collector intervenes

Karur district collector Prabhushankar visited the Panchayat Union Primary School and warned the parents for practicing caste discrimination.

https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/tamil-nadu-students-refuse-eat-breakfast-prepared-dalit-cook-district-collector-intervenes

#TamilNadu #karur #TNBreakfastScheme #dalits #arunthathiyars #BCs #MBCs #untouchability #CasteDiscrimination #schools #education #india

The Politics over California’s Anti-Caste Bill

Anxiety amongst upper-caste diaspora that their narrative about a benign Indian culture would be undone lies at the heart of the opposition to California’s bill to ban caste discrimination.

https://www.theindiaforum.in/caste/politics-over-californias-anti-caste-bill

#california #CaliforniaStateAssembly #CasteDiscrimination #untouchability #AishaWahab #democrats #IndianDiaspora #UnitedStates #law #SocialJustice #india

Gladstone Scion to Apologise for Slavery: Can Indian Upper Castes Too Look Within?

That Western capitalism had its first roots in the expropriation of slave labour is of course by now an established fact of history. Mr Gladstone’s conscientious lead is admirable, one that many others could emulate – even in the former colonies. Badri Raina writes.

https://thewire.in/rights/gladstone-scion-apologise-slavery-indian-upper-castes-look-within

#slavery #SlaveTrade #WilliamGladstone #caste #CasteDiscrimination #untouchability #UpperCastes #india

The Long Struggle of India’s Sanitation Workers

For centuries, the caste system has forced Dalit laborers to handle human waste in deadly conditions. Now they are rising up.

https://www.nybooks.com/online/2023/08/24/the-long-struggle-of-indias-sanitation-workers/

#ManualScavenging #SanitationWorkers #dalits #caste #CasteDiscrimination #CasteViolence #untouchability #inequality #HumanRights #labour #india #LongRead