#anti casteism

[bfpnola]

Caste is a structure of oppression that affects over 1 billion people across the world. It is a system of religiously codified exclusion that was established in Hindu scripture.At birth, every child inherits his or her ancestor’s caste, which determines social status and assigns “spiritual purity”.

Hindu origin myths state that different people were created from different parts of God Brahma’s body and were to be ranked hierarchically according to ritual status, purity, and occupation. 

There are four main Caste groups. Those at the very top are Brahmins, who have traditionally been priests, scriptural knowledge-keepers, and legislators. Below them in status are the Kshatriyas, who were kings and warriors. They are followed by Vaishyas, or the merchant classes. People in these three Caste groups are often referred to as the “upper” Castes or Savarnas. Those at the bottom of the Caste hierarchy are Shudras or traditional peasants. Many of the lowest ranking Shudras are also termed Caste-oppressed.

Outside the 4-Caste group structure are people considered lower than the lowest of Castes. They go by the term Dalit meaning “broken but resilient”, formerly known as “untouchables” and the Adivasis, or the indigenous peoples of South Asia. Together these Caste-oppressed groups continue to experience profound injustices including socioeconomic inequalities, usurpation of their land, rights, and experience brutal violence at the hands of the “upper” Castes. 

Dalits under Caste apartheid are forced into segregated schools, villages, places of worship, and subject to violent oppression. Often they are denied access to public amenities including water and roads. This entire system is enforced by violence and maintained by one of the oldest, most persistent cultures of impunity throughout South Asia, most notably in India, where despite the contemporary illegality of the system, it has persisted and thrived for 2,500 years.

—

🚨 want more materials like these? this resource was shared through BFP’s discord server! everyday, dozens of links and files are requested and offered by youth around the world! and every sunday, these youth get together for virtual teach-ins. if you’re interested in learning more, join us! link in our bio! 🚨

#undescribed #resources #casteism #caste #anti casteism #dalit #untouchable #untouchability #south asia #hindu nationalism #hindutva

[seaoafthoughts]

I’m an oppressor caste teenager in the US and, outside of talking to my parents and other family about caste (which has only minimal effect on them no matter how much research I bring up or evidence I use), I don’t know how to better throw my support behind the anti caste movement. I don’t have financial independence yet to contribute monetarily and I’m just consumed by the guilt of not being active enough

hello dear anon,

so i’ve been contemplating how i should answer this exactly and here’s what i’ve come up with-

1. i understand that its hard to talk to your parents and other family members about caste. its the one topic everybody and their mother loves to throw down on at any table and the conversation always goes sideways fast.

but i suggest you don’t give up. you don’t have to have full blown out conversations about it all the time. they will refuse to listen.

so every time someone says something casteist say something along the lines of "what/who made you think this was perfectly reasonable to say out loud?" and wait for them to try answer. you don't have to continue this conversation but this statement you made? its for you. its to remind yourself that the nonsense that they're spouting is bullshit. and they don't even have a reasonable explanation as to why the holy fuck they thought it was okay to say outloud.

2. savarna (oppressor caste) guilt is useless in terms of supporting the anti-caste movement. a parallel example to this would be - imagine how useful white guilt is in a conversation of racism. it occurs, it happens but if one focuses on it they make the entire narrative about themselves again rather than what they're trying to support.

remember - guilt is an easy emotion to succumb to. let yourself feel it but don't focus on it. it doesn't do anyone any good.

3. if you don't have monetary means to help out yet; read, learn and help/volunteer in some shape with organizations who are actively doing some excellent anti-caste work in the U.S right now.

Equality Labs - https://www.equalitylabs.org

National Academic Coalition for Caste Equity

Ambedkar-Phule Network of American Dalits and Bahujans

Ambedkar Association of North America

Ambedkarite Buddhist Association of Texas

Boston Study Group

and so on. these are a few of the organizations that i know of and have been listed in the high profile seattle city council resolution to stand against caste discrimination in all forms.

when you finally do manage to gain some monetary funds, pls do donate. money is the most expressible language in terms of support sometimes.

4. finally, you are a NRI teenager who's aware of the caste privilege you hold. this means you do have more power than you realize. get creative with that knowledge. learn as much as you can about casteism and the number of ways it warps itself and presents itself innocently. you cannot expect DBA people to teach you what you can already find with a simple google search.

the onus is on you. its a personal responsibility. keep that in mind and keep moving forward.

good luck. jai bhim.

#dry fruits inbox #ask answered #caste #anti caste #anti casteism

[vizthedatum]

I made the best of today: MLK Jr. Day.

I wanted to write a post about all those he inspired and his shortcomings. I ended up having a migraine and a sudden drop in energy… needed to rest.

—

Like did you know that Dr. Ambedkar in South Asia was similar to him in the sense of tackling discrimination?

Caste and race discrimination is well and alive there, and it affects millions upon millions of people.

And as I was telling my white friend the other day, in the US over here, racism and discrimination affects us all - including white people! Including people with privilege!!

Just because they have the privilege to not think about it (because systemic discrimination favors them) doesn’t mean that they have to be willfully ignorant.

Anti-racism, anti-casteism, anti-discrimination… ARE ACTIVE PURSUITS, NOT PASSIVE.

It is not enough (and harmful) to say you’re not racist and you “don’t see color.”

We must all keep fighting for equity by being who we are and tackling down walls of oppression where we see it. It doesn’t have to be as big as MLK Jr. or Dr. Ambedkar. Or Malcolm X.

You don’t have to be a complete revolutionary or a religious leader.

You can just be a person advocating for your fellow man. Advocacy goes both ways: supporting those who have less privilege and helping those who indiscriminately use their privilege to step over others UNDERSTAND why this is not sustainable.

After all, this blog? Me talking about my abuse and understanding toxic behaviors (including my own)… seeks to do that.

We are all human and we are all worthy - “the work” is to help people truly see that, including the perpetrators of harm.

#mlk jr #MLK jr day #healing #journal #love #self love #relational love #anti racism #anti casteism #Asian American perspective #ambedkar

[meluhha]

Tarabai Shinde; Savitribai & Jyotirao Phule; & the Truth-seekers Society >>

"his argument that brahmans were Aryan invaders who established and enforced a religion and social system to benefit them and keep them in power, they argued that Phule did not have the authority to rewrite history."

 ..except, he wasn't

“Prior to 1920s, the samaj opposed the Indian national movement because it was a movement led by the elites.”

#Tarabai Shinde #tarabai #feminist #anti caste #anti casteism #Jyotiba Phule #dalit #dalits #india #south asia #hindu #casteism #hinduism #aryan invasion #indus valley #meluhha #melakam #maharashtra #mumbai #bombay #marathi #gujarat #indu #dravidian #bahujan #phule #jyotirao #savitribai #pune

[curtwilde]

People: Maybe Hindu priests having magisterial powers over who gets citizenship is not a good thing for democracy.

Sanghis: this is HINDUPHOBIA 😩 omg why do you PSEUDO LEFTISTS hate us?? Us hindus live like second class citizens in a country with 80 percent hindu majority and a hindu extremist political power in power!! 😣 we are literally facing HINDU GENOCIDE 😩 it's casteist to say anything against the prime minister btw he's OBC. It's casteist to say anything against Bramhins too. I'm very smart. 🤓 HINDU LIVES MATTER JAI SREE RAM 🕉️🕉️🕉️🕉️🚩🚩🚩🚩

#sanghi bs #anti hindutva #the most fascinating thing about sanghi social media is how they all parrot the same thing around the same time #im convinced it gets released in their whatsapp groups and it circulates #they are all on their reverse casteism phase now truly fascinating #the same shit across twitter tumblr and instagram not a single original thought

[hussyknee]

I accidentally deleted this ask yesterday but fortunately had a screenshot. Ngl I'm kind of ??? about it because...why would you single out Hinduism to pick the most fundamentalist, cultural and political aspect of it, that's not even practised in most the Hindu minorities outside of India? Nearly every community in India has a caste system regardless of religion. Within Hinduism there's no just one caste system either. Eelam Tamil Hindus have a caste system, but it's not as violent as India's (although of course still violent and oppressive). Sinhalese have a caste system too, and the ones still invested in it would swear blind this was related to Buddhism somehow, a doctrine that preaches against inequality of any kind. Caste systems are literally haram in Islam and yet some Muslim communities managed to rationalize creating one because they wanted to assimilate into the worst of us I guess.

I know fuck all about Hinduism to tell you the truth, but my sister is a convert and devotee of Durga Matha. I asked her about it and she sent me this:

There are as many variants of Hinduism as there are varieties of grass. The only thing they have in common is the Vedas which is a bunch of hymns and stuff. It doesn't really go into detail about caste.

The caste system comes from a book called Manu Smriti. Some accept it as a Hindu text, some don't. Hinduism isn't even a religion actually. It's a bunch of similar belief systems that the Britishers lumped in together for ease of classification. Within Hinduism there are many sects- Saivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism, etc. So to define Hinduism as some sort of oppressive religion doesn't make sense because it isn't a religion as Westerners define it. Anyway, truth is everyone cherry picks the parts of religion that suits them and discards the rest. Some think that's being dishonest. I think that's just common sense.

This makes sense to me. It's very colonial to monolithize belief systems that evolved from the disparate religious texts and syncretic practices of dozens of kingdoms and dynasties over 4000 years, just because it shares the unique character of belonging to the Indian subcontinent. (Which is precisely why its propagated by Hindutva nutcases. They're imperialist colonizers permanently snorting Indian manifest destiny crack.)

Bestie. Friendo. My guy (gender neutral). Ideology doesn't shape society. People wrap ideology around what they already want to believe and do. This is how you get Zionists (both Christian and Jewish), Wahabi/Salafi Muslims, Hindutvas and... whatever we're supposed to call this current iteration of Theravadin Buddhism that is also characterized by ethnosupremacy and genocide. Religion takes the character of the individuals and ideologues that choose to follow it. There are no exceptions.

To reiterate the point that inspired this ask: Some LGBT folks's queerness is inextricable from their religious identity. Stigmatising and ostracizing religion in queer spaces is alienating, racist and violent. Just like no one should force religion on you, no one should force secularism on people either. There is enough air for us all to breathe free.

#religion #hinduism #religious tolerance #casteism #social stratification #buddhism #islam #anti zionism #hindutva #culture and society #racism #colonialism #christianity #knee of huss #asks #anon #sri lanka

[sudamaniparva]

not to get all 'anti-theist' on my blog, but the way some fuckers on this site really act as if there's some perfect religion and all other ones are the absolute worst is absolutely delusional and downright stupid.

There is no fucking perfect religion.

Every religion has atrocities attached to its followers and texts. Racism, sexism, homophobia, casteism, classism, antisemitism, islamophobia and every other bigotry that you can think of will apply to at least one religion. No religion is clean. Stop fucking pretend as if there's some cheat code in a religion that makes it better than everything else.

(fair warning, if i see anyone use this post to be hateful towards any religion, especially islam and judaism because i know that you fuckers will try, i will report you. this post is not to diss any religion, but merely to criticize people who believe that one religion is the best and every other religion is horrible. if you see anyone use this post to harm anyone, report them)

#yes this applies to all the eastern religions #yes this applies to oppressed religions #there is no perfect religion #there is however applying the best of your religion into your life and using religion to help those in need #anyone who tells you any religion is tolerant and most peaceful are liars #desiblr #desi #desi tumblr #desi culture #casteism #desi tag #anti bjp #anti hindutva #hindublr #islamophobia #antisemitism #discrimination #antisemitism tw #tw antisemitism #hinduism #christianity #islam #buddhism #judaism #religion #religion tag #religion and politics #religious #religion mention #catholicism

[timetravellingkitty]

Change my mind: the only people Hindutva would benefit are upper castes. The only purpose of Hindu nationalism is to reinforce Brahminical hegemony, no matter how many Hindutva organisations claim that they "don't see caste".

It is no surprise that this comes after the forced Sanskritisation of indigenous, tribal and lower caste communities. The touting of upper caste Hindu culture as the only Indian culture is incredibly damaging

#i know uc hindus are gonna come and be like “so you're saying i cant practice my culture 😡” #because that's what they're like #which like. when did i say that. the problem is your oppression and perptuation of casteism for THOUSANDS of years #india is currently experiencing a transformation from a pluralistic republic to a hindu fascist state #fuck off #reva speaks #anti caste #hindutva

[indizombie]

While appreciating the efforts of Tamil directors in making anti-caste movies, he says that the Tamil industry now at least has the presence of Dalit filmmakers and technicians which is yet to happen in Telugu. “It’s very heartening to watch movies made by people like Pa Ranjith that address caste. The movies try to tell stories of oppression, though not in their entirety. However, in Telugu, it’s still a far-fetched dream. To attribute a lower class surname or even a Muslim name to characters in Telugu movies is frowned upon. Producers and many heroes oppose the very idea of it. Telugu audiences enjoy watching a progressive movie in Tamil, but not when it is made in their own industry. Very much like how people conveniently support inter-caste marriages outside their family but create a ruckus when their own sons or daughters attempt to go against the narrative,” the director notes.

Priyanka Richi, ‘How caste is integral to the functioning of the Telugu film industry’, News Minute

#News Minute #Priyanka Richi #India #Tamil cinema #anti-caste movies #Dalit filmmakers #Dalit technicians #Telugu cinema #Pa Ranjith #caste oppression #Islamophobia #casteism

[bfpnola]

Caste isn’t limited to our particular South Asian homeland, it migrates, too. Caste is embodied by all of us diasporic South Asians, regardless of ethnic, national, linguistic, religious, sexual, or political affiliation. Thus it is all of our responsibility to interrogate our privilege. For far too long we have watched caste re-emerge and settle in our new geographies. We have shied away from discussing caste in diaspora. And most importantly, we have let this silence allow South Asian diasporic movements to erase caste from their intersectional analysis. But this ends now.

For radical South Asians, this is the moment to include caste into your intersectional analysis. This is the time to begin the long, complicated conversation of  taking caste into account. This is not a conversation that happens at the end of a meeting. This is not where having a Dalit friend gives you a free pass not to recognize your own caste privilege. And if this article makes you feel like this is not meant for you because you are not a Brahmin, then this article is especially for you. For caste has internal, interpersonal and institutional effects. And every caste is implicated in maintaining its hegemony. Yes, every caste. It is only when we actively challenge caste together that we have a chance to end it in our lifetime. But for this to happen, we need to name, see, and reckon it for what it is first.

It is only when we actively challenge caste together that we have a chance to end it in our lifetime.

Most importantly, it does not end just by simply reading this article — you have to commit to wrestle with these ideas and then put what you read into practice.

Dalits, Bahujans, and Adivasis have so far been the only ones to raise the issue of caste. Just because we bear the brunt of the violence of this system it does not mean it is only our problem. Caste is, in fact, a structural problem. Therefore, it needs structural solutions that are grounded in collective and inclusive actions to dismantle it. It is time that those who are Savarna, or Upper-caste, begin to learn to name and own their privilege and take on the burden of educating and dismantling caste in your own families and social networks. For the hardest work is to confront those that are closest and most intimate to you in your personal and professional lives. In fact, this is where really allyship begins. This is the point when complicated conversations begin. It starts when you become the uncomfortable voice laying bare the privilege to the social locations from where caste trickles down from: your friends, family, and professional colleagues. It begins when you break the silence of your own privilege.

—

🚨 want more materials like these? this resource was shared through BFP’s discord server! everyday, dozens of links and files are requested and offered by youth around the world! and every sunday, these youth get together for virtual teach-ins. if you’re interested in learning more, join us! link in our bio! 🚨

#resources #caste #anti casteism #casteism #privilege #intersectionality #diaspora #indigenous #dalit #bahujan #adivasi

[enigma-the-mysterious]

The more time passes, the more casteist and islamophobic desiblr gets. They don't even try to hide it anymore

#feel uncomfortable to even scroll through the tags #desi #desi stuff #desiblr #desi tumblr #desi tag #india #casteism #anti caste #islamophobia #not incorrect quotes #desi culture #original post #hindublr

[nyomkitten]

The climate change discourse then suffers from two key issues. One, we’ve sufficiently learnt by now who to blame, but we disagree on how to do something about it. Two, blaming someone is often seen as the end in itself, rather than a means toward an end. It’s why blame accompanied by action is so contested: it actually involves disrupting the status quo in ways that aren’t comfortable or pleasant.

"Identifying Climate Villains Has Become Mainstream — But It Isn’t Enough." Rohitha Naraharisetty for The Swaddle. 25th July 2022

But there’s a defeatism inherent in the framing of frustration against capitalism that makes the inescapable capitalist reality a self-fulfilling prophecy – if we’re already resigned to the possibility that we’ll live and die under capitalism, we really just might. ... there remains a social media-fuelled sensibility that overemphasizes the doom – almost as if everyone’s in on a secret that it’s all hopeless in the end. It doesn’t mean that people are the problem; it’s that capitalism itself is cannibalizing all the discourse around it.

... it’s hard to know what the resistance looks like – even when it is happening in front of our eyes. Many have begun to posit that rejecting surveillance capitalism itself has to be the way forward. If everything we say and do is watched, it makes our speech and action less radical by default.

"Anti‑Capitalism Is Cool. When Will It Be Revolutionary Again?" Rohitha Naraharisetty for The Swaddle. 3rd September 2022

i haven't caught up with her work in a long while (asshole me) but Rohitha Slays Every Time uffffff

also this EXCELLENT interview with Dr. Sylvia Karpagam—it's so relieving to listen to a nutritional expert recontextualise and properly explain why the “only vegetarian food in schools” position is so hot air–based and disgustingly harmful. here are excerpts but please read the whole thing.

If you compare populations in India that have had good food over generations, they have consistently shown an increase in height. ... The [prevalent] small frame is because of stunting in childhood and because the mother never received adequate nutrition during pregnancy and her adolescent years. ... the “small frame” idea hides a whole system of neglect that the child has gone through.

It’s like someone is drowning in water and then you’re saying no, he’s dying because he has diabetes. First, give people food. We have such a high hunger index in the country and so many nutritional deficiencies.

The majority of children in government schools, however, are children from marginalized Dalit, OBC, and Adivasi communities. What they’re saying to them is, essentially, that “because of your food, you have a tendency to be a criminal.”

[How does t]he exclusion of meat and eggs ... harm children — not just physically, but also in terms of the relationship that they have with food itself?

... I wouldn’t even call it brainwashing — what they’re doing is actually inculcating shame in the child. So this document says that giving different kinds of foods to the children leads to “discrimination” — and their solution is to give them the same type of food. So there is this idea that diversity, variety, or people with differences are bad, and that homogenous is good. ... And the idea that the vegetarian child is someone whose sensibilities have to be constantly protected by everybody else — that is the enforcement of the caste system. It says, “I don’t like your food therefore, I will not eat it — but I will also make sure through any means that you don’t eat it either.”

"Why Is Removing Meat and Eggs From School Midday Meals Casteist? We Ask an Expert." Rohitha Naraharisetty for The Swaddle, 14th July 2022

#nk:txt #articles #climate change #casteism #capitalism #climate action #climate activism #anti caste #nk

[queerism1969]

Racism, Sexism, Homophobia, Casteism, Transphobia is not an opinion.

#anti blackness #social justice #prejudice #colonialism #stereotypes #sexism #homophobia #casteism #transphobes #queer solidarity #queerplatonic #queer culture #queer #queer community #queer nsft #queer history #queer poetry #queer love #queer fiction #lgbtq #lgbtqia #nonbinary #lgbtqplus

[metamatar]

How to be anti caste ally if you are a teenager

Hi anon! on being a teenage anti caste ally – I wasn't one, just someone who thought caste atrocities bad, untouchability evil because of my textbooks. I hear they've watered those down too. So my advice is from an adult perspective.

On self education, you should atleast read Ambedkar's Annihilation of Caste. I like this piece for an introduction to the false imagination of a caste less society that India thinks it's reached. When I was a teenager, all the discourse was virulently anti reservation so here's a defense of them. For engaging with the modern movement – Dalit Roundtable India and Dalit Camera should def be paid attention to. You did come to a communist, so Anand Teltumbe is my final rec on intellectuals.

I understand you're probably dependent on family for things, so it does not do to antagonise them, but my extended family life had so many caste practices embedded: from giving 'secondary' utensils to lower caste visitors to the use of caste slurs that I really benefited from pushing back against. "Why do we do this?" "What does this word mean?" "Shouldn't everyone clean up after themselves?" "Do you think what happened to Eklavya was fair?" "Shouldn't everyone be free to choose their livelihood?" "Why can't you marry someone outside your caste?" Don't get angry even if their answers inflame, don't lecture, don't treat your family like they should know better (even if they should) nobody really interrogates caste. If your family reacts poorly, atleast talk to your upper caste friends about their homes and their caste practices at the minimum.

It's a lifelong thing though, good luck. I'm sorry I don't have any intro recs in other formats, but I don't process audio too well personally! I have been intending to watch some Pa Ranjith films so that might be a good place to start. Hope maybe some of my followers do have non textual recs and can drop them in the notes.

#asks #caste #anti caste #casteism

[curtwilde]

People who benefit from casteism aren't bramhins 90 percent of the time, it is the vaishyas, i.e shopkeepers and land-owning farmer class who benefit off dalit farm labourers and poor dalit customers. Often, it is people call themselves "lower caste" by virtue of being down in the heirarchy; they benefit from caste reservations made for dalits while still opressing dalits. Often, and this can be a hard concept to digest, often they are ones who have succeeded in getting OBC certification in many states, so they are able to posture as dalit when it benefits them socially and politically and yet very actively perpetuates the cycle of opression on dalits.

It benifits caste-deniers to present casteism as bramhins vs. non-bramhins but it's important that we never forget what it really is: dalit vs. non-dalit.

#“speaking as a lower caste person” shut up. #see how modi benifits off his OBC? that is exactly what i mean #casteism #anti caste #anti hindutva #india

[kitty-lemon]

Casteism isn't gone. You simply have the privilege to not experience it.

#desiblr #desi #casteism #anti caste #indian politics #Segregation #No better words for this #Untouchability #🛡️ #Q