Review By Harsimran Kaur

Rating: 4/5

The eclipse is always shady; a farrago of an unsettlement in the Universe. It has a peculiarity to offer, an intrigue succeeded by fear—what if the unanointed aberration proffers a reality—an identity lost, mistaken as a camoflouge—a subterfuge by the powerful eclipsing the unmighty forever.

The firmaments may play their own accord but the grotesque revelation of unprincipled bonhomie is a stark fact between the denounced and denigrates, right here on the land of survival. Fissapariously inclined, the human mind eclipses the misbegotten giving it a name of ‘atavistic aspirations’ and then pompously siphons to create power by subjugation.

• Whats propels power to stiffen and be paraded on the ground of morality and meanness?
• If strictures are well-defined then why a necessity to create a fence of wires to electrocute the so called ‘undeserving’?

All this arises from the dominion of the strait-laced ‘caste’ and it matters.

Caste matters to all of us no matter how preferential we may sound. We get easily perturbed if one’s caste if lodged in the barrels of injustice.

Isn’t the predisposition to introspect rare? When do we analyze the ‘caste factor’? Caste is a ‘fragile tyrant’ of repugnant pleasures to disregard realityand give control to a belief system intoxicated by puritanical mischief, so valiantly anointed as ‘casteism’. If all this really matters then it is necessary to expound on how to walk on the contemptuous territory.

Suraj Yengde, a Dalit and author of the book, ‘Caste Matters’ has poignantly etched the plight of Dalits. Being Dalit calls for hard-core expostulations by the upper caste for their essence of living; a living they are proud of but whipped with recriminations by insane shepherds of caste mediocrity.

So whom does the ‘Caste Thermology’ matters?

• It matters to the Brahminical code of conduct that despises Dalits of their origin and originality.
• It matters to the egomaniacal dystopic minds that use caste privilege to disparage the unwanted pathogens so created by their own hierarchal depredations. 
• It matters to the political rabble-rousers who use ‘Caste’ as propagandafor electoral pursuits and then pummel the much unascertained vulnerability of the same caste to be placed at the deafening shore, making them incapacitated of belongingness.

The book is about Dalits. Suraj tends not to inflame the minds that hardly tamper on ‘Caste issues’ and neither initiate a process to give shibboleths a liberal garment. All that matters is how a caste so loathed by the ‘Hindu Harangue’ seeks or has gallantly made a carapsse to be a tolerant identity among the harrumphed chaos.

Enriched meadows are not their destiny; the Dalits know and hold no compunction to admit that travelling amidst the blooming flowers, the thorns prick their soul. But, it’s their formidable zeal and ubiquitous love that makes them walk. Head high unaverse to the piquant demagoguery and the Brahminical panjandrum.

Aren’t caste convulsions a rattle trap? No access to sanitization, excluded from the political and social structures of the society and considered invaluable in terms of respectable work-force labor is an effrontery, a prejudice flagellating to make caste a protracted saga. Suraj argues if Brahminical privilege is ordained by consanguinity or is textured decade after decade to put Dalits in a rabbit hole. The effect of all this is so notorious that caste has become symbolic to Dalits.

Was this Ambedkar’s vision? No!!

He considered caste to be a ‘deuce’; a piffle-paffle of the needy to maintain the caste hierarchy so that the ‘ism’ in caste appeases their euphoric proclivities. Several decades have gone by; a slight shift in Dalit mobilization is evident. Government schemes to some extent have established a ‘Dalit middle class’ but rest assured, it’s their non-pestering fundamentals to be a part of the nation and not solely grow a ‘my caste fungus’ which has proved to be a mighty sword for them.

TAKE AWAY

Fastidiously written, ‘Caste Matters’ is about Dalits and the social and cultural affinity to themselves which acts as a succor and comfort in terms of trials and tribulations. Full of author’s experiences as a Dalit traveller and taking in the conspicuous reservations colloquially transpired by others foresees how ‘caste’ is a de rigueur to form friendships and professional equations.

Giving an insight into the Neo-Dalit arcade and the capitalistic chicanery, the author provides a realistic presence of Dalits in the political and social milieu.

It’s the ‘oneness’ among the Dalits that has kept them aligned but changes in social structure has manifested ruthlessly among them. It’s time to be reflective of one’s cultural heritage and spiritual tides to walk again—not to denounce what the other has but liberate oneself from the clutches of duality.

A conscientious effort to bring Dalit reality in the forefront…