Tanubhrt.This.Side

We are in 2015. “The Modern” era has come and we are talking about modern cars, metros, malls, better roads. But I say the flyover in my city isn’t yet completed. The construction has started irritating me now(2 years is a long time, for a flyover I guess). We are celebrating our victory when the Satyam frauds are sent to a 7-year jail. But I thought the ones who raped the “Delhi girl” were being interviewed! We are wishing for the “ache din” and reading about the various world tour our prime minister is taking. And  I thought, why everything he is doing is becoming a breaking news. We are celebrating the win of Saina Nehwal as if she is our daughter. But then I thought, we didn’t think twice before blaming one of our daughters, for a loss in a game she didn’t even play. We are becoming more educated. With this coming education, and especially education for the poor, it seems like we are moving ahead of the days when we were called “snake charmers”.

Definitely, this is a modern India and we are educated. “UNTOUCHABILITY” naah. This is not something we do. We all believe that we are one people. We believe in our democracy and our constitution. After all, ohk may be there is untouchability but that is very less. Maybe in some villages but not in cities. Seriously?? I  thought this is now woven in our minds. Definitely, we have Dalits sitting next to us in our class but then they are not the ones we are allowed to marry for sure. They do come to our houses but they are still not allowed in our temples. We surely live with them in a society but then I thought they have to change their surnames to live with us. And this situation is of the educated urban people. And even if we do treat them equally, it is yet again our courtesy to treat them well. We feel pride in doing that. “O My God, I am so good”, kind of feeling.

Rural India. I think, when we say that there is no untouchability, I say, go visit rural India. They are not just one or two villages. Every damn village in India does have untouchability. I remember once I was sitting at the entrance of my house,(we call it deli), and someone just poked me saying,” we don’t sit there, it is for them). Trust me the feeling was like, “Can I just kill you?” It is just that the cases are not opening. Because we are more bothered about Virat Kohli than how our other country people live.

The fact still is that most of the poor are the Dalits. The fact is that maybe we talk about a lot of stuff here and there but a “Dalit” is still a “Dalit”. We expect them to remove the dead animals off our street. Because after all, we are the Brahmins you see. And Brahmins may drink alcohol or eat meat but then the “dharma” doesn’t allow to pick the dead animal they ate last night. We call them to clean our streets. We call them to do the dirtiest of the task that no one else can do. A “Dalit” truly goes by the name, “someone who is broken”.

I know we are improving. But then we can’t claim it is not there. That we all are one. No. Maybe today we don’t directly say it on the face. But then the gestures we do is enough to make someone feel like shit. And I know we can’t do something about the ones who are now doing it for like 40 years. But then there is a child in his/her house who deserves to be educated and to live a life they want to. To live a life that they deserve. Because, I  believe that a surname shouldn’t deprive you to the basic human feelings, the basic human respect, the basic human necessities and the basic fact that they are “HUMAN” too.