Had I born in one of the supposedly low caste, let alone lowest of the low, then I would not have to ask this question in India! But I am born in one of the privileged social structure where I did not know that I have one, in fact I did not even get to know about the religion I was born in. Six decades of my life and the combinations of these identities have not stopped surprising me inspite of being born as a woman! There has been major goof up in my socialization I must admit. Studying and teaching Women’s Studies has made me aware that these identities are the first to be installed by the family. The family I was born in lost some part of the socialization, as they migrated due to partition. Jabalpur is where I was born in a loving family, which had an open house with people from different backgrounds. The question of caste never occurred to me even when Baba, my father used to make my sisters and me mug up we were ‘Boddis’ and belonged to Modgollo Gotro, Shenhati gram, Khulna District. It was something I just learnt as I was a non questioning obedient child and so were my sisters. The Boddi and Gotro in my head had no connection to caste or religion even when I would wonder why my Baba had so much pride in saying this. This was a Bengali family. I married into a Sindhi family. My wise mother-in-law would always tell me to not get bonded as she and her lot was so caste did not get scope to register. After her death Daddy too did nothing to install the app! Leaving the man I married at 23 and living a single life in Bombay since 29 to 39, educating myself and my sons, did nothing to change the system.
I first learnt that I have to have a caste when I joined the Rural Development Programme and went to Udwada in August 1996. The Community Workers in the very first interaction I had with them asked me what my caste was. I was left wondering so I told them I would confirm with Amma, my mother. I do not remember doing that confirming. Amma used to recite a beautiful poem by Rabindranath Tagore — ‘Brahmon’. I loved the way my mother recited but since she is no longer alive I cannot share her recording instead I am attaching a youtube of the poem who wish to hear.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BG3k8AONXo)
Saumya Dey has given a brief of the poem aptly, in his editor’s note. He has beautifully translated from the original Bengali poem.
Editor’s Note: This beautiful poem is based on the idea of varna being a matter of spiritual inclination rather than birth. It narrates the encounter between knowledge seeking Satyakam and sage Gautama contained in the Chandogya Upanishad. We see that though Satyakam is unable to name his father his truthfulness establishes his Brahmanya in the eyes of the sage.
Otherwise I love the poem and have no wish to taint Rabindranath Tagore as he too was bound by his status and caste in which he was born. Still I cannot but point out a few things that come to me. The greatness of Gautama Rishis is contrasted with the smallness of Jabali, Satyakam’s mother for not knowing the man who was responsible for Satyakam’s birth. I wonder if it is caste understanding which holds a woman ‘bhatrihina’ (without a husband to take care). Purity of women has been one of the mainstay of caste system. Why should a woman feel guilty for being a prostitute or having a child without a husband is beyond me! If anyone has to be responsible then it is the society and culture of a place that creates value system. Seycheles a small beautiful island country does not need ‘sanctity’ of marriage for having a child. Why should Maharshi Gautama, one of the seven great saints who became stars (constellation — saptarishi), be great for accepting a fatherless child as ‘Brahman’ is also beyond me! As I mention earlier, there has been some loose ends in my socialization.
Amma, my mother became a child of 5–7 years in 2007 as a result of a brain stroke. My nephew (my youngest sister’s youngest son) who was around 7–8 came then. Since then a beautiful love bloomed beyond age, caste, religion, nationality (he has American citizenship being born in America) and even physical death of Amma in 2013. We, who witness that love are all blessed. Recently he shared, when I discussed the issue of caste with him, that when he told Bashonti (he calls her by name) that he was ‘kashatriya’ (in his American accent) she insisted no he was ‘brahman’ as she was ‘brahman’.
I had visited Dr. Kamaxi Bhate, Dean of Prevention and Social Health medicine in KEM, Mumbai regarding my mother’s situation. She stated in all humility that brain is so complex that we cannot fathom what it remembers and what it forgets. I mention this as Amma forgot that she had daughters (I became a mother to her) but she remembered that she was ‘brahman’ and someone who loves her has to be ‘brahman’, cannot be even a ‘kshatriya’. Brahman has a higher status in caste hierarchy! So ingrained is caste identity in human body that it does not get erased with a brain stroke which erases a supposedly much stronger identity of motherhood.
Had I been born as a daughter of Mhar or prostitute would I have an option to remember or forget my social cultural identities for that matter any option at all?
In the background of answering in a big NO to this, my questioning of my having a caste appears only sometimes. This time it was listening to a You tube (https://youtu.be/yOZz6ijIZAg) of a session about B R Ambedkar’s Annihilation of Caste. If I do not have one what do I annihilate? I strongly believe that if my genetic formation would be tested, it will be seen that my genes have semblance to prehistoric woman who bypassed the patriarchal identity formation. This does not excuse me for not reading Baba Saheb’s book and I will change it soon. I leave you with what I wonder — why the Constitution of India and Annihilation of Caste not taught during our school education since Caste pervades in India like the air we breathe irrespective of religion people are born in?
https://youtu.be/tYTQbVp8abU This you tube is a small example of the pervasiveness of caste system in India till date.
