In Sujit De’s Peoples Edit ‘Caste Reservation’ (Herald, February 18), his every line and word had a message and made one to pause and to reflect. The practice of one Government school, and it must be in many others where the so called lower caste students are forced to sit separately from the so called upper caste for their midday meal is a sad story which has inspired me to write this.
Today one of the signs of our times is the crisis of individualism and explosion of egoism getting to know who we are and who the others are is a matter of extreme urgency. Our problem is that our ego treats everyone or some others as objects to be hated, discriminated to be used and to be marginalised or to be possessed. It is time we learn to move beyond this kind of egocentricity and experience the other person as a person as self. Like us, as someone who has feelings, fears, problems and hopes just as we have. We describe this as putting ourselves in the other person’s shoes. What must it feel like to be where they are, what does the world look like from their perspective?
The struggle against selfishness and discrimination is a matter of extreme concern and our participation in trying to wipe away this thinking cannot be postponed. In his article Caste Reservation by Sujit De what he wrote throws light also on the state of affairs in our country on the condition of untouchables and is a pointed direction for the general reader like me towards the reintegration of one’s self as a human being. It is challenging in large and small bites suited for deep thinking people.
A good society is a place where we can grow together specially in our childhood days, where it is social and spiritual values of acceptance accepting every one as God’s wonderful creation where we can walk about without fear and trust that this world is a beautiful place to be in, to grow in a trust that all believe in the responsibility of giving human dignity to all no matter who they are. Creating a sense of discrimination in the minds of little children is a deadly sin if we believe there is a God who created us and we all come from the same source …so no untouchables!
Until we transcend our egos, wrong beliefs and discover our oneness as humans we will continue to look down to compare and to make others to suffer to fight and kill. We have a long way to go but this should not tempt us to give up any sense of urgency, one good attempt can have a ripple effect. Let us not be in our country, where we have advanced in technology and on the other hand our people, the Dalits, are being agonisingly ill treated, especially innocent children who know no bar of caste and creed. If we can learn to truly love others the way we love ourselves, discrimination will gradually disappear from the society. If adults can stop discriminating amongst themselves, it will be easier for them to practice non-discrimination for children and if children can see adults emulating non-discrimination, they will follow suit and practise it amongst themselves. Discrimination feeds mistrust, resentment, violence, crime and insecurity, and reduces productivity. It does not benefit society in any way.
Children have a right to freedom from discrimination.
