Recently we published Top 10 Privileges Brahmin Men Enjoy article in which benefits Brahmin men enjoy were discussed and it was received well by everyone. Many said that it was the first time in India anyone wrote about the Brahmin privileges. In this article, we present to you in general privileges upper castes in India enjoy and we will go a bit more in detail than in our previous article.

By listing such privileges our intentions is not to piss you off but help so-called upper castes recognise and realise that in each and every sphere of life they hold a set of advantages and immunities that are a direct result of oppression and suppression of so-called lower castes for thousands of years.

The assumption that Brahmins propagate in India is that, as a Brahmin/upper caste, you are a regular and normal human being and other demographic groups are irregular and not normal. This is the propaganda spread for years and years through Brahmin-Bania media and demonised lower castes.

If this list of privileges upper castes enjoy makes you uncomfortable, great! We are not here to make you feel comfortable and you are on right track to recognise your privileges and change your behaviour accordingly.

It is an attempt to erase the invisibility of the privileges upper castes have, privileges that continue to help them maintain upper castes hegemony.

Top 10 Privileges Upper Castes in India Enjoy

1. Upper castes privilege of being able to rent a place at any neighbourhood and being fairly sure that the society and neighbours around will still be happy and will treat you well.  Such privileges upper castes only enjoy, in many parts of India so-called lower castes and Muslims are denied housing and houses are not given for rent even in metro cities.

2. Upper castes privileges of being able to find your caste groups almost everywhere no matter movies, newspapers, news, books etc and being able to associate with those and see yourself and your caste group widely represented and appreciated almost everywhere.

3. Upper castes privileges are being able to seek legal, financial, medical, political and religious support without having your caste work against you. No one from so-called lower castes can get such support without being demonised.

4. Upper castes privileges where media and system work in your favour to create a notion among communities that so-called upper castes are normal and superior and so-called lower castes are abnormal and inferior.

5. Upper castes privilege is never being told to, “get over caste discrimination cries, it is a thing of past”. [On the side note, according to one survey, around 35% people had agreed that they practice caste discrimination/caste system, actual numbers would be much higher.]

6. An upper caste privilege is arrogantly believing that reverse caste discrimination actually exists.

7. Upper caste privilege is being able to fight casteism one day, then ignore and turn blind eyes for rest of the life but still get the honour of being Dalit-messiah.

8. The privilege of not having to teach your children to be aware of systematic caste discrimination for their own protection.

9. Upper caste privilege is not to acknowledge that we live in a system that treats so-called lower castes unfairly and unjustly not only politically, socially but economically also rather believe that so-called lower castes are less capable.

10. Upper castes privilege is not having your history, your culture, your food, your people appropriated or eroticized for the gain and pleasure. You are privileged with assets to appropriate aspects of Dalit-Bahujan history.

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Not all (mostly!) upper castes people are casteist but all upper castes people have privileges.

Upper castes don’t have to prove anything to anyone but they expect so-called lower castes to prove their ability and capability or be ready to be harassed and demonised and labelled as lazy or what not. Upper castes mean never having your intelligence questioned or having to work 10 times harder just to buffer yourself from negative critiques.

When someone from so-called lower castes achieves something after working 20 times harder, upper castes say, oh it is because of his caste and reservation! So-called upper castes don’t have to listen to such taunts and remarks, they are privileged and born with silver spoon in their mouth!

Recognising and accepting that you have upper castes privileges is a part of fighting against the caste discrimination. When upper castes will understand well the privileges upper castes enjoy, that would be another step towards understanding systematic caste discrimination and inequality in the society.

So, these were the top 10 privileges upper castes in India enjoy. Let us know in the comments if you have witnessed these and want to add few more to the list and we will update the post.

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