The context of this piece that above the same quote (Remembering Rohit Vemula: Asserting Self-respect and Dignity) we organized one event in our campus and after that when the differing ideological conflict happened and someone blames that the one from organizing committee used the casteist slur.

Are you uncomfortable with this sentence? Probably not with the first one but “Asserting Self-respect and Dignity” may make you uncomfortable. And it makes you more uncomfortable when our actions define it too.

Ohh, my goodness look who tells us about caste, excuse you, don’t tell us about caste! We have a better understanding of it more than you. Since thousands of years we live in caste oppression, still today only you and you so-called Savarna brahmins always remind us about it. I just don’t understand how shallow you are and how much hatred you have about us.

Since centuries Dalit-Bahujan people are facing the caste-based oppression and violence and what you did? You only give us sympathy through your victimization. Still today you write on caste oppression which is good but you have no right to target our people and blame them that these people are castist and my fellow friend said, these people are doing casteism!

I don’t understand should I answer or laugh on you but I don’t choose to laugh because as long as we laugh it will continue and you so-called Savarna don’t understand our emotions. That’s why you always show sympathy instead of empathy.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that we know what caste is, we have the lived experience of it. When we speak a single word against dominant caste groups and oppressor, you become instantly conscious about it. Then that exact moment just reminds that feeling of pain. We are suffering from this pain since centuries and it still continues.

So, what do you think? We have no feeling of pain, suffering. We are not human, or it is your idea of humanity to disturb our mental health. Let me remind, we never forget our history because our history is the history of struggle. Our father, Dr. Ambedkar said that untouchability came into Indian society around 400 AD, due to the struggle for supremacy between Buddhism and Brahmanism (an ancient term for Brahmanical Hinduism).

You people always imposed your thoughts and ideas on us but how dare you to says us casteist. The people who live with their caste identities and always ignored and neglected, struggling to eradicate the caste. Who have the lived experience of the caste, they only know what caste is and how much it matters. in this Brahminical patriarchal society.

When today we raise our voice and asserting our self-respect and dignity to liberate us. So it makes you uncomfortable. Let me explain, we always have had the voice, we always touched and we always conscious about our history, present and future where we will fulfil our forefathers’ dreams. Our brother Rohit dream to Annihilate the CASTE, don’t impose your anti-caste agenda on us. Thanks a lot!

Author – Shivani Waldekar M.A. Social work in Livelihood and Social entrepreneurship, Tata Institute of Social sciences, Mumbai

Disclaimer- You know dears *’Dalit women talk and write differently.’* *Educate, agitate and organized!* *Reclaim the spaces and places* *Jai Bhim* *”Remembering Rohit Vemula: Asserting Self-respect and Dignity”*