Author – Amizhdhini Ambedkar

I came to this earth on 15 September 2005 with a “TAG”. I don’t know what the tag does – but remember – it is an invisible tag. Only ‘legends’ can see this tag. Now I am 15 years old, and I have come to know the actual name of this tag – CASTE. My grandfather and grandmother were Christians. My grandmother used to tell me many biblical stories, teach me songs and often took me to church. So one day, I told my dad that I am going to become a Christian. My dad said that it was up to me. So from that day onwards before going to school, I wore a rosary and lit up a candle before a Jesus picture, prayed to him and went to school. Days passed on.

My friends gave me sweets and bought new clothes, and their family members were celebrating numerous festivals happily. I asked them why they are celebrating festivals so often?” they said, “we have many gods. Hence, we celebrate so many festivals”. I thought to myself that if I were a Hindu, I could also buy new dresses and celebrate all those festivals happily. So again I asked my dad, “what you will do if I become a Hindu?” he still said “nothing, it’s your wish”, but I was not sure if I should take it as my religion. Then I thought about Islam, I asked my dad the same question again, and I received the same reply.

One day my teacher thought us about caste in the classroom. She said Brahmanas belong to upper caste and Shudras belong to lower caste. So, I asked my dad whether we belonged to upper or lower caste? How can one decide their own caste? Was it based on qualification or talent? He gave me a shocking answer, he said that my caste is determined by birth. I asked what we could do to change our caste, he said, “NO, WE CAN’T DO SO” if one is born as a lower caste, till death it can’t be changed. I changed my religion, but why couldn’t I change my caste? Our society says “if you are born a Brahmin you have a high social status, but if you are born a Dalit, you’re inferior in the society.

There is a phobia known as Thanatophobia. I don’t know how many know about this. It is referred to as the fear of death. More specifically, it is a fear of dying. Doctors say that it is natural for someone to worry about their health as they age, but some youngsters also have this problem. Actually, they are lucky as they know how precious life is, they want to live their lives more happily without any sacrifices. But just think of a Dalit? We all have a similar life span, but a Dalit goes through many sacrifices, problems, shame, pain, sufferings and the list goes on and

NOTE: within this short period. No one can get their life back, everyone goes through mishappenings, but a Dalit goes through all this merely because he’s a Dalit. We should also think about our friends who are denied fundamental rights. My teacher used to tell us that we could take nothing with us after our death, not even our names! But for Dalits, even after their death, they are buried in a separate graveyard where only Dalits are buried. They are born with a tag that doesn’t leave even in death as graveyards are allotted according to it. Just think! In which part of their life they are happy? They don’t know what is meant by “freedom”, which others enjoy. These people want Dalits in their lives for cleaning their garbage and toilets! You won’t even touch them. You don’t even want to touch a man who cleans your GARBAGE and your FECES.

Brahma is the entity who discriminated people by birth. We people call him god. First, who is god? “the one who created people and helps people is a god” is what my friends use to say. My question is, if he created us, he is our parent. Do parents show partiality between their kids? Then why did Brahma create some from his head and some from his feet? So, if he created all of us, even a Dalit is a son/daughter of him, then why can’t you touch a son/daughter of a god? So Brahma created untouchables. Does your Bhagavad Gita say that god created untouchables just to use them to clean up all your stuff? If yes, then I think we have to give a tag to that book……

India has a special tag. You will call it an “INDEPENDENT INDIA”. But I think those who mention India like this, don’t know the actual meaning of independence.

The six basic human rights are,

1. Right to equality,
2. Right to freedom,
3. Right against Exploitation,
4. Right to Freedom of Religion,
5. Cultural and Educational Rights,
6. Right to Constitutional Remedies.

Dalits are denied every single fundamental rights from the above. Despite this, some brainless creatures assume that Dalits take up all the high posts everywhere because of reservation. They think because of Dalits, they are denied jobs, and that merit is lost”. Great! But my dear friends, would you even touch other caste communities? Will you guys walk with slippers into an upper-caste colony? For sure, your answers are going to be a “yes”. But can Dalits do these things? You have a social status which they don’t have. Only reservations can help them to get educated and give them high posts equal to you.

We never want to talk about the essential things in our society. First, these people were praying for Nesamani, and now they’ve started praying for Muthupandi. Every day, a Dalit is killed in this country. You just can’t believe the reasons for a Dalit’s death. Let me mention a few,

• Dalits have been killed for touching the bucket of an upper-caste
• Dalits have been killed for sitting and eating in the presence of upper-caste men.
• Dalits have been killed for touching an upper-caste man’s
• Dalits have been killed for wearing
• Dalits have been killed for entering into a

Just close your eyes and think about how good your life is. Don’t complain about your life. Help your friends to enjoy real freedom. You guys are saying that this coronavirus is horrible as it kills thousands of lives and it is difficult to survive with it. This virus began attacking only in 2020. But our people are suffering from a gruesome infection called caste for more than 2000 years. Till now, they are surviving with that virus. Doctors are helping us to get rid of this coronavirus. Dr. Ambedkar spent his whole life to get rid of this caste virus. Only because of him now, I can study, share my ideas and understand the true meaning of freedom. But some of our friends are still grieving from this virus.

“I want my generation to bury in a casteless land. I want my next generation to come into a casteless society without any ‘TAG’.”

Amizhdhini Ambedkar is a 10th standard student.