Some days back a news came that in MP a DALIT villager was beaten up by THAKURS for smoking without their permission. How just for not taking permission for smoking how one can beat a person so much that comes in national news headlines on IBN and many other places, simply HORRIBLE. Ok, that Dalit was smoking at a funeral and that is never a good move but was it that big fault or the bigger fault is that he has not taken permission of so called UPPER CAST THAKURS of the village? Does a caste need to prove its superiority by doing such acts or what? We have got independence 61 yrs back but still we are not free or due to some unscrupulous people we are not allowed to be free. We are trapped in the shitty conservative opinions, which have no significance in today's date.

These incidents always remind me the scenes from two Hindi movies:
1) In SWADES, when Mohan Bhargava (played by Sharukh Khan) tries to provide proper education to the lower caste children then a lot of barriers come his way. Even supposedly the most wise man called SARPANCH has asked him that "KON THAKUR HO TUM" translates which caste do you belong. Also in the amphitheater show in the village, separate arrangements were made for upper and lower caste people.

The scene from Swades where Mohan Bhargava drinks water from an earthen cup for the first time. It is a turning point not just in the movie but in the history of Indian cinema. As the kid sells water for 25 paise a glass, as Mohan Bhargava's mind becomes a battlefield of thought and choice, it is YOU who is compelled to think, it is YOUR eyes tears swell up in. Watch it...



2) In a not so famous hindi movie "HAZAARON KHWAISHEIN AISI" when SIDDARTH (played by kay kay menon) writes a letter to GEETA (played by Chitrangada Singh, my favorite) about an incident of that time Bhhojpur. A thakur's son raped a lower caste (Harizon) women and when harizons gather at thakur's house to chop off his bowls then he said that "THEEK HAI, HAMARA BITUWA GALTI KIYA, TO KYA JAAN LELE USKI?" how come??? The Harizons protetsted their skins out, suddenly the landlord (the thakur) got an heart-attack and the scene has changed. The lower caste villagers who had been screaming for his blood some time back suddenly started putting all their efforts to save him. They called a doctor which was also a low caste doctor as they knew only low caste dector because they were not allowed to go for a upper caste doctor. Now a new problem arises that the landlord son didn't want the low caste doc to treat his father. But the dying father didn't give it a damn, at that time he was ready to eat a goat shit if the doctor asks.This strange compassion of the villagers towards their oppressor in his moment of need taught us something, but WHAT??? it a question and we all have to find that what is that?

I have also visited places and heard about the incidents where one still gets different treatments based on one's caste. Untouchability has been illegal in India since independence, but it is still commonly practiced. In many villages Dalits are not allowed to drink clean water from a well. In some areas, tea shops keep a different glass for Dalits to use, so higher-caste Hindus are not "polluted" by drinking from the same vessel, even after it has been washed. After the 2004 tsunami, Dalit survivors in Tamilnadu were prevented from sharing water in relief camps.

Even I do know a lady, who is the wife of a gazetted officer and she herself is a English teacher. Her children are reaching heights like her son is doing his PhD, one daughter is an engineer, another one is a scientist. Her children have got their basic education from Aligarh Muslim University so naturally they have many Mohammedan friends. So she has two different set of cups, glasses and utensils: one for themselves and another for highly educated Mohammedan friends of their children. If the most educated segments of our country will behave like this then where the next generation will head towards? It is a matter of great concern for us and there is a need to spread awareness for all this in our country. If a Mohan Bhargava does this in a movie then there are millions of Mohan Bhargava in this country who can change their locality by spreading awareness and educate people about this. Hence, they can contribute in the new dawn of independent INDIA.