How to be an anti-caste ally if you are an upper-caste: a thread
1) Listen. Listen to Dalits when they talk about their caste struggles and issues. Especially listen to Dalit women and LGBTQ+, because they have not only faced caste discrimination but have also had to face misogyny and homophobia. So hear their experiences and understand them
2) Do not act aggressively if a Dalit's views about caste offend you. Understand that their anger and frustration comes from centuries of oppression and dehumanization, something you can never understand because you will never ever face the same marginalization that they have
3) Acknowledge your caste privilege: You have caste privilege, don't deny it. Your caste privilege has helped your ancestors, you and will continue to help your children. Caste privilege never goes away. Accept it and use it to help Dalits have access to the same resources as you
4) Do not make everything about yourself: If you did not get admission in your dream college but your Dalit friend did, do not gaslight or harass them, or blame reservations. Instead, learn why reservations exist. Think about others instead of thinking from your perspective only
5) Identify casteism around you: Your caste decides your friends, family, relatives, relationships, etc. So when you see these subtle forms of casteism, call it out. Educate them about caste, and ask them to be more inclusive, instead of living in their privileged bubble of caste
6) Read about caste: Instead of asking Dalits to explain their oppression to you, do your own reading. Read books about caste and discrimination faced by Dalits, this way you can not only be more informed about caste and reservations, you will also be supporting Dalit authors
7) Do not appropriate Dalits: While it is nice that you are informed about caste, & you wish to inform others. But do not use your platform as a means to earn woke points, instead pass the mic to Dalits, and let them tell their own story. You can always help by amplifying them
8) Make safe spaces for Dalits: If your friend circle, workplace, classrooms, etc are dominated by upper-castes, make sure you call out their casteism using your privilege. Try to make Dalits feel welcome in your circles and make sure they are not discriminated by your peers
9) Be open to criticism: When a Dalit says you're being casteist, listen to them instead of defending yourself. You might not be aware of how your subtle micro-aggressions might have been casteist, so be open to learning and changing, but do not gaslight Dalits for how they felt
10) Always remember that a Dalit will know more about caste than you. Regardless of how many books you read or how many videos you watch about caste, a Dalit will always have lived experience of caste discrimination, so don't have a saviour complex, instead sit and listen to them
11) Do not tell Dalits how to feel: As I said, always remember that they understand caste better than you. So do not tell them how to feel, or how to act. Because you have not faced the same discrimination as them, you can never understand why they feel the way they feel
12) Use your resources and privilege to educate others about caste: Educate your family and friends who are blind to caste. Share the work of Dalit authors, artists, filmmakers, etc with them. Spread the issue of caste among your circles and inform as many people as you can
13) Read Annihilation of Caste by Dr Ambedkar. The book is available online for free
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