Thread by @Vidyut

Spent some time thinking about this thread. At the moment, hard to see how what you call the "militant Ambedkarites" can assimmilate anything. Whatever the reason, lack of trust with other castes, emerging strength... hard to say from the outside, but it is a fortress.

https://twitter.com/jaiminism/status/1399392082255499264

I had brought this up several years before too. I had called it the dalit extreme right. It was not as vocal as it is today, but this insularity, perceived by the most vocal among them as strength also serves to isolate and disempower.

From the outside, it appears identical to Brahminism, except reversed. You aren't good enough unless you are dalit.

The overall social response appears to be to leave them be, and a wariness/unease at the hostility.

The more politically correct among the UC admit they know little, shut their mouths and educate themselves. Others do not care. Either way, the effect seems to be one of "us" and "them". "Them" can be spectators, but not participants.

In that sense the "fortress" serves to keep UCs out as effectively as orthodox temples served to keep dalits out. The concept of "national integration" lost. This, in my view is both a social as well as political problem that @jaiminism described from a different perspective.

@jaiminism From the perspective of an outsider looking in, the "dalit right" or "militant Ambedkarites" wield hostility like a weapon.

A secular person becomes a "savarna savior". The casteism becomes necessary - to both justify own casteism as well as push away "them"

@jaiminism Hindutva extremists have a bigger problem with secular than Muslim extremists, Dalit casteists (for lack of a better word) have a bigger problem with secular than savarna casteists.

Extremes strengthen each other stretching society like a rubber band. The middle is bland.

@jaiminism Yesterday, I had an unnerving experience when a dalit woman I have come to like and respect got asked to disclose her caste by dalit casteists. Not wanting her recognition to be reduced to her caste, she refused. She got treated as an UC by the casteists and was distressed.

@jaiminism I am used to this hostility and it didn't surprise me. I usually begin with disclosing my caste when interacting with dalits, because it is harder to get friendly replies and then insults when your caste is "discovered". It rattled her. She felt alienated from her own people"

@jaiminism To my mind, those were louts, not "her own people" of which there are many who are compassionate and supportive. I got protective of her which made matters worse, because "savarna saviour" + me coming to her defense meant she was savarna.

@jaiminism They were no more "her people" than an UC discriminating on the basis of caste would be "my people"

Much later I was wondering at my reaction. Used to shrugging off savarna slurs by dalit casteists, I was not bothered for myself, but felt rage at the way she was treated for same

@jaiminism To my mind, it raises two big problems.

1. Social inclusion. The concept itself appears excluded. How long can a vulnerable society count on being militant as the answer?

2. Political representation, as @jaiminism was talking about. Implications of this exclusionary view.

@jaiminism I agree with Jaimine that 2022 is important. I don't see how it is possible from a dalit perspective. Mayawati is faced with a big challenge. I don't see how hostility based on caste identity will not hinder getting more dalit focused representation.

@jaiminism And I was pondering this caste system where the victims cling to it just as strongly as perpetrators and those who would offer solidarity and respect regardless of identity are the ones rejected by both.

And what it means. Why it means what it means....

@jaiminism For an example in contrast, it is relatively simple to be friendly with a Muslim or Christian or Sikh or someone from another country.

I posted a tweet drooling about Eid food, got several DMs offering to invite me on a regular basis.

@jaiminism I live in a home where a dalit cooks the food daily and is more than a blood relative grandmother to my child, but if I talked about it here. I'd be called the savarna saviour and get busy defending my existence rather than get food invites.

How do you share a country like this?

@jaiminism I think I have meandered enough.