Caste Matters

by Suraj Yengde

The third-generation educated Dalits mostly inherit their parents’ lifestyle, approach, practices and attitudes towards society. Very often, educated parents with salaried jobs and balanced lifestyles expose their children to the issues of caste as an economic problem—that of poverty alone. Therefore, they reason that begging has not been eradicated due to a failure of economic policies. The social disabilities that lead to economic disadvantages for lower-caste communities are seldom discussed. Thus, third-generation educated Dalits are class-sensitive and caste-blind. Due to this, they submit to the class structures in society as being the model of development for Dalits. They have nothing to do with Dalits who do not fit into their class category. They are well off and have good lives, many of them joining the private sector and not asserting their existence in society.