Caste Matters

by Suraj Yengde

the young comedy scene in India has not matured enough to offer a humorous critique to the social system that Dalit humour easily lives off. It is a far distance away from taking up sociopolitical issues the way their American contemporaries have done. From among the issues Indian comics take up, the historical ramifications of caste and untouchability are starkly missing. They seldom deal with the privileges of caste supremacy and rarely offer a wider perspective on the ills of Indian society. They’re usually satisfied with issues of the middle class, which is a dominant caste concern, but in the enlightenment of the comedy era there is barely anyone—with a few exceptions—willing to take the cudgels of caste alongside class, religion and authoritarianism.15 Therefore, we need to explore the internal spheres of the world of Dalit humour. These spaces are as much a revolt against as a relief for suppressed thoughts. They also carry a powerful counterculture of art that remains unknown to the rest of Indian society.