Caste Matters

by Suraj Yengde

The process of accumulation begins with embracing corrupt and unethical practices. The concepts of redistribution and accountability of earned wealth are not within the realm of caste capitalism. When the Dalits who have despised the dominant-caste usurper their entire lives see their own kind doing the same, it would have difficult consequences. In the traditional caste set-up, Dalits were kept away from dominant-caste spaces; however, when the Dalit capitalist lives in the same area as the dominant castes and indulges in similar ritual practices, he/she would not be easily forgiven for their exploitative status by exploited Dalits. This move by Dalits is only going to recast the structure of oppression to accommodate it within the domain of accepted institutions. There is little revolutionary forethought for the structural remaking which every oppressed society seeks to eventually achieve. It would be a disguised self-deception to imagine that a peripheral entity placed on the margins can counter the philosophy of traditional oppression. Capitalism’s deceptive embrace will augment the efforts of canonized Dalits who want to operate within the Brahminical system as silent partners. This will eventually redirect the blame on to Dalits, who will yet again be held solely responsible for their suffering. In the words of Du Bois, in the context of the African Americans, this kind of system would ‘shift the burden of the Negro problem to the Negro’s shoulders and stand aside as...