Introduction
Knowledge is power, and films like “ORIGIN” take complex topics and make them plain.
Introduction
Knowledge is power, and films like “ORIGIN” take complex topics and make them plain.
What is caste? According to Indian scholar Dr. Suraj Yengde, “Caste is everywhere, for as long as there continues to be a rigid, unbreakable hierarchy and immobility from one’s birth rank. Each society has their untouchables—the lowborn, servant-slave castes.” In other words, caste is a structure that assigns everyone value from the moment they are born. In some places, it is rooted in your religion. In other places, your race decides where you fall in the ranking and can impact your opportunities for jobs and even determine where you live.
Most people talk about caste systems every day without knowing it. They may use words such as racism, sexism, ableism or ageism, not realizing that all of these terms sit on top of another concept called caste.
This learning guide introduces learners to the history of caste systems, the structure of caste in different places and spaces and helps users make a plan to make their communities better.
For 3,000 years, caste systems have existed in societies around the world. The most well-known caste system is found in India. A study from Pew Research Center found that “while the caste system originally was for Hindus, nearly all Indians today identify with a caste, regardless of their religion.”
In a caste system, higher-status groups have more access to material resources, social capital and opportunities compared to their lower-status counterparts. The justification, legitimacy and authority of this hierarchy in India is derived from the Manusmriti, or the Laws of Manu, the oldest legal Hindu doctrine, which slots the population into four rigid and precise ranks. In India’s caste system, Brahmins occupy the highest level of the caste system, while Dalit people represent the bottom of the hierarchy.
One of the most prominent people to speak out against caste systems in India was Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Throughout India, you will see statues of Dr. Ambedkar in parks, at road crossings, railway stations, in villages and cities. Growing up, he was considered an “untouchable,” the term given to those in the Dalit caste at that time. Dr. Ambedkar went on to earn two doctorates from Columbia University and the London School of Economics. He was an anti-caste scholar, a statesman and an author of India’s constitution. Dr. Ambedkar fought for the equality, justice and human rights of marginalized communities.
Courtesy of ARRAY Filmworks
Dr. Suraj Yengde, professor, author and expert on caste systems, appears in the film “ORIGIN” playing himself. In this scene, Dr. Yengde introduces “Isabel Wilkerson” to the history of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and explains the plight of the modern day Dalit in India. Click here to learn about the life and death of Dalit student activist, Rohith Vemula.
PAUSE AND REFLECT
Think about the people who lead and make decisions in your community, like elected officials, school principals or business owners. Do they all seem to come from similar backgrounds (ethnicity, income or education)? What ideas or feelings does this give you about who gets to have power and opportunities where you live?
For 3,000 years, caste systems have existed in societies around the world. The most well-known caste system is found in India. A study from Pew Research Center found that “while the caste system originally was for Hindus, nearly all Indians today identify with a caste, regardless of their religion.”
In a caste system, higher-status groups have more access to material resources, social capital and opportunities compared to their lower-status counterparts. The justification, legitimacy and authority of this hierarchy in India is derived from the Manusmriti, or the Laws of Manu, the oldest legal Hindu doctrine, which slots the population into four rigid and precise ranks. In India’s caste system, Brahmins occupy the highest level of the caste system, while Dalit people represent the bottom of the hierarchy.
One of the most prominent people to speak out against caste systems in India was Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Throughout India, you will see statues of Dr. Ambedkar in parks, at road crossings, railway stations, in villages and cities. Growing up, he was considered an “untouchable,” the term given to those in the Dalit caste at that time. Dr. Ambedkar went on to earn two doctorates from Columbia University and the London School of Economics. He was an anti-caste scholar, a statesman and an author of India’s constitution. Dr. Ambedkar fought for the equality, justice and human rights of marginalized communities.
Courtesy of ARRAY Filmworks
Dr. Suraj Yengde, professor, author and expert on caste systems, appears in the film “ORIGIN” playing himself. In this scene, Dr. Yengde introduces “Isabel Wilkerson” to the history of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and explains the plight of the modern day Dalit in India. Click here to learn about the life and death of Dalit student activist, Rohith Vemula.
PAUSE AND REFLECT
Think about the people who lead and make decisions in your community, like elected officials, school principals or business owners. Do they all seem to come from similar backgrounds (ethnicity, income or education)? What ideas or feelings does this give you about who gets to have power and opportunities where you live?
DALIT COMMUNITIES
REFLECT THE WORLD
DALIT COMMUNITIES REFLECT THE WORLD
“Untouchability and casteism are not things of the past. They are real and present. They are everyday and personal.”
– Dr. Suraj Yengde, Caste Matters
In “ORIGIN,” viewers are introduced to Dalit people across the diaspora, from scholars in the United States to people who work as manual scavengers in India.
Consider this sampling of news reports from Indian publications in 2022 and 2023:
- Dalit boy beaten for ‘wearing sunglasses’
- 14 Dalits locked up, tortured in Karnataka
- Dalit woman stripped in Andhra Pradesh over brother’s elopement
These headlines highlight brutality faced by some men and women belonging to the Dalit community. Dalits are sometimes called ‘Untouchables,’ forced to occupy the lowest rank in India’s social hierarchy.
While the genesis of “caste systems” goes back to ancient India, incidents such as those shared above are not unique to the country. Social systems based on hierarchy, endogamy, purity and heredity can be found in many societies globally. The following stories come from the United States:
- Written Testimony: “Kids in Cages: Inhumane Treatment at the Border”
- Floyd and Arbery killings are modern-day lynchings
- Anti-Asian racism still haunts San Francisco community
These articles point to the existence of a similar social system, but in the context of the U.S.
Beyond India and the United States, social systems that dictate behavior and function rooted in religious, cultural and/or legal justifications — such as who to marry, what jobs one can undertake, who can occupy leadership positions and communal exclusion — can also be found in countries such as Nigeria, Senegal, Yemen, Brazil, Nepal and Romania, among others.
CASTE SYSTEMS STILL EXIST?
Even in 2023, caste remains the determining factor of life for millions of South Asians. Dr. Suraj Yengde, an expert in caste, notes that in India alone, caste affects 1.35 billion people. Caste-based atrocities represent a story of Dalit people in India, with widespread and daily instances of abuse. From 2018 to 2020, India’s National Crime Records Bureau officially registered over 130,000 crimes committed against the Dalit community, which doesn’t account for those crimes unnoticed or ignored by official records. Based on 2011-2012 Indian Human Development Survey data, researchers found that approximately 27% of Indian households still practice the bias of untouchability, including an overwhelming number of dominant caste (Brahmin) households.
What is the Impact of the Indian Caste System in the U.S.? | Source: Scripps News
What is the Impact of the Indian Caste System in the U.S.? | Source: Scripps News
Even in 2023, caste remains the determining factor of life for millions of South Asians. Dr. Suraj Yengde, an expert in caste, notes that in India alone, caste affects 1.35 billion people. Caste-based atrocities represent a story of Dalit people in India, with widespread and daily instances of abuse. From 2018 to 2020, India’s National Crime Records Bureau officially registered over 130,000 crimes committed against the Dalit community, which doesn’t account for those crimes unnoticed or ignored by official records. Based on 2011-2012 Indian Human Development Survey data, researchers found that approximately 27% of Indian households still practiced the bias of untouchability, including an overwhelming number of dominant caste (Brahmin) households.
“The practice of manually cleaning excrement from private and public dry toilets and open drains persists in several parts of South Asia. Across much of India, consistent with centuries-old feudal and caste-based custom, women from communities that traditionally worked as “manual scavengers,” still collect human waste on a daily basis, load it into cane baskets or metal troughs, and carry it away on their heads for disposal at the outskirts of the settlement.” — Human Rights Watch | Photo Credit: “ORIGIN”
“The practice of manually cleaning excrement from private and public dry toilets and open drains persists in several parts of South Asia. Across much of India, consistent with centuries-old feudal and caste-based custom, women from communities that traditionally worked as “manual scavengers,” still collect human waste on a daily basis, load it into cane baskets or metal troughs, and carry it away on their heads for disposal at the outskirts of the settlement.” — Human Rights Watch
Photo Credit: ORIGIN
Does Your Caste Determine Your Occupation?
Despite making up roughly 20% of India’s population, a recent census of non-farm workers revealed that the upper castes hold about 93% of managerial positions. Similarly startling findings came from a 2022 study by Oxfam India on the portrayal of marginalized castes in the Indian newsroom. 88% of leadership positions in Indian national media outlets were occupied by upper caste elites, with Brahmins — who account for just 4% of the Indian population — making up 45% of those in power. This trend can be consistently identified across occupational backgrounds and geographies. 79% of all high court judges appointed from 2018 to 2022 were upper caste.
According to a 2010 study by Thorat and Attewell, caste-oppressed job applicants had a 67% lower chance of moving on to the interview stage than upper-caste applicants who were equally qualified. Examples of how caste determines occupation, and thereby access to mobility, security and dignity are easy to find.
It is safe to say that caste systems are not limited to historical contexts. They exist in every society, even when not overtly or explicitly stated. These hierarchies rely on a combination of historical, cultural, racial and socioeconomic factors to maintain social order.
HIERARCHIES LEAVE BEHIND PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPRINTS
“The term Bahujan refers to present day Scheduled Castes (Dalits), Scheduled Tribes (Adivasis/indigenous) and Shudra (peasant) castes — cutting across religion, ethnicities and geographies.”
– Valliammal Karunakaran, Medium
Faced with violent and often imposed segregation, discrimination and othering, the Bahujan community has long lacked access to mental health and well-being services. Thousands of years of discrimination under brahminical patriarchy have translated into intergenerational trauma. A 2015 study found that members from marginalized castes remain disproportionately at risk of chronic mental health conditions.
The current mental health framework in India suffers from caste and class discrimination, which manifests in a lack of access for those in lower castes. Divya Kandukuri, co-founder of The Blue Dawn, a community support group facilitating accessible mental health care for members of the Bahujan community, notes that giving access to mental health services should entail both “affordability” and, most importantly, “the therapist’s knowledge of social causes of trauma.”
Video Credit: Feminism In India
Even among Bahujan communities who can afford mental health care services, including therapy and psychiatric consultations, many upper caste providers perpetuate caste-based biases, stigma and discrimination. Dr. Kiran Valake, a medical professional interested in the intersection of mental health and caste, writes, “People have shared horrid accounts of MHPs (mental health professionals) going so far as completely denying the role of caste as a contributor to mental distress. This has often led to triggering conversations within what ought to be a safe space, such as a therapist’s office, and has ultimately put people off the idea of accessing therapy altogether.” Spaces that should be safe become mirrors, forcing people to re-live painful experiences.
In writing about her experiences as a Dalit woman and mental health therapist, Christina Thomas Dhanaraj writes, “We need therapists to get this — to understand that not all of it is in our heads, that our families are not always to be blamed, that our anxiety is not always savarna-like. We need affordable therapy. We need on-the-ground survivor support. We need language that doesn’t gaslight, manipulate and belittle. We need allies that don’t engage in microaggressions. We need upper-caste friends to not play the Oppression Olympics with us, constantly telling us that they too have suffered. We need romantic partners who support our mental health journeys. We need our families and communities to heal with us, alongside us.”
HIERARCHIES LEAVE BEHIND PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPRINTS
“The term Bahujan refers to present day Scheduled Castes (Dalits), Scheduled Tribes (Adivasis/indigenous) and Shudra (peasant) castes — cutting across religion, ethnicities and geographies.”
– Valliammal Karunakaran, Medium
Faced with violent and often imposed segregation, discrimination and othering, the Bahujan community has long lacked access to mental health and well-being services. Thousands of years of discrimination under Bahujan patriarchy have translated into intergenerational trauma. A 2015 study found that members from marginalized castes remain disproportionately at risk of chronic mental health conditions.
The current mental health framework in India suffers from caste and class discrimination, which manifests in a lack of access for those in lower castes. Divya Kandukuri, co-founder of The Blue Dawn, a community support group facilitating accessible mental health care for members of the Bahujan community, notes that giving access to mental health services should entail both “affordability” and, most importantly, “the therapist’s knowledge of social causes of trauma.”
Video Credit: Feminism In India
Even among Bahujan communities who can afford mental health care services, including therapy and psychiatric consultations, many upper caste providers perpetuate caste-based biases, stigma and discrimination. Dr. Kiran Valake, a medical professional interested in the intersection of mental health and caste, writes, “People have shared horrid accounts of MHPs (mental health professionals) going so far as completely denying the role of caste as a contributor to mental distress. This has often led to triggering conversations within what ought to be a safe space, such as a therapist’s office, and has ultimately put people off the idea of accessing therapy altogether.” Spaces that should be safe become mirrors, forcing people to re-live painful experiences.
In writing about her experiences as a Dalit woman and mental health therapist, Christina Thomas Dhanaraj writes, “We need therapists to get this — to understand that not all of it is in our heads, that our families are not always to be blamed, that our anxiety is not always savarna-like. We need affordable therapy. We need on-the-ground survivor support. We need language that doesn’t gaslight, manipulate and belittle. We need allies that don’t engage in microaggressions. We need upper-caste friends to not play the Oppression Olympics with us, constantly telling us that they too have suffered. We need romantic partners who support our mental health journeys. We need our families and communities to heal with us, alongside us.”
LESSON ONE
Who Belongs?
There is connective tissue across the cultures and communities of oppressed people
LESSON ONE
Who Belongs?
There is connective tissue across the cultures and communities of oppressed people
