The following hill so-called high caste Hindu man (who is actually a school mate) felt that protesting symbols of suppression and oppression, such as Dassain, was “pointing fingers.”

Here’s another one, from last month, also from a hill so-called high caste Hindu man. It started with a tweet referencing a person but that tweet has since been deleted. However, I quote the content of that tweet in my own response below. (The exchange took place under a tweet of mine about the capacity to aspire of indigenous Nepalis.)

His response to my tweet above was to accuse me of trying to “bring crack between us [Nepalis],” which is something I have been accused of doing by others too.

Not understanding what he was on about, I tweeted saying just that.

His response was to say, ‘”don’t blame all for one.” If there is some potato rotten in a sack, doesn’t meant that all are same.’

Again, realizing that he hadn’t understood anything I was tweeting in the context of the topic — the lower capacity of non-Khas-arya children to aspire to certain posts, positions, and careers etc. — I responded essentially asking him where his statement came from.

Then he comes back with a tweet including an image of one of my earlier tweets with a red box around the part he was objecting to.

And of course, I had to point out the ridiculousness of it all.

He did not respond to that, which was just as well, of course. Again, who knows why. 😀

The above are just some examples from my exchanges with others on social media. Of course, I have also had that in face-to-face interactions. Additionally, I have seen this in exchanges between others on social media too.

As you might have noticed, those who go on the offensive that way, are a motley bunch. I put such hill so-called high caste Hindus in one of six camps, as it were.

Those I put in the first camp are the insecure and thin-skinned ones. They take personally anything that appear to be, or they interpret as, an attack on or negative portrayal of anything connected to — or about — their identity, however loosely.

Those who belong to the second camp are the ones who have a low opinion of the likes of us. Viewing us as inferior, they can’t imagine — or believe in — us being capable of higher purpose in our thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and actions.

Those in the third camp are the uneducated ones. They haven’t been taught and therefore don’t know that the structural issues plaguing the country is a legacy of the casteist history of the country — forget about the role their ancestors played in that history. As a matter of fact, they very likely believe that the history of the country is actually “all glorious and all Nepalis live in social harmony.”

In the fourth camp are the lazy ones. They accuse us of being petty and blaming them for the structural issues because it’s the easier option. Doing so obviates the need for them to think about it at all.

In the fifth camp are the really really stupid and dumb ones. They are the ones who are so stupid and dumb that they view us as being just as stupid and dumb as they are. They are likely not aware of that however; they are after all really stupid! Unable to imagine themselves thinking, saying or doing anything intelligent or sensible etc. were they in our shoes, they are convinced that the only things we are capable of saying and doing etc. about the structural issues plaguing the country are only what they themselves are capable of!

In the sixth and the last camp are those who know and understand exactly what we are doing AND may even feel shame over everything their ancestors have done etc. But arrogance prevents them from admitting to that. Instead they decide to discredit us by belittling us, or by questioning or denouncing our motive, or by insulting our intelligence and intellectual integrity etc.

In Nepal, even those in the highest leadership positions take the path of least resistance. Far from taking responsibility for consequences of their actions or inaction, Oli, our Prime Minister, for example, has been pointing fingers at everyone else for the utter failure of his government in their handling of the coronavirus pandemic and all other related issues except his cabinet, the high level committee, and himself. Most recently, he blamed India for the calls to resign from the premiership.

The best reaction from the structurally privileged in the country, when people like us from other castes point out systemic and structural issues the country suffers from, is, however, to LISTEN! Then we could, in theory, work together to establish a more just and equitable society.

And finally, a disclaimer: I am not suggesting that ALL or even most hill so-caste Hindus go on the offensive like so whenever they encounter an opinion that they might interpret as an “attack” on their caste.

What do you think?

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