Reservation has always been a topic of debate and discussion. It has raised many fights and strikes all over the country. Some upper caste people have always been against this law from the time it was made and have always raised objections to it. Dalits are always taunted for their abilities and reservation.
Replying to all the taunts, Abhinandan Kumar, a Dalit youth (from the Chamar caste) from Bihar, is ready to ‘give up’ his scheduled caste status and reservation in exchange for the caste and status of a Brahmin. He has written a letter to the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar stating that he wants to be a part of the general category and give up the ‘reservation’ benefits if he is given both the caste status and the dignity and privileges accorded to the Brahmins.
Abhinandan said “Recently some higher caste people were on strike and demanded to be a part of SC/ST caste to get the reservation status and our honourable CM has recommended their demands to the central government”. “This made me think that if they want to join the SC/ST for reservation than I can also be a Brahmin (upper caste)” he added.
But there is more. Abhinandan Kumar who is also secretary of the Akhil Bhartya Ravidasiya Dharm Sangathan, in an interview to Dalit Dastak, said that if the high born people (the upper caste Brahmins and Rajputs want reservations at par with the Dalits, they must also do the traditional work assigned to the lower castes: cleaning toilets and human defecation, gutters and sewage lines, throw the dead and decaying animals’ corpses and also polish and repair shoes! Then they will be welcomed as Dalits and be eligible for the reservation benefits.
He stated that he wants the same status and respect that a Brahmin gets. This letter of Kumar have given a new angle to this issue.
His letter to the CM reads:
“I am Abhinandan Kumar from the Chamar caste and I want to be a Brahmin. I want to leave my reservation as people from the upper caste are ready to join the lower caste. In this case I also want to join the upper caste so that I can get rid of the exploitation that the people of SC/ST caste are facing for ages. You have the capability to change the caste of people so I request you to change my caste from Chamar to Brahmin, so that I can also rule the people of other caste.
According to people my work is to carry and dump dead animals, clean gutters and toilets, repair and polish shoes and so on. All the people who are ready to be Dalit will have to do all these works and then they will need reservation and will get also. First, the caste was made and then on the basis of the caste work and family financial condition reservation was given. To end the reservation means to end the caste system then everybody will be of the same caste means the upper caste. So it will be very kind of you to make me a Brahmin I will be obliged”.
Priyanka
Newsnet Intern
Dalit boy says ‘Give me Brahmin Status, I give up claim to reservation’ added by Newsnet Intern on
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This is another angle to the whole debate about the intricacies of the caste system. You can’t ignore the real point: Will the Brahmins accept the man who works in leather as a Brahmin? A deeper question, suppose the ‘new’ Brahmin wants to marry a Brahmin girl? What about the brothers of the ‘new Brahmin’ ? Will they too get Brahmin status, or will they still be low caste? Ha!