Caste is something that the Upanishads actively dismiss. So many of our saints came from the so-called lower castes and tried to purge Hinduism of its nonsense, but still, caste continues for two reasons. First, a human is born with an innate tendency to divide and separate. And second, a light has to be awakened in him, and that effort is called real education. We do not receive that education today.
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Questioner: Hello sir, recently there was an incident — a first-year student of IIT died; he was from a lower caste and poor background. He fought really hard to get into IIT without any coaching. It is alleged that once his friends on campus found out about his caste, their behaviour towards him changed completely. This eventually led him to commit suicide.
In the wake of this incident, many instances of caste discrimination on elite campuses have come to light. So, in the name of meritocracy, a lot of students coming from privileged backgrounds are filled with caste bias. Sir, you also studied at India’s elite institutions. What are your views on it?
Acharya Prashant: You see, first of all, as we are biologically constituted, as the human baby is born, we have an innate tendency to exploit, to divide, to consider ourselves as separate, either in the sense of being superior or sometimes inferior. So, we are not born very illuminated. It is as if there is a tendency within that is seeking ways to create mischief. It hunts for opportunities. Those opportunities, in the Indian context, are unfortunately very easily provided by culture and religious practices.
