well said

Brahmins are supposed to be really religious, people who are closest to gods. In the past, people respected Brahmins more than kings. People believed that you won't get 'moksha' if you kill a Brahmin. Now education has changed the mindset of people. It is great to see people like him.

I wondered about that too. Do you wish to stress that you come from uppercaste??? ...because I give two shits about that crap caste. How can your kind even think you're "closer to god" when you look down on the rest and treat others as untouchables???
I hope by being on this site you will come to your senses and shred Indian brahmin whatever "superiorness" and never talk about that crap again that harms other Indian "castes".

@TimeOutForMe You tell him girl.

@LifelongLearner Because he is mentioning it, if you do “ abandon “ it is not something that you “ happen “ to say which caste you belong to. That’s kind like boasting in my book but who knows you may be right.

@LifelongLearner
@Jolanta
He says "people respected Brahmins more than kings",  is like white supremacists in USA distorting history to suit themselves, waged war, to take "the lead" leaving the indigenous Dravidians along the side and getting rid of all Buddhists. They took over from the mughals. They adorned "epaulettes" and discriminated against "lower-castes", and the Brahmin "priesthood" still gets away with it. That's their way of life - snatching titles to be higher than the rest and causing continued lower caste division and resentment amongst the suffering. "Closer to god? Poo under my shoe!

I hope he's shredded those "superior" ideas and hence his reasons for being on this site and if so, I wish him well on his journey.

@LifelongLearner, @AravindAjith @Jolanta
Brahmins are also racists towards darker skinned Indians and put them into groups!!!!! How is that "close to god". Ah well god is made-up anyways and brahmins "became" important through brainwashing others to believe they were more important.

I hope by you confessing you come from "brahmin" makes you aware of the gross injustices they impose on others.

@LifelongLearner same difference OP and commenter will get this.

@LifelongLearner you're looking for something that's not there! Now who's the one shortsighted here?

@LifelongLearner nope

@LifelongLearner Nope again. If someone comes on AG and say I'm family to Trump? or niece of JFK? What dies that mean? He could've said he was hindu, unless it was beneath him to say that
...so @Jolanta and I picked that up.

@LifelongLearner
you're using a strong word here - hate! Where exactly are you going with this. You're running a mile to nowhere!
You're misreading yet again. My explanation makes a lot of sense. Indians are used to what other Indians say and why they say it. We pick "it" up. @Jolanta

@LifelongLearner what emotional state??? Its past 6am in the morn. My eyes are half closed. Off course I edited. You can see that too. What's YOUR issue here? I find myself explaining diplomatically and all you do is rock a still boat @Jolanta

@LifelongLearner is exactly my point. He didn't say that. He stressed he was brahmin. You're a fool to think they don't regard them as uppercaste! Their job is also to separate lower caste. @Jolanta

@LifelongLearner you're making assumptions. I know what I'm talking about. @Jolanta and I both picked this introduction up. What's your point?

@LifelongLearner yip exactly slowly nowhere! As I've made my point quite early on, on this post!.
You have yourself a nice day too.

@LifelongLearner Sorry to interrupt your dialog with @TimeOutForMe, but looking at her bio that comes up, I think she's very familiar with both Hinduism and the culture around it (including how mentioning one is a brahmin is a form of bragging.) I have some familiarity due to working with a lot of people from India over the years in the tech industry.

I have seen how lower-caste members get treated poorly even when they have a good education and have come to the US to work in the tech industry. I saw many of my very nice coworkers from India, refuse to speak to a very-dark skinned man from India that was new to the team -- they didn't speak to him for months. They treated him like he was radioactive. His name was an English name rather than an Indian sounding name, so I assumed at some point his family changed religions. He was a very nice person, and did a good job and didn't deserve the bizarre treatment he got in the office.

@sarbot Yes, I too have come across this kind of behaviour. Shameful it is.

@LifelongLearner
@sarbot
No doubt Aravind Ajith knows the "story" too.  Some people prefer to speak up, others prefer not to.  I've treated people with respect all my life growing up in a country full of prejudices.  I care about human rights regardless of black and white, pink or purple, sexual preferences.  I've always been known for for SPEAKING UP for those that cannot or for those treated unjustly, regardless of the "trouble" I'd get myself into. You continue to stress that I'm assuming. I grew up with other Indians in an Indian area in an Indian home.  I know the story.  Its like when the pope expects his hand to be kissed!  OP knows what I'm talking about.  It's strange how you refer to me as "her", but the other parties by name .  Such is life. Have a nice day. 

@LifelongLearner He is probably not even aware of it as it is so prevalent.

@Jolanta @TimeOutForMe @LifelongLearner I am coming from a Hindu background. I am NOT a Brahmin. Caste system exist in India. But it is changing. No one cares about castes today. Don't judge India based on the things you are seeing in the media. Because the western media like to exaggerate things. People who used to belong to lower caste now get reservation in exams for government jobs and in exams for getting into universities. It is really difficult and the JEE mains and Advanced are one of the most difficult examinations in the world. You should get a descent rank in those exams for getting into good engineering colleges. People who belong to castes like Brahmin are considered to be in general category and there are many other categories based on castes. Suppose there are 100 seats. 10 of them will be reserved for those students who used to belong to the lower castes. So, if a person from general category get 4th rank and if a person from reserved category get 15th rank, the person from reserved category will be considered first. So in short, It is easier to get into universities if you are from the reserved category. This is a method used to uplift people who were discriminated in the past. I am living in a developed area and people don't consider castes anytime. I don't know much about this system. The discrimination is not existing in urban areas. Or atleast in my state. The OP might have mentioned it to give us an Idea about his background. Don't stereotype a whole community. I am belonging to the lower caste and I don't face any kind of discrimination. No one is responsible for the mistakes done by our ancestors. You should know the reality instead of hating someone. Saying that 'I come from a Brahmin family' is just like saying U come from a Catholic family. I belong to the lower caste and I don't feel discriminated. The president of India, Ramnath kovind, is belonging to a lower caste. India's president Narendra Modi is belonging to a lower caste. Understand the reality. It is just some closed minded, uneducated people believing in this rubbish. Don't be so presemptious. You should live in India to know the reality. India is diverse.

@Jolanta I am aware of it. It was prevalent in the past. The magnitude is less in the present. I belong to Ezhava community. It was oppressed in the past. Not now. India is much more developed than you think.

@TimeOutForMe I will speak up against any kind of injustice. But I just won't assume that a person is being unfair based on a single post. Before hating someone, know the reality.

@LifelongLearner thanks a lot for being sensible. I happened to go through this post and saw the conversation. You are definitely a life long learner since you observe things really well.

@sarbot what do you mean by 'mistreated' my cousin worked in the US for a short time and he was never 'mistreated' by fellow Indians. He even married a Konkani girl ( Similar to Brahmin). The real India is NOT what you see in the media.

@Jolanta, @LifelongLearner, @sarbot, @TimeOutForMe India has changed. It is changing. It is a land of diversity. I am an Ezhava and I am proud of it. My friends are mostly Brahmins and Muslims. No one thinks about castes. Don't waste your time talking bullshit. Peace

@AravindAjith @Jolanta @TimeOutForMe @LifelongLearner

@AravindAjith. I read your response. You are 22 years old and your world view of India's history and the present is shallow. You are not just a denier of facts but also ignorant. News reports from around the world and from within India are full of Dalit (lower caste) abuse on a daily basis. There are scores of videos on Youtube of burning, beating of Dalits in daylight in streets. I can send you Dailt beating in Delhi also. It is a daily reminder of the ugly fact in India across all states. What are you talking about? When did anyone in your family ever invite a Dalit friend into home, in your kitchen or on a dining table to have a meal with you all or every married a Dalit?

Discrimination is a very light word compared to beating, torture and burning of lower caste people in India. We have segregated outside towns and I have visited some in Mumbai and Pune in 2018. very much exists in all urban areas in India. Most smart phone videos are frequently taken and posted from cities. Most rural abuse is not even reported and certainly not recorded.

How do I know this? Because I was an upper caste Brahmin (Suryavanshi, Deshasth) in Maharashtra which is a progressive, educated and affluent state. It is not even Bihar, UP or other South Indian state. I have seen all abuse up close. It is in our veins. No law will prevent it unless someone like Mao or Stalin comes by, destroys all religion and mixes neighborhoods by force to compel them to live side by side and learn how to play together.

If you do not have a good understanding, read enough about the facts of Dalit abuse in India, do not demonstrate your ignorance on public platform to prove that you do not understand the issue.

Wikipedia - lists all Dalit abuse publicized incidents - [en.wikipedia.org]

2019 - A Dalit Man killed just for eating in front of an upper caste man = [bbc.com]

How recent o you want? This in 2020 -

@St-Sinner I am a Dalit. You live in USA. How do you know about the Real India?

@St-Sinner Maharashtra? A progressive state? Sir, there may be a millionaire living there, but that won't make it progressive. For your Information, South Indian states are far more developed than you think. Now who is discriminating. Telling all South Indian states are not progressive? You haven't read my response. I AM a Dalit myself. The discrimination Is not that strong. People NEVER consider castes anywhere here. Just a western propaganda to malign the Image of a country shattered by foreigners. Denier of facts? Really? I am having a first hand experience of what it is like to be a Dalit in India. What do you know about India?

@AravindAjith
Again another stupid question. It is because I was born and grew up in India, lived there for 29 years, have traveled extensively in India (in more than 21 states) and I read extensively and regularly about what is happening in India. Based on your understanding of discrimination in India, obviously you do not understand the reality. I am telling you that there is severe abuse and torture while you denying discrimination.

@St-Sinner NDTV? You watch that stupid News channel? They are known for propagating fake news. That video must have been really Old. It would have been for some other reason. How can you be sure? And who told you that I am 22?

@AravindAjith
What makes you think it is NDTV? It is not also the government mouthpiece called Zee News. It is the people in India I talk to. It is discussion boards where there are debates about issues, it is international independent news that do not exist in India. You age was my mistake, sorry, I looked at the poster's age. But you are 18 which supports my point that you need to read and experience more before denying the caste discrimination in India.

@St-Sinner because it is written right there? NDTV is known to spread fake news. They are interested in endorsing that stupid Gandhi family which was exploiting India for decades. I didn't say anything about Zee news. Media will say what they want. I will be more than grateful if you can say the name of a single news channel that is being honest. I don't know much about your background but you were probably fooled.

@AravindAjith
There are accusations about Indian media everywhere because it is not independent. People call NDTV Nehru TV and now call Zee News and others Modi TV. No news media is independent in India. You are right that you do not know much about me.

@St-Sinner so you left India in 1990. Are you a journalist or a lawyer or something?

@AravindAjith Explain why it matters? I am a reader for sure. A human being with rational and independent thinking can do better. That's what I try to do.

@St-Sinner An admirer of Mao and Stalin talking about human rights? I thought there was a limit for hypocrisy!!!!!

@AravindAjith Correct, Mao and Stalin brought terrible human rights abuse but killing religion is their shining achievement. That was my context. You need to read better with the context the argument is made in.

@St-Sinner so I guess you support the ethnic cleansing of Uighurs in China.

@St-Sinner Forced modernity will never help. Look at Turkey and Russia.

@AravindAjith
Are you disoriented or cannot think straight?

@St-Sinner If you justify Mao and Stalin, you will certainly justify xi. What makes you think I am disoriented?

@St-Sinner I was talking about the rise of extreme Islamism in Turkey. Really pathetic. No one can impose anything on people. It is the people who should change.

@LifelongLearner
It is not assuming. It is clear from his responses that he denies the caste discrimination which is rampant in India.

@LifelongLearner, @AravindAjith
This discussion from the post which is about religion and your point that caste discrimination does not exist and the times have changed. No not much has changed. The caste discrimination is alive and strong. It is not just the discrimination but there is beating, killing, burning and other torture in the name of the caste system. A lot of it is the ruling party and Hindu outfits either started or sanctioned or both.

@st-sinner size does matter. I didn't deny the discrimination. But the magnitude is much lower than you think.

@AravindAjith
Everything is better since the ancient times. Man invented fire in the cave that made things better for them. But to make an argument that discrimination is less is like saying I rape less than I used to. A wrong is a wrong. There is not argument to support any ounce of wrong. In fact, it pathetic that India is taking 8,000 years to correct its terrible wrong while just touting its glorious culture.

In terms of how Dalits are beaten, tortured in streets in daylight today is worse than it has ever been in the last 70 years since independence.

@AravindAjith
What makes you disoriented is while we were talking about the brutal discrimination, torture, beating and killing in broad daylight in India in streets, I mentioned that in order to kill these horrific systems stemming from religion, we will need a stronger solution like a Mao and Stalin regime. That is a sure solution for the "Caste Problem" in India. My point was finishing off the caste problem with a stronger solution. No law can change behavior but a dictatorship will. That was the context.

Then you started talking about communism. That is retarded.

@St-Sinner Sorry Sir, I was judging based on the things happening in South India. I searched this in google and quora. Yes, It is pretty popular. I am from kerala, which is mostly governed by leftists and people don't care about castes in here. It may not be the case in other places. Sorry for being rude, sir. Thank you.

@St-Sinner doesn't his post sound similar to the bio of @maikeru11 ?

@AravindAjith I wasn't talking bs and I wasn't even talking about what goes on in India; I spoke only about what I personally witnessed in the US, going on among Indian expat coworkers. They brought their culture with them to the US, and whatever prejudices they had. It's certainly not in US culture to know what castes are -- we have different screwed up social 'rules' that need to change.

@sarbot Yes, I totally agree with you. I am living in a relatively progressive state in South India, which is governed by a left leaning government. Castes does not have much importance here. But this stupid system is prevalent in other parts of India. It should be destroyed. I was kind of emotional then, and don't take the comments I posted earlier seriously. Indian expacts discriminating based on castes is just disgusting. It should be stopped. Sorry for replying like that.

@AravindAjith How does one "stop" generation and generations of ingrained prejudice?

@Jolanta not altogether. People are becoming less conscious about this. It will gradually disappear.

@AravindAjith Thanks for following up, I appreciate it. Human behavior needs improvement in so many places and for so many reasons. All any of us can do it take notice of what isn't right and try our best to not repeat it and try to guide others to do the same!

@LifelongLearner
OP is the opinion piece? I get the IDK. Lol

I found a meme on my FB feed years ago that said, more or less, "Selling eternal life is an unbeatable business. Nobody is coming to claim when the goods are not delivered "

Bullshit supreme

@TimeOutForMe not superior than the bullshit you spoke in the conversation with @LifelongLearner.

@AravindAjith
@LifelongLearner
@St-Sinner
You're used to what is toxic on the inside. View the inside from the outside and you'll know the difference. You're sweeping the truth under the carpet. You're the one talking BULLSHIT.

@TimeOutForMe oh man! This is not going anywhere. Let us stop. But before that, I advise you to look at the inside from outside using believable sources. I agree India has a long way to go when it comes to gay rights, gender equality etc. But this thing about brahminic supremacy is not so strong right now. It has changed.