Many people today say, “Where is casteism now? We don’t see it anymore.” From the surface, it might look like caste doesn’t matter in modern India. But the truth is—caste is not dead. It’s in our behavior, in our choices, and in our conversations, sometimes so deep that we don’t even realize when we are practicing it.
Is Casteism Just a Rural Problem?
Some argue, “Casteism is a village issue. In cities, people are modern; nobody cares about caste.” But if we look at statistics, we find a different story.
According to a 2014 report by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), around 27% of Indian households admitted to practicing untouchability. Rural areas were worse (30%) than urban areas (20%). Among castes, Brahmins showed the highest percentage (52%). States like Madhya Pradesh (53%), Himachal Pradesh (50%), Chhattisgarh (48%), Rajasthan and Bihar (47%), and Uttar Pradesh (43%) all reported extremely high numbers.
And let’s be honest—these numbers are only the visible part. Many people will never admit their bias in a survey, because they want to appear "modern." But in actions, it still shows. So casteism is not just a rural problem. It lives in cities, schools, workplaces, homes, even in friend circles.
Where Caste Shows Up in Daily Life
1. Schools: Seeds of Prejudice
Even in 2025, children in the 5th or 6th grade ask each other: "What’s your caste?" Now pause for a second—how does a 10-year-old even know that caste matters? Who is teaching them this nonsense? Clearly, these thoughts are inherited, passed down silently by families and surroundings. A child judging another child’s worth by caste is proof that caste is still alive—not just as an idea, but as a seed planted early.
2. Workplace Discrimination: The Silent Judgments
You meet someone new at work. The first question after your name is: "What’s your surname?" Why? Because a surname becomes a shortcut to identify caste, and judgments silently begin. This silent checking of caste is not harmless curiosity—it is a way to place you on a mental ladder.
3. In Friend Circles: The Hidden Bias
Even in casual conversations, caste bias sneaks in. I remember one of my friends talking about another couple. She praised them: "They are such a loyal, loving couple." And then she added, "After all, he is from our caste." See the problem? Good qualities are not seen as human traits—they are credited to caste.
The double face of society is clearest here:
- If someone from a so-called "lower caste" does something wrong, people quickly say, "Of course, he was a Chamar." But if the same person achieves something good, nobody mentions caste.
- On the other hand, if an upper-caste person does something praiseworthy, people instantly say, "After all, he is a Brahmin / Rajput / XYZ caste." But when someone from that same caste commits crimes, suddenly caste disappears from the sentence.
This selective memory is casteism hiding in plain sight.
4. Marriage: The Strongest Chain
Perhaps the biggest sign of casteism today is marriage. Even in 2025, most families still insist on marrying within their caste. And it’s not just preference—it is enforced with violence. "Honor killings" still happen, where fathers, brothers, and even mothers are ready to murder their own children for loving across caste lines. If caste really didn’t matter, marriage would be the first place to prove it. But the fact that inter-caste marriage is still treated as rebellion shows how deep the poison runs.
The Flaw in Caste Pride
Some say, "I don’t believe in caste hierarchy, but I am proud of my caste." But don’t you see? That itself is casteism.
There is nothing to be proud of in being born into any caste, religion, or nation. You can be lucky to be born into a certain caste or religion—because society has privilege attached to it—but luck is not an achievement.
And when people say, "I am proud of my caste because our ancestors fought wars or did great things for the nation," they’re twisting the logic. Yes, there can be people from your caste who did great things—but there can also be rapists, killers, and misogynists. Do you proudly own them too? Of course not. So why attach your pride only to selective achievements?
Some may argue, "But when we talk about a nation, we generalize. If most people follow traffic rules, we say the country is disciplined. Similarly, if many from our caste fought bravely, we say our caste is great." Okay, but here’s the flaw: they fought not because of caste, but because they had the opportunity. If people from other castes had received the same chance, they could have done the same.
This is where history itself proves the point. In the Ramayana (Uttar Kand), Shambhuk, a Shudra, was performing penance but was killed by Ram—not because he lacked capability, but because society denied him the right to prove it. In the Mahabharata, Karna was humiliated and rejected by gurus simply because of his caste. His skills were not the problem—opportunity was. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s life itself is the best evidence. He came from a so-called "lower caste," and by getting the opportunity to study—a chance that was not available to many others—he reshaped India’s history. He fought casteism, stood for women’s rights, and built a vision for equality.
His story proves: It is not caste that produces greatness—it is opportunity, effort, and vision.
So when we see statistics that upper castes dominate achievements, remember: it’s only because they had the stage, not because others lacked talent.
The Illusion of "Personal Choice"
I’ve met people who openly argue: "Yes, I am casteist. It’s my personal choice. I don’t harm anyone. Just like you can be an atheist or a theist, I can choose to be casteist."
At first, it sounds like a valid argument—live and let live, right? But here’s the difference: faith or no faith is a personal matter. If I pray to Vishnu, Shiva, or not anyone at all, it doesn’t harm anyone else. But caste pride is not like that. It never stays personal—it always spills over into how we treat others, whom we marry, how we judge talent, and how society divides itself. It’s not a harmless preference—it’s poison disguised as pride.
Think about it this way: If I choose to eat spicy food, that’s subjective—it only affects me. But if I choose to smoke in a crowded room and say, "It’s my personal choice," that’s invalid—because my choice is harming others’ health. Caste pride works the same way. It may feel "personal," but in reality, it creates secondhand smoke. It shapes collective bias, limits opportunities, pressures marriages, and reinforces hierarchies.
Final Reflection
Casteism in 2025 may not always look like untouchability—but it is still here, in pride, in prejudice, in choices, and in silence. Until we stop attaching human worth to caste, until we see individuals as individuals—not surnames, not labels—India will carry this burden forward.
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