It goes like this: The first man in the world was dismembered into four parts. Brahmins, the priest caste, came from his mouth. The Kshatriya, or warriors, came from his arms. The Vaisya, or merchants, came from his loins, and the Shudra, or laboring caste, came from his feet. This is how it is in India. And then there are the Untouchables, who are apparently real dickhead losers.
Seriously, this shit is still going on. No offense, India, but isn't it about time you got that whole foundation-of-your-civilization thing sorted? No? OK. So tell us all about it. One caste at a time.PRANESH KUMAR SINHA, BRAHMIN CASTE
I am a teacher. I was born in Gaya. My ancestral home is in Jehanabad district, and I went to school at Patna University. I begin and end each day by writing in my journal. I write about such things as work, domestic shopping, my family, and my garden.The one thing that constantly touches me as I go about these activities of which I write is that everything falls into a class, and has characteristics of that class. I like to note the particular ways that an entity manifests its characteristics. Everywhere I look, I am reminded that everything living — from creatures to plants — has a cultural inheritance and it lives into that. I like, in particular, to explore the characteristics of different human groups.I begin with myself. I belong to a caste which is known as Kayastha [oh yeah, and all the castes have tons of subcastes and sub-subcastes to distinguish the wine merchants from the fruit merchants and so on. Kayastha is a weird subcaste of Brahmin—Ed]. The medieval and ancient history indicates that, during the Gupta dynasty in ancient India, the historians and accountants where designated Kayastha and divided into three rankings: Prathama, Dwitiya, and Tritiya. Another theory, which is a bit mythological, says that the ancestral Kayastha is the god who maintains records of the deeds of the beings on earth and advises God about how to pursue justice. Whatsoever be the truth, this caste's main characteristics are to do duties with pen and paper and to earn a wage. Even in the modern age, the statistics confirm it. Some 90 percent of the Kayasthas are in the same profession, by one way or the other.Some organizations have cropped up to protect the Kayastha cultural inheritance from India's politically dominated mercantile society, the Chitragupta Seva Sangha, Akhil Bhartiya Kayastha Mahasabha, and Chitrans Panchayat, among them. I am a member of ABKM and Chitrans Panchayat, and I am an office bearer in the Panchayata. I have participated in protests against reservations in schools and government for the members of scheduled castes [aka "backwards castes"—Ed.] and have asked for reciprocal sharing for my caste. This I have done to protect the essence of my caste from being lost in a hap-job of survival.
Oh and for dinner tonight, I ate chapati and vegetable, the traditional dinner.SURESH NARAYAN, KSHATRIYA CASTE
I am of the view that each caste has a rich history and that, without caste, Indian culture would not exist. In the morning, I offer prayers for the welfare of all human beings, then I interact with the people of my caste.Historically, the prime responsibility of a kshatriya is to fight for the protection of the motherland. However, in the modern era, this caste has gradually become weak. Caste-based organizations have been constituted in every state of India to make caste members aware of their responsibilities. I am an active member of one of these. We work in far off places to make people aware of their responsibilities and teach them about their history. We also teach people to develop themselves, and never put hindrance upon other's development. There is no need for unnecessary confrontation with other castes. People have become aware of this, and the mutual jealousy has lessened. When recently a rickshaw puller died in Gaya, his body lay unidentified in the road and no one claimed it. My organization got his funeral performed. This touched my heart and also gave me heartiest satisfaction.
For dinner, I ate chappati and vegetables.SURENDRA GUPTA, VAISYA CASTE
I am a businessman, and my first priority is there. From early morning to the evening, I remain busy with my occupation. I also study books.My goal is to make the people of my caste aware of their educational, economic and political rights. I think, in the modern era, the people of my caste have deviated from their path. This is why this caste has lost its culture and its historical glory. My wish is to re-attain that lost glory.In the Vedic age, my caste was very prominent. In the modern era, this caste is a puppet in the hands of politicians. Members of our caste are mostly business owners with very busy schedules, and therefore, they don't do anything to redress their situation. Due to this, they are being exploited, and they remain backward in the fields of education, politics and economy.
I ate chappati and vegetables for dinner.LALJI PRASAD, SUDRA CASTE
I was born in Gaya. I deal in Tilkut. It's a kind of candy. Early in the morning, after visiting temples, I do house work then I have breakfast and I go to my shop and business. Late in the evening I visit with my friends and neighbors.How old my caste is and when it originated is a disputed matter. It may be said the history is totally vague, but the recent history is more clear, and the main occupation of the caste was originally to repair the ceilings of mud houses. As time passed, the people of the caste changed, and today, our occupation is mostly to sell sweets. We are not happy, because of economic crisis. I would like to unite my caste and take them on one platform, but I have not been able to do this. Although there are several political organizations for members of my caste, I don't belong to any of them. I participate in conferences from time to time. At the individual level, I ask and compel my friends to have no association with those who take dowries and kill brides. In truth, I hate the persons who do these things. Additionally, I always argue that girls should have the same educational facilities as boys, and that people should not have any partial attitude towards boys. I vehemently oppose fetus killing.Among India's four castes, mine contains the most have-nots. This gives me pain a lot, whenever I see something that forces me to recall the social, economic, political status of my caste. I am unable to forget one incident. Some years ago, I went to settle the marriage of my daughter, but the members of the bridegroom's family refused my proposal, due to my poor economic condition. Whenever I recall it, it gives me pain very badly. This is why I fight against the dowry system.
For dinner, I ate chapatti and vegetables, and took one glass of milk. I am non-vegetarian.SUBHASH RAJBAR, DALIT (UNTOUCHABLE)I am 28 years old. I am a shoe guard for the Mahabodhi Mulgandh Kuti Vihara Buddhist Temple. I live with my parents, my wife and baby, my two brothers, and their families. My hobby is playing with my daughter. I have no problem with the caste system. It is the best. There is no other way to live. I have nothing more to say. There is no other way of life.PHOTOS AND INTERVIEWS BY SATISH MISHRA (EXCEPT FOR THE UNTOUCHABLE, WHO SATISH WOULDN'T EVEN TALK TO—NEVDON JAMGOCHIAN DID HIM)
Seriously, this shit is still going on. No offense, India, but isn't it about time you got that whole foundation-of-your-civilization thing sorted? No? OK. So tell us all about it. One caste at a time.
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I am a teacher. I was born in Gaya. My ancestral home is in Jehanabad district, and I went to school at Patna University. I begin and end each day by writing in my journal. I write about such things as work, domestic shopping, my family, and my garden.The one thing that constantly touches me as I go about these activities of which I write is that everything falls into a class, and has characteristics of that class. I like to note the particular ways that an entity manifests its characteristics. Everywhere I look, I am reminded that everything living — from creatures to plants — has a cultural inheritance and it lives into that. I like, in particular, to explore the characteristics of different human groups.I begin with myself. I belong to a caste which is known as Kayastha [oh yeah, and all the castes have tons of subcastes and sub-subcastes to distinguish the wine merchants from the fruit merchants and so on. Kayastha is a weird subcaste of Brahmin—Ed]. The medieval and ancient history indicates that, during the Gupta dynasty in ancient India, the historians and accountants where designated Kayastha and divided into three rankings: Prathama, Dwitiya, and Tritiya. Another theory, which is a bit mythological, says that the ancestral Kayastha is the god who maintains records of the deeds of the beings on earth and advises God about how to pursue justice. Whatsoever be the truth, this caste's main characteristics are to do duties with pen and paper and to earn a wage. Even in the modern age, the statistics confirm it. Some 90 percent of the Kayasthas are in the same profession, by one way or the other.
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Oh and for dinner tonight, I ate chapati and vegetable, the traditional dinner.SURESH NARAYAN, KSHATRIYA CASTE
I am of the view that each caste has a rich history and that, without caste, Indian culture would not exist. In the morning, I offer prayers for the welfare of all human beings, then I interact with the people of my caste.Historically, the prime responsibility of a kshatriya is to fight for the protection of the motherland. However, in the modern era, this caste has gradually become weak. Caste-based organizations have been constituted in every state of India to make caste members aware of their responsibilities. I am an active member of one of these. We work in far off places to make people aware of their responsibilities and teach them about their history. We also teach people to develop themselves, and never put hindrance upon other's development. There is no need for unnecessary confrontation with other castes. People have become aware of this, and the mutual jealousy has lessened. When recently a rickshaw puller died in Gaya, his body lay unidentified in the road and no one claimed it. My organization got his funeral performed. This touched my heart and also gave me heartiest satisfaction.
For dinner, I ate chappati and vegetables.
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I am a businessman, and my first priority is there. From early morning to the evening, I remain busy with my occupation. I also study books.My goal is to make the people of my caste aware of their educational, economic and political rights. I think, in the modern era, the people of my caste have deviated from their path. This is why this caste has lost its culture and its historical glory. My wish is to re-attain that lost glory.In the Vedic age, my caste was very prominent. In the modern era, this caste is a puppet in the hands of politicians. Members of our caste are mostly business owners with very busy schedules, and therefore, they don't do anything to redress their situation. Due to this, they are being exploited, and they remain backward in the fields of education, politics and economy.
I ate chappati and vegetables for dinner.LALJI PRASAD, SUDRA CASTE
I was born in Gaya. I deal in Tilkut. It's a kind of candy. Early in the morning, after visiting temples, I do house work then I have breakfast and I go to my shop and business. Late in the evening I visit with my friends and neighbors.How old my caste is and when it originated is a disputed matter. It may be said the history is totally vague, but the recent history is more clear, and the main occupation of the caste was originally to repair the ceilings of mud houses. As time passed, the people of the caste changed, and today, our occupation is mostly to sell sweets. We are not happy, because of economic crisis. I would like to unite my caste and take them on one platform, but I have not been able to do this. Although there are several political organizations for members of my caste, I don't belong to any of them. I participate in conferences from time to time. At the individual level, I ask and compel my friends to have no association with those who take dowries and kill brides. In truth, I hate the persons who do these things. Additionally, I always argue that girls should have the same educational facilities as boys, and that people should not have any partial attitude towards boys. I vehemently oppose fetus killing.
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For dinner, I ate chapatti and vegetables, and took one glass of milk. I am non-vegetarian.SUBHASH RAJBAR, DALIT (UNTOUCHABLE)I am 28 years old. I am a shoe guard for the Mahabodhi Mulgandh Kuti Vihara Buddhist Temple. I live with my parents, my wife and baby, my two brothers, and their families. My hobby is playing with my daughter. I have no problem with the caste system. It is the best. There is no other way to live. I have nothing more to say. There is no other way of life.PHOTOS AND INTERVIEWS BY SATISH MISHRA (EXCEPT FOR THE UNTOUCHABLE, WHO SATISH WOULDN'T EVEN TALK TO—NEVDON JAMGOCHIAN DID HIM)