I want to confidently, boldly, and aggressively shout it from the rooftops: We need THE COMPLETE ANNIHILATION OF CASTE. Not just reform, not just moderation, but a total uprooting. Period.
The rot of the Varna System traces back to ancient migrations and invasions, creating a rigid social hierarchy that positioned one group as inherently superior to the native population. Throughout our history, we have witnessed the immense suffering caused by this artificial class formation.
The Vedic order was, at times, so entrenched in its own exclusivity that it showed no mercy even to those within the Brahmin community who dared to challenge it. Think of figures like Maharishi Swami Dayanand, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, and Mahatma Jyotiba Phule. These visionaries spoke against the Varna System and social injustice, only to face severe persecution and threats from their own kin. When a system consumes even its own reformers, it proves its inherent toxicity.
It is both tragic and frustrating to see people still clinging to the Varna System or the Manusmriti in the 21st century. This isn’t just “tradition”, it is a sign of deep intellectual immaturity. I recently witnessed this firsthand in my own community: a neighbor fired their maid simply because she belonged to the ‘Valmiki caste.’ What was more disturbing than the act itself was the private praise he received from others. It reveals the “demonic” undercurrents of a society that claims to be progressing while harboring such primitive hate.
We see this same hypocrisy in the middle class. Many are quick to complain about the luxury of the rich, yet they remain indifferent to the struggles of the poor. I’ve met individuals with six-figure salaries who refuse to pay a fair, living wage to their domestic help or laborers. This lack of a social justice compass is deeply ingrained.
I remember a former classmate, born into a Brahmin family, who remains an orthodox fundamentalist. His rhetoric is filled with a defense of strict caste hierarchies and abuse toward anyone questioning Vedic authority. It is no wonder that throughout history, the Vedic rule faced such fierce opposition from liberal schools of thought like the Charvakas, Buddhists, and Jains.
Today, “WhatsApp University” graduates proclaim that Hindus were only converted to other faiths by the “sword.” This is a shallow judgment of history that ignores reality.
Historical data, including the first British census of 1871, shows that the highest concentration of Muslims was in the “fringes” (East Bengal and West Punjab), far from the Mughal heartlands of Delhi and Agra. If the “sword” were the primary driver, the heartland would have been majority Muslim.
In reality, many from the “lower” caste Hindu communities sought refuge in Islam to find relief from the upper castes, mainly from corrupt Brahmins. This was a path toward dignity and employment in Mughal darbars, allowing them to continue their lives with respect. In those medieval times, battles were rarely fought on religious grounds. The narrative given by today’s politicians is a distorted one that can be easily debunked with archived farmans.
One common argument is that kings like Maharana Pratap and Shivaji Maharaj stood against the Mughals specifically to “defend Hinduism.” If that were the case, why did many Muslims work in the Maratha and Rajput empires, and why did many Hindus hold high positions in Mughal courts? It is clear they were fighting to defend their own empires and sovereignty; they didn’t give a damn about religion in the way modern narratives suggest. An emperor’s influence was measured by conquered land, not religious zeal.
Furthermore, Hinduism was never the rigid, organized faith we see today. It was a strict Vedic culture that faced constant pushback from liberal communities. Most importantly, the fight against the Mughals was not a fight against Islam. Countless Sufi Saints were protesting alongside Sikh Gurus to express their discomfort with the governance of the time.
We must stop looking at history through the distorted lens of modern politics. If we are to move forward as a nation, we must recognize that caste is a relic that serves only to dehumanize. To shout for its annihilation is not an act of hate, it is an act of love for a version of India that is truly free, equal, and just.