Comments on: How to spot a Chhara http://savageminds.org/2005/12/17/how-to-spot-a-chhara/ Notes and Queries in Anthropology — A Group Blog Wed, 23 May 2012 09:11:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Kerim http://savageminds.org/2005/12/17/how-to-spot-a-chhara/comment-page-1/#comment-2703 Kerim Mon, 02 Jan 2006 01:28:50 +0000 http://savageminds.org/?p=333#comment-2703 Chharas are not traditionally a "caste" either. A former nomadic tribe they are outside the caste system. Roxy's point is that you have to answer this question in some way, not that you have to fit yourself within the caste system. Explaining why you don't have a caste is often worse than being from what they call here a "Backward Caste." Saying you are a Muslim won't get you off the hook. Roxy has commented to me that he thinks Chharas are better off than some of the poor Muslim communities. In fact, the neighborhood where Chharanagar is located, Naroda, saw some of the most horrifying anti-Muslim violence during the communial riots that rocked Gujarat in 2002. There has also been violence against Christains in Gujarat. Chharas are not traditionally a “caste” either. A former nomadic tribe they are outside the caste system. Roxy’s point is that you have to answer this question in some way, not that you have to fit yourself within the caste system. Explaining why you don’t have a caste is often worse than being from what they call here a “Backward Caste.”

Saying you are a Muslim won’t get you off the hook. Roxy has commented to me that he thinks Chharas are better off than some of the poor Muslim communities. In fact, the neighborhood where Chharanagar is located, Naroda, saw some of the most horrifying anti-Muslim violence during the communial riots that rocked Gujarat in 2002. There has also been violence against Christains in Gujarat.

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]]> By: anthro grad student http://savageminds.org/2005/12/17/how-to-spot-a-chhara/comment-page-1/#comment-2702 anthro grad student Sun, 01 Jan 2006 23:10:22 +0000 http://savageminds.org/?p=333#comment-2702 How would that work if a person was a Christian or a Muslim? Are they treated like a caste of their own or do people try to trace their ancestry (to determine what caste they are "supposed to be".) How would that work if a person was a Christian or a Muslim? Are they treated like a caste of their own or do people try to trace their ancestry (to determine what caste they are “supposed to be”.)

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]]> By: roxy gagdekaar http://savageminds.org/2005/12/17/how-to-spot-a-chhara/comment-page-1/#comment-2697 roxy gagdekaar Sat, 31 Dec 2005 09:29:04 +0000 http://savageminds.org/?p=333#comment-2697 RMl, It's not possible in India to get a job or anything without disclosing one's caste. To not disclose a caste(especially for a chhara or any DNT) is even more dangerous. Because these tribes are said to be notorious for criminal activities. Almost in all type of meetings, Every third question with anyone in India is about the Caste. 1)what is your name 2)Where do you stay or What do you do (or anything related to personal information) 3)What is your caste? So if a person refuses to give answer regarding his caste, His or her that specific work( or interview or anything else) would not be completed. RMl, It’s not possible in India to get a job or anything without disclosing one’s caste. To not disclose a caste(especially for a chhara or any DNT) is even more dangerous. Because these tribes are said to be notorious for criminal activities. Almost in all type of meetings, Every third question with anyone in India is about the Caste. 1)what is your name 2)Where do you stay or What do you do (or anything related to personal information) 3)What is your caste?
So if a person refuses to give answer regarding his caste, His or her that specific work( or interview or anything else) would not be completed.

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]]> By: Savage Minds: Notes and Queries in Anthropology — A Group Blog » Roxy Gagdekar, Bridge Blogging Chharanagar http://savageminds.org/2005/12/17/how-to-spot-a-chhara/comment-page-1/#comment-2591 Savage Minds: Notes and Queries in Anthropology — A Group Blog » Roxy Gagdekar, Bridge Blogging Chharanagar Tue, 20 Dec 2005 10:40:38 +0000 http://savageminds.org/?p=333#comment-2591 [...] While we are working on the film, we have been having our meals at Roxy’s house in Chharanagar, and we have had many long talks. He is a tremendous source of information about the Chhara community, denotified tribes, and the politics of Gujarat. A reporter at one of Gujarat’s leading newspapers, Roxy is also an excellent writer. So I am very happy that he has decided to start his own blog. He plans to use it to write about Chharangar, the activities of the Budhan Theatre, and even some short fiction he has written. [...] [...] While we are working on the film, we have been having our meals at Roxy’s house in Chharanagar, and we have had many long talks. He is a tremendous source of information about the Chhara community, denotified tribes, and the politics of Gujarat. A reporter at one of Gujarat’s leading newspapers, Roxy is also an excellent writer. So I am very happy that he has decided to start his own blog. He plans to use it to write about Chharangar, the activities of the Budhan Theatre, and even some short fiction he has written. [...]

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]]> By: RML http://savageminds.org/2005/12/17/how-to-spot-a-chhara/comment-page-1/#comment-2590 RML Tue, 20 Dec 2005 10:28:00 +0000 http://savageminds.org/?p=333#comment-2590 How difficult would it be for an Indian to give no caste as an answer? Knowing that caste is just a cultural stamp placed on people (by others or themselves), it would be realtively easy and harmless to consider yourself belonging to no caste at all, especially when there is no legal obligation or necessity to be part of one or to provide one. How difficult would it be for an Indian to give no caste as an answer? Knowing that caste is just a cultural stamp placed on people (by others or themselves), it would be realtively easy and harmless to consider yourself belonging to no caste at all, especially when there is no legal obligation or necessity to be part of one or to provide one.

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]]> By: Abi http://savageminds.org/2005/12/17/how-to-spot-a-chhara/comment-page-1/#comment-2553 Abi Sun, 18 Dec 2005 10:01:18 +0000 http://savageminds.org/?p=333#comment-2553 Asking for one's caste is pretty deeply etched in the administrative system in India. Gosh, caste is even mentioned in the most common forms of identification: ration cards and school-leaving certificates (the driver's license and the passport do not mention the caste, though). The logic behind asking someone to reveal his/her caste is to help the underprivileged (the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and the so-called 'other' backward communities), for whom there is an affirmative action program in pretty much all public sector institutions: schools, colleges, public sector companies, and of course, the government. However, in the private sector, it is a disaster for the lower castes, as your post shows. There has been a short-lived debate about job reservation (as the affirmative action program is called in India) in the private sector. It was squelched in a hurry. The issue of reservation in private colleges went all the way up to the Supreme Court, and was shot down. In the absence of an affirmative action program, there is no rationale whatsoever to demand to know one's caste; but the practice in the private sector has not been made illegal. Asking for one’s caste is pretty deeply etched in the administrative system in India. Gosh, caste is even mentioned in the most common forms of identification: ration cards and school-leaving certificates (the driver’s license and the passport do not mention the caste, though).

The logic behind asking someone to reveal his/her caste is to help the underprivileged (the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and the so-called ‘other’ backward communities), for whom there is an affirmative action program in pretty much all public sector institutions: schools, colleges, public sector companies, and of course, the government.

However, in the private sector, it is a disaster for the lower castes, as your post shows.

There has been a short-lived debate about job reservation (as the affirmative action program is called in India) in the private sector. It was squelched in a hurry. The issue of reservation in private colleges went all the way up to the Supreme Court, and was shot down. In the absence of an affirmative action program, there is no rationale whatsoever to demand to know one’s caste; but the practice in the private sector has not been made illegal.

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