I have never understood why BCs, OBCs, MBCs, SCs, and STs in India continue to show allegiance to Brahmins—the very community that historically subjugated them through the caste system and rigid social hierarchy. The irony is hard to ignore: those who were pushed to the margins for centuries still bend in reverence to those who placed them there.
History is full of examples of oppression, yet in most parts of the world, the oppressed eventually rise to question or overthrow their oppressors. But in India, caste has created such deep psychological conditioning that many oppressed communities still accept Brahmin authority, often without resistance. It is not merely social control—it is spiritual control. Religion was weaponized to convince generations that their suffering was divinely ordained, and that salvation lay in obedience.
Even today, this allegiance is visible. Be it in temples where non-Brahmins serve under Brahmin priests, in rituals where Brahmins dictate the rules, or in politics where caste loyalties override rational self-interest. The Brahminical hold may have weakened, but it hasn’t disappeared. Centuries of indoctrination cannot be erased in a few decades.
This raises uncomfortable questions:
• Why do communities continue to seek validation from the very system that denied them dignity?
• Is it faith, fear, or simply habit?
• Or has oppression become so normalized that resistance feels unnatural?
The truth is, caste is not just a system of hierarchy—it is a system of memory. A memory passed down through rituals, customs, and social interactions. And until that memory is rewritten, many oppressed communities will continue to align with those who once oppressed them.
India’s progress depends not just on economic development but also on breaking this cycle of inherited allegiance. True liberation begins when the oppressed no longer need the approval of the oppressor.