Social Distancing and Caste

There are several posts circulating on social media commending certain Hindu practices that include avoiding physical contact with others, not sharing eating utensils, baths after touching others etc. Some of these practices are helpful in limiting the spread of a virus like Covid-19.

At the same time, such practices should not be commended with an attitude of Hindu superiority and innocence, oblivious of historical reality. The fact is that many of these practices of contact avoidance are an integral part of caste prohibitions and regulations. Caste, among many things, is a social hierarchy that includes assumptions of the pure and impure, with the requirement that contact with those who are impure be avoided. The impure are asprishya (अस्पृश्य) - literally, not to be touched, and hence the notion of untouchability. Caste regulations also include rules regulating inter-dining and the sharing and receiving of food.

If we choose to extol these customs, as so many are doing on social media, I ask that we give consideration to the fact that our Dalit sisters and brothers see them painfully different. Such practices reinforce their exclusion and marginalization, and the undermining of their human dignity.

If we choose to extol Hindu purity customs, let us not do so uncritically and with an air of supremacy. Let us acknowledge what such practices mean for millions of our fellow human beings as verification of their impure and inferior status. Let us also acknowledge the task that still lies ahead of us in overcoming the ingrained assumptions and practices that underlie caste.