What is your caste?

It was a difficult day for Raghav. Twice is that he is asked about his caste. He refused to disclose both times. His answer was briskly clear. In the evening, he went on to see a flat for renting purpose. The house owner was concerned about the eating habits related to veg and nonveg food. She wanted to grasp it through her preconceived stereotypical mindset. Raghav denied it casually. He doesn't want to tell his caste. The house owner later remarked with a surprise that only Muslims hide their identity! "You are not a Muslim, right?!". Raghav had to explain his position. He told her about his background. That's like peeling off a wound.

The times are always difficult, even though people seem to be more sensitive about imminent issues. But there is fluidity. Once on phone, his client assumed him belonging to the same community as his and asked for concession in prices. Raghav was stupefied. He works in a corporate office. He reiterated that his belonging to a certain community doesn't otherize his priorities or, deliver a special favor to anyone.

It's an everyday experience for common men in India. Be it any trade. People pitch their caste, religion, color and place to gain favor. Vote bank politics is just one side of it. It's not just an Indian phenomenon alone. Let not my beloved country be side-hustled for this. But, why is it that it has to be on the list?

Raghav is a modern-day migrant. He is a skilled labor. He is not residing at his native place. He speaks a different language than the one spoken in his work city. This city has been a boon to him. It has given him work. It has taught him wonderful unforgettable experiences. He has made good friends. It's then exasperating to think about one unkind experience when compared to the volume of good fortune and good people that he has met. Anyway, today he was told that the people who speak the language that is his mother tongue, is not likened by the local person he came in touch with on a social site. The lady, on the garb of the digital platform uttered it too plainly. There was a coldness in her tone.

Why on earth is that he remembers just these bitter experiences and not the chain of good ones? Maybe because they make him feel otherized. This makes him feel like an outsider. It breaks the chain of inclusivity. Like a thunderbolt, he is reminded of his identity. Suddenly he is aware that he is a guest in the city. The air and water that he consumes is a borrowed benevolence & nothing else.

Who is an insider anyway? Even though those who have migrated here half a century ago, feel hesitant to tell that they are now the proper native of the place. They would explain that their forefather came here and begin to live here for work. In their mind, they are still someone else even though they are born here. How far are they going to wait for them to be considered the guy of the land? I wonder if someone knows. It's an open-ended question. 

Have you ever been asked, "What is your caste?"