{"id":10897,"date":"2020-02-11T13:52:54","date_gmt":"2020-02-11T13:52:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fru.ifesworld.org\/?post_type=conexion&p=10897"},"modified":"2020-02-11T13:52:55","modified_gmt":"2020-02-11T13:52:55","slug":"life-in-a-stairless-multi-storey-car-park","status":"publish","type":"conexion","link":"https:\/\/fru.ifesworld.org\/en\/blog\/life-in-a-stairless-multi-storey-car-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Life in a stairless multi-storey car park"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

My mother had always told me: education is your greatest\nindestructible asset in life. As I walked around the university campus that\nfirst afternoon, I felt a wave of anticipation. I had worked hard to get here.\nMy results proved it. And now, this was it. This was my break \u2013 my chance to finally\nmove ahead in the world, my chance to get that indestructible asset<\/em> and\nmake my mother proud.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

\n

But the dream didn\u2019t last long. That night in the student hostel,\nthe harsh reality hit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

\n

My accent gave me away first. Then they asked what\u2019s your good\nname?<\/em> And of course, they knew. I was a Dalit. Some of the boys started mocking\nme. They told me I was only there so that the university could meet their quota\nfor Dalit caste enrolments. Quota<\/em>. It became my unwanted nickname.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

\n

This wasn\u2019t new for me. I\u2019d been the victim of discrimination my whole life. But somehow I\u2019d hoped university might be different.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

\n

Lawyers and toilet cleaners<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n

For\nmany students in India, the caste system will significantly shape their\nuniversity experience \u2013 and indeed their whole life. But for students outside\nIndia, caste <\/em>might be an unfamiliar concept. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

\n

The\ncaste system is India\u2019s ancient societal hierarchy. It divides up the people into\ndifferent classes, or castes<\/em>. A student from a high caste is the most\nprivileged in terms of their status, education and career prospects. They might\nbecome politicians or lawyers or doctors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

\n

The\nDalit caste \u2013 illustrated above \u2013 comes below the four main castes. They are\nknown as the \u2018untouchables\u2019. Typically, they do the \u2018untouchable\u2019 jobs, like disposing\nof dead animals and cleaning toilets. A young person from the Dalit caste has\nvery little chance of getting a place at university. They cannot change their\ncaste. The system has been described as a multi-storey car park with no stairs\nor elevators \u2013 no way of moving up or down. You stay in the caste you were born\ninto.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

\n

There are other disadvantaged castes in India, referred to collectively as Other Backward Class (OBC).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

\n

The devastating results<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n

But\nwhat about the student in our story? Didn\u2019t he make it to university?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

\n

What\nhis classmates said is likely to be true. Government and educational\ninstitutions now reserve a certain number of positions for people from\n\u2018backward\u2019 castes, in an attempt to reverse some of the disadvantage they have\nin society. But still, the issue remains. Discrimination persists, with\ndevastating results.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

\n

In May 2019, a young graduate doctor committed suicide after allegedly being harassed by three senior doctors of higher castes. It is by no means the first story of its kind. But far more common are the stories that never make it into the news. The scornful looks, the cruel comments, the unfair exam marking, the frustrated dreams: this is everyday life for young OBC people in India.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\"\"
Lakshmi Prasad – iStock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
\n

Christians who care<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n

So what can be done? What is the biblical response to caste? How should Christian students respond today? Two UESI graduates feel deeply about this issue and shared their reflections:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

\n

Get talking!<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n

Ignorance about the issues surrounding caste is a huge problem. Many universities in India already have anti-caste engagement groups. Christian students should join such groups and contribute to the conversations with a biblical worldview. Or Christians should start such groups if they don\u2019t already exist \u2013 as we did in the southern Indian city of Chennai. The university is a fantastic place to facilitate dialogue and challenge the status quo. It should be Christian students taking the initiative to speak out, inviting students from all different castes into the conversation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

\n

Make the invisible visible<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n

One powerful sign that we have the love of our invisible\nGod, is when we love our visible neighbours impartially. We may be studying\nalongside the disadvantaged and oppressed without ever thinking: are they\nvisible? Are their concerns talked about? Is their worldview represented? Are\ntheir research papers recognised?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

\n

Christian students should do what they can to facilitate an environment where students from all caste backgrounds are included, heard and respected. When caste-based violence goes unreported or university professors display caste-based favouritism, it is for the Christian student to make the invisible visible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

\n

Steward our university learning<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n

The negative effects of the caste system can be seen\nthroughout every aspect of society. Will the Christian student choose to use\ntheir discipline to help? Could an engineer find innovative sanitation\nsolutions to replace manual scavenging? Could an arts student create a movie or\na piece of music that subverts a certain caste stigma or prejudice, or that\ncelebrates the beauty or unity found in the culture of another caste? Could an\narchitect look into slum development housing projects? Could a sociologist\nre-write the history books to represent the disadvantaged authentically?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

\n

The possibilities to steward our university learning to help the disadvantaged are endless!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

\n

Shape our student groups<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n

What do our student fellowship groups say about our attitude\nto the oppressed around and among us? Are we making an effort to study,\nunderstand and discuss inter-caste histories in our group? How accountable is\nour group with regards to fighting caste and similar social discriminations? Do\nwe include a teaching of caste as part of Christian discipleship curriculum to\nyoung believers? How inclusive are our student, graduate and staff groups? Do\nwe take measures for affirmative action and intentional representation? <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

\n

It is clear that such an engrained social reality will not\nbe changed overnight. But, as in every culture and society, Christian students\nand graduates have the responsibility and mandate to be agents of change in\ntheir generation.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"featured_media":11079,"template":"","area":[666,463],"theme":[9],"class_list":["post-10897","conexion","type-conexion","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","area-india","area-south-asia","theme-engaging-the-university"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLife in a stairless multi-storey car park · IFES Conexi\u00f3n Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"My mother had always told me: education is your greatest indestructible asset in life. 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