Should ‘Love’ also have a Caste?

"Humanity is still seen in Blood Banks where there is no Caste sticker on the bottles." - Anonymous

"I will sponsor all the tickets if you guys are up for the movie”, Piyush insisted in our Whatsapp group.

“But dude, what will I do in a Marathi movie? I can’t even spell its title properly – Sairat”, I groaned.

After a big ‘Yes’, ‘No’ and a long wait, I was up for a critics favored, well publicized, nationally awarded, Marathi movie – ‘Sairat’. Because it was proposed by Piyush Rajvanshi, I would take a risk for 3 hours watching a Marathi film (God knows if I would sleep before the intervals!). I had already high expectations and low readiness to watch before I took my seat in the theatre hall. As the film progressed, I started realizing why Piyush insisted so much. The movie is outstanding – in fact, outstanding is a small word.

There is nothing new in the story of the film. It is the story we have heard millions of times. It’s the story of the girl next door or of the boy you are very well familiar with. But something was surely different - ‘Simplicity’, ‘Honesty’ or ‘Reality’.

This is the story of a boy ‘Parshya’ from lower caste and ‘Archie’ – a rich upper class girl and their innocent love. Unconscious about the reality of the world, they just love each other with the new definition recognized by the new generation. But as in all unaccepted love stories in India, they too have to face resistance from the wall of ‘Indian Caste System’; the wall much taller than the Great Wall of China.

‘Sairat’ means ‘wild’, ‘frezy’. And youth is an age to rebel, being wild and frenzy. It is an age to rebel against the common and fake tradition, against the wrongs of established evils. The film doesn’t only point to this, it comments, states and assesses at different phases of it - but between the lines, silently. The upper caste girl without any hesitation asks for a drinking water at the Dalit boy’s home shows the commitment today’s generation owes toward humanity. And her fight against her own family members trying to wrongly allege the boy in rape case shows her determination to fight for the truth. Archie (heroine of the movie) represents today’s daughter – riding bullet, firing a gun when needed and showing the boldness to fight against the corrupt family members. She had all the freedom in this world and she was revered by everyone unless she falls in love with a boy from lower strata of our caste system. She was Papa’s girl until then. Then, what suddenly changed?

The film is an eye opener. The master stroke of the end literally flamed a fire. I had my mouth open on the last scene, and there was a standing ovation from everyone present in the theatre! And what left with me were agony and fear for the society I live in, and love and respect for millions of lovers around me. And here I am, writing on my blog on this very hot topic!

We are the extension of our Parent’s identity. And our society is the watchman of our existence. “What will people / society think?” is the most devastating question one might have surely asked to him / herself in this life. Society and so called guardians of our conservative society works superior than highest resolution CCTV cameras. And these - self declared – respected elders or the Guardian of our traditions and the watchmen of our deeds – work more as the enemy of Love. And then, more powerful, they try to crush the rebel to maintain their superiority in the society. Even at an extent to kill the innocent, to kill the children, to kill the humanity.

It only encourages backwardness and the cruel face of arrogance. It is the only tragedy with all castes of India - which they start imitating the worst of what they used to criticize. It was not India’s habit to demolish humanity on religious reasons. It is a big paradox – once we oppose terrorism bluntly and on other hand we kill our own children because inter caste marriage is not tolerable to the age old tradition or the caste system inflicted on us. If it has ‘honor’ in killing them, then how can we blame terrorism? I have always hated ‘Sati Pratha’, while reading the history pages. But that too had been the age long tradition of our society structure. Remember the ‘Widow Remarriage’ movement?
Think…!

Youth is ready to embrace the change for good. But those who have deep rooted establishment for their superiority – the conservative society guardians – don’t and will never welcome this change. Because, their own existence will be in danger! None is ready to change leaving the old behind. On the contrary we want to hold high the social devil, making it more powerful. Slowly but steadily, it is spreading bigger and bigger like a giant - More dangerous than chemical weapons, more disastrous than nuclear bomb. Our country has thousand other problems to deal with – water, education, healthcare, electricity, roads, housing and other infrastructural challenges. These all problems are making life hell here, and then we have these guys who are more into proving that how big followers they have - More towards showing their ‘Shakti Pradarshan’ – the useless, the meaningless, the insane. How unfortunate! Everyone is in the race. Race to prove who the more powerful caste is. Race to prove their prowess. Race to rule and prove that they can destroy any government. They feel they are the master of this country and they can play with its emotions, its people, and its existence. I don’t know who will win this race. But, one thing is sure - the name of the defeated - Mother India.

I want to ask a question to the so called “Parents” of our generation. Are we children the purchased property by registered documents to you? Is the new generation puppet only where we don’t have choices in deciding our dressings too? Biologically you are our parents, but please give us freedom socially, mentally and psychologically. We are not the masters of our fate, but please do not make us the servants of your traditions. Stop giving it the name of ‘Culture’, and remove the mask of ideology from the hypocrite society. To take birth is in no one’s hand. You do not and even cannot add life to a newborn baby. It’s not in your hand. If you can’t make a drop of blood, please don’t shed blood on the name of caste or religion. Parents are just the medium or mediator to play the role the almighty has already decided. To rule and order is coward’s attire, to change and accept the right is the heroic task. What is big deal in frightening those who are weak? When will you leave treating us like the paid employees or rather ‘Gulam’ of our system? To restrict is the possessiveness. What is brave in getting your children married to where you wish or where your system asks you to? Is it a business deal, or a reciprocity to expenses that you incurred bringing them up?

It’s high time to get warned. It’s an alarming situation. The height of hypocrisy is when lovers are hanged by Khap Panchayats for they are against their so called conservative customs! It’s against our constitution and the Supreme Court has ordered against it many times. I don’t advocate love marriages here. But I strongly criticize the ugly face of our caste system to which many have laid their lives. Rethink on this hypocrisy and start being a genuine moderator of the situation. Inter caste marriages may not be the solution, but they are not the problems. Not especially for our very existence that mankind needs to think over today.

At last, thanks to the Director and Casting of ‘Sairat’ for such a realistic, beautiful and simple but honest movie and of course, Piyush for suggesting this one. Thanks Bro.

And Kudos to all the rebel thinkers who even dares to think off the system…!