Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday cited the example of the popular Hollywood movie ‘Titanic’ to explain the caste discrimination in India. Addressing a State-Level Consultations on Caste Census in Telangana, Rahul Gandhi said that the system has been designed in such a way that the upper-caste people fail to see the bias prevalent in the society. During the event, Rahul Gandhi also reiterated his demand for the caste census.
“A Dalit person in India could not be touched. Do you realize the level of inequality that a person experiences when society isn’t even allowed to touch him? This level of discrimination doesn’t exist anywhere else. We have to recognize that discrimination in India is unique and likely among the worst in the world,” said Gandhi, adding that if India wants to become a powerful country and achieve progress, ‘the very first step is to identify the extent and nature of the discrimination occurring’.
Citing Titanic to explain caste discrimination, Rahul Gandhi said, “The Titanic was built, and its designer claimed it was unsinkable, but it sank just a week later. The person responsible for spotting icebergs failed to see it. After hitting the iceberg, the Titanic was devastated. The reason nobody saw it coming was that 90% of the iceberg lies beneath the surface. Thus, the person didn’t realize that the small visible portion was actually a massive iceberg hidden beneath the sea. Caste discrimination in India resembles this iceberg, with most of it hidden beneath the surface. It’s concealed by various factors.”
Saying that his friends from the upper caste fail to see the discrimination, the LoP said, “I have many friends from upper castes who say they have never felt caste discrimination. I tell them it’s obvious, as the system isn’t designed to affect them. For them, it’s like an iceberg—they only see the surface. The real pain and damage caused by caste discrimination affect not only the Indian people but also our Constitution.”
Question Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress MP said, “I am still wondering why the PM hasn’t publicly stated that he wants to challenge the idea of discrimination in Indian society. Why hasn’t he asked how many Dalits are in India’s corporate sector, how many OBCs are in our judicial system, and how many Adivasis are anchors in our media? Why is he afraid of asking these questions?”
Rahul Gandhi said that Telangana is a model for the National Caste Census. “We want the people of India to determine what questions should be asked. We want Dalits, OBCs, Adivasis and women to decide the nature of these questions. As a result, it won’t be just a caste census; it will be a political instrument, a developmental instrument that will shape the country’s progress,” said Gandhi.