Ambedkar, titanic and discrimination

As I stood on that stairs and looked at his name written on that wall, I could feel goosebumps; For many years ago on those same stairs had stood the man who built the foundations of my country. Nearly 130 years after his birth he is politically and socially relevant than ever before. 

Dr B R Amedkar, the man who led the drafting committee of the constitution, was born into the Mahar(Dalit) community. A few days ago, a relative of mine made a comment, those are 'Dalits' they behave like that! Ambedkar was born nearly 130 years ago when casteism was rampant. He was made to sit outside the classroom since his sitting inside would have made the class impure. The teachers did not touch his books, for maintaining purity. Oh, he was never allowed to touch the glass of water! A peon would pour water from a height for him to drink; What if the peon is absent? Ambedkar would go without water that day. 

Ah, the greatness of our culture and society we often boast about. Just that it got impure by that young kid going to school. 

From being the outcast, to go on to study at Columbia University and then at the LSE, and finally to lead the drafting committee of our constitution, leading men from the very own community which ostracised him, that man is a genius.

"No, we don't discriminate on the basis of caste! We just marry within the same caste, just in case". "We are against the caste system. We just don't marry Dalits, we don't mind marrying anybody else". People from that community always fight! People from this community deserves being treated like that. "Ah, she belongs to my caste, It is easier for me to connect with her". We have all been there and done these. All of us! Every one of us.

The very same discrimination Ambedkar fought against!

From Ambedkar's memorial, I came to the Titanic Museum. The greatest ever construction mankind had ever made. The gorgeous Titanic. You all know the story, don't you? Titanic hit the iceberg and Titanic sank. Two hours and forty minutes are all it had after hitting the iceberg. Two hours and forty minutes of saving lives. At the end of it, more than 60% of first-class passengers were saved while less than 25% of third class passengers were saved. 

Mankind! Cruel Mankind! Can you never stop discriminating even when lives are at stake?

If not casteism then classism, we are discriminatory! Yet, when we were born, naked and crying, the personhood of mankind/womankind is the same across! Nobody was created to be inferior. Nobody is inferior.

As the Titanic sank, two men brought in their dogs to the lifeboats! While others around them sank to their afterlife hoping and praying that they are not discriminated at least there!