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NavinF

As a 24yo Indian guy living in the US, I find this comment very confusing.

How do I even find out what "caste" I'm in?

I've literally never heard that word used in a conversation with other Indian people ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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Perhaps it's a sign of being sheltered. Kind of like white people in the USA not knowing of their privilege.

Except my caste clearly has distinct disadvantages whereas "white privilege" is justified with unequal outcomes. There's causation with caste, but poor justification beyond correlation with "white privilege" other than the so often repeated but flawed study about call-back rates being higher for white candidates.

In other words: caste-based discrimination is real, and white privilege just seems like a ghost

Are you saying that because white privilege is less acknowledged, it's harder to grasp for those within and without it? Or that it's existence is dubious?

No, that might not be the case.

Caste based discrimination varies by state. It is far less of a deal in Bengal, for example. This is one reason you will see that caste based identity politics is not used in Bengal, whereas that is the thing TM in other states. If the data were available I would be very curious how it varies state by state.

Are you Indian american? Because generally people know what surnames fall in whatever caste. People, mostly of our parents generation, know and remember thousands of surnames and associated caste.

As a Bengali I can assure me there are many like me from Bengal who don't. Bengal for whatever reasons seemed to have solved this way better than other states.

I don't either. You'll have to get a better sample representing bengali villages and older people to conclude that casteism is dead.

As I had mentioned in my other comment, our grandparent generation holds on to some aspect and that it is stronger in villages. But having travelled through India extensively, the kind that goes on in Bengal is no comparison to say Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka. That's the reason you will politicians have caste centric campaigns and manifestos. In Bengal, politicians know that caste will not get them votes, BJP is trying its level best to split the vote along caste lines.

You will likely find out when you are about to get married. I also never knew my caste till my profile was created on matrimony sites and lo and behold, my parents finally told me what caste I was.

I am happily married with my partner who is from another caste and we don't plan on carrying forward this caste nonsense with our children.

You need to know your great-great-grandfather's name in India. There's a book of names, like a yellow pages, that tracks people and caste.

This is what I've been told when I was in India.

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