Who is my "enemy" !

Kajal Chatterjee *

Though I stand 100% dead against caste/tribe/sex based reservation policy in sectors of higher education and service (right from appointment process to subsequent promotions thereafter throughout the career); but also I stand firm when the individual beneficiary gets mocked or taunted for receiving series of goodies handed over to them on golden platter!

Yes, never should the individual beneficiary be targeted viciously as he/she is simply utilising the benefits being given to them by the Government only! Yes, despite a very very hard critic of Reservation policy; it gets without saying that had I taken birth in any family deemed to be "reserved", I would have surely taken advantage of the Reservation policy!

So by which yard-stick of morality can I blame the beneficiaries! Therefore my point of grievance get administered against the system of Reservation policy only and its sponsors in respective Governments and parties.

However, it is often seen that in sectors where the beneficiaries of Reservation policy are numerically in minority; they are often subjected to psychological attacks through the backdoor by many members of non-reserved category who get toppled by much much juniors (often repeatedly) in their official career !

These elements are not possessed of guts enough to challenge the system ie mighty Government apparatus by approaching the judiciary to put an end to the Reservation policy! But I refuse to call them casteist or anti-tribal. Many of them have close friends in personal circle and even spouse who are not affiliated to general category. So never can they be termed as "casteist"!

Actually their main problem is conflict of interest. Just because the "reserved" X/Y remains an "obstacle" behind their promotions, many colleagues of general category express their frustration through psychological abuse. Of course I am never justifying it, this is just to state that casteism is not the issue behind their fangs - - rather all focus rests on "who's my enemy"!

In official sphere, people of "Reserved category" are the "enemies" as they are getting promoted by overriding others! But when political interest or conflict will arrive at the horizon, Brahmin-Dalit of X party will fight unitedly against Brahmin- Dalit of Y party! Similarly in all other spheres also, whenever personal/ ideological interest gets thwarted/opposed; the opposite party is surely my "enemy" irrespective of caste angle!

As many as 4 close acquaintances had boycotted me after RG Kar horror in August 2024 just for my "sin" of stating (in response to the social media posts forwarded to me by them) that the bizarre incident should never be politicised and we should also protest zealously against rape-murder of a poor woman also (not necessarily when the victim is a Doctor)!

Plus there lies the 5th one who had dumped me for good just on hearing from X/Y that I am not in the same page of their politically-motivated "ideological" group! And despite sharing uninterrupted "close" relationship with all of them for more than a quarter of a century! Now 3 among them were non-Brahmin, 2 Brahmin just like me (though in personal life, I do not identify myself with so-called caste credential)!

While 1 non-Brahmin had at least gave me formal smile when he visited office once after our ideological clash, another non-Brahmin has displayed his best self by overriding all ego after news of severe illness of my own got spread! When time came to respond to the call of humanity, he jumped to the occasion to lend his supportive hand towards me after pin drop silence of nearly six months!

But what about my fellow 2 "Brahmins"! One among them (who boycotted me despite no clash among us) didn't even react when I enquired about his tooth infection (through WhatsApp) or when I waved him in reflex as he was entering office to join the farewell of a person set to retire! And even after the receipt of news of my crisis in all front possible, not an iota of minimum formality as well!

And 2nd Brahmin has displayed his most vitriolic fang possible few days ago! In reaction of a comment made by me against a public post involving chaos in the name of "religion" and God, my fellow "Brahmin" straightway started attacking me personally!

No talks since August 2024, not a minimum formality in last 2-3 weeks revolving around my medical/ financial/ emotional crisis and in my worst day since the hospitalisation process (midnight call from hospital, whole night wide awake, even the Doctor himself expressing "helplessness"), deluge of relentless personal attacks targeting me from morning to evening!

So never would I see anything in casteist scale. Yes, the 2 persons who have hated/ attacked the "Brahmin" in me the most are also Brahmins in social identity!

Last but not the least. While I have seen persons of general category openly mocking their juniors (but now turned Senior in posts, thanks to promotions through reservations), also seen how seniors (in age and date of appointment) bestowing due honour to the juniors (now enjoying higher posts) according to the demand of official protocol!

Also witnessed how somebody forsakes past bitterness during times of responding to the call of humanity! In sharp contrast, also seen how one continues to cling to his supreme ego even when the "enemy" has landed in a supreme crisis of uncertainty with another at his vulgar worst targeting the "enemy" out of sheer political/religious vendetta!

The wide-hearted person who had spread the news of my crisis to all possible corners have been earnestly requested not to spread the news of the worst to those two persons if indeed Destiny takes my very own to that place of no-return! After all my very own has always acted very very humane and secular throughout his awakened lifetime!

May his spirit be not insulted through passage of any worst possible news to those insensitive heartless end whose sense of political-religious vendetta and level of humanity have attained the worst possible low!