THE FACTS ABOUT CASTE-AND CLASS

4 December 2014

Peter Popham ( ”Don’t persecute Arundhati Roy for telling the truth about Gandhi”, 28 November) knows very well that India is a democratic country where she is free to express her opinions.

However, when anyone responds to Arundhati’s accusations, they are labelled intolerant. To say that Gandhi was a reactionary who bolstered the caste system is character assassination.

The claim that Gandhi defied Dr. Ambedkar, leader of the Dalits is untrue. Dr. Ambedkar was tasked to write India’s constitution in which the rights of all were safeguarded and positive discrimination was put in place. In the cities today caste has become an irrelevance.

But just as we cannot wish away the class system, and the working classes suffer discrimination, we cannot wish away the caste system. There will always be class and caste. The challenge is to create a level playing field -which India has strived to do.

Nitin Mehta
Croydon