Author: Arunima Ray

The New Language of Caste Pride As I open Instagram, my feed is immediately inundated with reels that glorify Brahmin identity and exalt Brahmin pride. Today, Instagram has become a key digital arena where caste identity is performed, flaunted and repackaged, sometimes in increasingly sophisticated ways. Since 2024, the public assertion of caste identity, particularly Brahmin identity, on social media has gained significant momentum, drawing widespread attention, even though expressions of caste pride have existed for millennia. Amidst this disquieting landscape, another video surfaced on Brut India’s Instagram handle, drawing attention to the tragic death of 27-year-old government school teacher…

Neeshu Azad, a 15-year-old Dalit girl, and her father were attacked by a group of violent men while participating in a protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth movement demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. To put things in perspective, Neeshu and her father are Ambedkarites and had earlier declared their dissociation from Hinduism, openly announcing that they no longer identify as Hindus. This sparked severe outrage across social media. Historically, the rejection of Hindu social and religious structures has always provoked backlash, as in Ambedkar’s case when he renounced the religion, calling it a…