Gen-Z: Can you really say 'kameena'? Here's why casteist slurs may be getting out of hand

Not many mdash irrelevant of which generation they are born in mdash understand what the origins of the slur ldquokameenardquo The word is derived from Persian in which it means ldquoof lower birthrdquoThe lack of understanding about how powerful words are combined with the Internet and social media has created a toxic mix of casual casteism What is unique is that the casual casteism has been normalised under the pretext of accents and aestheticsA recent video by a Gen Z creator went viral for saying ldquoYou cracked NEET but I cracked a Brahminrdquo Although the video was later deleted similar content is doing the rounds in the Gen Z algorithm Another video has a man sprinkling water around a pizza box while the caption reads ldquoMy nastik atheist a trying to impress a 1010 Brahman baddierdquo A photo of a goth Gen Z girl and boy on the Metro train is captioned ldquoAverage Chhapri in Indiardquo When people point out the obvious casteist connotations in such words the creators of these reels fall back on a common defence ldquoI didnrsquot mean it like thatrdquoMeanwhile in the offline world Gen Z still continues the usual insensitivity in the form of someone saying ldquoI look like a bhangi because I just didnrsquot the time to dress uprdquo Here even though it seems like a jibe aimed at oneself it uses a Scheduled Caste SC as a pejorative and is very much still casteist Even when one points out the years of systemic oppression associated with these slurs some say ldquoI didnrsquot know it was casteistrdquo while continuing to use the harmful words on other occasionsCreator Aleena tells us it is impossible to trace casteist trolls online today PicAleenaAleena who has gained one of the largest Instagram followings of any Dalit content creator is a writer and poet and has been in the middle of todayrsquos anticaste movement Both her vocation and social locations have given a unique insight into the ldquoso whatnessrdquo around the language of casual casteism ldquoSocial media has made casual casteism much more visible Before that many of these conversations happened within closed circuits social media has produced newer lsquomodernrsquo less obvious slursrdquoAvinash Pandey professor at Mumbai University believes that resolution or even a dialogue is getting tougher as compared to before when such conversations took place in real life ldquoIt is because of the lack of free and common spaces that we are not able to participate in real dialogue Expression has become impersonal because of algorithmsrdquoNeha Thombre PicNeha ThombreNeha Thombre who is a millennial content creator and has also been selected at Venice International Film Festivalrsquos human rights cinema workshop this year believes that the anonymity of social media has led many Gen Z to be disjointed from the daytoday realities of caste ldquoSocial media gives polarisation a platform With extremism being championed it often leaves young adults feeling like casteism doesnrsquot exist anymore that reservation is begging and slurs simply exist on the surface levelrdquoHowever both Aleena and Thombre note that social media has given visibility to victims and activists like never beforeAleena points out what many older generations have been debating about Gen Zrsquos particular brand of casteism ldquoWhile some genuinely donrsquot know others despite being informed repeatedly continue to do it anywayrdquo she says Distilled to one point about this generationrsquos patterns of casteist behaviour ldquoOne thing about Gen Z is that they may reject caste discrimination in principle while reproducing casteist language in everyday liferdquoWhen we ask if pretty privilege helps creators ldquoget awayrdquo with casteist behaviour Aleena points out how the adoration or power that comes with this privilege plays a role ldquoPeople are generally more willing to excuse problematic behaviour when it comes from someone they admire Online culture can intensify this because popularity and appearance often become social capitalrdquoThombre goes one step further stating its pretty privilege mdash especially if itrsquos wielded by women ldquoIt doesnrsquot matter whether the person is part of the majority or minority if a pretty woman is the face of a piece of content then men will ignore her behaviourrdquo Casual casteism is also rampant because it meets no repercussions mdash socially and legally Thombre states ldquoYou simply canrsquot trace them perpetrators Most profiles that leave rape threats bigoted comments and slurs are profiles without names photos and bioshellip people are frustrated because of socioeconomic problems in the country like petrol prices and unemployment mdash they often take that out on minorities onlinerdquoHowever casually one may use slurs online it will never take away the history behind them ldquoThe normalisation of a slur does not erase its impactrdquo says AleenaPandey states ldquoCaste identities are becoming stronger because social media allows the exaggeration of differences with increased fragmentation in society Also because algorithms show you things that you agree with dehumanising people has gotten easier because there is no one to challenge yourdquo