Exceptionalism & Oppression: Revisioning Caste

A panel discussion on one of the least known forms of hierarchical oppression: Caste. It is an ancient form of division and the subject of Ava Duverney’s shocking new film, Origin, which examines a writer’s journey through India, Germany and America to understand caste and its enduring impact.
Our panelists include: Suraj Yengde, W.E.B. Dubois fellow at Harvard University, who plays himself in “Origin”, Tufts professor Ravi Shankar, whose new book explores race, shame, the criminal justice system and what it means to be a brown man in America; Arun Rath, host and executive editor of GBH’s local All Things Considered; and moderator, Chellamal Keshavan, current Masters in Public Policy Candidate at the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University.
Together they explore their personal reckonings of growing up in the U.S. yet not escaping caste, how caste intersects specifically with anti-Black racism in America, and the ways in which individuals and society perpetuate oppressive structures.
Phillip Martin, Senior Investigative Reporter delivers the welcoming remarks.
In 2019, Senior Investigative Reporter, Phillip Martin did a 4-part series on the issue, that was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center.
Read Part one,Part two,Part three,Part four
Dr. Suraj Yengde is completing his doctorate at the Faculty of History, University of Oxford. He is the author of the bestseller, Caste Matters (2019) and a co-editor of the award-winning anthology, The Radical in Ambedkar: Critical Reflections (2018). Caste Matters was listed as the “Best Non-fiction Book of the Decade” by The Hindu.
Arun Rath has worked and produced for a variety of programs for (W)GBH for more than 20 years, in a career that has spanned public radio and television and national work for NPR and PBS. Rath currently hosts the local broadcast of GBH’s All Things Considered, and was named “Best Radio Personality in Boston” for his work hosting “In It Together,” a radio show and podcast that broadcast nightly during the height of the pandemic.
Dr. Ravi Shankar is a Pushcart prize winning poet, translator and professor, and has published 17 books including most recently the Memoir Magazine Book Prize and Connecticut Book Award finalist 'Correctional' (University of Wisconsin Press, 2022). He teaches creative writing at Tufts University.
Chellamal Keshavan, BS, is a dedicated and fervent advocate for racial equity and systemic change. She is the former chair of the Medford Human Rights Commission, and a certified doula and lactation counselor.
0:00:00 - Introduction
0:00:43 - Welcome Remarks from Phillip Martin
0:07:18 - Discussion Start
0:55:20 - Q&A
1:07:30 - Closing Remarks
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[@jimranallo686]

I would like to see a "part 2"...that eould include more of the spiritual aspects of caste...i was raised Catholic and still rrtain my faith in Jesus but have doubted since a child the widely accepted belief/lie that Jesus spoke in terms of yahweh as His father...which many biblical scholars/translators that have carefully examined the different translations of the bible Aaanow are in agreement that the yahweh narrative was forcefully inserted in the Hebrew old testament and later adopted by much of the christain world after many years of reading.and studying much of religious... philosophical...spiritualism... mysticism... ancient gods...some that seem to retain power...one subject leading me to another has created and shaped my overall beliefs and how i choose to interact with my fellow brethren...early on i believed in reincarnation and that ee do walk into the life of our choice...which was vehomently denied and internationally not spoke of in my catholic education...can as one panellist referred to briefly but in terms unfamiliar to my own belief...he referred to rebirth into a different caste as an atonement for errors in a past life and quickly dismissed as ridiculous...and was surprised the rebirth topic was not pursued...i was born in Chicago and raised just outside of the city not too gar from the "almost famous" town of Wheaton IL where one of the early theosophical society was established... although not a member...the very nice staff allowed me access to their extensive library...which even after moving to Austin TX...they were kind enough to mail me books which i greatly appreciated and returned in the mail...while living in Austin...i wandered over to the campus of UT at Austin and the staff there were kind enough to give me the 1st non student library card allowing me access to their 19 libraries which was much appreciated also...and i suppose the point I'm getting to...is my belief in rebirth...but not so much concerning past life errors...but more as repeating a class if failed...the caste system has built in racial issues which i find like similar in other cultures and has lead me to the belief that the "lower classes"...are the "legitimized" victims of democides and genocides...i wonder how your panelists and audience would react to that...thanks for the wonderful discussion and cheers from Mexico

[@jamesbarry1673]

No untouchables please.