The incident in Etawah has shaken the entire society and has especially drawn attention to the deep-seated caste discrimination within the Hindu community.
In Etawah’s Dandarpur village, two Yadav (The Yadav community is a traditionally pastoral and agricultural community, Hindus connected to the shudra varna and classified as other backward caste) “katha vachaks” (A kathavachak is a spiritual storyteller who narrates Hindu scriptures like the Ramayana or Bhagavad Gita in religious gatherings) —Mukut Mani Singh Yadav and Sant Singh Yadav—were forcibly tonsured by a group of upper-caste men after their caste was revealed during a Bhagavad Gita recitation. Also, a woman belonging to the attackers’ community sprinkled her urine on the victims. The attack, captured on video and widely shared, sparked outrage. The police acted swiftly, arresting four individuals—Ashish Tiwari, Uttam Kumar Awasthi, Nikki Awasthi, and Manu Dubey. All belong to the upper caste community. According to NCRB data, in 2022, crimes against Dalits increased by 13.1%, and crimes against Adivasis increased by 14.3% compared to 2021.
Despite numerous movements against untouchability and caste hierarchy, and a whole stream of Dalit literature bringing suppressed histories to the forefront—like Omprakash Valmiki’s Joothan, Prof. Tulsiram’s Murdahiya and Manikarnika, Adam Gondvi’s Aao Le Chale Tumhe Chamaron Ki Gali Mein, and Premchand’s Thakur Ka Kuan—caste-based oppression persists. Even in cinema, this issue has been addressed in films like Damul and Mrityudand. Mrityudand also highlights the aspect of gender. These evils have existed for thousands of years. The mentality that refuses to see a human as a human is still alive. Villages are still segregated by caste. The oppression of the poor and the weak continues—only the form has changed.
The social structure in which a person lives often leaves them no option. Many have even renounced religion in protest against this discrimination.
We must understand that even today, in universities, many students from marginalized backgrounds remain isolated. This detachment stems from their social roots. Others in the university must take responsibility to make them feel equal, not use ancient caste systems to further isolate them. If someone is born into a so-called Shudra family, how is that their fault? Why should they alone bear the burden of a social framework imposed upon them? Which law says this is fair? I recently saw the Etawah incident, and no amount of condemnation is enough. You cannot humiliate anyone based on caste—we have a Constitution and the rule of law. This is not a Taliban-run government.
As the case gained attention, people started reacting. A large section of society stood with the storyteller, and this included people from all communities. As the caste discrimination aspect began gaining traction (which has always been the reality for these communities within Hinduism—sometimes visible, sometimes hidden), a narrative shift toward a molestation claim was introduced for damage control. The idea was to divert the issue away from caste discrimination and claim a moral victory in the name of women’s dignity.
The Etawah incident did not only shake the people of Uttar Pradesh but sent ripples straight to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur. It clashed with their fake agenda of creating a “Hindu Rashtra,” prompting damage control tactics. That’s when, two days later, a molestation allegation surfaced.
This “Hindu Rashtra” agenda by the RSS is fake. The real question is—what will be the status of Dalits, Adivasis, and Backwards in such a nation? We will discuss that another time.
On social media, self-proclaimed leaders of the Sanghi ideology resorted to verbal abuse while claiming to defend women’s honor—ironically hurling obscene abuses toward women of other communities. This abusive behavior continues today at the hands of these so-called leaders (Note: Sanghi leaders can be found in any political party).
We must learn to call out what’s wrong. Gautam Buddha, Rahul Sankrityayan, and Pandit Nehru set examples of this. Today, Rahul Gandhi is leading a major national campaign against caste discrimination in the form of caste census. Learn about the backgrounds and communities these people come from.
The truth is, caste is a bitter reality in India—one that was exposed yet again in Etawah. I repeat, the RSS agenda of a Hindu Rashtra was deeply hurt by the Etawah incident, which tore the veil off the facade they had created. After the incident, the Sanghi narrative claimed it was “molestation,” which exposed their casteist agenda. Society still functions on caste lines at every level.
In the caste hierarchy of the Hindu community, there are Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras. If such things can happen to someone from the Ahir community—a backward caste—even in 2025, imagine the suffering of those even lower in this constructed social order.
Don’t fall into the Sanghi trap. What’s wrong is wrong, and must not be repeated. Let there be no hatred or bitterness among us, but compassion. The pain of those pushed to the margins for centuries won’t go away overnight. Hence, all communities must condemn the Etawah incident and fight to prevent its recurrence.
This is my personal perspective on the incident. As the great philosopher Nietzsche said, There are no eternal facts, as there are no absolute truths.”
By Akhilesh Yadav
Akhilesh Yadav is a research scholar at the Centre for Historical Studies, JNU, and former Vice President of the Allahabad University Student Union
Courtesy : Counter Currents
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