The video, which has gone viral on social media, shows a local SM News reporter interviewing a 13-year-old boy from Varanasi, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Asked what he intends to do when he grows up, the boy said he wants to serve his community by becoming an Indian Officer. When the reporter asked the teenager to go to the temple, he talked about the benefits of schools. “When we study, then we will find a job,” said the boy. According to the young respondent, “he would rather be in a classroom” because schools are more important. “God did not bless us,” he thought. “God will not give us anything. “But education will do it.” The astonished journalist then asked him about his caste, a social system that divides Hindus into rigid hierarchical groups and has long been used for discriminatory practices in Indian society. “I am from the Chamar community,” the boy replied. The journalist remarked: “You are from the Chamar community, and you say that with so much pride!” According to India’s modern positive action system, the Chamar are classified as the Planned Caste, the lowest in the caste hierarchy. Calling you Chamar is considered derogatory in India. While discrimination based on caste system has been banned in India since 1948, its existence for thousands of years continues to provide upper castes with social benefits while lower castes remain oppressed and limited in job opportunities. The teenager said that instead of looking at gods in a temple, he admires Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar, a member of a lower caste community who became a prominent Indian scholar, political, legal, social reformer and author of the Indian Constitution. Ambedkar, also referred to as Babasaheb, has been instrumental in leading public movements supporting pro-marginalized communities. As the crowd began to mock the journalist, he kept asking the teenager why he would like to worship Ambedkar but not the gods. “Babashab gave us a reservation and a constitution,” the boy said. “What did the gods do for us?” We do not go to church, we go to schools. God has not given us anything. “I would rather study in a school.” The two-minute clip has been widely shared on social media platforms, receiving many comments from social media users who were impressed by the boy’s response. Among them was journalist Ravi Nair, who posted the video on Twitter and wrote: “Guys like him give us hope that India has not lost everything from the yolk mob.” The story goes on The boy’s comments also caused controversy among those who believe that one can also succeed by following the teachings of both schools and temples. Do you like this content? Read more from NextShark! Los Angeles apologizes, pledges 150th anniversary of Chinese massacre SF Man delivers food from Chinatown to his friends, family for FREE Joe Biden’s anti-Trump campaign ad called ‘xenophobic’ and ‘racist’ Women’s rights activist Ayesha Malik becomes first female judge at Pakistan’s Supreme Court
