Rahul Gandhi Calls Caste Discrimination Iceberg That Sank Titanic

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Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad Vows Caste Census to End Discrimination

By Raisina Correspondent

New Delhi, November 5: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi termed caste discrimination as an iceberg that had sunk Titanic in its maiden voyage in the Arctic Ocean in 1912.

“The Titanic was built, and its designer claimed it was unsinkable, but it sank just a week later. The person responsible for spotting icebergs failed to see it,” said Gandhi, while addressing a social justice conclave of the Congress in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

The Congress leader stated that “after hitting the iceberg, the Titanic was devastated. The reason nobody saw it coming was that 90 per cent of the iceberg lies beneath the surface.”

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Gandhi argued that the “person didn’t realize that the small visible portion was actually a massive iceberg hidden beneath the sea”. “Caste discrimination in India resembles this iceberg, with most of it hidden beneath the surface. It’s concealed by various factors,” added Gandhi.

The Congress leader had last month visited the house of a Dalit party workers in Kolhapur in Maharashtra. He took part in cooking meals during which he discussed the issue of caste discrimination with his host.

The Congress leader alleged that “a Dalit person in India could not be touched”. “Do you realize the level of inequality that person experiences when society isn’t even allowed to touch him? This level of discrimination doesn’t exist anywhere else,” said Gandhi.

He stated that “we have to recognize that discrimination in India is unique and likely among the worst in the world. If we want to talk about becoming a powerful country, achieving progress, and ensuring happiness among our people, the very first step is to identify the extent and nature of the discrimination occurring.”

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Gandhi stated that as a politician, he was accountable to the people. “When I speak about the Caste Census, I do so because of my accountability to the people of India. I simply cannot ignore the fact that there is massive discrimination in this country. I cannot lie to Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs, minorities, and women by saying that this country is fair to them,” added Gandhi.

The Congress leaders asserted that “others may be able to lie about this, but I cannot. I am committed to ensuring that not only is the Caste Census conducted in Telangana, but also that this state becomes a model for the process.”

The Congress is leading the demand for a caste census in the country. “I am sure there will be shortcomings in this exercise, and we will work to address them. I want this to be a conversation between the people of Telangana, civil society, and the state government. We want to develop a framework for progress and development for the entire nation, and it begins here,” added Gandhi.

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