Casteist slurs have gradually become a part of the conversation of Indians but not everyone realizes how deeply they impact or hurt a particular community. Some don’t even know their meaning while others intentionally use caste-based slang to put down others.
The casteist upbringing pattern of Indian society is to be blamed that normalize the use of words to disrespect or humiliate others. But Constitution ensures that every caste gets the equal right to live with dignity. Thus, they have made the improper use of caste-based slang a punishable offense.
In case, you also don’t want to get in trouble get down to a list of those discrimination and problematic words and mind your language while using them.
7 Casteist Slur Words We Have To Stop Using As Slang Immediately
#1. Chamar
One of the widely used words as slang to abuse or humiliate someone is this one. People are so used to the word that it naturally come out during a conversation or fight with an annoying person. But do you know that using this casteist slur is a punishable offense?
Chamar is a word describing a particular community involved in the job of leather craft and tanning. They were the untouchables in the past, now Constitution has recognized them as SC and prevent their discrimination under the Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989.
Also Read: Know Your Legal Rights Under Indian Constitution
#2. Mahar
No! You can’t use ‘Mahar‘ as slang.
Mahar is the lowest caste in Hinduism and predominant in Maharashtra. These were termed as untouchables by society and were forced to live outside the villages. Due to a lack of land and resources, they engaged in meager jobs.
During the mid-20th century, most of them adopted Buddhism and protested against their status in Hinduism.
#3. Bhand
This is not a new word and you might have heard people defining others as Bhand out of disrespect. But the word came from a folk dancing community of Rajasthan that used to entertain people through street dancing. So, saying it doesn’t make you sound Cool!
#4. Kameena/Kameeni
Many still don’t know the meaning of this casteist slur. It is a Persian word used for people belonging to a lower caste. What began as a term to refer to a community gradually gained the status of slang with time.
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#5. Bhangi
They were not allowed to enter religious places and were seen as dirty because their primary job was to clean toilets. In another word, Bhangis are manual scavengers.
#6. Kanjar
More like other words in our list, Kanjar is a simple term that often comes to the mouth but do you even understand its meaning.
It denotes a particular tribe belonging to different parts of not only India but Pakistan too. They were nomads and were into the job of animal hunting for rich ones. They were exploited, discriminated against, and even forced into prostitution.
This becomes a curse for Kanjars and their identity turned into a symbol of humiliation.
#7. Chandal
History of chandals dated back to the Vedic age. People belonging to this community were majorly associated with menial jobs like disposing of corpses. And due to their skin tone-usually dark in complexion- chandals were untouchables and unclean.
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Kasaai, dedhgujari, kathodi, dhobi, pariah, and Malech are few more that are used in a derogatory manner.