Persistence of caste mindset: Why Haldwani ‘purification’ ritual demands absolute condemnation

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* 

​The recent "purification" (shuddhikaran) ritual conducted at the Ramlila Ground in Haldwani, Uttarakhand—following a public address by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge—serves as a grim reminder of how deeply caste prejudices remain entrenched in the Indian psyche.  

This incident inevitably evokes historical parallels. In 1978, when former Deputy Prime Minister Babu Jagjivan Ram unveiled a statue of Sampurnanand in Varanasi, orthodox Brahmin priests washed the structure with Ganga Jal, claiming it had been "polluted" by the touch of a Dalit leader. Decades later, similar reports surfaced of a newly transferred judge in Allahabad cleansing his official chambers with Ganga Jal because his predecessor happened to be a Dalit. Taken together, these acts reveal a continuous, ugly thread running through contemporary Indian society: an unyielding refusal among privileged sections to accept that the constitutional promise of equality must supersede ancient notions of ritual purity.

​What occurred in Haldwani deserves unequivocal rejection. Mr. Kharge raised the issue in Parliament not merely as an individual, but as a matter of fundamental constitutional principle. Yet, the political response from the ruling establishment has fallen drastically short. While party spokespersons routinely distance themselves from local fringe groups, the top leadership has failed to deliver a definitive, moral critique of the casteist mindset that drives such actions.  

​The reality is that public discourse in India has hit a unprecedented low over the past decade, and the primary responsibility for this deterioration rests with the top political leadership. Across parliamentary debates, television studios, and social media platforms, a toxic climate has been cultivated where leaders and supporters actively compete to denigrate opponents. Rationality, reasoned debate, and basic civil dignity have been replaced by routine villainization.

​The ruling party frequently demands that opponents show respect for constitutional offices and political leaders—a fair expectation within a healthy democracy. Democratic criticism must always operate within reasonable boundaries. However, does the ruling establishment truly practice what it preaches? If democratic norms and respectful dialogue were genuinely valued, controversial public figures known for spreading bigotry and divisive rhetoric would not have been rewarded with parliamentary nominations or high-ranking positions within the party.

​When political opponents are systematically branded as "anti-national," saner democratic debate ceases to exist. When the Haldwani issue was raised in the Rajya Sabha, the response from the state apparatus was to rely on local Scheduled Caste figures to downplay the issue, framing it as a political dispute rather than confronting the underlying caste hatred. Merely deploying Dalit leaders to deflect criticism misses the entire point. Even if a political party claims it did not organize or sanction the ritual, it retains a moral obligation to explicitly condemn the act itself. One cannot hide behind political technicalities when systemic untouchability is re-enacted in public spaces. Political parties must unambiguously condemn caste discrimination, caste-based rituals, and untouchability without "ifs" or "buts."  

​The ritual in Haldwani was a calculated attempt to vilify a prominent Dalit figure and, by extension, reinforce historical hierarchies. Uttarakhand’s civil society, intellectuals, and citizens must stop remaining silent. Too often, instances of violence, economic boycotts, and social discrimination against Dalits are swept under the rug or dismissed as isolated aberrations. Silence in the face of such humiliation signals tacit approval.

​It is time for the people and civil society of Uttarakhand to take a firm moral stand against this casteist mindset, which reveals nothing more than the insecurity and prejudice of traditional power structures. Real democratic progress requires more than political rhetoric—it requires equal dignity, moral courage, and swift legal accountability for those who seek to enforce caste hierarchies in 21st-century India.

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*Human rights defender