Footnote: This poem can’t be called an entirely original work. I owe a lot of the ideas (and certain facts) to the various people in India who have been at the fore of the anti-caste movement – great historical leaders like Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and Thanthai Periyar; as well as contemporary anti-caste movements – comprising pages and websites such as Savarna Fat Cat, Just Savarna Things, Ambedkar Quotes, Ambedkar’s Caravan, Round Table India, Velivada etc.; and people like director Pa Ranjith, lawyer Raya Sarkar, Rajesh Rajamani, Kuffir Nalgundwar, rapper Sumeet Samos etc.
The actual content:
I am a Tam Brahm
I hate double standards
But I follow them everyday
I like to keep things simple
But I complicate the lives of others
I hate people who boss me
But I control the entire country
I crib about being a minority
But I have vast resources at my disposal
I hate reservations
But my community occupies all the top positions
I don’t believe in caste
But I eat at Brahmin restaurants
And I prefer to marry an Iyengar
I am a vegetarian and a cow lover
And I am proud of my ancestors
But my ancestors ate beef
I am against alcohol consumption
But I get drunk and beat my wife
And I call myself a feminist
Because I love Kangana’s movies
I hate the racist Trump
But I don’t mind the fascist Modi
I hate Pa Ranjith
Because he brings caste into everything
But I love Ram Gopal Varma and Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Because they make movies that glorify Kshatriyas
I claim to understand everyone
But I fail to understand myself
Why is my life so difficult?
Because I am a Tam Brahm