Fellow UCs, when Dalit, Bahujan, Adivasis ask us to submit to their leadership, our mind, bodies will react because we are historically not at all used to being in that position. We may say "oh this is unfair, I am attempting the unlearning of caste etc". Resist this impulse. 1/n

We may feel we are being treated harshly and we may argue; some more than others. Our shutting up helps their arduous journeys to voice themselves out against odds. Even shutting up voluntarily, will not help us outline the feeling of voicelessness, but it's a beginning 2/n

To Annihilate Caste at least a generation of UCs must fully go through the experience of 'following' rather than leading to begin to fathom all the voicelessness, powerlessness our very presence produces. We may think we are outspoken etc, but it has come with a cost to them. 3/n

We may think we are anyway reading and saying the right things, then why should we shut up? No. We need to lose power, the habit of welding it, we need to start giving it up bit by bit. We need de-addiction of it. Remember 'caste is a notion'. It's very much in our psyche. 4/n

What can we reasonably expect out of 'shutting up'? If we shut up once, twice, or for a long time it doesn't suddenly produce fairer systems for DBA persons. Just think about it. Does Whites embracing BLM movement suddenly produce fair world for Blacks? 5/n

Does saying 'justice for Dalits' suddenly produce just systems for Dalits? Even if all Dalits say 'guns for Dalits' the Brahminical world order is stacked so way against them, they will likely fall in trouble for merely suggesting the idea and we will get away murdering them. 6/n

I repeat. We will get away murdering them. They will not get away with mere mention of protecting themselves, let alone mentioning attacking us. Understand this reality and how you giving into their leadership is very much a step on the path of you trying to Annihilate Caste. 7/n

So if you are UC (Brahmin especially) and you have suddenly woken up to reality of Caste why do you get offended with DBA persons suggesting Brahmins are trash etc? Do you really think this will suddenly erase the privilege you enjoy? 8/n

Absolutely not. This privilege protects us even after we have shunned it in any number of ways. Can you imagine a world where we keep saying ACAB and things change? Things can only change when cops give up the power they wield, especially over the weak. 9/n

Weak in terms of social structures of caste, class, gender, sexualities... We can expect a beginning of change no matter how farcical if cops begin to feel disgusted by the illegitimate, disproportionate power they have. And if that is an UC cis male cop, all the more! 10/n

Which is why, for those of us who are UC, cis het male, or any combinations of such already historically privileged id the only way we can pave way for reducing the ugly effects of power is by standing down. The 'notion' of power. And caste is power, as already established. 11/n

So when we ask 'what can we as UC/cishet etc do?'. The answer is stand down, create spaces, use privilege to amplify, share the access, resources we have been given by lottery of life and resist every urge to react just the way Brahminism, patriarchy etc has trained us to. 12/n

Few words on what it actually means for UCs to 'pass the mic', 'amplify' etc. It sounds like a huge sacrifice sometimes and like all addictions, caste privilege too kicks in and you ask "why should I?". Passing the mic, means first to listen, second to understand hierarchy 13/n

...third to yourself keep doing the labour of reminding how your higher position in this hierarchy is illegitimate, immoral, ill-gotten and worth dismantling for your own sake, let alone lofty goals of emancipation of anybody else... 14/n

...and finally amplifying means after having internalised that this is the right thing to do as it now makes complete sense to you, having resisted all basal UC urges of power over others, you willingly support their voice because it is the truth. 15/n

Which is why token passing the mic, token amplifying may work in the beginning only, but the real work is when we do so fighting against the reality of our position in the hierarchy. How to do that? Fight with our caste brethren, preserve protect experiences of DBA FRIENDS 16/n

Stand up, show up for DBA friends, lovers, colleagues, teachers... Learn politics from their experiences if they generously, out of goodness of their hearts share them with you. Treasure such exchanges; they are blessings. But don't burden them with your education.17/n

Finally, using your privilege (which remember will almost never run out) fiercely gaurd them against your own. Free them up to pursue greater experiences, happiness, mental, physical health, wealth, opportunities, poetry, art, music, leisure, documenting their history so on. n/n

(Of course at some point we will need to actually talk about redistribution of wealth not just as a matter of policy but as moral reparation for the aforementioned illegitimate power and wealth. But I guess that will be a longer thread and a lot more doing before talking) n+1/n