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Fastest Growing Caste In India !! ?

Discussion in 'Friends & Neighbours' started by Amulet, Oct 9, 2018.

  1. Amulet

    Amulet IL Hall of Fame

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    I LOL'd reading the following article. And talked to the others in the family. We all concluded that the proverbial shoe fits.
    India has a new caste for native English speakers only

    This article is about Indian Households that speak English as their major language (with smattering of words from desi languages) at home. Apparently many other families do that too. And we were not aware that such a lot of families do that.

    You can read the excerpts or the article and decide if you are People Like Us, that is, fall into the group Indo-Anglians, English-Firsts, or English-Comfortables.

    Sajith Pai, in a Quartz magazine article from earlier this year (2018) identifies a New Indian Caste he names "Indo-Anglians". Economically well to do Indian Households (Indian HH), often (but not necessarily) inter-caste, inter-state or inter-religion married, who exclusively use the English language at home, and not the mother tongue of either of the heads of household.

    Excerpts from the article:
    in these bilingual households, English still dominates. It takes an effort for the kids to speak in the Indian tongues, beyond a few simple phrases. English, on the other hand, comes naturally to them; the larger vocabulary they possess in English helping them express complex thoughts and propositions far easily.

    Unlike Anglo-Indians, the original English-speaking community in India, who were Christians, Indo-Anglians comprise all religions, though Hindus dominate. Indo-Anglians are also a highly urban lot; concentrated in the top seven large cities of India (Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, and Kolkata) with a smattering across the smaller towns in the hills and in Goa.

    These 400,000 Indo-Anglian HHs account for 1.4 million people (400,000 * 3.5, as family sizes are smaller in these HHs). This is about 1% or so of the 130 million to 140 million that claims to speak English as a second language in India—who I refer to as the English Comfortables (ECs), and about 5% of the 25 million to 30 million for whom I reckon English is a primary language, whom I term English First (EFs) 4.

    The below graphic should make this clear. (IAs = Indo-Anglians / EFs = English Firsts / ECs = English Comfortables)

    [​IMG]


    ...think of two distinct ways to look at IAs. One is to see them as casteless, or even as an example of a ‘post-caste’ community, where the traditional caste identity is subsumed under the new Indo-Anglian identity. The alternate approach, which I prefer, is to look at them as a distinct ‘caste’ parallel to the upper castes, with its own unique cultural norms and practices. The key criteria for caste inclusion and endogamy being advanced English language skills (and the confidence that comes with it). Members of IA HHs will happily marry members from non-IA HHs provided the potential partner speaks good English and can fit into IA circles. Seen in this light IAs are India’s newest and fastest growing caste; 5 and the only one where birth is not a necessary condition for inclusion.

    Are IAs religious? In the traditional sense, no. They are not frequenters of temples, nor do they perform religious ceremonies. That said, they are what I call ‘FabIndia religious’, following soft cultural traditions, dressing up on occasions etc.

    While IAs do not view themselves as a caste, they do fulfill the key condition for being considered a caste; restricting marriage to members of their caste. Only the criteria for entry into the caste is superior English speaking skills, and confidence to navigate IA circles. It helps that most members are from privileged (or savarna backgrounds) which lends that confidence. But there is no hard wall, and enough members of the IA caste today were from castes that are traditionally considered as lower castes. Once in the IA Caste, typically through an intercaste marriage 8, members subsume their traditional caste identities to the Indo-Anglian identity. They then become People Like Us.

     
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2018
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  2. GeetaKashyap

    GeetaKashyap IL Hall of Fame

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    This is an interesting observation. Capacity to converse easily in English is a cherished skill, everything else pales in front of it.
    But are they giving up the perks their original caste certificates offer them? I doubt. Now the latest trend is to secure a SC, ST or some backward community certificate for their castes so that some reservation benefits are enjoyed! Everyone wants a reservation+ upward mobility+universal acceptance; eh dil maange more!
     
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  3. Ouroboros

    Ouroboros Silver IL'ite

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    I know EFs (invariably in willful relationships and love marriages) contributing to those tots with 'first-world yoga names' in IAs = Indo-Anglians

    because of: 'rising intercaste or intercommunity marriages, the single biggest cause of Indo-Anglian HHs (when parents have different mother tongues the child usually ends up speaking English).'

    No brainer for:
    And:
    Very 'FabIndia Urban' ! I have not come across EFs and IAs violating (1) and (2). Somehow, I chalked them as anecdotal in my proximity until I read the article and noticed its prevalence and dominance, in general, of IAs (also include EFs) being non-religious and non-melancholic. Don't know if happy people chirp more in English or English enables them to be happy but either way (1) and (2) portraying EFs and IAs as lazy-religious and socially easy-going/buoyant in their English formations is spot-on.

    The emergence of this pseudo-caste though distinctive is 'mostly harmless' over the insistence of other sectarian machinations.
     
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2018
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  4. Urmila

    Urmila Silver IL'ite

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    I am yet to understand the repercussions of this. I don’t know much about this class growth. So had to read about the benefits and some of the disadvantages of it. Ofcourse the well known benefit would be the ability to secure good job and as a result of this can get financial security etc. But the disappearance of the local languages and the cultural aspects of the same seems to be most important disadvantage. Is it going to be so difficult to learn and be fluent in two or more languages at the same time? I can understand this problem in Indians living abroad because of the fact that they are interacting with less people speaking the same language. Those who live abroad love their native language and send their kids to learn the same. What is the need to forget ones roots which is definitely related to their language for those living in India?

    I am thinking more of this issue now after this thread. My feelings are not to forget ones roots, in this issue their mother tongue, but be able to learn new ones, here English, so that the added benefits are helping to elevate the family status. One can be like a banyan tree with many roots yet be still strong.

    I may be wrong in my thoughts but still thought to share.

    I came across many online articles to make me think more.

    India Faces a Linguistic Truth: English Spoken Here

    Wiping out our languages

    English Language Just for the Elitist - ProperGaanda
     
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2018
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  5. Ouroboros

    Ouroboros Silver IL'ite

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    Urmila,

    The original article by Sajith Pai which has been inlaid in the original post of this thread was written jocularly to survey and review the rumblings of a fraternity unified by a common language to inquire whether such fellowship could be identified as a 'caste'. That common language is English, spawning a more cosmopolitan and uncritical approach towards life, except for acute fraternizing with other Anglophones. Phrases like "first-world yoga names" in the original article have a tinge of amusing and satirical leanings. Do we have a new faux-caste, descriptive and inversely named, Indo-Anglians to displace the mainstream caste system?

    Your follow-up weigh-in on its own is definitely enriching and has keen pointers. I just wanted to nudge in and emphasize the intent of the original post which is not a hegemony for imported language over native language but the displacement and redefinition of caste forged through the preference of a language than time-honored practices from a cult.

    Threads like this risk derailment, not necessarily in your earlier post, but, in general, of contention by "But our Sanskrit is so great" in excited jut-out. I hope you take my intervention in the good-natured spirit of clarifying the incumbent hilarity in the original linked article.
     
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  6. Urmila

    Urmila Silver IL'ite

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    Thanks for the explanation. I didn’t read the original article but just read the one here in this thread and so would have misread the context of the same. Seems I had understood wrongly. Anyhow I am glad that my small input was enriching.

    I am fine with you explaining and didn’t take it to my heart.
    :beer-toast1:
     
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  7. Amulet

    Amulet IL Hall of Fame

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    According to the author the group he named "Indo-Anglian"(IA) is a tiny subset of the population of India that is "English Comfortable" (EC). And these IA types are (as Sajith Pai has observed) a wealthy lot, they send their kids to select non-competitive schools, and then to phoren to go to college. The perks of any caste certificates (are there really such things ?) advantages may be given up, because they are apparently already up there in wealth.

    The general direction of the article seems to be to describe a "consumer segment", their lifestyle, and their preferences. Their preferences in politics, society, and most especially purchasing goods and services. He concedes that the IA crowd is rather small, and selling to them would hit a ceiling rather quickly. If I were to guess what Pai does, I'd say that he is in Advertising, or Marketing line of work.
     
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  8. GeetaKashyap

    GeetaKashyap IL Hall of Fame

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    Amulet,
    I understood the intent of the original article fully. My doubts stemmed from my experiences. For example, a friend of my son hails from such a family where both the parents are well to do professionals. Yet they got the caste certificate done and presented it at college level for priority admission! Another friend of his also has a similar story. So I am really curious to know whether the still younger crowd has got out of this 'caste trap' or not! From what I have heard, as per convenience husband's or wife's caste/community is chosen on forms for some direct and indirect benefits/ selective benefits. Other than that, for all other purposes they are hip and wealthy who can easily afford foreign education for their children.
     
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  9. Amulet

    Amulet IL Hall of Fame

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    :smiley: Of course, you'd know EF's. In Willful relationships :smilecat:? The poor dears! When EF couples have riffs, is E still F ? If they fall into choice hindustani expressions, they have to be demoted to EC.

    Unfortunately what S.Pai is talking about (inter-state, inter-caste, inter-religion marriage) can only happen if the parents are wealthy enough, and the kids smart enough, to get to a co-ed college/university, and be EC (English comfortable) to speak to one another. And then get into one of those loving/willful marriages to make tots for English medium schools. The transition from EC to EF happens because English is the only common language for the married couple. And if they speak E to the tots as they grow up, eventually the family would find themselves in the IA state.
     
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2018
  10. Ouroboros

    Ouroboros Silver IL'ite

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    I had the same impression or may be a trend spotter like the character of Tess in the American-television drama series "Falling Water" (2016). Till I watched the series, I didn't know that 'Trend Spotter' could even be a profession, one who observes emerging trends in economy and culture.

    That's a jackpot, tell you. Though the consumer base may be minuscule today, it is, indeed, the fastest growing urban crowd. Catering to this edgy crowd has promising returns. It could be as unobtrusive as replacing the religion/caste/sect criteria in Indian matrimony/dating sites with IA/EF/EC as those identifiers decry not just a language preference but a statement of life. I particularly liked how Sajith integrated the warren of English-loving punks into a consumer portfolio with their standing firm on stylized gripes. IAs prefer IAs! Their identity, though seeded in a common language, has outgrown its linguistic solidarity to sprawl into a social ideology and cultural phenomenon.
     
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