A rejected community certificate for a government officer in Tamil Nadu dug up deep prejudices in Indian society. It came to light when Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy of the Madras High Court set aside a district vigilance committee’s refusal to a customs department employee who claimed he had converted to Hinduism after being born a Christian. What made the case stand out is that the certificate was rejected, the judge noted, because the man is “very fair in colour”, has curly hair, is tall and well-built, and speaks both Tamil and English fluently. As we preach the need to curb casteism, we need to delve deep within our minds to first recognise and then root out prejudices.
