Dear Ayan

Dear Ayan,

You were endearing as a young IPS officer who was sensituve, idealistic, optimistic and humane. But like most of us well-educated, urban, caste-blind Indians, you too were unaware of the grim realities of the real India.

But, are we genuinely unaware that caste disparities still exist in our country, or are we just comfortably ignoring the fact? How come we've never noticed it? How come we've never had conversations on such a critical issue? Whatever it is, I'm glad we are atleast talking about it now.

We were equally as horrified, perplexed, angry and sad as you were to see the intensity of caste discrimination that still exists in our country even today. It's so true that we Indians have open-minded inclusive values only on paper. But when it comes to practice we are still in the same old days of injustice.

I mean, when you think about it, caste discrimination not just exists in rural India, in urban India (in our presumably "progressive socities") too it still prevails though in subtle forms - from keeping separate dishes for the domestic helps to not approving of inter-caste marriages.

You know what, it was easier for you to stand up for what is right, 'cos you were an IPS officer. It takes alot more courage for those not in power to fight against injustice. They are the real heroes, I guess. Well Ayan, you are no less than a hero yourself. It would have been much easier for you to cheat your conscience and go with the flow. Yet, you chose to disturb the so called "balance" of our age-old unjust society.

Only if all those in power showed the courage you did, things would have been much better. Only if our mindsets changed and we could notice the similarities rather than the differences with our fellow human beings, our country would have been a much happier place. I genuinely hope that each one of us will do our bit in saving our country from the clutches of this evil practice.

Thank you Ayan, for not giving up. Officers like you are a ray of hope. Your journey from a naive young man, to a frustrated police officer, to an empathetic human being will stay with me for sure.

Love,
VMR❤
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Film: Article 15 (Hindi)
Direction: Anubhav Sinha
Production: Zee Studios
Ayan: Ayushmann Khurrana

[Thank you for giving us 'Article 15'.]