A 20-year-old Dalit man named Nilesh Rathod died of injuries that he had brutally attacked in the Amreli district because he had called the son of a shop owner “Beta” (son). This conveys the persistence of discrimination on a box base in India.
This incident not only shows the widespread effects of box hierarchies, but also affects concerns about the continuation of these stereotypes in future generations.
About the incident
Nilesh Rathod bought snacks in a neighborhood business in the village of Jarakhiya on May 16, 2025. This apparently harmless and everyday term encountered violent outrage.
Source: TNM
Rathod supposedly suffered a stick attack by the shop owner Chotha Khoda Bharwad, and the attack increased when more people joined together with Sickles and sticks and skidding. Before an old man entered, Rathod and his friends were constantly persecuted and beaten.
Rathod died From his injuries six days later, on May 22, 2025, even after the treatment of doctors.
Youth and caste: a disturbing continuity
This incident screams that the idea that discrimination is based on the caste is belonged to the past and was only passed on by older generations.
The active participation of younger generations in such violent acts indicates that caste prejudices are still promoted over generations.
It shows the fragile nature of the casting dynamics and the deeply rooted uncertainty that people have about social hierarchies, that a harmless word like “beta”, which is used by people of all ages and backgrounds as a word of affection, could be the source of such a violent reaction.
When words become weapons
The language in India is strongly involved in social and caste hierarchies. Some of the spoken languages are considered to be superior to what other boxes speak, which usually reflects and reinforces social hierarchies.
Here a Dalit man who used “beta” to address a person with a higher caste was regarded as an injury, a desecration of the existing social order.
This incident clearly illuminates how the language, if it is guided by the prism of the caste, can be the source of violence, even if it is not necessary, and shows us the universal nature of the castle -hierarchy in everyday conversations.
The role of silence: political and social apathy
After the incident, there was a deafening silence of political leaders and the mainstream media.
According to the constant protests by activists such as the MLA congress, the case only received precisely attention Jignesh Mevanithe justice and compensation for the victim’s family demanded.
Such a delayed reaction, which is definitely not the first time, reflects a broader social apathy and ignorance of violence on boxes, especially when the victims come from marginalized communities.
The limelight on violence on a box base is determined according to the convenience of the individual boxes.
Justice is refused justice
The police reacted to the incident of Eight people arrested And hold on a minor.
Source: India Today
The defendants were charged according to the law on SC and ST (prevention of the atrocities) and several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including those who relate to murder, unrest, illegal assemblies and stressful injuries.
While these legal measures are in the right direction, the effectiveness of such actions is often played down by systemic delays and social prints that can strongly influence the process of judiciary.
No isolated incident: Persistence of discrimination against the caste
This tragic incident is not isolated in itself, but part of an even larger disturbing pattern of violence on a box base in India.
There were numerous incidents of incidents such as the UNA fliping in 2016 to the Lynchen of Jagmael Singh in 2019, in which Dalits were exposed to brutal attacks for everyday harmless tasks due to the norms of the Kaste.
Such events show the persistent and systemic nature of violence and discrimination on the box base in India. Discrimination on a box base remains deeply rooted in Indian society and exceeds the limits of age and generations. While the idea is that younger generations are protected from such evilers and prejudices today, recent incidents suggest something else.
Several current events Remove the participation of young people in discrimination and violence on a box base.
In MoradabadUttar Pradesh, in May 2025, supposedly annoyed a 12-year-old Dalit girl in a school head of a school. The boys gave her a spiked drink, filmed the attack and threatened her. All five were arrested after the incident.
In MathuraUttar Pradesh, the wedding procession of a Dalit groom, was attacked by people in the top box who were angry only by using a DJ and a car. The groom was supposedly pulled and pushed out of the charging car, and the guests were attacked and threatened to stop the procession before further damage.
In MahobaUttar Pradesh, a freshly married Dalit couple, was reportedly attacked by people in the upper coast who forced the groom and the family to pass them by removing their slippers. When they refused, they were attacked. This incident raised political leaders and emphasized the ongoing box tensions, but made no difference.
While extensive current statistics, which concentrate specifically on the inclusion of young people in discrimination on a box base, are limited, more comprehensive data indicates the persistence of such distortions.
It was found by A Pew research Center Survey in 2021 that a significantly large part of the Indian population still admits the existence of discrimination and violence on the base of the box. And to notice that members of the SC and the ST were more susceptible to such discrimination against themselves.
Reports of many human rights organizations and NGOs also consistently show that violence and discrimination on a box base still largely rule throughout India as far as all age groups are concerned.
These reports also underline the need for systemic changes and the need to take measures in order to remove the presence of such deeply rooted beliefs and prejudices.
The way forward: education and empathy
With regard to such strong, deeply rooted beliefs on prejudices on the box base, we need effective and multifaceted approaches.
Source: ABC
First, education systems should include detailed modules on the food history and social justice in order to promote empathy and understanding among the young people instead of presenting some achievements of a certain caste as superior.
Programs for commitment to the community could also help to challenge and change prejudice. In addition, political leaders and influential people should take a targeted attitude in order to discourage such violent acts and discrimination in order to promote inclination.
Such an active participation of active young people in discrimination and violence in boxes is based on a firm memory that the young age is not necessary for progressive thinking.
To combat this, we urgently need extensive educational modules that promote equality, inclusivity and empathy at a young age. The social norms can only be changed if they are questioned, and only legal framework conditions that work to change such distortions can reduce the presence of such behavior.
And only through collectives can people in our country move out of the shadow of such evil evils.
A call to action
The death of Nilesh Rathod will always serve as a strict memory of the still continuing legacy of discrimination on a box base in India.
The incident requires reflection at all levels and questions the idea of an egalitarian, progressive society.
In order to break the backbone of repressive systems and work on a society, in equality and would not only privileges, but also fundamental rights for everyone, we, as a country that has long stood for the unity of diversity, must be exposed to these unpleasant realities.
Anushka Bharadwaj is a graduate of journalism at SCMC Pune. She is an intersectional feminist with deep interest in gender, caste, politics and mental health. If she does not write or reads, she is usually lost in poetry, dances to her favorite songs or discovers new music – always thinking about the world after stories.