There is a saying in Marathi which roughly translates into English as, Caste is something you can not cast away. We see numerous examples of this in today’s day and age too, well into the second decade of the 21st century. As Isabel Wilkerson points out in this phenomenal book, this social issue has impacted more than one society, has been present in more than one nation.

The book starts on a seemingly unrelated topic discussing about the pathogens buried deep under the ground and coming to surface only because of the rising temperatures; as we read more into the book and trying to understand the importance of this phenomenon, slowly it becomes clear to us, the correlation between buried pathogens and buried hatred coming to the surface. As the author so perfectly explains that it needs to be seen from the perspective of recent developments in USA politics and how it has shaped the narratives around the world.

At first, the existence of caste and a social structure basis caste can seem like an alien idea to people outside of USA and even those who are familiar with the social structure of the country. But as the author explains the emergence of caste systems in America can be traced back to the very beginning, as soon as the immigrants began arriving to the new world and the need arisen of ‘containing’ people in different groups with differing social statuses and classes. But it gain momentum only when the first slave ships began arriving to the coasts of America and how these significant number of people were classified differently from the other immigrants.

There is emphasis also on explaining the parallels between the caste system of USA and India. How in India, the Varnas as described in Manusmriti evolved to the castes and sub castes of present day, what kind of social upheavals were faced by newly independent India while accommodating the caste structure and how eminent people like Dr. B. R. Ambedkar has contributed in improving the social standing of downtrodden masses. From an Indian viewpoint, it is heartening to know that Dr. King was much influenced by the social reformers of India.

However, this is a book written by an American author predominantly from the American standpoint and hence, there is more focus on the prevailing caste systems of USA. The focus is rightly on the various research and field studies dedicated to understanding of castes in USA with mention of imminent researchers, sociologists, anthropologists and notable writers. Some of them have compared their observations with caste studies conducted in Germany and India too.

The book is divided into seven different parts which themselves contain different chapters dealing with particular aspect of that particular topic. An example can be given of the brilliant Part Three which explains so vividly ‘The Eight Pillars of Caste’, with separate chapters/ units dedicated to each of these pillars carrying nuanced detailing. This structure makes the whole process of reading such complex and detailed analysis, more easier for a layperson like me. So, even if you are not a researcher or scholar, still the content can appeal to you and makes it a pleasurable reading experience.

Some people may argue that such a book which talks about an ancient hierarchical system can not be relevant today for the globally connected modern world of 21st Century. But this is far from the truth and it is quite evident in the rising number of caste based crimes worldwide. I remember reading it somewhere that as we are getting more connected with the world, the world around us is shrinking in itself. To understand what befalls on the marginalised sections of such ever-changing society and how to address it, understand the circumstances to find out solutions for improvements, this book can prove an important milestone. A highly recommended read for getting good understanding of a major social structure.