A response to Raman’s comment:

Let’s break this down. You ask whether Brahmins enslaved, tortured, and murdered people from oppressed castes. The answer is yes, a fact supported by the historical record as well as numerous news articles, a fraction of which I cited myself. So-called upper castes absolutely committed violence against “lower” castes, particularly Dalit Bahujan people. In a previous article I actually wrote about a community of Adivasi people who were enslaved in North India for generations.

Regarding your next accusation, who on Earth said all Brahmins should be killed? I certainly don’t believe that. Pointing out Brahmin privilege and its inherent violence is no different from speaking about the evils of colonialism and white supremacy. Condemning systemic violence does not equate to murdering everyone born into a privileged social class (otherwise I’d be advocating for my own death!) I am calling for all of us to rise up and get rid of ALL caste-based violence for once and for all. If saying “oppression is bad” counts as disgusting and hate-filled in your worldview, I have nothing more to say to you.

(Also, re: the Rig Veda: my whole point is that they WEREN’T mentioned in that holy text, and this was weaponised into a way to oppress them by claiming they come from outside the social hierarchy and therefore must make up the lowest rung.)