In this post, I want to discuss the discriminations caused by inequality and how to reduce them. Some people may argue that we cannot eradicate these discriminations without removing inequality. I believe that inequality is inherent in the world and cannot be eradicated, there will always be some form of inequality among people. Fixing discrimination in any environment, be it work or school or other setting, helps create a sense of equality in that environment. In the long term, this non-discriminatory behaviour makes people forget their differences and reduces inequity. I’m a believer of slow progress because it brings change in a sustainable manner and gets acceptance in the majority of the population.

1. Discrimination in schools and colleges:
School and college kids can be mean sometimes as they tend to speak without putting too much thought into their words. If in a class of rich students there is a poor student, that kid would get bullied. It is the same other way around. How kids dress, what they bring for lunch, what accessories they have, everything is a cause for bullying. Parents have to take up responsibility in teaching their kids to respect one another. Schools should have a session where parents are taught about this and they learn how to communicate it to their children. Government should help facilitate this via schools and other platforms.

2. Discrimination at work place:
At government offices, like the police department, junior police personnel are like servants for the senior inspector. They are drivers, butlers, take childrens to school, and even buy groceries for the inspector. Same is true at law offices and almost all other government offices. I have seen a similar mentality with some managers in the private sector, this is a horrifying trend. Government can instill a sense of equality by forcing the government employees to treat everyone equally. For example, in the police department, there isn’t really a need for a gatekeeper or a person to open a car’s door, or an assistant to the SI or CI. Each individual police personnel should be allowed to work independently and they can report to their manager who would be an inspector. Saluting the higher rank officer or standing in attention when in front of them are all old ideas of obedience. They may be relevant in the Army, but not in the police department. If the government starts a change through its employees, it would spread out into all aspects of the society. Unfortunately, no one wants to lose their higher standing, which brings me to the VIP culture.

3. VIP culture:
Whether it is a minister or a well known artist or a successful businessman, most of them do not want to be equal to the general public, they want to be higher than the general public. Roads are blocked by police so that the minister’s car can travel without any traffic blocks, which means their time is more valuable than everyone else’s. Even if you go to a small event, there is a separate VIP section, there might be an area for them right in front of everyone where they serve them tea and snacks in AC while the remaining people are waiting in heat for a glass of water. Seeing how VIP’s are treated, everyone wants to achieve that VIP position, just so that they can also be treated differently, in a better way than others. No one wants to end this special treatment, they want the special treatment just for themselves. It is a difficult proposition to end this VIP culture, unless people decide to not care for VIPs, unless people demand to be treated equally.

4. Internalized inequality:
Many people think that this VIP culture is reasonable because they themselves are not worthy of it. I’m not good enough or the VIP is a successful person so they should get special treatment. This is engraved in our culture, because we are a society of idolizing successful people. We treat good orators, actors, or even some person with a good PR team as Gods, and bow to their feet. I believe this is mainly because people in our society are not happy with their lives, they look up to VIPs as a figure of success, and think we are somehow inferior to them. And the system exploits that. People who are VIP try to keep the status quo, so they can enjoy the special treatment. Even small gestures like calling someone sir is based on this culture of showing who is the boss. It shows that you are putting them higher than you. Have you tried going to a government office and calling the employee by name or something other than “sir”?

5. Access to services:
While at the police station, a poor person stands up in fear of the police, while the police personnel stands up in fear of the rich or powerful. Poor people are mostly afraid of government authority, and would bribe them to be in the good books and be safe. Whereas these authorities are afraid of the rich and powerful and would do anything to please them. In this situation the best tool that everyone should have is the understanding of the law. Government should make an effort to educate people about the basic laws of the land, this would make people confident and would not fear the authorities.

Similarly in a private establishment people are sometimes served based on how they look, what they wear or how they arrive. Unlike with government authorities, the consumer here has the option to request service at other competing establishments. However, I would argue that people should raise voice against such discrimination, and understanding of the law will be their biggest tool.