Tags
depression, groupism, isolation alienate, Khaap Panchayat, Mohini Kelkar, ostracism, Rahul Yelange, social outcast, suicide, survival, Suryanelli rape, violent
Q. 1] Are you member of any group?
Q. 2] Do you practice groupism?
How many of you nodded for 1 and negated for 2?
Group and Groupism
‘Group’ carries positive vibes.
A slice of humanity held together by free will and voluntary minds. A hobby, a favorite filmstar, a sport, a belief, a profession can unite us.
It is a survival tactic. We are social animals. We love to cluster, co-operate and collaborate in herds aka groups.
‘Groupism’ , on the other hand, carries negative connotations. It is a method to isolate and alienate. 
Us vs Them.
What happens when we are kicked out? Snubbed? Ostracized by society?
Rahul Yelange & wife Poornima.
Climbed Mount Everest in year 2012. Ostracized in year 2015.
Pride of Raigad in 2012. Outcast by Raigad in 2015.
Their sins? – Being educated and educating the youth. Reviving trekking expeditions. Starting a dairy farm. Wearing jeans and NOT wearing mangalsutra (the Indian symbol for a married woman).
Read Mohini Kelkar – she sinned by being the sole witness against the village Head’s crimes. Read the Suryanelli case – she sinned by being repeatedly raped and yet having the guts to stay alive; and to finger the rich & famous.
Implicit or explicit – social outcasts are a ground reality with Khaap Panchayats aka Gavakis suddenly sprouting up everywhere and gaining muscle.
Emotional and physical effects of social ostracism:
Imagine being denied access to grocery, schools, markets, temples, markets, offices, buses. Nobody speaks to you, nobody steps forward to help you, nobody acknowledges your existence.
Effects? – Deep humiliation, rock bottom self-esteem, frustration, impotent anger, fear, loneliness, depression, hypertension, heart attacks.
It can erupt either as suicidal tendency or as violent homicidal outburst. 
Yes, it is inhuman, primitive and anti-social. Yes, it should be abolished and trounced. Yes, it should be criminalized.
However, my question is :
Given the deep psychological and physical impact of social ostracism, can it become a useful weapon for & by society?
Make no mistake – it is a loaded missile and a ticking bomb. Only, who ought to be the real target?
Have you ever faced it – in offices, in families, in school, in parties?
Part II for more…
Impractical Dreamer 
Excellent post!. Particularly the part regarding Emotional and physical effects of social ostracism…A great reading. Thanks for sharing and best wishes to you! Aquileana 😀
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Hi Aquileana, delighted by your appreciation.
It used to exist in India based on caste, where certain sects were called ‘untouchables’, who had to stay on the outskirts, do menial jobs and were forbidden from entering temples or in any way casting their shadows upon so-called higher castes.
But in recent times, the ‘outcast’ has shifted from caste-based to prejudice-based.
The examples I quoted are very recent – and incidents are cropping up at alarming frequency! Intercaste marriages, whistle blowers, reformists are being systematically tortured by outcasting them – and the cops can do nothing.
Does this horror exist in your society too?
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Pingback: Social ostracism – Woe or weapon? Part II. | Impractical Dreamer
Reblogged this on Day Before Tomorrow.
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Thank you so much!
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welcome
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