It was my birthday. This Brahmin neighbour did not take the chocolates and insisted on putting them on the floor. They would be visibly frustrated whenever Amma cooked meat. Amma just used to say "vallu baapanollu le" (they are Brahmins)
I was 7. https://twitter.com/madeforbrettLEE/status/1260198886158807052

I used to have a cloth bag made out of my father's lungi in which I kept all the clothes that I owned. When my friend came to know about it, they shamed me for not having a cupboard/cabinet of my own.
I was 7.

In the first period, everyone would be asked what they had for breakfast, as a part of improving spoken English skills. Everyone used to say dosa/idly/pongal etc and I used to lie. I was ashamed to say we eat chaddannam (left over rice from the day before soaked in water/curd

and eaten as breakfast the next morning). I was angry at my parents for that. Used to throw tantrums.

This big man at the place where my father used to work asked me if I knew English. And when I said yes, he asked me what "mala pilla" (mala-the subcaste that I belong to, pilla-girl) means in English and started laughing.

When I topped the annual examinations, they accused me of cheating. The parents of the person who came second came to the school and shouted at my teacher and even accused them of helping me cheat. (The teacher is not Savarna).
I was 10.

That was also the first time I realised some kids have educated parents and that they can speak in English. (Whether you like to accept it or not, speaking in English IS a big deal).

I tried to scrape my skin off with a knife because my then best friend told me I was "dirty." I was 10.

My best friend in class was bullied and called casteist slurs all through the year because he was friends with me. When I asked him why wouldn't he fight back, he told me he was scared that the bullies will beat him up on his way home.

I did their homework. I did their project works. They used to stop talking to me after the work gets done. I was so naive.

Intermediate. Junior college and JEE coaching. We were asked our castes on the very first day. To help us set a goal in JEE, they said. And them explaining doubts is also dependent on your caste location because "quota kids" don't need to know so much.

I had a crush of this girl, and I went to her place one day to play. It was a Friday evening. They were having snacks and she told me how I cannot eat them because the food is blessed and outsiders can't touch it. We don't talk anymore.

Now should I not get hurt because I had a crush on her and hashtag loveislove? Or was it a reminder that I am an untouchable?

In 'safe' queer spaces that we have, being queer means being in a specific way and I simply don't have the privelege to experience and exercise queerness in those specific ways. It is difficult for me to navigate these woke, progressive spaces being both Dalit and queer.

Anyway, long story short: educational institutions are modern day agraharas only. It's just that you get the most sophisticated, sugar coated casteism there.