In a thought-provoking LinkedIn post, 2023 batch IAS officer Vaishali Chopra of the Uttar Pradesh cadre shared an eye-opening incident from her field training days in Sultanpur, shedding light on the subtle yet deep-rooted caste-based discrimination that continues to persist in our society.
Fresh out of LBSNAA and eager to learn the ropes of administration, Vaishali believed in open conversations — often over a cup of tea — as a way to connect with people and understand ground realities. But one winter morning, a simple cup of tea revealed a harsh social truth.
She noticed that while tea was being served to everyone in the house, one of the cleaning staff members — despite being unwell — was denied tea. When questioned, the house help unapologetically said she wouldn’t serve tea in the same crockery to someone from a lower caste, fearing it would have to be discarded. What shocked the young officer even more was the ease and confidence with which this discrimination was explained.
Vaishali didn’t let it pass. She firmly insisted that tea would be served — in the same cup — and if cleaning it afterward was a concern, she would do it herself. “A small victory but a big lesson,” she wrote in her post, calling it a moment that revealed how entrenched caste biases still are — even in supposedly “civilised” and “educated” spaces.
While the issue itself may seem small, the post is resonating widely online for its honest reflection and quiet courage. As Vaishali aptly concluded, “We may not change the whole world but can optimise according to our potential.”
For a young probationer, it was a moment of reckoning — and perhaps, a small step toward change.
