Calling it early, but Meet the Savarnas (2025) is the perfect book for a savarna millennial (me) to read. A few chapters in, I recognize a younger me (derogatory) in some of the insights by Prof Ravikant Kisana, especially the callout of the 2010s standup comedy scene 1/X
I initially took issue with him categorizing the experience of faking anglophone erudition to fit in as unique to aavarnas, as I had a similar life experience despite savarna privileges. Then I realized the differentiating factor was that I was never made to feel inherently lesser for it. 2/X
That is, me not knowing what a Pink Floyd is was never categorized as a flaw with savarnas, but a personal failure of mine. And the one doing the categorization was typically me 3/X
I've never really thought about a glass floor as the necessary corollary to a glass ceiling (terms used here in the context of caste rather than gender.) I like the clarity of the metaphor, especially in tandem with the voyeuristic tendencies Kisana ascribes to savarnas 4/X
This may be the first thing I've read that draws a line between MNREGA and the drubbing out of the Congress government. It's been a private theory in my head for a while but I've never looked it up so it was gratifying to see it spelled out 5/X
The book is an uncomfortable read in parts where I can spot myself, but if that's not the point, what is. The irony is that, in talking about the book, I can be credibly accused of "savarna performing progressiveness." 6/X
Significant time is spent dunking on liberalization, MBA mills, and arranged marriage. Big ups. Also discovered belatedly that Ravikant Kisana runs the Buffalo Intellectual podcast! Going to give that a go after this. 7/X
Wrapped up the book and have many half-formed thoughts about it. It's very sharp in its critique and Prof Kisana's voice is extremely readable. The whole thing is unputdownable, basically. I feel a reflexive defensiveness about some of the points raised but I'm going to resist the temptation. 8/X
All in all, great book. Some parts are a little patchy and I wish there was more focus on disentangling class and caste, but I still think it's an essential read for both Savarnas and not. 9/9