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| My name is Smriti Irani. I challenge you to ask me my caste |
A highlight of union minister Smriti Irani's emotional speech in Parliament on Wednesday was her challenge to opposition to ask about her caste.
As she said, "My name is Smriti Irani. I challenge you to ask me my caste."
This was her way of countering the charge that Hyderabad student Rohith Vemula committed suicide as he was persecuted for being a dalit.
So, what about Smriti Irani's caste? She was born in Delhi to a Punjabi father, Ajay Kumar Malhotra, and a Bengali mother, Shibani Bagchi.
Under Mughals, Khatris transformed into a merchant community. Smriti's father was running a courier business in Delhi.
Her mother seems to be a Kulin Brahmin from Bengal and in Indian society children usually are identified by the caste of their father, whose name they also usually inherit.
In 2001, Smriti married Zubin Irani, a Parsi, which is a minority community in India.
Legally speaking, in India a person's caste does not change after marriage.
In 2001, Smriti married Zubin Irani, a Parsi, which is a minority community in India.
Legally speaking, in India a person's caste does not change after marriage.