It is certainly NOT for the much bandied about reason of the Brahmanist superiority. It is a much misunderstood compulsion. If the propaganda holds even a modicum of truth, the Brahmins must be living in a fools' paradise of a false sense of self-importance, for every Brahmin perfectly knew that it is the non-Brahmin masters he is destined to please for life. But we know for sure that the Brahmins are not that foolish race.

The real and hard reasons lie elsewhere. One, ever since non-Brahmins started hating them, the Brahmin community has been feeling vulnerable and insecure. The once-extended royal protection to the Brahmins caste under the Hindu kings now stands withdrawn. In addition to this, they lost all state patronage and emerged as the weakest link of the social chain. They have grown financially weaker than ever and therefore, completely voiceless, though highly educated as usual. Now, they have no one to turn to for protection in the event of a conflict. As a cumulative outcome of all this, now, they just can't freely trust or move with a non-Brahmin, as they used to do before the British came and sowed the seeds of hatred between different communities, especially against the Brahmins.

THE EARLIER RESPECT FOR THE BRAHMINS IS SADLY MISSING AMONG NON-BRAHMINS

As everyone is aware, it is difficult to co-exist with the people who don't care a heck for you. Some non-Brahmin tenants add to the insecurity of the Brahmins by trying to take undue liberties with the owner's (Brahmin's) daughters or sometimes. with the landlady herself. Some refuse to vacate the rented portion even after being served with a prior long notice, and bring in their caste people to fight the helpless Brahmin owner. By their genes, upbringing, life-style and mindset, it is not in the nature of the Brahmins to be rough and belligerent. Added to this, they don't have anyone among them to fight such elements. Naturally, they are ill-prepared for these embarassing situations. Had they been accorded either social or state support like in the olden times, some magnanimity on the part of the Brahmins towards the non-Brahmins can be expected. But unfortunately, it was not to be.

Also many a time, non-Brahmin tenants fail to understand the owner's sensibilities on ritual purity (शुचि-शुभ्रता) and pollute his house with non-vegetarian stuff et al. Or, sometimes, they simply refuse to heed to his do's and don'ts on a regular basis. Predictably, under these circumstances, the typically calm-going, soft-spoken and dignified Brahmin is left with no choice other than waiting for a tenant of his own ilk. Money-wise, it is not the least profitable for him because he will have to wait until he finds a Brahmin tenant and obviously the Brahmin brethren who are moneyed enough to pay him as handsomely as a non-Brahmin are hard to come by. But however long, the wait is worth it, for the true Brahmin always prefers mental peace to money.

The non-Brahmins who wish to refuse rented accommodation to a Brahmin should spare a thought or two over these circumstances before blindly acting in sheer vengeance and retaliation. And even the Brahmins should know better than citing the unsophisticated communal reason for refusing rented accommodation to non-Brahmins. In the midst of this communally sensitive and volatile society, this plain candour of their grand fathers' generation will only blow up on their own face. In stead, they can play safe by claiming that it was already promised to some other family.