When a 17‑year‑old ISC ace not only scores a perfect 400/400 but also ditches her last name like it’s last season’s Instagram filter, you just know the "Social Media Vigilance Squad" is about to have a collective meltdown.
Meet Srijani from West Bengal: by registering simply as “Srijani” (and listing “Humanity” under religion), she sent the caste-and-class barcode scanners into a frenzy.
In India, a surname isn’t just a word — it’s a social GPS.
It lets other people know about your caste, your community, and your class, and yes, even at times, is good fodder for gossip. Yet, here’s the fun twist: there’s no government rule requiring you to declare it on every form.
But dare to drop it?
Suddenly, you’re branded a rebel without a lineage. Sometimes, what we call “common sense” is just an old, dusty rulebook no one had the guts to question.
Take me, for example.
Born into the “Benakappa” dynasty — with a grandfather who pioneered pediatric medicine in our county and a mother who carried his legacy forward — I’ve felt those six syllables' shadow every milestone. Don’t get me wrong: their hands have healed thousands of tiny hearts.
But late at night, I often wonder — am I living my story, or just footnoting theirs? Especially when every well-meaning aunt, uncle, or stranger asks, “So, why didn’t you become a doctor?”
Let’s admit it: the label “woke” these days is pretty much in use. The second someone challenges a tradition, trolls rise like steam from a pressure cooker.
Some called Srijani’s decision a stunt; others branded it as an act of shame.
But don’t take my word for it — just flip through history. Every time someone questioned the status quo, they were labelled troublemakers before being remembered as trailblazers.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy questioned Sati. Ambedkar burned the Manusmriti.
Progress has never arrived wearing a polite smile.
Maybe, just maybe, shaking up outdated frameworks is what growth really looks like — even if it makes half the internet, gasp and die.
Beliefs worth questioning
1. Surnames as status symbols: Tradition tells us, “Your last name writes your backstory.” But if those opening lines already shape how the world sees you, before you’ve even had a chance to speak, maybe it’s time to rewrite the prologue. After all, how can we claim to break the bias if our very first step is trying to fit neatly into it?
2. Patriarchy in paperwork: Most official forms still assume your identity fits neatly under your father’s or husband’s name, as if you’re just an extension of someone else’s story. But what if identity wasn’t inherited like ancestral land, but built like a badge of honour — earned, shaped, and owned by you? Wouldn’t that feel a whole lot more empowering?
3. Legacy vs labels: Honouring family heritage is undeniably noble, but let’s be honest: many of us are born into legacies that come with more pressure than purpose. And when that weight starts to feel like a cage, we have to ask — are we truly upholding values, or just suffocating our individuality in the name of tradition?
Traditions anchor us. They teach continuity, respect, and humility.
But evolution isn’t erasure.
If a 17‑year‑old can question why a surname should outweigh her merit, maybe the rest of us should at least be willing to ask the question too.
Whether you cheer Srijani’s bold stroke or roll your eyes at her “wokeness,” one thing’s for sure — she’s sparked a national conversation that refuses to be silenced. And maybe, just maybe, that’s exactly the kind of identity revolution India needs right now.
With resilience,
Adarsh
