Caste alone tells Hindus who a person fundamentally is.

Evidence

Ask a Mahomedan or a Sikh who he is. He tells you that he is a Mahomedan or a Sikh, as the case may be. He does not tell you his caste although he has one, and you are satisfied with his answer. When he tells you that he is a Muslim, you do not proceed to ask him whether he is a Shia or a Sunni; Sheikh or Saiyad; Khatik or Pinjari. When he tells you he is a Sikh, you do not ask him whether he is Jat or Roda; Mazbi or Ramdasi. But you are not satisfied if a person tells you that he is a Hindu. You feel bound to inquire into his caste. Why? Because so essential is caste in the case of a Hindu that without knowing it you do not feel sure what sort of a being he is. — Ambedkar, B R, Annihilation of Caste_ The Annotated…, 936

Categorization

• CANDY: The everyday puzzle—why we must ask a Hindu’s caste but not a Muslim or Sikh’s—makes a bright, shareable observation.