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Jaipur founder says his son was boycotted for playing with a servant’s child: ‘Beneath their standards’
Classism reared its ugly head in an upscale Jaipur neighbourhood where, a founder claims, his son was ostracised by for playing with a servant’s child
Classism reared its ugly head in an upscale Jaipur neighbourhood where, a founder claims, his son was ostracised by other kids for playing with a servant’s child. Gaurav Kheterpal, the founder and CEO of Vanshiv Technologies, said that he and his son had taken to playing football daily with a boy whose father works as a servant in one of the neighbourhood houses.
“My son has been boycotted by kids in our lane. The reason - we (yes, both of us) started playing football everyday with a Nepali kid whose father is a servant in one of the neighbouring houses,” Kheterpal said in an X post.
Classism in modern India
The post sparked a wider discussion about classism and elitism that still exists in India today. (Also read: ‘Classist’ Gurugram housing society fines domestic helpers for not using service lift, drying clothes in the balcony)
Kheterpal, a Salesforce MVP Hall of Fame member, said that he lives in an upmarket neighbourhood where all the neighbours own businesses, drive fancy cars and regularly throw parties — but when it comes to class, their ideas are still outdated.
“For context, in my lane - almost everyone (barring yours truly) has a business, net worth well over 100 CR, have either BMW, Audi or Volvo as their cars, most houses have multiple servants & spend lavishly on parties regularly,” he said.
“BUT they consider it as "beneath their standards” for their kids to play with a servant's kid?”
“It’s not about money”
Kheterpal argued that the incident had nothing to do with wealth or achievement, but with deep-rooted class prejudice. He pushed back against the idea that financial success automatically makes people progressive.
“This is not about money. This is not about success. This is about classism dressed up as culture and values,” he wrote on the social media platform X.
The Jaipur-based Salesforce expert noted how people in India expose their children to global opportunities, educate them in prestigious schools and teach them English — but still pass down outdated ideas about class.
“We may have overcome casteism, but will ever overcome our shallow mindsets of economic inequality & status symbols?” he wondered.
Many people in the comments section praised Kheterpal for teaching his son the right values. Others agreed with his take on classism.
