A Jaipur businessman’s social media post about his young son being socially isolated for playing with a domestic worker’s child has sparked a wider conversation about class prejudice in urban India.
Sharing the incident on X, Gaurav Kheterpal, founder and managing director of Vanshiv Technologies, said his son was “boycotted” by other kids in their residential lane after the two started playing football regularly with a boy whose father works as a domestic helper in the neighborhood.
Read also | OTT releases this week: Gustaakh Ishq, Cheekatilo, Steal, Star Search and more
“My son has been boycotted by kids in our lane,” Kheterpal wrote, adding that he and his child will attend football matches. The reason, he claimed, was simple but troubling – other families felt it was “below their standards” for their children to mix socially with a worker’s child.
The post quickly gained traction and resonated with many who said the episode reflected a deeper, uncomfortable truth about modern Indian society.
Describing his surroundings, Kheterpal said that he lives in an affluent part of Jaipur where most of the residents run shops, own luxury cars and organize frequent social events. However, he argued that economic success did not translate into progressive social values.
Read also | 50 Reality Shows on JioHotstar: List of Indian Contestants
“This is not about money or success,” he wrote. “This is classicism disguised as culture and values.”
Kheterpal also questioned the contradiction he sees in many urban households – children are sent to elite schools, encouraged to think globally and exposed to modern ideas, but are also taught an unspoken hierarchy about who is “acceptable” as a friend.
“We may talk about progress and inclusion, but our daily behavior tells a different story,” he observed, wondering if Indian society had really moved beyond judging people by status and economic background.
Check out the viral post here:
The post caused widespread reactions on the Internet. Several users praised Kheterpal for standing by his values and teaching his son empathy and equality at an early age. Others shared similar experiences, arguing that class exclusion remains common, even in supposedly liberal and educated spaces.
A user wrote, “We haven’t even overcome casteism. It’s painful when discrimination is taught at home and passed on to children. That’s how prejudice survives. We’re sorry you’re going through this ordeal.”
Another user wrote: “Wear the boycott on your sleeve. Raise your son to be a good person.”
“Very well expressed. I can empathize with you. In my colony of very important people from the highest levels of the bureaucracy, military and judiciary and very important professionals, even the children of the tenants were mostly isolated and often prevented from playing. Even small children used to be chased away. After I took over as president of the RWC, I put an end to this very regressive game, including the servants. park,” wrote a third user.
“This is so sad and very casually ingrained among people. But you are raising your child with the right values, so kudos! I heard someone a few days ago mention asking the driver to eat at the same restaurant but at a different table (and we’ve seen it happen over the years, it’s so common that most people don’t even notice),” wrote a fourth user.
A fifth wrote: “Your baby is doing great. Give it time!”
