Annihilating Caste - Imported Agenda

Caste, Scavenging and predatory evangelism

Yesterday, John Dayal and myself were doing some shadow boxing.

John Dayal was calling for eradication of caste and pulled in untouchability as reason. And when questioned about the caste system in Christian denomination, some attributed it to Hinduism. I know that clarity was the victim of all these obfuscation but wanted to clearly articulate why I support Caste and disagree with the agenda to ‘annihilate’ Caste.

For a good measure he called me a Sanghi Troll....:

 

There are few more tweets of this tone in my TL as well as John Dayal’s.

My position after trying to understand as much as I am capable of is summed up here. It is my view.

Hinduism has survived in spite of Islamic and Christian attempts to convert Indian population. This should be seen in the light of changes in other countries that were colonized by the European powers.  When we compare India to the countries in Africa and South East Asian whose indigenous cultures have been swallowed up by evangelical Christians,   we would realize that by some sheer power that India was saved from the marauding proselytizers. Early wannabe proselytizers identified this as ‘Caste’.

(I have already covered the extent of cultural genocide the two Abrahamic Religions have carried out here http://notcovered.blogspot.in/2014/10/is-christianity-any-different-from.html)

One of the reasons for this is the Varna system that is practiced in India. The Varna makes the societal cohesion very hardy. Of late, Varna based distinction on one’s vocation has been explained by many in social media. Rajeev Malhotra has expounded how the Jati was stratified into racial categories by Sir Herbert Hope Risley, in an attempt to establish the Aryan Invasion Theory (AIT) In the light of current information available AIT has been laid to rest but the ghosts like Risley’s racial profiling still live in the haunted minds of ideologically motivated, because it suits some.

Here it is pertinent to draw attention to Max Muller who has conceded that Caste has been the ‘impediment to the conversions of the Hindus’. He also states that the ‘Castes cannot be abolished in India, and to attempt it would be one of the most hazardous operations..” He adds that ‘as a religious institution it will die but as a social institution, it will live and improve’. A call to ‘annihilate caste’ quoting Ambedkar and avoiding Max Muller is not even handed, to say the least.  

In short, the stratification of Caste was steeped in deceit and double talk. The study itself was undertaken to prove a predetermined goal. And this jaundiced and defective classification continues to be the basis of caste marker even today. The jolly bits of profound details are found in Rajiv Malhotra’s “Breaking India- Western Intervention in Dravidian and Dalit faultlines” There is a school of detractors who try hard to portray India as a conglomerate of multiple races which serves a dual purpose. One is to discredit Varna/Jati discourse, that Jati is occupation based. The second is to prepare the ground to divide one against the other, the old tactics the English are good at, to divide-and-conquer.

When one carries forward the propaganda that untouchability and manual scavenging as the only manifestations of caste, the audience has to remind themselves of the sub-plots that are not being revealed.

Is Caste inhuman? No, it is not. Does John Dayal think that crores of Indians thrive within a caste system as victims? What is inhuman is the untouchability and discrimination based on caste.

Manual scavenging is cited as an example of evil face of caste. Manual scavenging is an evil in itself. Did India have manual scavenging?  When I search for references to Manual scavenging in Indian texts, superficially though, there is a reference in Naradiya Samhita to it. It is mentioned manual scavenging  as one of the 15 duties of a slave. A slave. Not a Jati, as far as I can find. There is nothing I could find on the period in which Naradiya Samhita was written. Any help is welcome.

I also found Harappa- Mohanje-Daro had toilets connected to underground drainage system lined with burnt clay bricks.  We have excavations in Sirpur, which was destroyed in 11^th Century, apparently in an earth quake, with toilets connected to drainage system.It is proof that manual scavenging was not practiced at all in some of the ancient Indian towns. It also follows, the exploitation of a caste for manual scavenging was not uniformly followed in all towns, at the least.

For a moment, let us concede that India had manual scavengers in the past, is it the final proof required that caste is the culprit or without caste human scavenging would not have arisen?

According to Bindeshwar Pathak, the noble soul that brought about Sulabh to address the inequities suffered by manual scavengers, Indian men and women living in rural areas, for ages, have been using the ‘fields’ to defecate which does not require manual scavenging. Only those living in towns had a need for it. He also mentions that a caste that is depressed in one place is not necessarily depressed in another part of the country. The caste was not the denominator for manual scavenging though in a single place only people from a particular caste were exploited as manual scavengers. The logic that Caste A people are scavengers in place X, place Y has Caste A so in place Y Caste A is exploited as manual scavengers is not correct.

Manual Scavenging for Muslims:

The Muslims who brought women in Burqa needed the scavengers as those women could not go out to defecate and to this purpose the captured warriors were forced (origin of Bhangis caste)  The rigid caste system did not allow these ‘impure’ Bhangis back into their folds. Now there is not enough integrity in ‘activists’ to point to the source of Manual scavenging in modern times, but there is a rush to blame the caste system that enforced codes heartlessly.

No one in right mind would say manual scavenging is sanctioned or cite religious text as support.While Pathak kind of people produce changes on the ground, foot soldiers for missionary forces spread discontent through dissemination of incendiary slogans. 

Manual scavenging in Christian countries:

Manual scavenging was prevalent in UK and other European countries as well as in Muslim countries in earlier time.  During the same time, there is no evidence to prove that India had entrenched system of caste exploited manual scavengers, but evidence to well laid sewage system was available.  

 It is also to be noted that during Partition, Pakistan prevented Hindus to move to India fearing there would be no one to clean their sewage. However, the secular brigade will not cite this as oppression based on religion as it would hurt the sentiments of a group of people. I am calling out a hypocrisy in these bleeding hearts that bleeds depending on who the aggressor is. In that I see an agenda.

In spite of Caste not being the common denominator in human scavenging, caste being not a stratified system as being portrayed, human scavenging not being the sin of only Hindu caste driven society, not being a Hindu sin but an Islamic sin in modern times, why is one targeting Caste and call for annihilation? Caste assigns some privilege as well as restrictions. The advantages of living in a community where common good is maintained at the cost of individual rights is articulated well in “Fear of Freedom by Eric Fromm” For no reason people of India stick to their caste as it obviously has  benefits. (Even Max Muller acknowledges it)

As against this, the social changes in West gave very high importance to individual. Its economic need required that people break out of their social milieu and dedicate themselves to create wealth for individuals. The industrialized society, in need of workers, broke the society and offered a chance to economic survival outside the society, stoking individuality, sold ‘fame’ as a new human need and in the process cultivated a society made up of selfish people. Erstwhile colonial powers have that interest in demographically strong countries like India and they employ foot soldiers in the guise of ‘activists’ to achieve their objective of perpetual slavery in less visible forms.  

In contrast, Indian society has always been a community based one. The down side of it has been criticized, correctly though and one example is the articulation of ‘tall poppy syndrome’ by Ian Chappell. But societal living suffices us. As a warm country, in contrast to the cold western countries that promote isolated living, we mingle more and live close to each other. We are by indigenous Dharma not very individualistic as well as selfish. The containing force for individuality from breaking out is still the community and this is predominantly caste based. The fear of being ostracized by own community and fear of losing the privilege within a community are holding most individuals together. From this argument it becomes clear why few torch bearers of proselytizing forces take up the social cause of ‘annihilating caste’. While they are quick to quote Ambedkar, you hardly hear them voicing Gandhi’s views on the predatory nature of converting missionaries.

Robert Caldwell (rice convert is a term coming from his time) onwards, for hundreds of years, the proselytizing missionaries have been rummaging through social discontent in other nations for soul harvest which in turn is for economic stranglehold. It is not that only India has social discontent or the Western countries have rid themselves with the help of Christianity. The Christianized America is split in the middle between White Christians and Black Christians on lines of racism. This is the racism that has killed millions as against the Indian caste discrimination that has resulted in miniscule of magnitude of Christian white atrocity,  that too in colonial and post-colonial times. Yet, the same socially depressed is not shy of serving the White Christian racist willing to kill his likes. Such is the need for a master in some slaves, the master who beckoned them to convert but would treat them only as proxies. Surely a miserable put on life.

Footnote: In our true Indian spirit, we make better of what we have. It is the lazy mind that asks about new circumstances as precondition for a solution. While in the last years we were being bombarded daily about the regressive nature of Khap panchayat, it was Modi ji who leveraged even Khap Panchayat to further national interest. The ‘Beti bachao, Beti padhao’ is by no means a small achievement from the female infanticide infested community. 

Man makes truth. Truth does not make man.

  

Yoga is Hindu- If you leave out sophistry

Yoga is Hindu

Suddenly there is an attempt to secularize Yoga, euphemism for delinking it from the great Indian and essentially Hindu traditions. False narratives are being floated, all competing with each other to establish that Yoga is beyond religion, hence is not a Hindu tradition thus truly secular, ergo. This is being mostly done towards a noble purpose of making it acceptable to people who practice religions that did not originate in India and those whose allegiance is to ideologies not rooted in Indian ethos anymore. 

Those people who are at the vanguard of this ‘Secularize Yoga’ movement do jugglery with semantics to distract attention from the indisputable fact that Yoga is the fruit of being Hindu a branch of Sanatana Dharma. Yoga arose out of Hindu philosophy and is metaphysical in essence. Yoga cannot be seen only as a physical exercise alone, but surely Asana can be practiced as exercise. The Asana have been used for ages as means to achieving spiritual enlightenment that is inextricably linked to Hindu concepts like consciousness, mind, inquiry and pursuit of truth to quell dogma. There is no guarantee that Asana will not spur the mind to inquire but to the contrary, a real threat to false and regimentalized religions.

As an analogy, not all who enrol in schools end up as experts at the end of their academic lives. The knowledge swells up, throwing up individuals who will transcend barriers but within the boundaries of the system of knowledge. (The curriculum being a part of knowledge system, it can never be proven that education is vehicle to boundless knowledge)

Out of those who begin practicing Yoga at young age, few will become experts not only in Asana but will also delve into questions relating to consciousness, the higher learnings of Yoga that encourages pursuit of truth by questioning the biases and values picked up in one’s lifetime. And this is again a threat to religions that present Gods who demand the followers submit, as mandatory condition for the religious belief system to live, thrive and survive. 

Current neurological studies more than strongly suspect, and in some instances, with ample supporting evidence that a person is a product of his or her unique past and experiences. Yoga as a higher level encourages these clutches to be revisited and if need be thrown away and pursue truth beyond tenets, with a goal to be truly free.

And in that Yoga is Hindu in essence. Hinduism escapes the Abrahamic narrative and is not measurable in Abrahamic scale. It is another matter that due to this contradiction, Abrahamic religion portrays Hinduism, Sanatana Dharma from a crude and vulgarized culture imprisoned perspective. Yogic philosophy, beginning with Asana, is about releasing the practitioners from their prejudices and allowing them to look at themselves as doers and watchers at the same time. It recognizes the limitlessness of truth and acknowledges that one is never completely free. This is in total contrast to a religious belief that says their God is the averred truth, requiring no other validation and acceptance of this as axiom will make a person free. So Yoga is a problem for few.

Yoga is secular from a narrative perspective that lies outside Abrahamic definition; it encourages one to question the limits set by own upbringing, culture and inherent biases. If you are a Hindu, this is strength. Yoga sits well with an inquisitive philosophy that firmly believes in  एकं सद्विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति

And it is no wonder that the objection to Yoga comes from religions that run counter to Hindu view of one truth and multiple paths. The Abrahamic religions aver that there is one truth and is projected to a singular idea of a particular God who demands that his followers submit to him without questioning. Not surprisingly, in this power game, there is no she God, unlike Hinduism. Hindus say that there is one truth and cedes that many paths may take to them, providing for enrichment from future times and things not understood yet. Therein lies the difference. Hinduism is essentially egalitarian while the monotheistic religions are monopolistic.

Coming to the question if Yoga is to be made compulsory, I think it should not be. However, just because it runs counter to the views of Abrahamic religionists, it should not be stifled either. I am not attempting to prove to anyone that Hindu religion to be superior to Islam or Christianity though that is my personal belief.

Let schools teach Yoga to people who want to free their minds, to pursue truth without prejudice. And those who do not believe in it do not have any right to stop it in schools. Though Freedom and freeing the minds are all nice things to talk of, it can never be thrust upon anyone.

Yoga is not secular as secular is defined today. It is beyond secular. Rather secular ideas are part of Hindu ethos that encompasses Yoga. If Muslim community feels that secular ideas are threats to Islam, they have the right to stay away. But that should not stop others from finding the essence of freedom as they see it. There are millions, including some Muslims, who have found great benefits of practicing Yoga. While core Christian group and influential Islamic groups are still against the practice of Yoga as they think that with Yoga, the Hindu values such as inquiry and questioning also may creep into their flock, which is a threat to their existence, not all of their followers seem to agree with the Institutions. Already Yoga has broken a shackle. J

When the schools teach evolution that essentially goes against the teachings of Islam or Christianity, there is not much outcry. Perhaps this may be due to the desire of Abrahamic religions to dominate the world, (a desire that seems to be absent in Hinduism) or the consternation arising out of people shunning the Institutions and voluntarily choosing a vehicle of inquiry that these Institutions consider inferior.  

With 21^st June coming up as World Yoga day, the pitch is only getting shriller. While the ‘Seculars’ want to keep ‘Hindu’ out of it there are people from other religious group who refuse to take part in it. I can understand the religious objection but the real enemies are the ill-informed seculars who know nothing about Yoga and Hinduism.

As a Hindu I am not shy of stating that Yoga is Hindu and practicing serious Yoga can make a person to think beyond dogmatic religious tenets. As one watches oneself, the objective views may change prejudiced dogmas. That can shake the foundation of those fragile belief systems that are held together by a promise that the after-life bliss is guaranteed only in exchange of unconditional submission.

For me Yoga is Hindu. It does not prevent non-Hindus from practicing it. Nor it forces anyone to. But it comes with a warning. Yoga is a vehicle of freeing oneself from misconceptions caused by distortions of the mind. Those who fear of being free have much to fear from Yoga. It is not a crime. Let them be.  

Note: Much of the thoughts expressed here are result of dialogue I had with self after reading Dr Subhash Kak. Many of the ideas in this piece are his, I have only expressed my understanding of his truly exalted thoughts.

 dwimidha@gmail.com

BJP plays not cricket but with Indian Pride

Indo Pak Cricket match – misplaced hopes

PCB Chairman Shahryar Khan visited Kolkata to meet BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmia to revive the Cricket ties between India and Pakistan. Shahryar Khan said  “From what I know the Board of Control for Cricket in India is also willing to play the series with us but now everything is in the hands of the Indian government"

Media in its part has been pumping up volume, no doubt spurred by appropriate incentive to the reporter and the media house. I heard someone saying that ‘Indo-Pak’ series is very special and many look forward it. Nice words indeed. But it never said that there are many who are opposing to that. If BJP has reasonably good memory, it would remember that most of their leaders too were opposing cricketing tie with Pakistan, not too far in the past.

Primarily there is nothing for India to gain by playing Cricket with Pakistan.  There is no goodwill that will be built by the game; in fact the opposite will be the outcome of competitive games.

So the question arises what can be the rationale or justification BCCI can provide to restore cricketing ties with Pakistan? Most of them are fig-leafs not large enough to cover the ugly truth.

It is always stated that Games pave way for peace between India and Pakistan. Competitive sports do not result in deeper friendship but rather it aggravates animosity. The famous Muzafer and Caroline Sherif experiment shows that a competitive sport that sets one as winner and the other as loser is anything but a bonding experience; it is a sure shot divider. Such games only widen the fissure, create more animosities, and make each group become more prejudiced against the other. If people want understanding between India and Pakistan to improve, competitive cricket should not be played between India and Pakistan.

At this time, when PCB’s financial status is a mere dust in comparison to BCCI and in doldrums, this cricketing event will breath oxygen into the dying PCB. Imposing advantage on Pakistan’s cricket coffers is typical Indian stupidity that also deeply damages national honor.  

However, Jagmohan Dalmia pursuing the matter shows that neither thrusting money into enemy’s hands nor belittling national honor seem to matter to either him or BCCI. What matters is revenue to BCCI, a legitimate reason, behind which the cronies will make a killing. The personal gains is a bigger reason, the elephant in the room, gains to BCCI cronies, the media, TV channels, sponsors and their fixers.

The real reason is money. Let us have no illusion about it. Indian cricket is awash with money. Pakistan cricket board is simply dried up due to its own folly. Indo-Pak series, by virtue of its size is a killing to be made for BCCI and PCB. Both gentlemen at the forefront know that once the game starts, it is easy trick to pull money out of the pockets of gullible Indians and Pakistanis. It is money and nothing else.Probably some underhand dealing by PCB to BCCI officials, greasing required for decisions to be made.

From national honor perspective, there are many reasons why we should not play. I list some of them one by one.

1.       Kashmir Policy: Pakistan pursues a hostile policy in Kashmir against India. As a result Pakistan fires into our border regularly, sends in terrorists into Kashmir to kill Indians. In this backdrop, Pakistan pursuing a Cricket opportunity with India reeks of hypocrisy. Probably. 

2.       26/11: The wounds of 26/11 will not heal unless the perpetrators are brought to justice. There are overwhelming evidences to nail Pakistan’s culpability in 26/11 attack. The terrorists in India were in constant touch with Pakistani Handlers. There were links to LeT. ISI. David Headley interrogation tied up the missing links. Yet, Pakistan not only refuses to punish the guilty individuals (we cannot expect Pakistan Government to punish itself) but also gives honor and respectability to such people

Wounds of 26-11 will never heal

3.       Dawood Ibrahim: It is a common knowledge that Dawood was given asylum in Pakistan. Dawood is also is one of the top 10 most dreaded criminals according to Forbe’s magazine. He is supposed to have had close contact with Al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden. He was provided asylum to escape Indian law and supported by Pakistan’s Governmental and Military agencies that made him grow to International notoriety. While Dawood Ibrahim, the man who has killed hundreds of Indians, continues to get Pakistani protection, only callous Indian government would opt to shake its hands still dripping with Indian’s blood.

4.       Bangladesh Hindu genocide: The Bangladesh genocide is an issue still not settled till date. Unlike Germany which apologized for the ‘holocaust’ Pakistan has made no statement resembling an apology. None was demanded by the then secular governments. The toll is put between 300,000 to 3,000,000 people. Hindus were targeted, identified by physical differences and selectively killed and left to rot. The number of rapes, women who were used as sex-slaves was in the range of 200,000 to 400,000.

Does Hindu genocide matter?

Should Arun Jaitley be once again found to be instrumental in resuming cricket diplomacy, this surely will be one more step to take Narendra Modi ji towards the opposition seat in 2019. I have a feeling that the triumvirate is arrogantly confident that they will be able to bulldoze their way with public opinion by offering economic growth. Modi ji should remember that 2014 was won because of the Hindu votes coming together. By acting like Congress, by trying to befriend Pakistan when Pakistan has offered nothing in return, in fact, added insult to injury, BJP is in self-defeating path. BJP is not Congress. BJP supporters, especially RSS kind of organizations that have minds of their own, will not pay mindless obeisance to Modi ji.

The support that brought BJP to power is pride incarnate, to a fault. Insulting that pride is not without consequence. Modi-Amit-Arun triumvirate cannot put a Pakistan appeasing act above the sentiments of its supporters. It will be disaster for BJP and consequently for India.

The question that needs to be asked is this: "What will happen if India and Pakistan do not play a match?" Answer is NOTHING for India and everything for Pakistan. So if someone supports resumption of cricketing ties with Pakistan, whose side is he/she?