Untouchables Article in National Geographic june 2003

[Guest guest]

The Editor , Natinal Geographic ,Washington DCRe: June 2003 Issue Untouchables of India

Dear Sir,

Thanks for bringing the age old problem of human discrimination of India's

social evil to the fore front of the globe for discussion.

I wish journalist author would have given equal place to those who were in fore

front to irradicate this economical-cum -social slavery system of Hindus.

Because, neither the author knows nor the world know that there were people who

gave every thing to correct this nonscripturaly sanctioned social

discrimination. I will high light as follows for benefit of all:

1. First person to fight bravely in 1865, on all fronts including at the root of

societal injustice was Swami Dayanand Sarswati . He was successful in

establishing a reform Movement of Humanity called Arya Samaj . The same

movement reforms opened educational Institutions for all including women,

orphans, out casts, low casts, and also improved self respect and self esteem

for humans of all classes.These reforms instituted by Arya Samaj Movement were

later on taken forward by leaders like Mahatama Gandhi.

Arya Samaj was and is fighting against these social Injustices successfully for

more than hundred years. Now a days there are many more organizations are

working to treat the ills of society , the learned author should have given

some reference to them in this regard.

There were many more great people who fought against these very practices at the

time of Swami Dayanad Saraswati, such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Prathana Samaj ,

etc.

2.The most important finding which is absent in the article needs to be

elaborated as follows " No Hindu Scripture sanctions this discrimination". The

translation as cited in the article from Veda is misinterpretated and distorted

to great extend. I have written Book "Hindu Centum" in 1999, that clearly

deals with this point. I will be happy to mail the book for your reference. I

was born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India, and lived next door to the Dhobi (

washerman) family and my parets still live there, my extened family still live

there( I am 6o years old ). As a child I used to go to their home and played

with their children and eat there too, I do not come from either untouchable

cast as you protrayed, nor I thought superior to any body, even though I was

born in so called Brahmin family . I did not come across the way it is

described in the article. I lived my half life there and spent half life in the

USA.

3. This article masks the real Philosohpy of Karma. The word Karma has to be

'Nishkam Karma'i.e., Selfless service to Humanity'. 'Karma does not give

sanction to the cast'. Please give my any refence from any of Arsh Vedic

Scripture in this regard to justify as an authentic statement. Heresay has no

value .

4. Since many clarification on Karma Philosophy is not taken in the spirits in

which these principles were outlined by the Vedic scriptures, the distortions

continued to be propagated through this article .This has not helped Humanity

futher but may have inadvertantly

propagated the gap of better understanding and resolving the societal

indignization of fellow human beings. I think it has perpetuated the hate

between the groups by giving extreme example which is criminal by all

standards. A person who has known about India would think it is every Hindu who

kills an Untouchable, tortures , plunders, rapes, and undertkes the atrocity,

commits the crime against the Humanity. The population of India is more than

One Billion , what percentage of people are tortured in this fashion solely

basted on catse. As depicted in your article I think 150 million people would

have revolted, and India would have ended like Afganistan or Balkan countrie.

This incidence as quoted by you should be compared with that of common crimes

commited in any big city where these cases have occured. This way it would have

given the real situation.The article needs to be Balanced. According to US

statistics every 30 seconds a child is abused and a wife or significant is

battered in USA, if this way one knows the society then domestic violence will

far exceed than any other western civilized country. Do you think is it true ,

Yes, according to statistics, but not in the society where I live . In this way

things do not happen in USA.

My request is to have the same authors, to write articles as a series, to show

what organizations and what improtant people in past and present have done what

has accomplished so far in this respect.

Natinal Geography society magazine is a well recognized scientific magazine

deals with Anthropology, Culural Anthropology etc., should not become a taboild

of gossip . The intention of Journalism is to high light social evils and to

reform the society , a balanced article would do it.

Thanks,

Sincerely ,

Deen B. Chandora

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