Reforming the Indian Hindu Society

[anveshan]

PREFACE

 

I belong to a family, whose ancestry is traced to Adi Shankara( the word ‘adi’ here means First). It is a claim unprooved. I only know that I was born in the same village or area where Shri Shankara was supposedly born.

 

In those days land was owned by upper castes ( the twice born ones)only. The Lower ones, who constituted the majority (or the sudras) who worked in the fields o f their masters during day and night lived on hutment made out of grass and mud. They were not to cover the upper part of the their bodies and remained half-naked. They were not allowed, even to attempt, to read or write. They were not allowed to draw water from the wells (which they themselves had dug by the sweat of their labour), not to come near the upper castes (so that the upper castes become unholy) . They were severely beaten up or even murdered on trivial issues. No government authority (at that time India was ‘independent’ as it is said to be now) could dare to question them, for, the government meant the upper castes in letter and spirit. These upper castes enjoyed the fruits of the lower castes’ labour, enjoyed the best selected ‘untouchable’ women and very leisurely carried on with their study and interpretation of the Gita, Ramayana , Mahabharata and Manusmruti. They fought ‘wars’ for the local land lords or ‘kings’, traded on the goods that the untouchables produced and lived a care free happy life even to the envy of the perennially jealous Lord Indra. If these were the situation fifty years ago, we can imagine what it could have been half a millennia or a millennium before.

 

 

INTRODUCTION

The Caste System is the single largest factor that contributed to the inherent weaknesses of the Hindu Society. It divided people, classified them into great and mean on the basis the accident of birth , concentrated the authority to rule, gain and manage wealth, administer justice, gain knowledge, right to work or profession and worship God in the hands of an oppressive oligarchy. A Miniscule minority devised ways and means, divine theories and scriptural injections to perennially subjugate the majority so as to rule over them.

 

DO CASTE SYSTEM HAVE A DIVINE ORIGIN?

 

“Chaturvarnyam maya srushtam” is the most controversial verse in the Gita. If that really meant the division of men into ‘lower’ and ‘upper’ castes on the incidence of birth, then either Krishna did not say it or the Brahmanical vested interests manipulated his sayings. And if the four main castes were born out of Brahma’s different parts of the body ( or Brahma desired it) the Brahma is not divine and hence the Caste System he created. That Brahma represented Brahmanical vested interests. Because this creation theory does not fit well into the lofty ideals of Sanatana Dharma. Read along with Manu’s Smruti and the Puranic references of the Sudra’s worth compared to the other castes and even the cow, we can very well get convinced that the system has no divine origins.

 

THE CONTRIBUTIONS

 

The system treated the lower castes worse than the slaves. They were denied human rights. ‘The Hindu’ meant only the three upper castes. The fourth (and we had even a ‘panchama) were simply referred to as Sudra or adhakruta.

The ruling oligarchs concentrated in them the social, economic, political and oppressive powers in the name of God.

The sudras and the panchamas were again classified and categorized into a number of ‘inferior’ and ‘superior’ castes so that the society remained weak and divided so that they would never fight against the twice born ones.

The earliest Indian theism based on Shiva and Shakti ( in its various forms like the Bhirava and Bhairavi, Durga and Mahakali,) were devoid of any casteist elements in its philosophy. Several learned Gurus like Shri. Kapila revolted against the system on philosophical and argumentative plains. Jina, Buddha and later Nanak became rebels and tried to take the rebellion to the grass roots levels. But the Brahmins, aided by the other dwijas(or the twice born ones) were able to suppress the movements, or limit their areas of influence. Budhism took roots elsewhere.

 

The invading aliens got into a very fertile soil, with a very weak, caste ridden society, with the ‘twice born ones’ thinking only of themselves, and the brute majority living like animals herded together but still fighting among themselves because of the casteist injections into them. Why should the majority shed their blood against the aliens? They were born as slaves and destined to be slaves. Some of them who got converted, either by force or allurement had an altogether different experience. When Kalu Ram became Abdul Karim, he were referred to as Karim Saheb, go to a Mosque and worship in the front row with the ‘malik’ or master, eat with him from the same plate, read the ‘new’ Holy Book (He never had a chance to know what were written in the ‘old’ Holy Books). He could carry on with his leather trade with decency and respect. India became divided and still remained divided from within. These are some of the major contributions of the ‘august’ chatur varnyam.

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF REFORMATION

 

Since India is more than 85% Hindu, and that 85% contribute almost 15% of the humanity, a reformation with in the Indian society and development of the weaker sections concerns the world also. Social reformation contributes inevitably to socio-economic development and the contributing power to the human progress at large.

 

Unless we get rid of the system altogether, reform ourselves from within, we have no chance of a decent, harmonious and united survival. A philosophy of which’s central theme is harmony was concocted and manipulated to suit vested interests and an august philosophy which taught ‘sama bhava’ or equality and fraternity was made to disintegrate.

 

Socially and Economically weaker sections of the society, should be made to feel that they are as Hindu as any of their

upper caste brethren, that they are very much a part of the Supreme Being, as every being is. They should be made convinced that social apartheid and slavery were systems brought into Hinduism by ruling vested interests.

 

HOW TO GET SOCIAL EVIL ERADICATED

 

1. Economic Measures

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In spite of the Bhoodan (donate the land ) Movement and various half-hearted measures by the governments from time to time, the cultivable land remains concentrated in the hands of the upper castes. Most of these are not the lands hard-earned by them, but seized or amassed by their forefathers, by virtue of their origins. What the government should do is hand over the cultivable land owned by it to the cooperative societies owned by the tribals and other oppressed classes. These co-operative societies should be provided with technical know-how on modern methods of agricultural production, animal husbandry and village/small scale industries.

In this regard, a few of the States of the Union have made much progress and others should learn from them.

2. Creating Education & Awareness

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The Hindu social and voluntary organizations which have grass-root level access should take upon themselves the onerous responsibility of spreading a real Hindu awareness among the hither to neglected sections of the Hindu society. The real Hinduism based on the august concept of the Supreme Brahman, which have no prejudices and which gives us liberty to worship the Supreme Soul in any form ( including the Formless Form) should be explained to them in simple terms. Casteism based on the incidence of birth should be denounced and they should be made convinced the combination of the triple modes(gunas) make on a Brahmin or Sudra, according to their karma. Organizations like the RSS, the VHP, the Ramakrishna Mission, the Arya Samaj and a host of other organizations spread across the country can do a wonderful job in this regard. Through discussions, discourses, seminars, leaflets and regular classes among children and the youth.

 

3. Education and Employment

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The majority of the families, due to economic hardships and social backwardness brought in by the system, are not aware of the importance of education. Education should be made free up to the high school/vocational level to all economically weaker sections of the society. A gurukula (residential) system of education in rural areas will help the schools to mobilize their own resources and to be self-reliant. Students can do horticulture, herbiculture, animal husbandry etc, with a little bit of training and good supervision. The present system of job reservation should continue at least for a decade more. The government should provide enough land in the rural areas for such societies.

 

The government and the society should see to it that there are enough officers from the oppressed classes in the police and the civil services. Otherwise, as is happening most often, the criminals committing atrocities on the oppressed classes go unpunished and measures for the welfare of the downtrodden are enforced in letter and spirit.

 

4. Religious Learning and Temple Management

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The schools of religious learning should take more students from the backward classes. They should be included in the local temple management committees and encouraged to participate in the religious ceremonies. They should be trained in priesthood and appointed as priests in temples. ( The Kerala State Devaswom Board has started such schools and qualified priests from backward/SC/ST sections are appointed as priests of the Devaswom run temples). All these may seem to be revolutionary to the Orthodox Hindus; but such a revolution is in the best interests of Hinduism.

5. Mental Transformation of the Upper Castes

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The so-called twice born ones and others who consider themselves a superior class created by the Brahman should under go a mental transformation. Their superiority complex should be considered a hereditary psychiatric disease and should be self-treated effectively through meditative/yogic practices. The progressive thinking upper caste men should come forward to reform the society of its superiority complex.

 

[srivats]

haribol !

 

Thanks for a good write up on caste system , i always wanted to make out a good writing to post here , if u can get a tamil book named " engey brahmnan ? " where is brahmin book by cho ramaswamy . Pls try to get it , if it is there in english version well and good , all our friends can read it . This book is writtern 70s and still worth to read.

This excalty speaks about who is true brahmin . Its been clrealy stated that one who follows a set of rules are said to be born twice , that is brahmnan .Not by mere birth one is considered as Brahmnan.

 

Krishna also says that he has created 4 varnam depending on the thought and karma ( action ) people do. And he doesnt mention any where that because of birth one can be brahmnan and one can be sudra.

 

This book still gives many more details for hinduism.

 

Some of great aazhvaars who wrote great vedantic slogas are not brahmnans , infact its mentioned that god has come down to do seva fot them. In fact we worship Krishna who is not a brahmin and Rama who is also not brahmin by birth but indeed they become god on thier actions. This is the best ever example god can give to make men believe that birth doesnot make any one brahmin.

 

But only people who read these things misinterpretated( as usual )

 

Lets imagine a future ,

where doctors decides to make thier children as doctors only , similarly engineers as engineers alone ,

and business mens as business mens alone.

 

Then there will be group of communities called doctors engineers and business mans, Doctors may consider themselfs higher , since they cure and save others and make thier sons and daughter marry another doctors alone .

 

Similarly engineer can consider them as next higher people since they build homes and office and so on..

 

Slowly if there is any inter caste marriage between doctors and engineers then fight will occur and hence the story will go like what the present caste based system works.

 

In my opimion our caste based system of living might have come to existence this way only. Not based on what they think and do but based on birth everyone are considered as brahmnas jus like doctors kids can be considered as doctors. But only by practising the doctor post one can become doctor , similarly by practising true brahmnasim one can become brahmin.

 

In fact in kali all are considered as sudraas and no true brahmnan exists.

 

I feel this has come for ages and changing them is not possible.May be new generation will be better but it cant be made 100% caste free system.

 

Lets pray him to make the changes in human hearts

 

There is song in tamil on the god " Shiva "

 

" Eppo varuvaaro endhan kali theera ? "

 

- when he is going to come to make my kali end ?

 

Madhava Kesava Madhana Gopala !

Srivats

 

[Krishna69]

Srivats, your answer to that querry on origin of casteism is quite convincing. I guess that person who put the querry or initiated the thread, must be like the other regular brahmin haters who always hates brahmins from their birth for no reasons without trying to analyse anything in logical way.

Unfortunately in India, people always think upper caste means only brahmins and most of the movies misinterpret its the brahmins alone who discriminate people based on caste, which is not true. There are many communities like Reddy, Naidu, Mudaliar, Chettiar and they are more aggressive towards the scheduled caste and tribes since they have financial background and they are the one who are landlords or zamindars in the past and using the labor class for their convenience. They do protest and go to any extent if their children fall in love with a labor class scheduled class, but the movies always portray that brahmins are bad. For example if you take the communal clash in tamilnadu in the southern district, its between vanniars, or thevars and SCs and where is the brahmin element here. IN fact, Ambedkar who is the idol for labor people was basically encouraged by his brahmin teacher only. But they conveniently forget the good aspect and all other communities who illtreat the laborclass and use them conveniently put the blame on brahmins. This is what is happening out of which hatred is always there in India towards brahmins. I wonder if these people get equal treatment from the other communities i have mentioned for them to blame only the brahmins?

 

[Guest guest]

the only reformation required is that

the hindus understand hinduism correctly as given in gita

and live by it without malpracticing it.

 

when that happens, the hindus will not have reason to tolerate the invader ideologies in india.

 

non violent ways will be used as much as possible to remove the invader ideologies from india. violence may be used if all fails. anti-hindu and aggressive ideilogies cannot be tolerated on hindu homeland. hindus have tolerated much more than any one can and that is not right.

 

tolerating intolrant is encouraging intolerance.

it is also suicidal.

 

jai sri prabhupada!