The Dharmic struggle against untouchability
Untouchability is the biggest curses on Hindu society. Over the years, caste rigidity has gradually decreased, and continues to do so. This is partly due to the work of Hindu saints who have promoted important reforms in Hindu society, as well as affirmative action policies run by the Government of India.However, the rate of reform is still far too slow, and millions of Hindus on the lowest rungs of the caste hierarchy continue to face intense difficulties in many aspects of their lives.
December 26th, 2006 at 12:25 pm
I am most impressed with your comment. Yes untouchability is the biggest curse in Hindu society. Every one should try to help in eradicating such an evil practice.
Well done and I hope we will get more such comments, editorials from Hindu Voice.
Bhupendra
December 26th, 2006 at 3:14 pm
I am appalled that any one is barred from entering the house of worship. The temples should be open to any one who believes in the Lord regardless of whether the person is upper caste Hindu, a dalit, muslim or a Christian. Let us increase the number of believers in Lord Krishna by inviting everyone to come to the temples as often as they can and worship the Hindu God.
We must keep in mind that if Hindus continue to exclude people from their temples, they will go to churches which welcome everyone. Eventually they will become Christians. Once the state has turned into Christian majority, they will elect Christians and government will take away Hindu rights and money generated by the temples to enhance the cause of Christianity as it is happening in the state of Kerala and other southern states.
Wake up Hindus!!! These nearsighted priests may be hurting the exisiting of Hinduism in India.
–Surendra
December 26th, 2006 at 5:35 pm
It is indeed very sad that we still practice untouchability in India. Well if a hindu believes in the Shankaracharya , there is an episode in his life - where Lord Shiva came as a harijan and when his disciples try to remove him Shankaracharya saw God in the harijan and bowed to him, if you are a hindu you would know when we greet each other we say namaskar or namaskaram, we are acknowledging the divine in the opposite person and the other person is acknowledging the divine in you.
Why the constant ego and arrogance, when we are no different from the another human being all around the world.
I had an incident many years ago - I had taken two high school graduates who are American girls and also my daughter’s class mates, I was very happy that in many temples that they were allowed and when it came to Kanjeevaram Kamakshi Temple, I felt very bad to leave these children outside but I had to, but mind you they were not in jeans or skirts, they were in saris and had kumkum and wanted to genuinly adapt to the culture- they were treated like a paraya , we with rich culture should change all this - where are the present day Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Gandiji, we have lost the true meaning of why the caste system was founded. Let us not carry it to such an extent that it has only negativitiy associated with it. Let us live and let live. God Bless
December 26th, 2006 at 9:06 pm
Anish Kumar - Hindu Human Rights - Well Done. You are rigth these ’so called Hindus’ would have barred Ved Vyas & Valmiki. I say Power to The Dalits. In Pride they have stood for this Great Faith.
The Dalits have not traitored their heritage. Applaud to all of them who still stand as Hindus.
Veda Shakti!
December 27th, 2006 at 11:15 am
I am not a Dalit but today I consider myself a Dalit so that I can share their agony and humility in solidarity. The so called Dalits or Harijans are the true custodians of Hinduism. They have held the torch burning despite hopeless odds. They have survived the onslaught and enticement of overzealous Christian and Muslim missionaries…utimately they and Hinduism in particular , will also triumph over the ruthless Brahmannical tyranny. Finally , when the Brahman yoke has been dismantled the fleeing and cowardly anti Hindu Brahmans will beg for mercy…and they will be spared for not even the ghastly Brahman foe deserves the inhuman treatment meeted out to the downtrodden . And , when this happens the sky will open and the devas will garland the Dalits not for their gentle tolerance but for their forgiving spirit. Long may the spirit of Dalits glow and flow in the hearts and minds of all humanity. I challenge your readers to declare themselves Dalits today in name and action . By doing so they they will reaffirm their believe in justice and in the process strenghten the cause of Hinduism.
Jai Shri Krishna…
December 27th, 2006 at 5:40 pm
We must first realise we are all god’s children.if not, why say we are hindus.
we must then admit we are barbarians and not worthy of civilisation.in the so called western countries all work is respected,maybe that is why they are advanced technologically.I am a hindu but i wish all of us can treat our hindu brothers equal.In islam the king can sit with a beggar.
December 27th, 2006 at 5:41 pm
I didn’t realise Valmiki and Ved Vyas were dalits?
Ved Vyas had four sons: King Pandu - father of the Pandavas, Dhrutarashtra - father of the Kauravs, Vidurji and Shukdevji - famous for his wisdom given to King Parikshit, in the Shrimad Bhagwat.
So does that make the entire Pandu and Kuru dynasty ‘half’ untouchables?
December 27th, 2006 at 5:45 pm
I find this really appalling. Untouchability still exists in 21st century is to me a very sad state of affair. I live in England and I find in my experience no matter what people say in Western world untouchability is non-existence. We Indians are peace loving people, and yet have cast systems amongst our own brothers and sisters makes me very very sad.
December 27th, 2006 at 5:49 pm
WE Hindus keep pushing away our own people into the hands of Christians and then we don’t like it when Christians convert them.
As Subhalakshmi said above a great lesson was learnt by Shankracharya through a dalit who said to him ” You preach that the atman and the Brahman are the same, the only imperishable truth and that all distinctions are barriers in the realization of that supreme truth. So am I to move my body, which is a transient state of being or my atman which is eternal? How come you have such distinctions as brahmin and chandala still in your mind when you argue that the imperishable atman is the same in all people? You preach the Brahman and identify with the bodily differences amongst people.”
The core of Hindu teaching is to realise that we are all aatman– the teachings by Krishna is completely ignored by these temple priest. Shameful.
How can I help the dalits from UK?
December 27th, 2006 at 9:47 pm
Most Dailts or people from low castes originally were from warrior clans that fought bravely against invasions from muslims and other invaders in the past but were defeated eventually and lost all their lands and had to go into exile into the forests and mountains and became a lost people and after time were treated badly by their own people as we see now.It’s time as Hindus that we do our Dharmic duty to uplift them.
December 28th, 2006 at 5:55 am
In reply to KP
I do not believe the Dalits or anyone else are asking for handouts or patronage. Refer to my letter above and I repeat : the way to help is to identify yourself as a Dalit in mind body and soul and start experiencing the descrimination yourself. If we can join the Dalit cause in overwhelming numbers we can and will overwhelm the tyrannical few in terms of numbers and knowledge. Then, you can safely assume that the yoke of caste burden has been removed. The ultimate victor being Hinduism and Godliness.
Jai Shri Krishna…
December 28th, 2006 at 11:40 am
I agree with Masukh Chhiba.
Action
a) Perhaps the moderators could set up a field where we can list our names as
STANDING WITH DALIT PRIDE
eg- Name : Date : Country: Varna (hidden field)
b) we must ask friends and families to attach their names to this membership
c) Objective - To bring aid to the Dalits via political lobby, resource provision and changing the minds of bigots!
Veda Shakti
December 28th, 2006 at 6:58 pm
“utimately they and Hinduism in particular , will also triumph over the ruthless Brahmannical tyranny. Finally , when the Brahman yoke has been dismantled the fleeing and cowardly anti Hindu Brahmans will beg for mercy…and they will be spared for not even the ghastly Brahman foe deserves the inhuman treatment meeted out to the downtrodden”
ya ya ya the evil brahmin will get his just desserts but the only problem in this grand narrative is that there is no ruthless Brahminical tyranny in India anymore but there sure is OBC and other land owning caste tyranny.
Only someone who is very ignorant about the ground reality in India can spew such nonsense, it is not Brahmins who do most of the atrocities against SC’s but OBC’s, MBC’s and other land owning castes.
In Bihar it’s the Yadavs, in UP it’s Jats, Yadavs, Bhumiars and Kurmis, in Maharashtra it’s Kunbis (the recent Khairlanji massacre booked all belonged to the Kunbi and Kalar communities, both of these groups are classified as OBC), in AP it’s Kammas, Reddy’s and Kapus, in TN it’s Thevars and Vanniars, in Punjab and Haryana it’s the Jats (both Hindu and Sikh Jats), in Rajasthan it’s the Rajputs and Jats, in Gujarat it’s the Patels.
In not one of these states do Brahmins rule, power in modern India comes when you own land not if you are some priest chanting mantras in a mandir.
But what we see is the scapegoating of Brahmins because people know that they are largely irrelevant and they know that if they speak the same things about the above groups they will get kicked around like a football.
December 28th, 2006 at 7:20 pm
Some more info for the people who live in the fantasy land of “Brahminical tyranny”, the following is about Periyar the founder of the Dravidianist movement which is virulently anti Hindu, anti North Indian, anti Sanskrit, anti Brahmin and anti Harijan, today these morons are portrayed as saviors of Harijans in TN and defenders of Tamil culture but the truth is very far from it, the following is written by a Dalit author:
“I recently interviewed M Venkatesan, a ‘Dalit’, whose family has been living in a slum area called Hanumanthapuram in Triplicane during the last 25 years. I am specifically mentioning the fact that he belongs to the Dalit community only to take the wind from the sails of self-styled, castiest and communalist Dravidian leaders who often pride themselves as saviours, champions, protectors and upholders of the backward and suppressed communities in Tamilnadu under the political umbrella of ’self-respect’ and ’social justice’. ”
“Hatred of Brahmins and hatred of Hindu Gods, these according to Venkatesan were the only pith and pin of Periyar’s public life.
According to Venkatesan, Periyar was a man of virulent contradictions, inexplicable incongruities and inchoate insensitivities. As he very much wanted these facts to be made known to the public he has written a book in Tamil entitled ‘E V Ramasamy Naickarin Marupakkam’ (The other side of E V Ramasamy Naickar).”
“Venkatesan emphatically declared that Periyar did nothing for the emancipation of the oppressed and suppressed dalits. On the contrary he was inimical towards all the dalits whom he treated with utmost contempt. His contempt for the dalits (90 per cent) was only exceeded by his hatred for the Brahmins (100 per cent). To quote from Venkatesan’s book: Periyar said: ‘The attempt to promote ‘temple entry’ and ‘abolition of untouchability’ by the Congress leaders should not result in the tragedy of people belonging to the backward classes getting reduced to the level of scheduled castes. Instead of attempting to raise the status of Scheduled Castes (Parayans), an attempt should not be made to reduce the status of backward Class (Sudrans) by relegating them to the levels of Scheduled Castes. On no account should the existing status of Sudrans be reduced to the level of Parayans’. Venkatesan says in his book that Periyar’s contempt if not hatred for the dalits was shown in another context by his flash
observation: ‘One of the main reasons why there is an upward trend in the prices of clothes and textiles is that women belonging to the Scheduled Castes (Parachies) have started wearing blouses these days. The reason for growing unemployment in society is on account of increasing number of people belonging to Scheduled Castes (Parayans) taking to school education and higher education’. Venkatesan concludes that Periyar was a sworn enemy of dalits, their education, emancipation, growth and development. ‘As a dalit I have come to this definite conclusion based upon Periyar’s golden thoughts, observations and averments on my dalit community’, says Venkatesan.
http://www.newstodaynet.com/2006sud/06mar/0803ss1.htm “
December 28th, 2006 at 7:36 pm
The Dravidianist held public processions garlanding Rama’s picture with slippers, they used to make public declarations that they will do to TN Brahmins what Hitler did to the Jews, one of their favorite sayings went something like this “if you see a snake and a Brahmin at the same time kill the Brahmin first”, they used to publicly molest Brahmin women and cut off the janeyu’s of Brahmin males (they even did this recently in retaliation to the destruction of a Periyar statue in front of the Srirangam kovil by 4 Hindus (one OBC and 3 SC’s), all this coupled with state sponsored reverse discrimination meant that about half of the TN Brahmins left the state and the rest have no power.
Yet TN has one of the highest rate of incidents of violence against Dalits, so who does these things, obviously the dominant castes like the Vanniars, they even have their own party PMK.
Who were the prime supporters of the Dravidianist movement, not the Brahmins who themselves were screwed over by the Dravidian parties but dominant non Brahmin jatis like the Mudaliars, but our liberal jokers will never tell all of this to you, they will simply blame it all on the mythical Brahmins while they claim that utterly casteist parties like the DMK and the PMK are fighters of Dalit rights (infact they are the worst opressers of Dalits).
Here is some info on the recent Periyar controversy:
“It is pertinent that when police arrested four Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK) followers for damaging EVR’s statue, they found that the principal accused was an OBC (like Periyar himself), while the other three were Scheduled Castes.
http://www.hvk.org/articles/1206/126.html ”
In retaliation the Dravidian heroes attacked numerous Hindu mutts and mandirs all over TN, they also attacked the all powerful Brahmins (wonder why they picked on Brahmins who are supposed to be the biggest tyrants who can crush others like insects):
Attack on Brahmins: 11 held
Salem, Dec 8: Volunteers of the Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam, a splinter group of the Dravidar Kazhagam, cut the sacred threads of four Brahmins, besides assaulting them at Ramnagar area here on Thursday, police said.
http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?NEWSID=%7B2B698B90%2D0538%2D4073%2D977F%2DE8FA5F421DDF%7D&CATEGORYNAME=TAMNA
December 28th, 2006 at 9:57 pm
we are the people who gave the world equality through the teaching of our books and gurus. It seen that we cannot boast that this is land there Lord Ram and the rest were born. Not till we collective distroy the evil. Let all NRI stand firm and say enough is enough
December 29th, 2006 at 7:59 am
Caste conciousness is so embedded in the minds of the ignorant that what often happens is …the victim becomes the perpetrator. The so called “low” caste starts to descriminate against the “lower” castes, and so the vicious cycle continues. On this point I agree with the writer above that we are all guilty in varying degree.
However, Brahman domination of day to day activities in India is so widespread that their stranglehold on the Indian subcontinent has risen from 30% control (1947) to a massive 60% (current). Yet they account for less than 5% of the total population. So , it is hardly true to say that the Brahman minority is “insignificant”.
The correspondent is also of the notion that I am anti-Brahman. Yes,I am against Brahmans who continue to identify themselves as Brahman simply because they were born into the caste . In Hinduism nothing can be further from the truth. You will be a Brahman if and when you practice as a Brahman. I have nothing against them provided there is equal opportunity for inter caste movement. Incidently there are scores of areas in India , namely Kerala, where caste descrimination exists even amongst Brahmans. This a a State with large Christian and Muslim minorities , yet we have Temples there where women as well as men of certain caste are barred from entering thus further endangering the existing Hindu majority into becoming a minority. Caste or any form of descrimination in any shape or size is wrong, something that your reader fails to understand. I know about descrimination . We have lived it in South Africa for decades , fought it and ultimately emerged victorious. The Dalits continue to live in a world of descrimination far longer than we have in South Africa. That must stop. There should be no argument here. We should be laying our lives out for these gentle souls without finding excuses to prolong their misery and suffering.You may not agree with my opinion but you have to agree that no matter how we attempt to plaster the truth, the victim remains the victim.
Jai Shri Krishna.
December 29th, 2006 at 3:02 pm
Hindus talk a lot and do very little. They have attained the highest philosiphical level, but lack the common sense to meet the challanges posed by the present day world. In U.S.A whites are the one who fought for the liberation of the blacks. It is the responsibility of high intellectual hindu class to act immediately to eradicate this evil practise. Millions of dollars are flowing from western world to convert these unpriviliged Hindu brothers and if we do not act at once, the Hindu’s will soon become an endangered species.
Santhosh Pillai
December 29th, 2006 at 9:11 pm
“India is so widespread that their stranglehold on the Indian subcontinent has risen from 30% control (1947) to a massive 60% (current). Yet they account for less than 5% of the total population.”
More nonsense, any evidence you have for these claims or fantasies of yours?
Your ignorance of India is telling when you make ludicrous claims like these, Indians who lived in India know the ground reality and who the dominant groups are.
You stilll haven’t answered why did the Dravidianist parties recently attack Brahmins if Brahmins are so powerful?
December 30th, 2006 at 6:46 pm
Untachability is evil act.Entier Hindu society come to gather & stop suche shamfull practise.We are one & equal,I hope through activity of NGOS .like Hindu Humanrights groups & other we could be able to eradicate such anti Human practise in all parts of Hindu society.
Thanks.
January 3rd, 2007 at 8:03 pm
After reading all the comments and responses back and forth, I decided to share a Happy Ending story with you.
In the late 1920’s, a young Brahmin boy of a small town in Maharashtra saw the condition of the untouchables. His grand father used to go to Harijanvas (where the village untouchables lived)to give discourses on Gyaneshwari Gita. This young boy used to accompany his grand father. What was confusing to him was the fact that his grand father, upon returning from Harijanvas used to take a bath in the front yard. The boy asked his grand father for the reason. He was told that, in those days it was difficult enough for a Brahmin to visit the Harijanvas. To satisfy the Brahmins of the village that at least he took bath upon return. That way he could continue to go and do his devotional work.
This boy went one day for a social dinner in the village. He saw that after all the Savarnas had eaton, the Patarari (the thali made of leaves) was literally thrown at the untouchable crowds gathered by the front door. The Harijans were quite used to this, to collect these leaves in hopes to find some leftover foods in them. The boy was very disturbed to witness this scene. He decided in his mind at that moment that when he grew up, he will do something about this situation.
His grand father instilled noble thoughts in him. To further his knowledge, he enrolled him in a Path Shala. The boy was very bright and in those days most bright young man went to UK to study further and come back to Bharat to become ICS officers or lawyers. But this young man remained in Bharat, studied the scriptures and many other shastras. Soon he started delivering discourses on various scriptures. Then came his time to put his plan into action. He started visiting nearby villages (from Mumbai). He would just get off any station, go into town with tiffin box in his hand. He would spend the entire day talking to the villagers, no matter who they were. Some times fishermen, some times Harijans. He told them about indwelling God and how He looks after us.
Slowly he built divine relationship with the people he visited often. Many of his regular listeners from Mumbai also joined him on these devotional visits. These were young educated people of Mumbai. Mostly the city folks only visit the villagers for Lot (food), Note (money) or Vote or during natural disasters. But these city folks were going selflessly, to build divine relationship. They gave these, mostly illiterate people God’s thoughts. From then on things started happening. Once the poor, neglected by the society people got the idea of divinty within, their self confidence, self respect and self esteem grew.
Our young man established a Vidhyapeeth in Mumbai. He used to hold Shibirs there. He invited Harijans along with the Brahmins and other Savarnas to attend. Initially, the Brahmins had objection to eat at the same time as the Harijans. But to this, it was suggested that they keep a curtain between the two sets of people. To this, the Savarnas felt ashamed of their own behavior. From then on, it was easy. It has happened many times since, that the Harijans from the villages will come to Mumbai and the Brahmins and other Savarnas will be their hosts. The brotherhood of man under the fatherhood of God was established. In some cases, the Harijans, fisherman, Adivasis and Vagharis will come from all over India and they will be accommodated by the Mumbai folks for a week, where they will be fed, their clothes will be washed with the rest of the household.
The Harijans are given the name Bhav Lakshi, people who give and cherish Bhav, warm, loving feelings. The fisher folks were told that their ancestors were Ved Vyas (whose mother was Matsyagandha) and Valmiki who was a Koli and a former robber. Also who is untouchable? Some one who does not have God (Chaitanya - Life)in them, meaning, dead. They were very much alive and looked after by God.
Last year, from the same group of people, a function was held where 80,000 Harijan couples did Abhishek on Shiv Ling from the water they had brought from their own homes and Prasad of Goud given to all which they had brought from home. This event took place in Amdavad.
This kind of work can not be accomplished overnight. It took this man over sixty years to see a day when Harijans and other Dalits are treated with respect and dignity. Today, Lakhs of people all over Bharat go for these devotional visits. Initially most work was done in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Today, it is everywhere in Bharat, from Tamil Nadu to Himachal Pradesh and Zhar Khand. This is not publisized much. But it is definitely silent but singing revolution.
As Ram commented, this is about upliftment of human kind. As Mr Chhiba suggested, Harijans are not asking for hand outs. They want Human Dignity. And as some one rightly said, it is not all Brahmins’ fault. There are many factors. Divide and Rule policy of the British was also at play and our politicians have learned this policy well and are using the same to devide the Indian masses, by race, caste, religions and economic conditions.
The man responsible for this revolution is none other than the Magsasay award recepient for Community Leadership and Templetion award recepient for Progress in Religion, Pandurang Shastri Athavale of Mumbai. Anyone interested in this Karya can visit Swadhyay.org. What I have shared here is only to inform the readers that something vital is being done. It takes devotion, hard work and patience.
Also, for all you enthusiasts who want to do something for the Harijans and other social issues of Bharat, it might be a good idea to relearn our history. I have found Mr. Maanoj Rakhit’s work very interesting. His site is: www.Maanojrakhit.com. He is a gentleman who lived in the West for some years and has returned to Bharat and has dedicated the rest of his life for Hindu Jagruti by writing books on the real history of Bharat and what has become of the Hindus and what we need to do to turn things around. His books are on site for anyone to read.
January 3rd, 2007 at 10:10 pm
No sincere spirtual person supports untouchability or any other social order that reduces the freedom of worship. All men, Brahmin, Kshatriya, … fail at the ideal. What we must do is succeed at the reality. Don’t donate money to temples that ban entry from anyone. Donate to temples that make it public that all are welcome. Fools learn when life kicks them.
The NRI’s have a voice in the money they send to India. Use that voice in India and elsewhere. but don’t expect solution, only improvement. There will always be men who see themselves as better than others - that is a major role of ego - this person can call himself a Nazi, Anglo, Black, Muslim, Brahmin, or Dalit. The title is irrelevant. The mentality, the ideology is key.
hariaum
January 5th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
IF THERE IS ONE THING THAT CAN DENEGRADE HINDUISM IT IS THE CAST SYSTEM. CAST SYSTEM SHOULD BE WIPED OUT. IT IS FAIR TO JUDGE ON THE ABILITY OF HUMANS BUT NOT DUE TO THEIR CAST.ALL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS SHOULD LABEL IT AS A NEGATIVE ACTION. ERADICATION AND HARMONISATION OF ALL HUMANKIND SHOULD BE PROMOTED. THIS IS THE ONLY FUTURE WAY.
January 7th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
Did anyone read the article ‘Face to Faith’ back in November and the reply ‘Caste prejudice has nothing to do with the Hindu scriptures’?
The Guardian having already allowed articles that attacked our temples are now allowing attacks on our scriptures.
‘Face to faith’
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1951144,00.html
Hinduism must get rid of its hateful caste system, says David Haslam
Saturday November 18, 2006
REPLY
‘Caste prejudice has nothing to do with the Hindu scriptures’
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1967431,00.html
Abuse of the caste system is a problem, but India’s constitution enshrines equality, says Nitin Mehta
Friday December 8, 2006
January 12th, 2007 at 11:59 am
Resistance between several communities is common in all religions and countries. Recently you can clearly watch it in Iraq between Shias and Sunni muslims. You can even see war between several christian communities too. They differ with the names of Bapatist, Catholic, Methodist etc. Then you also see the colour descrimination between white and black.
But raising these issues on political level has has pulled down the progress of the whole backwarf community in India. Giving names of DALIT or HARIJAN does not improve the situation but change the identity only. The basic floor level work we are missing and that is only education that can give them better status in the society.
Educated section of the backward community is not untouchable and they are working at good jobs coordinating with other communities but in the illiterate villages, situation is not improved and political leaders desire for the status quo is associated with malafide intension to continue casshing votes from these communities. Thses vote banks have spoiled the whole system in India. Promoting reservation for over three generation has created a section of creamy layer in lower caste who are now much interested to grab all the benefits of that section only.
It is a long discussion but the best solution is to provide the supermost facilities for education only and then stand them to compete with others on same level so that they gain confidence, self respect and virtual progress.
January 12th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
I agree with RA. Education to free the mind (as opposed to indoctrination) is the only way to create an egalitarian society - which I find an admirable goal.
Creating rigid social niches is a problem that needs to be overcome: a constitutional creation of a muslim caste or non-hindu caste or non-white caste… Once these rigid categories of identity are codified into law we create and sustain inequity. Inequity can be useful, ie you wan a well trained doctor not the average jo; or you want to improve the status of a social group that has experienced discrimination hisotrically. But such an inequity - one seeking justice - also needs to be non-rigid and temporally limited. - in effect we need to change the laws to make the laws blind to social status (UCC) but fully cognizant of the impact of unfair opportunity to the individual.
hariaum
January 21st, 2007 at 12:40 am
Until we stand AS ONE we are not going to reclaim our rightful place in the world.
In a world where the buttheads of the press, and the opportunists like Keith Vaz and his buddies in the Asian Voice and the “main stream” Hindu Organistations and a foreign lead government leads the India we are going to get no where.
WE ARE ALL CHILDREN OF THE VEDA’S.
To hell with who did what to who, and who is to blame… the Brahmins and the Dalits have their own karma… but the rest of us can create a Hindusim that aheres to the wonder of the VEDA’s.
It will not be easy.
But we will have to take a “pure” hindusim back to the motherland and apply it like a soothing balm on the wounds of inequality that still exist persist.
No one will do it for us…
it is up to us.
The VEDIC 300 awaits your applications for inclusion…
January 27th, 2007 at 10:28 am
There is no Caste System in true Hinduism as reflected in the Vedas, Upanisad and Bhagwat Gita.
In Rig Veda, it is written, “Brahman of glory is he to whom both the Aryans and the Dasas belong” (Book VIII, Ch 8, verse 9).
Sri Krishna in Bhagwat Gita said, “I look upon all creatures equally; none is less dear to me and none more dear” (Ch 9, verse 29). “All those who take refuge in me, whatever their birth, race, sex, or varna, will attain the supreme goal; this realization can be attained even by those whom society scorns. Kings and Sages, too seek this goal with devotion”(Ch 9, Verse 32,33).
Mahavir of Jain religion also said, “By deeds, not by birth, is one a Brahmin. By deeds one is Ksatriya, by deeds is one a Vaishya and by deeds is one a Sudra” (Uttara dhyayana Sutra, 25,3).
January 27th, 2007 at 10:35 am
Swami Vivekananda wrote, in ‘On India and Her Problems’ that, “ I consider that the great national sin is the neglect of the masses, and that is one of the causes of her (India) downfall.” Down the centuries he wrote, “..the rulers and the dominant castes neglected the interests and the lot of the simple people, and that was one of the greatest social evils”.
Swami Vivekananda asked every Indian to say with pride: “Wretched Indians, poorest Indians, illiterate Indians are my brothers”
January 27th, 2007 at 10:39 am
Well done DB
There is no Caste auhorized by the RV. Nor is there Vegetarianism. Nor Ahimsa. Nor Ram Nawni. Janan Ashtmi. Hanuman Jayanti etc.
YET these are the darlings of the Sanatanist Dharma of of I have been born into.
Bottom-Line. We have lost who we are and in desperation we cling to marginal issues whihc then denegerates this once Great Faith that held sway over ALL of ASIA MINOR, India (The continent) and Europe.
ACTION
Return to the CORE - THE RG VEDA
Veda Shakti!
January 28th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
Uh oh… i also forgot to ask..
Holocaust day is converted into
http://www.jewishtelegraph.co.uk/man_1.html
so should we also move in…. at last 60 million hindus died under islamic sword in mughal empire… then after partation a masscare of hindus agains in millions occured in pak and bangladesh..
Oh oh, its due to palestein, how can i interlink kashmir and palestein… just what we dont know that father of Palestein National movement is Amin Al Husseini… who contacted india in 1921 on question of caliphet, entered india in 1923, after return of his brother Jamil al husseini from india …. and placed a mile stone for paration of india…. he was also chief guest in Party for formation of Pakistan
he is also refered in Mopla riots …. as Haji Mohammed… Full name Al-Hajj Mohammed Amin al Husseini…. so lets give tribute to those millions too… if its now a open Genocide memorial day …..
will UK Hindus will come further to give tribute to those millions?
February 25th, 2007 at 5:14 am
Having gone thru the artice by Mr. Raju Patel, I wish to offer the following comments.
Mr Patel says “Untouchability is the biggest curse on Hindu society. Over the years, caste rigidity has gradually decreased, and continues to do so. This is partly due to the work of Hindu saints who have promoted important reforms in Hindu society, as well as affirmative action policies run by the Government of India”.
I believe that the extent of so-called ‘untouchability’ in the present day society is gross exaggeration. I am forty years old and have lived in MP, TN and Delhi. MP and TN has the largest numbers of people known as the Scheduled Castes/Tribes. Till date I have not seen a single instance of untouchability.
The author says that caste rigidity has gradually decreased due to the work of Hindu Saints and affirmative action policies of the GOI. However, he has chosen to ignore the role of crores of ordinary Indian people who have never practiced any form of untouchability and indeed many don’t even know that a caste system exists until they interact with the government.
I came to know that I belong to the Brahmin caste only when I applied to various institutions in Tamil Nadu for pursuing a B.Com course. The forms typically had the columns SC, ST, MBC, OBC, DNC, PH and OTHERS. I distinctly recall that I had to find out to which category I belonged. I was ofcourse denied admission despite scoring 67% marks way back in 1982.
The govt forced me to find out my caste and announce it. Then the same information was used to deprive me of my educational opportunity. The so-called affirmative action policy is a direct attack on the well known criminal law – that no person can be forced to testify against himself.
The affirmative action policy far from ridding society of untouchability, actually promotes it. In the eyes of the government I was an untouchable hence I was denied an educational opportunity that was rightfully mine.
The govt has a policy for the benefit of SC/ST/OBC/MBC/DNC, but not even the minutest benefit accrues to even the poorest of the ‘non-reserved class’. Today the social-justice minded politicians have become the single biggest promoters of untouchability in the society.
So far as denial of entry to the ‘dalits’ in temples is concerned, I would like to request and appeal to the so-called upper castes people to renounce religiosity and abandon all temple/ stone worship and live life the way I live.
February 26th, 2007 at 2:53 am
“called upper castes people to renounce religiosity and abandon all temple/ stone worship and live life the way I live.”
You seem to be another Hindu with half baked knowledge about dharma making authoritative comments, see it’s the so called progressive lot like yourself that piss off low castes (atleast technically) like myself with your holier than thou attitude thinking that upper castes are the only ones who go to mandirs and finally it’s not stone worship you retard, it’s called murti puja.
Maybe you can tell us how you live your oh so holier than thou life, cuz we are all in need of enlightenment from ur illustrious self.
December 27th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
I think cast system shud never been invented it is the most harsh thing people can suffer from. Its not as if GOD told us to treat people 4rm dfifferent cast differently. As far as i know GOD created everyone and everyone has the right to get treated equally. If bramins can perform pooja to GOD that doesn’t mean low cast people cant perform pooja to GOD they still do. If GOD as no objection against people from different cast then why should we human beings act so cruel towards people from low cast?