14-10-2012     

                                    THANTAI  PERIYAR

E. V. Ramaswamy Naicker popularly known as “Thantai Periyar” (17-9-1879 – 24-12-1973)  from Erode, Tamil Nadu, was a great Nationalist and Revolutionist. He emphasized ‘Communal Representation’ in the Political power of India.  He was a Congress Leader during the period between 1919 and 1925. When he left it in 1925, he is reported to have described the Congress Party as a ‘den of Brahmins’.  He strongly advised for abolition of Caste System from the ruling of India.

            On 27-8-1944, Thantai Periyar started his own Political Party called “DRAVIDA KAZHAHAM”. His basic Philosophy was ALL MEN AND WOMEN SHOULD LIVE WITH DIGNITY AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP THEIR PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL (MORAL) FACULTIES BY PUTTING AN END TO ALL KINDS OF UNJUST DISCRIMINATIONS AND TO PROMOTE SOCIAL JUSTICE AND RATIONAL OUTLOOK. For achieving this goal, he advocated ‘ Communal Representation’ and demanded Reservation for non-Manuwadis  and Minority communities as a sine qua non of removing inequalities and injustices.

            The firmly entrenched and deeply rooted Social evils in India centre around the existence of the ‘Caste system’ – a Varna-Jaathi Vyavastha – which has been incorrectly perceived as a basic and inseparable part of the Theory and Practice of Hindu religion as sanctifying the stratified hierarchy or graded inequality.  The beneficiaries of this FEUDALISTIC SOCIAL STRUCTURE are the Creamy layer of the upper caste Manuwadis WHO HAVE ENORMOUS MATERIAL RESOURCES AND MENTAL CAPABILITIES OBTAINED THROUGH UNJUST PRIVILEGES AND EXCLUSIVE TRADITIONAL ADVANTAGE.

            Instead of abolishing ‘the Caste system’ from the ruling of the Country, Parliamentary Politics has further divided the Caste system into thousands and thousands of Castes and Sub-castes based on the outdated principle that “A THORN HAS TO BE REMOVED BY THORN ONLY”. It has also divided Dalits’ elite between different Political Parties dominated by upper caste Manuwadis.  How can the Leadership of the Dalits be built when it is nipped in the very bud ?. The term “Dalit” means the “crushed” and “broken” under the weight-age of different types of inequalities, such as, ECONOMIC INEQUALITY.  The Dalits’ elite as the Creamy layer of the Aborigines of India often aspire to Leadership positions in Politics but they have been systematically financially strangulated and throttled  down in varying ways.

            ALL DALITS ARE NOT PAUPERS BUT THEY ARE THE VICTIMS OF CENTURIES OF ‘PROTEIN DEFICIENCY’ AND ‘MALNUTRITION’ HAVE MADE THEM DUDS AND DULLARDS, PHYSICALLY WEAK, MENTALLY RETARDED, SOCIALLY SUPPRESSED, ECONOMICALLY IMPOVERISHED AND CUTLTURALLY DEGRADED.   

                                                                                                            JOSEPH NADAR

INDIA - A "DREAMLAND" FOR OTHER COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD

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            INDIA – A DREAMLAND - FOR OTHER COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD

3000  B. C.                The West Asians and Europeans came to India to get natural resources from Dream land “India”.

                                    FIRST INVASION BY WEST ASIAN

326 B. C.                    The first invasion of India was made by none other than

                                    Alexander the Great, (a West Asian King from Macedonia).  He defeated Porus at the battle of Hydasper.

                                    SECOND INVASION BY AN ARAB

                                    The Aryans were spectators of western thirst for Indian articles for many centuries. But at last, they attacked India.

712 A. D.                    Muhammad-bin-Kasim attacked India. Plains of river Indus witnessed many attacks thereafter.

1191 A.D.                  Muhammad Ghori attacked Prithviraj Chauhan and defeated him.

                                    MOHAMMEDAN RULE

Muhammad Ghori  has founded Mohammedan rule in India for more than 500 years since 1191 A. D.

Since 1191 A. D.      Many Mohammedan rulers            from Slave Dynasty, Khilji Dynasty, Thuglaq Dynasty and Mughal Dynasty conquered the hearts of Indians and ruled over them.

1482 – 1560              Babur , a Muslim Conqueror from Central Asia entered India

                                    with 12000 strong army.  He was the one who laid the base for the Mughal Dynasty in India. His real name was ‘Zahir ud din Muhammad.  As a Turkish ruler, he conquered Afghanistan  to expand his empire. In the battle of Panipat, Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodhi and took over Delhi and Agra. Babur used guns, cannons, and bombs against the unarmed Indians. He was the one who brought the Persian culture into the Indian Sub-Continent

                                    EUROPEAN INVASION

1498                           Vasco da Gama of Portugal tried to reach India via sea route.  The new route sowed the seeds of rivalry among the British, Portuguese, Spanish and French exploiters of dreamland “India”.  They themselves fought for supremacy to exploit Indians and the wealth of their mother land. The reason being there were no unity but there were frequent battles and wars amongst the Kings of small Kingdoms in India and the ruthless foreign Invaders took undue advantage of the situation.  Ultimately and gradually, a British Government Company called “English East India Company” became supreme.

1482 – 1560              Babur a Muslim Conqueror from Central Asia

1758                           Robert Clive of Britain became the first Governor-General of Bengal. This paved the way for Christian Rule in India.

1857                           The first war of Indian Independence broke out at Meerut to put an end to the ruthless exploitation of the East Indian Co. Mangal Pande became the first martyr of Indian Freedom Struggle.  No direct rule of Britain could quench the thirst for freedom. So the rulers tried to divide and rule this great Dreamland “India”.

1885                           Indian National Congress as Liason Organization between Indian people and the British rulers was constituted. Later it became the symbol of freedom struggle. 

1903                           People stood against the division of Bengal on the basis of religion.

1911                           The Government was forced to cancel the division.  National anthem written by Rabindranath Tagore echoed in the Calcutta session of Indian National Congress and the British Indian Capital was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi.  But at the heartland of India, the British rulers tasted that each and every inch of this great country “Dreamland India”  was craving for freedom.

13-4-1919                  Jhalianwala Bagh massacre at Amritsar took place. Tagore renounced his Knighthood as a protest against this massacre.

                                   

Fallacy of dividing people based on Caste System

Fallacy of dividing people based on ‘Hindu Caste System’ to rule over them

1.         Caste System which is about 5000 years’ old in India, is traced back to the Epic Writing by Rishi Vedvyas, who is the son of Maharshi Parashara. Parashara Maharshi wrote the ancient book called ‘Vishnupuranam’.  Puranam is a dramatic exposition of one’s  imaginative conscious ideas as contained in Vedas such as “Justice” , “Mimamsa”, Dharma Shastram”.  With appropriate illustrations and examples, the Puranam or Puranas highlight the consequences of one’s actions, inactions, duties, functions, injustice, happiness, sorrowfulness, hatred, attachments, detachment or moksha from such day to day individual experiences in life.  The principles contained in the Vedas – Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, Atharva Veda and Shastras are demonstrated with very apt anecdotes for the reader to understand with piety. “Vishnupuranam” is the oldest of all Puranas. Later on, based on his father’s book “Vishupuranam”, Rishi Vedvyas is stated to have written 78 Puranas about 5100 years back.  The doubt about the exact years in which they were written arose somewhere during the period between 700 and 600 B. C. 28^th Quartet, in Chapter –IV, Part-I, Prati-Sargam of the Book ‘Bhavishya Maha Puranam’ in Sanskrit, reads as follows:-

            “Indiryani Damithua

            Yehalmmya Dhyanaparayanaha

            Thus maat Adama Namasaau

            Patni Havyavathi Symyatha”

Meaning - With the able qualities of slaying of wild senses and worshiping of the supreme soul in mind, Adam and his wife Eve (Havyavathi) take birth. God creates a beautiful Garden of four kosam and sends Adam there. As Adam reached the foot of a sinful Tree in the Garden, he was attracted to “Kali” (Satan) in disguise of a serpent, eats the fruit of the Tree and immediately arouses in him a poisonous promiscuity and makes a carnal sexual relationship with Eve.  Somewhat similar story is narrated in the First Book of Moses commonly called ‘Genesis’, Chapter-2, verse-7, “then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. And the Lord God planted a Garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed.”  In Verse 18, it is written,  “then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”  In verse 21, it is written, “So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; and the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.”  Vishnupuranam says, Adam and Eve beget a son Svethanamavu (Seth) whose son is called Anuhan (Eons ). The descendants from Adam and Eve upto Noah in the Bible are also similar in the Bhavishya Puranam, such as, Kenasan (Keenan), Mahallan (Mahallalel), Lomahan (Loomed), Nuhan (Noah). Similar descendants of Noah upto Abraham in Bible are also co-incidentally similar in Bhavishya Puranam in Sanskrit.

2.         As far back as Kali Year 5095 i. e. Christian Era 2000, Christ in name of Esau Messiah appears. Jesus Christ in Hebrew  language is Esau Messiah. At that time, the Mlecha country was ruled by Sakapati.  In the mountainous region of Hunk country, the King happened to meet a strong, shining and beautiful young man with white costumes. The King asked the young man, “Who are you?” With a smiling face, the young man answered, “I am the Son of God, born in the womb of a Virgin.  My name is Esau Messiah.” In the 23^rd Quartet, Chapter-2, Part-III, Prati-sarga-parvam of Bhavishya puranam, it is written in Sanskrit as follows:-

            “Ko Bhavanithetham Praha

            Sahovachamudhampithaha

            Issa Putram cha mam Vidhi 

            Kumari Garphasampavam xxx

            Aham Issa-masiha Namah ”

3.         Rishi Vyasa was the son of the Maharshi Parashara and his devoted wife Satyavati. A great Rishi himself, Vyasa divided the Vedas into four – Reg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and Atharva Veda.  He wrote 78 Puranas.  He also wrote the revered Epic ‘Mahabharata’  where he included himself as one of the characters.  His character was as the role of the father of Dhritharashtra, Pandu and Vidura or grandfather of both sides – Kauravas and Pandavas.  The holy ‘Bhagwatgeeta’ is a part of the Mahabharata.  Bhagwatgeeta  is considered as the basis of ancient Indian culture and tradition. Vyasa emphasized that “helping others in need is a good deed and hurting others is an earthly sin”.  Vedvyas’s main character is “Bhagwan Krishna” who gives invaluable and priceless advices to Panduputra “Arjuna” in the Kurushetra battlefield, and encourages him to fight the inevitable life’s war when Arjuna himself was felt lost, disappointed, disillusioned, discouraged and fully confounded as to what to do – to fight or not to fight, the war thursted upon him – a narrow choice.  Krishna exalted Arjuna to do his duty / dharma as a Kshatriya, remembering his tutelage without expecting any return, reward, fame  or consequence.  In Bhagwatgeeta, in Chapter-4, Verse-13, it is stated to the effect that “I am the Creator of ‘Four Varnas’.  This I have made according to three different Gunas – Satuagunam, Rajogunam and Thamogunam and as per different ‘karmas’ ( For example – some people do their duties  with the expectations of return, reward, remuneration, name, fame etc. when, still some other people, do their duties without any such expectations in return. Even-though, I am the Maker of the Varnas, I disown having made them, and I do not take the responsibility of having divided the people into the four Jathi/varnas.” In Sanskrit, the sloga reads as under :-

            “Chaturvarnyam Maya Srestam

            Gunakarma Vibhagasa

            Thasya Kartharamapi mam

            Vidhyakartharamavyayam”.

Again in Chapter-5, Verse -14, it is written as follows:-

            “Na Karthrutham Na Karmani

            Lokasya Srujati Prabhuha

            Na Karmaphalasamyogam

            Sophavasthu Pravarthathe”.

Meaning – God does not take any responsibility for any act nor deed done by men nor create any karma for the creatures of the world. Similarly, God by remaining neutral, does not award or reward anything for the acts or deeds done by the men or creatures. It is the Nature which works for or against the creatures.

4.         In “Annihilation of Caste” , Bharat-ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar quoted extensively from the Shastras and said that the Shastras are the root cause or origin of the social evil of the Caste System in India – ( i. e. division of Hindus as Brahmins, Shatriyas, Vaisyas and Shudras ).  But, in his response to the Annihilation of Caste, Mr. M. K. Gandhi, who was a headache for the British  as he did not budge from a decision made by him, stated to the effect that -

            “The law of Varna teaches us that we have each one of us to earn our bread by following the ancestral calling ” –

Harijan, July 18, 1936.

This is not acceptable. However, Mr. Gandhi admitted that Dr. Ambedkar is not the man to allow himself to be forgotten.

5.         According to Dr. Ambedkar, “Shastras do enjoin as a religious duty the observance of Caste and Untouchability”.  Untouchability is subsequently abolished by Parliament by amending the Indian Constitution, but the Caste System which is aimed at dividing the people of the Indian main-stream Society, into four compartments,, such as Brahmins, Shatriyas, Vaisyas and Shudras, is yet to be abolished or discontinued by passing an appropriate clarificatory legislation at an appropriate time. Dr. Ambedkar, rejoins, “ If Caste and Varna are convertible terms and if Varna is an integral part of the Shastras which define ‘Hinduism’, I do not know how a person who rejects Caste, i. e. Varna, can call himself a Hindu ?.  Dr. Ambedkar states to the effect that “Mr. Gandhi has almost in everything the simplicity of the child with the child’s capacity for self deception. The Mahatma wanted to play a double role - of a Mahatma and at the same time, a Politician. As a Mahatma, he wanted to spiritualize Politics.  Whether he has succeeded in it or not, Politics have certainly commercialized him.  A Politician must know that Society cannot bear the whole truth and speaking the whole truth is bad for politics.  The reason why the Mahatma was always supporting Caste and Varna was because he was afraid that if he opposed them he would lose his place in Politics.  Whatever may be the source of his confusion, the Mahatma Gandhi was deceiving himself and also deceiving the people by preaching Caste under the name of Varna”.

6.         The name of ‘Hindu’ or ‘Kafir’ as called by Mughals is a foreign name.  It was given by the Mohammedans (Mughals) to the natives for the purpose of distinguishing themselves.  The word ‘Hindu’ does not occur in any Sanskrit works prior to the Turkish Invasion (Babur with 12000 strong Army ) defeating Ibrahim Lodhi, by using guns, cannons, and bombs against the unarmed Indians in the battle of ‘Panipat’ and as such, Hindu Society as such was not in existence. It is only a collection of Castes, as per Dr. Ambedkar.

7.         As per ‘Asthanga-malaha-Sthotram’ by Shankara Bhagwat Father, One is not a Man or God or Yaksha. Neither is Man a Brahmachari, a Family Man, nor a Forest Dweller.  Neither, is he a Brahmana, Shatriya, Vaishya, nor Shudra. Man is his inner Consciousness.  See the following Sthotram in Sanskrit :-

            “Naham Manushio, Najadevatho, Yakshaha

            Naham Brahmachari, Grahasthaha, Vanaprasthaha

            Na Brahmano, Shaktriya, Vaishya, Shudraha

            Aham Bhodha-Sorupaka“.

In the light of the above,  there is a total fallacy of dividing the people of Indian National Society on the basis of “Hindu Caste-System” for the purpose of ruling over them.  It is therefore imperative to build up an Equalitarian Society amongst the Indian masses.

                                                                                                JOSEPH NADAR

12-07-2012