Periyar and Anti-Brahminism: The Gurukulam episode
Sundhar Soma
>A point on keeping track of periods. In the previous century some lower
<lots of stuff deleted>
>When Bharathiyar said interdining and intermarrying are the ways to eliminate
>castes, he was wrong. But we know that now (we interdine and still have
>castes) and no body knew better then. We can not fault Bharathiyar for his
>views which belonged to another era. Likewise for Periyar.
>
>Richard
Richard,
The problem and resistance is not on time-dependent views.
It is because of the result. Bharathi's views never produced any
hatred among people for one-another based on birth related
divisions. But Periyaar or atleast Periyaar's did precisely
do that.
I still beleive that the interdining, travelling together
like in trains etc.. helped the society to a large extent
to overcome untouchability. (Ya, probably borrowed view
from Lapiere & Collins ;)).
But your analysis is well taken.
-Cheers
Somasundhar
rpon...@oavax.csuchico.edu
When they converted to another religion and tried to cover their breasts
violence erupted. But it was in another time; another era.
Not too long ago (perhaps in some villages even now) lower caste women
were not allowed to carry metal pots (only mud pots), not allowed to carry
the pot on their hips (only on their heads) and not allowed to wear blouses
(only cover their body with their saree. When some disobeyed there has been
violence (we have been violent people). We don't discuss these issues today
because we have come a long way (except in some villages where even in the
seventies there was violence for wearing blouses).
A nettor had posted an article by Bharathiyar in which he (Bharathiyar) asserts
that the caste system will go only if we interdine and intermarry. That
comment belongs to that period (20's). Today interdining is not an issue
(there are no restaurents that have caste based seating. there are no public
institutions - hostels etc that prohibit interdining. Intermarrying has not
got any more followers today than it had in the twenties. The point is
Bharathiyar's comment on interdining and intermarrying should be read in
the context of that period.
Likewise Periyar's writings and speeches should also be put in the context
of the period. Let me narrate the Sermadevi Gurukulam controversey of
mid 20s.
In mid 20s Periyar was a senior member of the Congress Party. According to
many commentators of that period, Brahmmins dominated the Congress Party.
(In TN politics Brahmin dominance ended by the end of the 30's. This does
not mean they have no political power at all. They have had to work within
alliances. For example, a substantial block of Brahmin votes were
commandeered by Rajaji in 1967 to defeat the undivided Congress party and
bring DMK to power).
There was a residential school (Gurukulam) in Sermadevi (in Tirunelveli
District) run by V.V.S. Iyer (a well known freedom fighter). This school
received funds from the Congress Party (among other sources of funding) which
was interested in a crop of young educated people to carry on the freedom
struggle. Funds were also received from Chettiyars in Malaya (Now either
Malaysia or Singapore).
Some non-brahman students (from the upper end of the caste spectrum) complained
to Periyar that the school did not permit interdining. The brahmin and
non-brahmin students had to dine separately. Periyar tried to lobby for the
removal of this prohibition. He did not get support from the Brahmin
intellectuals (Even Rajaji's statements were lukewarm). More surprisingly
he could not even mobilise non-brahman intellectuals of that day (You can see
the seeds being sown for his self respect movement then).
These and other conflicts with the brahmin block in congress and his inability
to mobilise the non-brahmin block in congress for some of these issues (which
look quite reasonable by today's standards) led to his leaving the Congress
party in the late 20s.
He came to the conclusion that belief in the Hindu Religion was the reason why
people accept that their caste is lower in status that some other caste. Today
we know that caste is not limited to religion in TN. (How many christians
inter marry? How many christian pastors intermarrt?) His preaching of self
respect was along the following lines. "Why do you respect the religion that
does not respect you? If the religion says Brahmins are no.1 and you are
no.2 or 3 or 4 or 5, it is demeaning to be a follower of that religion."
Arasu Chellaiah
rpon...@oavax.csuchico.edu wrote:
DELETED.....
> In mid 20s Periyar was a senior member of the Congress Party. According to
> many commentators of that period, Brahmmins dominated the Congress Party.
> (In TN politics Brahmin dominance ended by the end of the 30's. This does
> not mean they have no political power at all. They have had to work within
> alliances. For example, a substantial block of Brahmin votes were
> commandeered by Rajaji in 1967 to defeat the undivided Congress party and
> bring DMK to power).
>
> There was a residential school (Gurukulam) in Sermadevi (in Tirunelveli
> District) run by V.V.S. Iyer (a well known freedom fighter). This school
> received funds from the Congress Party (among other sources of funding) which
> was interested in a crop of young educated people to carry on the freedom
> struggle. Funds were also received from Chettiyars in Malaya (Now either
> Malaysia or Singapore).
>
> Some non-brahman students (from the upper end of the caste spectrum) complained
> to Periyar that the school did not permit interdining. The brahmin and
> non-brahmin students had to dine separately. Periyar tried to lobby for the
> removal of this prohibition. He did not get support from the Brahmin
> intellectuals (Even Rajaji's statements were lukewarm). More surprisingly
> he could not even mobilise non-brahman intellectuals of that day (You can see
> the seeds being sown for his self respect movement then).
>
If I remember correctly, existence of two or three caste based
grades of catering in the gurukulam (in terms of quality of food and
dining place) was willingly or unwillingly accepted by every one concerned.
I am not sure whether Periyar knew about this or not. However one incident
dramatized this discrimination and Periyar became involved.
That incident is as follows...
A relative boy of Thiru Varadarajulu Naidu was staying at the gurukulam.
When he unknowingly tried to drink water from the pot kept exclusively
for the Brahmin boys, he was harshly treated. This boy's relative
Mr Varadarajulu Naidu was the President of Thamizh Nadu Congress party and
who was also one of the major donar to the Gurukulam. Born and raised
in a family which was unsurpassed in that reagion for its political and
economical power, this socially demeaning incident has rudely shocked
the boy. He wept and narrated the incident to Mr.Naidu. Along with him
Periyar and Thiru Vi Kalianasundara Mudaliar were the three pillars of
congress party at that time .( at that time period this trio was popularly
called Naidu, Naikkar and Mudaliar)
Although in the political power struggle the non brahmin camp was winning
it couldnot do much to correct the social ills. The non brahmin leadership
was divided in the issue of addressing the social injustice. Mr. Naidu
(who thinks Periyar's ideas with regard to social justice are too radical)
was deeply hurt over this but didnot think that he can do much to correct
the situation. His words to the boy was" Nee ithai chinna nainaavidam
chollu"( Go and tell this to Periyar). Rest is ofcourse history.
I think the seeds for self respect moment were sown even when Periyar
was only 6 or 7 years old. Some very intersting episodes invoving periyar
and the local social practices reveal this. I will post atleast one of
them later.
> These and other conflicts with the brahmin block in congress and his inability
> to mobilise the non-brahmin block in congress for some of these issues (which
> look quite reasonable by today's standards) led to his leaving the Congress
> party in the late 20s.
>
> He came to the conclusion that belief in the Hindu Religion was the reason why
> people accept that their caste is lower in status that some other caste. Today
> we know that caste is not limited to religion in TN. (How many christians
> inter marry? How many christian pastors intermarrt?) His preaching of self
> respect was along the following lines. "Why do you respect the religion that
> does not respect you? If the religion says Brahmins are no.1 and you are
> no.2 or 3 or 4 or 5, it is demeaning to be a follower of that religion."
>
You have touched another very interesting point. If one is converted
from hindu to christian religion his social status (caste)
remains the same and the varnashrama dharma is not challanged.For example
even among the faculty of some christian colleges, nadar christians, Pillai
christians and Scheduled caste christians operate as separate blocks in
Thamizh Nadu. It is also common to see churches exclusively built by and
for one caste.
This is not true for the conversion to islam.
A Scheduled caste hindu when converted to islam is treated equally
with other muslims in every way. Of course eradicating castes is against
hindu dharma and hell will break loose against any attempts towards that.
To cite an example, the conversion of lowercaste hindus to islam as
a means to escape from the ill treatment at the hands of uppercaste
hindus at Meenakshipuram several years ago comes to my mind.
BJP and RSS made a big hue and cry and many leaders of these organisations
including Atal Bihari vajpayee, (one of the top three leaders of BJP at
that time)
personally visited the Meenakshipuram and tried to make newspaper headlines
about this issue. The whole idea was to make a propaganda that "Islamic
countries give large sum of money and convert hinus enmass to islam.(hence
we should act fast or else India will become an islamic country)"
I donot know where these saviours of Hindu religion were when atrocities
were committed against the lower caste people.
Another parallel to this was the Ayoydhya temple and Babri mosque
issue that the BJP raised. The timing of this episode completely
exposed the hindutva movement. When the former prime minister
V.P Singh announced the implementation of Mandal commission report
which will ensure adequate representation of backward caste people
in the central govt jobs, the BJP which was a allied party in the
then V.P Singh govt wanted to stop this. The party again feared
that this will result in the abolition of caste inequalities
and hence the hindu dharma. The BJP party's spearheading efforts
to build Rama temple at the site of the mosque at Ayodhya,
saying that was the birth site of lord Rama, was to achieve two things.
1) to invite the secular minded V.P Singh to stop the temple building
movement
so that this issue can be used as a pretext to withdraw support for his
govt.
Naturally the govt will fall, taking with it the Mandal commission
report.
2) while doing this, divert the attention of the lower caste hindu
masses from the issue of social justice to that of religious fanatacism .
The majority hindu people of India can be rallied around under the
banner of BJP which guards hindu religion against the evil and foreign
influences
of islam. After capturing the govt, BJP can bury the mandal commission
report
as deep as possible ensuring caste stratification for ever.
> When Bharathiyar said interdining and intermarrying are the ways to eliminate
> castes, he was wrong. But we know that now (we interdine and still have
> castes) and no body knew better then. We can not fault Bharathiyar for his
> views which belonged to another era. Likewise for Periyar.
>
That is exactly why Bharathiar or Thiru Ramanujar couldnot make
a long lasting influence in the society through their attempts towards
social
reforms. Both of them didnot attack the basic foundation supporting
the social ills that is the hindu religion itself. Periyar born and raised
in a wealthy and deeply vaishnavaite family correctly identified this
and focused his efforts to attacking the roots of the social evils.
Due to his tireless efforts in this regard Indian subcontinent
changed forever.
> Richard
--
anbudan,
arasu chellaiah
Raghavan Jayaraman
and the incident can be considered in addition,to be origin for the the
hatred of EVR to some individuals in the congress party.
The donations for the institution came from individuals belonging to all
communities , private institutuions and Tamilnad congress also. At this
time of controversy EVR was the secretary of the Tamilnad congress. This
controversy dragged till 1925 when a resolution was moved on April 29
expressing regret for Congress having paid Rs. 5000 for this GUrukulam. The
remaining Rs5000, promised by Congress was held back EVR., which was later
released by joint secretary Santhanam, without EVR's knowledge. This is
said to have led EVR quit the congress party.
A resolution moved by S. Ramanathan that recommended that the gradations of
merit based on birth should not be observed by any organisation
participating in the national movement and appointing V. Thiagaraja
Chettiar, S. Ramanathan and EVR to help the Gurukulam, was voted for by 19
of 26 memebers and seven [Rajaji, Rajan, Vijayaraghavachariar, K.
Santhanam, Dr. Swaminatha Sastri and N.S> Varadhachari, voting against the
resolution. This is also said to have confirmed EVR's belief that Brahmins,
whether,progressive or traditionalists, were essentially communal in
outlook.
Thus evolved the Brahmin - Non brahmin tussle during 1920.
------
When EVR was charged with sedition he issued a statement in Justice, 6,
March, 1935.
.......The caste system has been the greatest obstacle to all progress,
political, economic and social and we therefore aim at eradicating the
evils based on that system. In the furtherance of this object we never aim
at inciting hatred between communities. Nor is it our intention to wound
the susceptibilities of any individual or community.......
It is my personal conviction that our programme has a greater chance of
realisation under the guidance of the British Government than under the
aegis of the Congress Raj.
-------------------
raghavan
Sridar Krishnamurthy
The truth is even now Caste issue prevails only with all othe rupper castes and not with brahmins. truth again is that most of the advanced theory and act came from brahmins only and they started acting in films etc and made many advanced improvement.