Re: [MEYKANDAR] What is RSS take on casteism?

[K. Loganathan]

Dear Dr Veerapandian

 

Thank-you very much for this message that is really timely. It has cleared some of my misunderstandings of RSS. I am fully in support of the RSS movements attempts and pratical moves towards the eradication of the VarNas and Caste differences among the Hindu people I am specially attracted to the endeavors to root out untouchability an evil that lasts to this day including in Tamil Nadu,

 

However I feel that RSS is not going deep enough to root out this evil.

 

First of all it appears to be that the real reason is not a true understanding of what Hinduism is but rather the FEAR that more and more Hindus specially the Dalits will become converted to Islam and Christianity as it has happened in the past and continues to happen even now.  So it is out of a kind FEAR of there being no more Hindus in India that RSS is coming out with various policies to stop this tide where destruction of Dalit identity is one while another is re-converting the Muslim and Chrisitian converts back into the Hindu fold. Ut is predicted that by 2050 India will have the world’s largest Muslim population exceeding even Indonesia.

 

Now if FEAR of dwindling numbers of Hindus is the real motive of RSS, then I feel that this is not a genuine movement of recovering the real roots of Hinduism but rather simply a political step arising out of political needs. What RSS aims at is the retention of political power by people who call themselves Hindus and hence would continue to support RamayaNa Mahabarata the Vedas Bagaavath Gita and so forth.

 

The real motivation of RSS is NOT the eradication varNas and castes but rather creating a group of people who would continue to support RamayaNa and so forth.

 

So here begins the problem.

 

All these epics and puraNas in Sk support directly or indirectly the VarNas (and hence indirectly the caste system)

 

So there is an inner contradiction in the RSS program to wipe out the VarNas and castes. While out of fear of conversions of Hindus to other religions they want to destroy caste distinctions but in continuing the support of the PuraNas and Itihasa that support the VarNas they contradict themselves.

 

To be consistent they must also dethrone the Vedas Itihasas and PiraNas  as THE AUTHORITATIVE scriptures and take them simply as  metaphysical literature of some interest and NOT the supremely authoritative for religious practices. Genuine Hinduism does not rest on the authority of scriptures but only on the authority of TRUTH (Satyam Eva jJayatee! MeyporuL kaaNbathee aRivu!))

 

In other words they must declare that Hiduism is NOT a religion at all but rather MeykaNdaariyam, a way of life that seeks out TRUTH and nothing else as it was the case during the time of Upanishads  TirukkuRal and that of Tirumular Meykandar and so forth

 

Once ‘MeypporuL kaNpoatu aRivu’ becomes the foundation of Hindu life as is MeykaNdariya Saivism, the varNas and castes will disappear. So will also the religious differences- they will become quite irrelevant. When only TRUTH matters, it does matter whether is a Muslim Christian Hindu and so forth. These designations lose their meanings

 

Loga

 

 

On 6 April 2015 at 15:46, veera pandian pann...@yahoo.co.in [MEYKANDAR] <MEYK...@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

In Tamilnadu, no one can openly support discrimination on the basis of caste.

Instead of continuing as the slaves of our past perceptions about RSS, why not we try to free ourselves, and explore avenues to collaborate with RSS to eliminate caste differences, especially in villages?

In the light of the following developments, the above question deserves serious attention by those who are open minded, and sincere to eliminate the caste discrimination.

1.Dr.Praveen Togadia recently spoke about non-Dalit Hindus ‘befriending at least one Dalit family’. The apex body of RSS passed a resolution to make ‘one well, one temple, one crematorium’ in all villages. Clearly some churning has been happening within the Sangh circles regarding the social discrimination existing in Hindu society.

As early as 1960s, M.S.Golwalkar had toiled against the social evil and brought together the heads of various Hindu religious institutions on one platform and made them pass a resolution against untouchability. Golwalkar was able to achieve this on the platform of VHP, at Udipi in 1966, within two years of the organisation’s birth.  Even Sanjeev Kelkar, a man highly critical of Golwalkar, admitted that it was an extraordinary achievement:

“…all the Dharmacharyas of the Hindus came together on a level platform. It indicated that all of them had given up (at least outwardly, or on such occassions) their egoistical insistence of their hierarchial privileges, their own sense of high and low among themselves. In one voice they declared that there is no sanction to untouchability in Hindu religion. On this instance, Golwalkar has been described to have been virtually dancing with joy, forgetting the normal restraint and decorum so characteristic of him.” (Lost years of the RSS, p.81).

However, in a letter written to the secretary of the Udipi conference, Golwalkar made it clear that he was neither expecting the resolution to be a mere symbolic victory nor for it to have any magical effects:

“The resolution on untouchability … cannot be translated into actual life by mere pious expressions. Centuries old prejudices do not disappear by words or wishful thinking. Hard work, right propaganda has to be undertaken from town to town, village to village, house to house and people have to be educated to accept and practice what has been resolved, not merely as a concession to the pressure of modern times but as an abiding principle and way of life, in a humble spirit of atonement for past mistakes.” The letter is dated 14-Jan-1970.

The third leader of RSS, M.D.Deoras, made a very analytical, hard-hitting speech against caste and untouchability in a major all-India RSS event in 1974. Within RSS circles, this speech, which had been reprinted many times and translated into all Indian languages, is considered almost a policy document.

Here, Balasaheb Deoras came out heavily against the traditional arguments in favour of caste system:

“Just because something is old, it need not necessarily be good and valid for all time. Neither should we think that since we have been living all these years on the basis of old principles, we need not even think on new lines…. Science has progressed, new inventions have been made.The whole environment has changed so fast. … .Therefore, it is inconsistent with the demands of modern times to insist on the hereditary varna and caste system. … Castes no doubt exist, but they have nothing to do with the preservation of social fabric. … What exists now is not system but disorder. Hence we should all put our heads together and think how to guide it – a system which has to die and is already dying must finally end and have a natural death.”

Coming to untouchability, Deoras paraphrased a statement attributed to Abraham Lincoln and declared:

“If untouchability is not wrong then nothing in the world is wrong. . . .if inter-caste marriage . . .takes place in a greater measure it will help to a very great extent in wiping out caste-differences and bringing about homogeneity in the society.”

He told the RSS members that each one of them ‘has to keep this in mind and subscribe towards bringing about social transformation; the change-over may take time, but it is bound to take place.‘

Hence, with regard to social justice, the fundamentals are clearly defined for the Hindutva movement. Yet, even after such a clear definition of ideals and aims, the “anti-Dalit, pro-upper caste” stereotyping of Sangh and affiliated organizations has been maintained by the media ideologically adverse to it.

http://swarajyamag.com/politics/getting-rid-of-the-caste-disease/

 

2. What is Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) take on casteism? How is RSS trying to root out the problem of casteism?

In Mudit Chauhan's answer to How can I get the RSS banned? he writes that RSS is trying to root out casteism. If it is true, it is indeed a laudable effort.
I would like to know the steps being taken by RSS towards the goal of removal of caste discrimination.

 

Hi Anoob,
 
First of all I wish to tell you the origins of the Caste System. There are basically four Varnas in the Hindu faith which are:
 
1. Brahmins - The Knowledge Bearers
2. Kshatriyas - The Warriors
3. Vaishyas - The Business Class
4. Shudras - The Service Class
 
Now in the ancient times a person was into a caste purely because of his "Professional Qualities" it was not "Birth Based" For Ex- The great Rishi Valmiki was not a Brahmin by Birth but because of his Knowledge he was called Brahmin. Similarly Bhagwan Parashuram was a Brahmin but because of his Warrior spirit is a Kshatriya same goes for Ravan.
 
In NO way one Varna is superior to the other as each have its own importance.
 
But Unfortunately over the time due to selfishness of people the caste system went on to become "Birth Based" instead of "Profession Based".
 
Now Let us put the Ancient Caste System in the Modern Context:
 
I am a Kshatriya(Warrior Caste) by Birth but right now I am a Shudra(Service Class) man as I am "Serving" in a Software Firm. My friend is a Vaishya(Business Caste) by Birth but is in the Indian Army so is a Kshatriya(Warrior Class). Another friend of Mine is a Brahmin(Knowledge Caste) but is now doing business so is a Vaishya(Business Caste).
 
I hope, Now, you understand that the Caste System WAS not Rigid but very Flexible.
 
Now how the RSS is fighting against this Rigid Caste System.
 
1. Charity begins from home and in the RSS there is a tradition of not taking your "surname" while you introduce yourself to someone as Caste does NOT matter in the Sangh and all are HINDUS and nothing else.
2. The RSS encourages inter community marriages so that this Plague of Caste system can be removed completely.
3. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad(A wing affiliated to the Sangh) brought all the Shankaracharyas from all over India on one stage and they collectively told the Hindu society to denounce this system.
4. RSS does Seva Karya(Service) in the form of schools, self help groups etc. in backward areas/tribal areas so that the people are assimilated into the larger society.
5. Dharma Jagran activities are Taken on a regular basis. For example, this new mission taken by RSS - One Well, One Temple, One Crematorium.

But as we know the Caste System has now become deep rooted in the Hindu Society and it will take time to remove it completely. But it is already beginning to die a slow death.
 
That is pretty much all from my side.

  

http://www.quora.com/What-is-Rashtriya-Swayamsevak-Sanghs-RSS-take-on-casteism-How-is-RSS-trying-to-root-out-the-problem-of-casteism

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Posted by: veera pandian <pann...@yahoo.co.in>

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[K. Loganathan]

Dear Dr Veerapandian

Thank-you but I am obliged to clarify myself with respect to your following note <Also the freedom included to accept or reject any schools,MeykaNdaariyam, Shaivam, Vaishnavam, Vedic, Buddhism, etc.  Let all scholarly debates go on without subjective emotions; whatever is proved right will be accepted in the course of time.>

While I am extremely happy that you mention MeykaNdaariyam but I do not think it is 'a school of thought". Perhaps you are taking it as the school of Saivism of Meykandar of Civanjana Botham.

But my use is different and it is NOT a school of thought but the very essence of existential struggles of all. I am trying to coin a word for "  authentic existence understood as seeking out TRUTH and nothing else"

I believe ALL religions metaphysical and scientific pursuits are efforts of man to understand TRUTH and are in fact expressions of MeykaNdariyam a way of life centring on seeking out TRUTH. This is related to Truth Universalism of the Tamils which is also a genuine universalism of all mankind.  Different people may disagree on various opinions ideas  and so forth but not on TRUTH. a TRUTH is a truth for all and for eternity.

I believe that Hinduism( or whatever you may call it) is founded upon MeykaNdariyam as such and which is also the foundation of all other world religions. At the moment they are FORGETFUL of it and I believe it is our duty to bring it back to the forefront of consciousness.

We Tamils are specially obliged as it is quite well developed in out traditional culture.

Loga

 

On 7 April 2015 at 16:08, veera pandian pann...@yahoo.co.in [MEYKANDAR] <MEYK...@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

1. Those with access to http://www.organiser.org/ & Rajiv Malhotra discussion group will concur increasing acceptance , especially among the well educated about the foreign origin of the word 'Hindu' & the need to replace it by a native origin word, and "Hinduism is NOT a religion at all but a way of life that seeks out TRUTH and nothing else". Hinduism offers the maximum freedom to an individual to worship any God, in any manner or not worshiping at all. Also the freedom included new cults ( like melmarivathur Adhi paraShakthi , just around 50 years old, etc). Also the freedom included to accept or reject any schools,MeykaNdaariyam, Shaivam, Vaishnavam, Vedic, Buddhism, etc.  Let all scholarly debates go on without subjective emotions; whatever is proved right will be accepted in the course of time.

2. Like Sankara mutts, all mutts, including TN Saiva Mutts have their own traditions. It is for them to make appropriate changes in response to the changing times. It can not be forced by others.

3. One's sincerity with respect to the elimination of the caste based social   discrimination will be tested through his/her actions in the absence of objective devices to measure  "the change of attitude".

4. Whatever viable at political & social level shall be encouraged as a good beginning, without any preconditions. If done properly, the next progress will come, in accordance with the law of nature.

5. After ensuring if a person is sincere & honest, not bothering whether RSS/DK/ etc, we need to identify the areas of agreement to coordinate, leaving the areas of disagreement to open minded discussions. We must not permit ourselves to be cheated by the social culprits with masks like RSS/DK/ etc.

S.A.Veerapandian

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From: "vichan hari vic...@gmail.com [MEYKANDAR]" <MEYK...@yahoogroups.com>
To: MEYK...@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, 7 April 2015 12:23 PM
Subject: Re: [MEYKANDAR] What is RSS take on casteism?

 

Dear friends,
I agree with the observations of Dr.Loganathan.  The sankara mutts and the other sadhus are there to prevent the change of attitude beyond the political arena.
If we want to believe the genuineness of RSS the change must come at the religious level. A social level talk, making friends with dalit families
etc are all just political eye wash.
Veda patasals must be opened to all. Any qualified  hindu can be a temple priest, heads of all traditional mutts, like the sankara mutt.
This will be a comprehensive reform of religion. Anything short of this will not do good

Regards
H.V.Viswewaran

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