Udit Raj

Stark Truths Of Hinduism

From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 5, Issue 42, Dated Oct 25, 2008
Read original article by clicking here.

RIGHT-WING HINDUS never had any issue with Christians or with conversion when it came to using — and exploiting — Christian institutions. They have had no problem in availing Christian medical facilities. No abhorrence has been evinced toward convent schools, where the so-called upper castes were taught the English that got them jobs abroad and enabled them to articulate their views at global forums. That changed around 1998, when the BJP came to power. Targetting Christians became politically useful. A massive campaign was launched against Sonia Gandhi, making an issue of a person of foreign and Christian origin wielding power over a Hindu majority country. It culminated in the hatred for Christians, who are now seen as villains instead of the gentle community they had hitherto been known as.

Wisdom lies in understanding the causes which escalate the processes of hatred. So it becomes our responsibility to fathom the mystery of conversion, usually assigned as the basis for attacks on Christians. The RSS, Bajrang Dal and VHP blame those said to offer inducements to convert; they also accuse the global Church of pumping money into India to influence the country’s have-nots. In such a context, the word ‘conversion’ becomes synonymous with ‘terrorism’, a connotation that could not be further from the truth. What does conversion mean except the choice of another faith or ideology? Laws against conversion are in operation in several states and, to date, not one case has been reported where a conversion was made in the greed for inducements.

What worries the Sangh Parivar is not the welfare of dalits but a possible reduction in upper-caste Hindu numbers. Their prejudice is so entrenched that they are not in a position to sense the agony of those who suffer under the caste-based system. In general, Hindu believers treat the disadvantaged as sinners reaping the fruits of a past life. Thus, a leper is to be shunned; the exploitation of dalits is justified. On the contrary, a Christian finds an opportunity for spiritual fulfillment in serving the leper and healing the sick. Before they build churches, Christians normally build schools and hospitals.

“Why do major Hindu religious establishments involve themselves only in collecting donations and not in performing such community services?”

Let us examine the few hopes still left for Hinduism. Are dalits, tribals and members of backward groups allowed to become priests? Tall claims are made of dalits being trained to become priests or being welcomed to take up Hindu rituals. But, on the ground, the traditional situation has not changed. Though physical untouchability receded in the 20th century, the mental block remains.

The Hindu Right and the so called upper castes see ‘saving’ Hinduism as their mission. But, in this competition with Islam, Christianity and Buddhism, the superficial brotherhood shown by right-wing Hindu organisations toward tribals and dalits does not ultimately win their hearts. Unless the problems inherent to Hinduism are addressed, conversion can never be stopped. A Christian marries his or her co-religionist; a Muslim does the same. Is that possible for Hindus across caste? Are the upper castes ready to welcome reservation for their Hindu brothers? Is their society ready for inter-dining and for inter-caste marriages? Without these conditions being fulfilled, no one on earth can stop the rejection of Hinduism by the socalled lower castes. The so-called upper castes can only stop conversion if they introspect, eradicate the evil in the caste system, and visualise themselves in a situation where they and their families are carrying human excreta on their heads. Then, they will feel the suffering of those condemned to do so for life.

Udit Raj is a Dalit activist

Posted on: October 21, 2008

 


US should stop caste virus

By Udit Raj
As published in chapter 38 of his book, Dalit & Religious Freedom, 2005. Also, published in appendix three of Dalit Freedom by Joseph D’souza.

America is really a melting pot of various ethnics, traditions, cultures, and civilizations; though India too claims it, but caste system has not allowed this to happen. Address of a person, physical presence, qualifications do not complete the identity of any Hindu, till he/she discloses the caste linkage. India houses a stock of population from Eurasia (Europe and Asia) through migration at different intervals of time. However, most of them still maintain their caste identity more than as fellow brothers or countrymen. Needless to say, US population is mostly of those from Spain, England, Denmark, France, and other parts of Europe. In less than 300 years, these migrants have become more American than what their ancestors were. People who migrated to America in earlier decades, have become Americans first. Dr. Rochinga Pudaite, based in Colorado Springs and running Bibles for the World, is proud of addressing himself as “We Americans”, although he migrated from India only 40 years ago. Almost all places of the world have contributed and still contribute their population to the stock of US and melt with each other, contrary to India. Aryans came to India about three thousand years ago, but have not melted with aborigines.

Any society or country can afford foreign wrath or worst type of calamity, but not internal conflicts for a prolonged time as in India. This has given birth to undeclared civil war. For about three thousands years, and before independence, India could not win a single battle against whosoever attacked and invaded, who were successful without much resistance. Two to three hundred Afghanis and middle east aliens had hardly any hindrance to reach Delhi. The simple reason was: division of Indians among four castes, namely, Brahmins on top of hierarchy who were supposed to have been born from the mouth of God, Kshatriyas occupying second slot were born from the arms of God and were assigned to protect boundaries of the country from invaders and establish law and order; the Vaishyas falling in the third strata of society were meant to carry out trade and commerce, their origin of birth being from the stomach of God. At the bottom were Shudras (Dalits) who were to do the menial and scavenging works whose origin was attributed to feet of God.

The quality of Indian soil and climate is excellent, but social system does not allow translating the fruits of modern democracy, technology and education etc.. British imperialism left behind many institutions like Judiciary, Bureaucracy, and Parliamentary systems. To run the parliamentary or democratic form of the Govt., political party is a must. People think that political parties are from the background managing the largest democracy in the world, but essentially it is the social system which is more effective. Competition among political parties is due to castes, rather than ideological or articulation of interests of various groups. Germany and other countries are having elections on issues like environment and unification of Europe, but our largest democracy has not yet solved minimum basic needs like housing, clothing, education etc.. Poverty and begging are justified under the garb of simplicity, spiritualism, and immaterialism.

Caste Hindus can give up anything, including their life, but caste attitude. In 1998, when I was invited to attend the first Dalit International Convention at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, it was unbelievable at first sight, but became a reality, when I attended. About 150 years back, British took Indians to Malaysia as labourers and assistants and eventually Indians made their homes there. More than one million Hindus are living there, but are still maintaining their caste identity. Dalits living in Malaysia have lots of grievances, which is not a contribution of the concerned soil, but virus went with them. So far, no medicine has been manufactured that can kill the caste virus. However, Lord Buddha did try, and effectively too, but counter-revolution demolished Buddhism. All Buddhist temples and even remnants were destroyed, and we are knowing through the accounts of Chinese travellers and other sources that once upon a time there was a great Buddhist religion.

Last week, two cab drivers of Indian origin in the lower mainland in Vancouver, Canada, had an argument, and upper caste one assaulted and uttered casteist remarks against the dalit driver, who reported the matter to the management authority, and the other driver was suspended. How US can escape from this menace ?

Hundreds of thousands of Hindus are fast settling in San Francisco, Texas, and other parts of US. Are Americans aware of the virus which is spreading through them in the American society ? No doubt, Hindus are very intelligent and hard working and are doing well in computers and internet, but at what cost ? Are they being scanned through ? In early July 2004, I was on a visit to San Francisco and my host, who took me for sight seeing, informed me that Hindu community carries out caste and religious rituals including Kumbh Mela – a fair in which Hindus come together to perform Hindu rites – even in America. In fact, these rituals and customs are the sources of caste system and discrimination. Is American Govt. aware of these social activities which will imbalance the social equilibrium in future ?

In 2001, the UN Conference on race, caste, and related intolerance at Durban, South Africa, sensitized about victimization of dalits all over the world. As a natural corollary, so called upper castes faced, and are going to face, questions on social discrimination. But their simple and clinching answer would be – “It is our way of life”. Every wrong, and social discrimination is justified in the name of Hindu way of life, but when it comes to liberation of Afro-Americans in South Africa, these caste Hindus would be in the forefront to ask for restoration of human dignity and rights. Murder, rape, and torture of Dalits (Shudras) are the order of the day, and if anyone questions, the simple reply will be that it is the way of life.

The US attack on Iraq is a subject of their great concern, but injustice and worst form of discrimination of their own brethren – Dalits – is no matter of concern. It emanates from this philosophy, that Dalits are not human beings. When five Dalits were lynched for the carcass of so called holy cow in Jhajjar (Haryana) in 2002, this heinous act was supported by the statement of Vice President of Vishwa Hindu Parishad that as per Hindu scriptures, life of a cow is more important than that of Dalits.

Economic globalization is welcomed in India, but what about cultural globalization? Indian businessmen are fascinated by US businesses, work-culture, quality and efficiency, but when it comes to fulfilling social obligation, they take U-turn. Affirmative action for Afro-Americans and Hispanics no longer fascinates them.

Recently, Congress led Govt. has come at the Centre which promised to give jobs to Dalits in private sector, thereafter it met with big opposition from business houses. Media, business, films, export and import, education, modern technology, and other important fields are controlled by so called upper castes. They oppose anything which empowers marginalized people. Newly born, abandoned infants, can be eaten by dogs and animals, but if a Christian missionary gives them shelter in orphanages, RSS – an outfit of Hindu fundamentalists – will attack him saying that he is converting. In Hindu society, if any child is abandoned, it is because of his sins in past life, therefore he should suffer, and the child’s mother is a criminal because she gave birth to an illicit child. Unwanted girl child is also thrown away because woman has inferior position in Hindu society.

Two years back, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) took out a rally and procession in America, to infuse Hinduism among Hindus living in America, but Americans did not object to it. Hindu priests are not denied US visa on the ground that they will propagate Hinduism, but Christian missionaries are denied Indian visa. Why are Hindus afraid? US, proud of adjusting and amalgamating everyone coming into that country, will have serious problems in future due to this caste virus. If about 250 million lower castes have suffered the incidence of caste discrimination, any human being is duty bound to inform other human beings that they should not face such worst inhuman treatment. Nothing is greater than humanity, be it sovereignty of the country or the community interest.

I wish my fellow brothers in America do not carry this virus. I, being a dalit, do not mean that I don’t love Hindus living in US, but I love humanity more.

Posted on: April 20, 2007

 


Stop Forced Religious Conversions!

Opinion by Udit Rajimage as published in Outlook magazine, Sept. 22, 2006 (free registration required).

Has the Sangh Parivar and the Gujarat government sought prior permission of Buddhists and Jains to make them part of Hindu religion? If not, it is nothing but a case of forced conversion. The real danger to Hindu religion is from within because of its own weaknesses

The Sangh Parivar is not able to resolve the dangers looming large on the caste-based Hindu religion on its own. There is a saying that you should first try to resolve your differences on your own, and then consult your neighbours. But instead of taking recourse to either of these options, they start finding fault with Christians or Muslims — Jains and Buddhists have now become their latest targets.

On the 19th September, 2006, the Gujarat Assembly passed the Religious Freedom (Amendment) Bill stating that prior permission is required from the government before seeking conversion to any religion and as if this was not enough, Chief Minister Narendra Modi has done what has not been done anywhere else by declaring that Buddhists and Jains shall be treated as a part of Hinduism.

For certain limited purposes, in certain matters like marriages etc., Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs have been included in the ambit of Hindu religion in our Constitution — but in Articles 25 to 30 of Constitution, it has been explicitly stated that Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism are three separate religions. It is very clearly stated: ‘Every person in India, is equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right to freely to profess, practice, propagate religion.’ The Supreme Court and the Minorities Commission have also held the view that Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism are distinct identities — and are not a part of Hindu religion.

It is interesting that using the same Article 25 (Clause 2) illogic (read in isolation), Sikhs too should have been covered by the Gujarat bill. But the bill doesn’t do so. It has not declared Sikhs as part of Hindu religion out of cowardice. About two years back, when the RSS Sarsanghchalak, K.S Sudershan had declared in a statement that Sikhs were part of Hindu religion, the Sikhs had flared up and challenged the description, letting it be known that they were fully competent of looking after their distinct religious identity. The situation had became very volatile, and perhaps BJP is aware of the sensitivities of its Shiromani Akali Dal allies and its electoral fall-out, which is why Sikhs have been kept out this time.

But just consider how these religions came into being.

Buddhism came into existence in the backdrop of rampant social evils prevailing in the society when Lord Buddha observed that there was widespread violence, untouchability and discrimination against women. Humanity was his only concern and amelioration of the miseries of human beings his ultimate goal —and he laid down certain norms for achieving this goal. “I teach one thing and one thing only: suffering and the end of suffering” In real terms, it is not a religion but dhamma which means that human beings should do such deeds which should remove others’ miseries and bring happiness to others.

Similarly with Jain Dharma, as Lord Mahavira spoke out against the social evils and violence prevailing in the society at that time, urging the people to follow the path of truth and non-violence. Gurunanak Devji also fought against discrimination and religious dogma of those times and urged the people to follow the righteous path. All these religions came into existence on a parallel basis and not as an off-shoot of Hindu religion.

Till now only Muslims and Christians were being targeted by the Sangh Parivar —but now Buddhists and Jains are also on their agenda, but through the back-door. Has the Sangh Parivar and the Gujarat government sought prior permission of Buddhists and Jains to make them part of Hindu religion? If not, it is nothing but a case of forced conversion.

The fact is that a large majority of people in India are converting to Buddhism and Christianity because of the caste-based Hindu religion. According to my information, Buddhism is spreading very fast in our country. BJP is only trying to get political mileage by treating Buddhists and Jains as Hindus. The BJP and the Sangh Parivar somehow are worried that by 2066, Hindus in India will become a minority.

India is a secular country. Secularism simply means that the state shall not interfere in the personal and religious affairs of a person and religion would not be used as a political tool. By framing such laws as are against religious freedom, the Gujarat government has made it clear that a person shall have to take permission from the state for pursuing a religious faith of his choice.

Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and now Gujarat have made laws which stipulate that whosoever wants to pursue a religious faith of his free choice shall have to get prior permission from the government. This means that the governments —and the Sangh Parivar at large — shall get prior information about anyone wanting to change their religion.

As most of such people wanting to change their religious identity would be Dalits and people belonging to other weaker sections, is it very difficult to figure out what the Sangh and BJP in these states wish to do? They wish to be forewarned so that they are fully prepared to adopt all the means to prevent such conversions — through intimidation or by coercion.

Let us take for example the case of a Dalit who does not have any farmland. There are so many ways to coerce or intimidate him via rich and powerful farmers: By not hiring him as a farmhand. By not allowing him to pass through land or dividers belonging to rich and powerful farmers. By instigating and creating dissensions among his other Dalit relations. And if these tactics do not work, why, then there is always the time-tested method of implicating him in false cases.

By creating all sorts of problems for people wanting to change their religion would in all probability dissuade such people from converting to another religion. Such persons wanting to convert to another religion may be forced even to make a statement to the effect that they wanted to do so under pressure from a Maulvi or a priest. Under such circumstances, the Sangh Parivar and their governments will also get a handle to harass and torture Muslim and Christian priests.

Atrocities in any case are already being committed in many districts including Jhabua, Jabbalpur, and Dang on Christians. Presently, Christians are doing a commendable job through the convent schools in the areas of education and health for Dalits and other backward classes — but they would be forced to restrict their activities to the elite. It is an irony that the elite and the prosperous sections of the society are taking maximum advantage of convent education being imparted by the Christian institutions, but when the same Christian community wants to do something for Dalits and other backward communities, it is termed as religious conversion.

After all, the colonising British were also Christians and the upper castes happily served them as landlords, bureaucrats and in other capacities. If Christians and Muslims (remember the upper-caste Hindus working with the Moghuls?) give some benefits to such people, then everything is fine otherwise everything is wrong.

The Sangh Parivar wants Buddhists and Jains to accept the suzerainty of the Vedas. Have the Jains agreed to accept the supremacy of the Vedas over the Tirthankaras? Have the Buddhists agreed to accept Hinduism’s caste-system? The Sangh Parivar also forgets one basic fact: It was Dr. Ambedkar who gave a boost to reviving Buddhism on October 14, 1956 at Nagpur by initiating lakhs of Dalits into Buddhism along with himself:

I embrace today the Bauddha Dhamma, discarding the Hindu religion which is detrimental to the emancipation of human beings and which believes in inequality and regards human beings other than Brahmins as low-born.

Buddhism and Dr Ambedkar are in fact two sides of the same coin. BJP will only stand to lose if they adopt such tactics, as whatever small minority of Dalits who have so far been neutral towards BJP will be vehemently opposed to them after this move. The All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations and the All India Christian Council is holding World Religious Freedom Day on October 13-14 at Nagpur where activists will be coming not only from different parts of India but from all over the world and after this event, the struggle for religious freedom will be intensified not only within the country, but with the active cooperation of people from all over the world.

The Sangh Parivar have nothing to be afraid of Muslims or Christians who might be doing some conversions or spread of Buddhism at a fast speed. The real danger to Hindu religion is from within because of its own weaknesses. Thousands of instances have come to light when children from upper castes refused to take mid-day meals in schools along with Dalit children. Entry of Dalits to several Hindu temples is still prohibited. It is a great irony that there is not a single Dalit industrialist nor is there any Dalit heading an Import-Export House. According to a recent survey, out of 315 top journalists, there is not a single Dalit journalist. There are hundreds and thousands of celebrities in the country, but not even one of them is a Dalit. . Under these circumstances, the real danger to Hindu religion is from within and not outside. By remaining deprived within the fold of Hindu religion, what do they enjoy? Slavery, poverty, humiliation?

Dr. Udit Raj is Chairman, All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations and Indian Justice Party

Posted on: September 27, 2006