We all are children of Bharat Mata, hence all are related by blood. It has developed as an integrated society for thousands of years. It has been an exemplar of an ideal human life to the whole world.
However, well informed people say that the stigma of untouchability has been there in this society for the last more than 1,000 years. Our own people have been victims of inequality since birth. They are untouchables as their fathers and grandfathers were also untouchables. Children born in these families were also considered untouchables from birth. Why so? For how long?
Despicable Act
There are poor people in all groups of Hindu society. No Hindu of any caste is told that ‘you are untouchable’. But it is unfortunate that only those born in Scheduled Castes families are considered ‘untouchable’. This is against humanity. There is no mention of untouchability anywhere in Vedas and Upanishads. It is against Dharma, against the Constitution, yet it exists in society. This is a psyche. It is social and cultural too – change needs to come. It is happening, but the pace is slow. For centuries, sants, social workers, gentry have constantly tried to eradicate inequality to bring ‘harmony’.
Unification of Hindu Society
It is despicable that we consider some people of our own society to be born in a lower class and have the arrogance to have been born in a higher caste. This feeling leads to such misdemeanour and misbehaviour.
In 1969, a religious confluence held in Udupi which was organised by VHP, was attended by all Jain, Buddhist and Sikh sants – Hindavah Sodaraha Sarve, Na Hindu Patito Bhavet. Mama Diksha Hindu Raksha, Mama Mantra Samanata (All Hindus are brothers, No Hindu will be low/ fallen, I pledge to protect Hindus and Hindutva, My Mantra will be Equality). This proposal was put forward by Pujya Pejawar Swamiji which was passed unanimously by all the sants. This proved to be a boon for the unification of Hindu society in modern Bharat. There is no religious basis for untouchability in Hindutva. But even today, the practice is seen in many places in the Hindu society.
About equality, freedom and fraternity, Bharat Ratna Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar said, “I have not taken this from the French Revolution but from Tathagata Buddha. Fraternity is the foundation for equality and freedom. Therefore ‘fraternity’ is the most important aspect. Harmony and equality are possible only on the basis of cordial relationships.”
Pursuing BalaSaheb Deoras’s Mantra
In 1974, in the Vasant Vyakhyanmala (Lecture series) at Pune, Maharashtra, the third Sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh revered Balasaheb Deoras had said, “If untouchability is not a sin, then nothing is a sin.” Today, social and religious organisations, numerous social workers are working in various states with utmost honesty to remove the stigma of untouchability from the Hindu society.
At the Nasik Kalaram temple where Dr Babasaheb was not allowed to have darshan, today the Mahant paved way for everyone to have darshan. He even apologised for the mistake committed by his ancestors in front of thousands of people.
Recently, on December 8, 2024, in Tandur town of Vikarabad district in Telangana, president of Telangana Sadhu Parishad revered Shankar Swami, washed the feet of 150 married women of Scheduled Castes and worshipped them. Ten sants and Mahatmas of the district participated in the presence of 600 other people from the Hindu community. This was a very touching scene. It was a welcome change that the same sants, whose feet we bow before to worship, are now coming forward to wash the feet of the mothers of Scheduled Castes and worship them. This is exemplary. The sants sure did a holy work by worshipping these women, but a question arises whether the people of the rest of the Hindu community back home in their villages give them the same love and respect. This change is yet to happen.
A service organisation called Samarasata Sewa Foundation made efforts to build temples for fishermen and Scheduled Caste-tribe settlements in 900 villages in Andhra Pradesh. Sri Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam has given a grant of Rs five lakh for each temple. Scheduled Castes persons of that village, who are still Hindus, along with the workers of Samarasata Sewa Foundation, collected funds from the entire village. Rising above their caste, everyone donated Rs 20 lakh for the construction of that temple. Temples were built in the Scheduled Castes settlement with Rs 25 lakh and on the day of Pran Pratishtha, 6,000 to 8,000 people gathered at each place. Food was served to all in every village. Later, there was a need for daily worship in the temple. People from cobbler, fishermen and other tribes were selected and brought to Tirupati Devasthanam. The chief purohits (priests) of Tirupati Devasthanam taught them with great affinity. They do daily puja in those 900 villages even today and people from all the villages come to the temple. This is commendable.
Despite such efforts, the environment is spoiled due to random incidents in some states. For example, students of Scheduled Castes and tribes take admission in state and central universities on the basis of reservation for studying in PG courses. Most of them move ahead with their talent, but there are some students, whose confidence is low, especially in English. As the professor asks them questions and they are unable to answer properly, they feel insulted in front of the other students. Due to this fragile ego, incidents of suicide are happening in some places. This too spoils the environment, it is very important to address this. The Government and social welfare organisations should together arrange for special coaching to improve the level of their students after admission. While doing this, special attention should be paid to the ‘Fraternity’ propounded by Dr Babasaheb.
It is a matter of concern that some elements try to spread inequality in their own society and create provocation. Some anti-social elements, and in some places, even professors insult students due to lack of brotherhood, hence the professors and some government officers leading the Scheduled Castes should come forward with good intentions, and the people working tirelessly towards bringing harmony in the rest of the Hindu society should also come forward. The problem can be solved properly only when these two groups join and work together.
Scholarships that students from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribes get in post matric colleges are often not given on time. Some States did not give their share of the grants on time, due to which the Government of India too stopped it two-three years ago. This also provokes anger among students and their parents. This pain becomes difficult for the students to bear which increases the feeling of anger and opposition towards the government and the rest of the Hindu society in the new generation. In such circumstances, it is very important to think and study deeply throughout the country and make serious efforts to give our brothers from scheduled castes a suitable place in education, health and social life.
Once a meeting of Scheduled Castes professors, doctors and Group-1 officers was held in Indore. We discussed the education and standard of Government school students in their respective villages, and they gave some suggestions. I noticed that these educated brothers did not pay any attention to this. This is also a big issue to contemplate on.
In many states, hostels for Scheduled Castes and tribes still have poor arrangements for toilets, bathrooms, drinking water, food and buildings. The reason for this is the feeling that ‘these students are staying for free’. Many officers remain insensitive, so even after spending crores of rupees, the facilities and studies, both are not getting better resulting in outrage in students at that young age. Anti-social disruptive forces take undue advantage of this situation and attempt to increase and capitalise on the problem.
This has prompted the educated youth of the new generation to develop a feeling of opposition not just towards the Government but also the rest of the Hindu society. This is a big obstacle in the creation of a unified society. Therefore, social workers and patriotic sensitive people in the Government will have to come together and study this subject in depth.
Focus on Social Reformers
In hostels, we should teach the lives of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, Sant Ravidas, Babu Jagjivan Ram, Birsa Munda, Rani Gaidinliu, Narayan Guru of Kerala, etc. who rose with patriotism, and worked for society’s unification. It is also necessary to pay attention to the fact that no effort is being made to let people know about their lives.
Now the question is not just about untouchability or community meals; it is about respect, participation and equal opportunity. While making the Constitution, leaders of social and political fields accepted reservation for the weak and neglected sections of their own society, the Scheduled Castes and Tribes, with utter dedication and a sense of responsibility. We have to understand this. But as the time has passed, today’s generation is not able to comprehend this. Jealousy and tension has taken root in them.
Some brothers developed financially. But social assimilation could not be achieved. Instead, jealousy and hatred increased and the gap is also increasing. Vested political interests are also important reasons for this. Therefore, it is very important that the noble men of the Scheduled Castes who really want harmony along with the rest of the Hindu society should make genuine efforts in this direction.
Efforts are being made throughout the country to provide equal access to temples, water sources and facilities to all sections of Hindu society. In North Bharat, there used to be opposition in many places to the groom sitting on a horse in the wedding procession of a youth from the Scheduled Caste; but change is happening now.
It is very important to think and study deeply throughout the country and make serious efforts to give our brothers from scheduled castes a suitable place in education, health and social life
The leadership of the Rajput community of Rajasthan has also respectfully welcomed the Scheduled Caste youth to ride horses and have condemned those who opposed it. It was a commendable step to actually go where the problems arose at many places and solve the issues.
A strange division and discrimination is sometimes deliberately created or appears to create an atmosphere of resentment in urban areas, college and university premises.
Some leaders of the Scheduled Castes try to instigate conflicts among the students of the Scheduled Castes by associating them with violent and anti-social groups and with non-Hindu youths. They get Ravana and Mahishasur worshipped. They seem to be successful in disrupting the unity by raising the “We are not Hindus” slogan. Ravana was a demon, a Veda scholar, a Shiva devotee, and was killed because he harmed society. Why worship him in this era? This is not worship but a conspiracy. The educated nobility of the Scheduled Castes should come together on the basis of patriotism.
Revered Babasaheb has recognised only two castes, one is the group that does not believe in untouchability and moves forward with unity in mind. The other is the group of upper caste Hindu society that still believes in untouchability. If everyone has to change, efforts will have to be made with compassion and a sense of responsibility.
There is no mention of untouchability anywhere in the Vedas and Upanishads. Therefore, untouchability is against the Vedas, against religion and humanity
Revered Guru Nanak, Dayanand Saraswati, Swami Vivekananda, Baba Saheb, Jagjivan Ram, Sant Ravidas, Bhagwan Birsa Munda, Swami Vivekananda, Dr Hedgewar, Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviya, Golwalkar Guruji etc. all great men have worked for the unity and integrity of Hindu society. Everyone should remember that there is no mention of untouchability anywhere in the Vedas and Upanishads. Therefore, untouchability is against the Vedas, against religion and humanity.
The great seers have never believed in untouchability.
Revered Guruji Golwalkar considered the Varna system to be dilapidated and irrelevant in the present times. He asserted that seeing inequality is not religious. Revered Balasaheb Deoras emphasised that untouchability should be completely abolished lock, stock and barrel. There is no place for inequality by birth in human life. If it is mentioned in a religious text, then the present Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat has clearly stated that such a text should not be accepted.
Sanatan Dharma Gurus, Jain, Buddhist, Sikh, all the religious leaders have declared inequality and untouchability as wrong; harmony and equality is the Dharma. Now the society has to make positive efforts by changing itself.
Hindu society is a homogeneous and integrated society. There is a need for all of us to make united efforts to bring harmony in the entire society against this evil. We have to continuously work together against inequality and untouchability.
- Wherever necessary, we have to fight on the basis of the Constitution, but we should not tolerate any attempt to break or disintegrate Hindu society
- Harmony is possible only on the basis of relationships and affinity
- In place of community meal programmes, Sahaj (Effortless) meals are to be organised
- Educated noblemen among the Scheduled Castes brothers have to come forward as leaders and work together with sensitive people from the Hindu society
- ‘Fraternity’, brotherhood is our foundation
- Creating a harmonious, homogeneous, integrated society – a society free from exploitation – is the only basis for Bharat’s future n
Comments