Hindu Caste Racism: Dravidatva: The nation, race and religion of backward castes, Dalits and Adivasis in all of India is “Dravidian” (and NOT Hindu!)

Thursday 24 November 2011

Dravidatva: The nation, race and religion of backward castes, Dalits and Adivasis in all of India is “Dravidian” (and NOT Hindu!)

The term "Dravidian" should be used as a common racial anthropological term to denote people of all backward caste and Dalit descent all over India. This is based on Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar's writing that all the people oppressed by the caste system in all of India, (backward castes, Dalits and Adivasis included), were all descendants of the ancient Dravidian Naga people who spoke the Tamil language in all of India, who were later enslaved by the graded caste supremacist hierarchical racist system, and ended up speaking different languages due to the linguistic influence and mixture of other languages which entered India, including the "Aryan" language of Sanskrit, Persian, Turkish, etc. Hence backward castes, Dalits and Adivasis in all of India should be described as “Dravidian” in their racial heritage, and the rural and indigenous religions of Dalits and backward castes (Bahujans) should be described as Dravidian religions, and not as Hinduism. This is also because Hindu law strictly limits "scriptural and sacramental" membership of Vedic Sanathan Dharma (Hinduism) to only "twice born" (Brahman, Kshatriya and Baniya- Vysya) castes. Hence, the rural and indigenous religions of Dalits, backward castes and Adivasis which have nothing to do with Brahmanic Vedic Hinduism (Sanathan Dharma) should all be generally identified as "Dravidian religions" based on the common anthropological and racial heritage of backward castes, Dalits and Adivasis, in accordance with the aforesaid Ambedkarite anthropological perspective. All individual caste names of backward castes and Dalits should be banned, and people should be simply given community certificates generally as Dravidian Bahujans (for "backward castes" and “most backward castes”) and Dravidian Dalits (for "scheduled castes"), and children of marriage between Dalits and non-Dalits should be denoted as "casteless Dravidians" and given affirmative action accordingly. Even indigenous (scheduled) tribes should be described as Dravidian tribes, even though indigenous tribal names can continue (unlike individual caste names of backward castes and Dalits all of which should be banned).

"Dravidian" is not a term that carries a "narrow" meaning of "South Indian" as it is misinterpreted, but is a racial anthropological term describing all backward caste, Dalit and Adivasi peoples in all religions in all of India, as per Ambedkarite thought. Hence the term "Dravidian" is racially inclusive of all Dravidians in Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism and all other non-Hindu religions, irrespective of the language they speak, which gives an inclusive national, racial and anthropological identity without persecuting any religious minority. Hence "Dravidatva" should be the anthropological and racial tool of all peoples oppressed by the caste system and "twice born" racist supremacy, to challenge and destroy "Hindutva". Even the name of India should be changed from "Republic of India" to "Republic of Dravida". This will be in tune with Ambedkarite perspective and ideology.

The Brahman led "twice born" Hindu supremacy and graded caste supremacist system unleashed by the latter that sustains the segregation between backward castes and Dalits which causes atrocities against Dalits, should be countered by a broader agenda that incorporates Periyarist Ambedkarite principles. This broader agenda should include the following: banning all caste descent based degrading and inhumane occupations, building public projects like schools, government offices, hospitals and wells in segregated Dalit ghettos and colonies so that other backward castes who use them are integrated with Dalits, providing housing to Dalits inside the village, town and cities to end segregation of Dalits in ghettos and slums, and most importantly, opening up temple priesthood in all temples to Dalits and backward castes to end the theological fountain of untouchability in Hindu scriptures, and banning of all caste names while continuing affirmative action under the terms Dravidian Bahujans (for "backward castes" ) and Dravidian Dalits (for “scheduled castes"), while children of marriage between non-Dalits and Dalits should be declared as “casteless Dravidians”, and given affirmative action accordingly. Most importantly, it will also require a ban on "forcing" the Hindu label on backward castes (Bahujans), Dalits and Adivasis (since Hindu law recognises only "twice born" caste people – Brahmans – Vysya Baniyas - Kshatriyas) as the "only" scriptural and sacramental members of Hinduism), and hence, the rural and indigenous religions of Dalits, Adivasis and backward castes should not be called as Hinduism but as Dravidian religions. The Indian law which states that "all" people who are not Jews, Christians, Muslims and Zoroastrians are “all Hindus" should be abrogated. Even atheists, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains are legally forced with the Hindu label by the aforesaid legal regime and by other constitutional provisions which should be ended. Rural indigenous Dravidian religions of Dalits, Adivasis and Bahujans (backward castes) should be recognised separately from the Sanathan Dharma (Hinduism) of "twice born" Brahmanical racists. While religion based civil law can be preserved for Jews, Christians, Muslims and Parsis, secular civil law should be instituted for all other Dravidians (such as Dalits, Bahujans - backward castes, Adivasis, atheists, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs, and other religionists) and the so called Hindu Civil Law (Hindu Law) which is based on bigoted scriptures such as Manusmiruthi should be totally abrogated and destroyed. Affirmative action for Dalits and backward castes should be extended irrespective of their religious affiliation and atheism. The planning commission should be compelled by law to allocate sufficient funds for the special component plan for scheduled castes which should be ensured for the use of empowerment and integration of Dalits along lines outlined above. A similar planning allocation should also be instituted for the development of the “most” backward castes. Affirmative action should be extended for Dravidian backward castes, Dalits and Adivasis in all private institutions, businesses and corporations.

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HINDU CASTE RACISM

A blog against the racism of the Hindu caste system. The Hindu caste system is nothing but a system of racism founded on on descent (birth) based supremacy and bigotry that degrades and imprisons people in a system of vertically graded caste inequality of descending inferiority and ascending superiority, with each caste considered as inferior and superior to castes above and below in the vertically graded bigoted system, with the "twice born" Hindus led by Brahmins (at the summit of the caste system as the "most superior" caste) unleashing this bigotry to divide and rule the Indian working (Dravidian - Mulnivasi) masses. The castes lower to the "twice born” Hindu castes are degraded as "Shudras" (backward castes) by the Hindu scriptures who were traditionally restricted to physically laboring vocations and excluded from education, wealth and governance for millennia, until the advent of British rule. The “Shudras” (backward castes) are segregated from Dalits (who are enslaved at the bottom of the caste system as outcasts - untouchables). Dalits are bonded to the most degrading and inhumane labour while being subjected to heinous and manifold forms of physical segregation called “untouchability”. The "twice born" racist supremacist castes [Brahmins (priestly caste) - Baniyas (“Vysyas” or traders’ caste) – Kshatriyas (regal castes)] lord over as the ruling class of castes controlling the government, central (federal) government bureaucracy, army officers corps, top judiciary, business corporations, elite academia, arts and the mainstream media. Dalits are in the receiving end of violent atrocities, untouchability and segregation perpetrated by all Hindu castes (caste Hindus) above Dalits in this vertically graded and bigoted caste system.

All people who live by physical labour or descended from castes bonded to physical labour were derided as “Shudras” (slaves) by the Hindu religion and bigoted Hindu scriptures such as “Mansumiruthi” which codify the caste system, even if they acquire wealth. According to Hindu law, all people who do not belong to “twice born” trio of upper castes (Brahmans, Baniyas-Vysyas and Kshatriyas) are “Shudras” including those belonging to “untouchable” castes. The term “Shudras” literally means “slaves” or “slaves who serve Brahmins” apart from other degrading meanings ascribed to the term “Shudras” by Hindu religious scriptures such as “descendants of prostitutes”, "bastards", etc.

“Shudras” were profanely derided as “descendants of prostitutes” and accorded a “bastard” status by the bigoted Hindu scripture “Manu Smiruthi” and were entailed to serve the Brahmins as the latter’s slaves even if the “Shudra” acquires wealth. Shudras were traditionally proscribed from education despite some of them being land owners. “Shudras” are further divided into hundreds of vertically graded castes with each caste bonded to a physically labouring occupation and professing superiority over those castes below, with the “untouchable castes” at the bottom. “Shudras” were traditionally banned from literacy and education for millennia, until the advent of the British rule. Education was made available to “Shudras” and untouchables only after the advent of the British rule. The Hindu caste system as codified by the Hindu religious scriptures considers all people who make a living by physical labour and all descendants of castes bonded to physical labour as “Shudras” including those derided as “untouchables”, even though the “untouchable Shudras” are also referred to as “Panchamas” or scheduled castes, while the “touchable Shudras” are referred to as “backward castes” in governmental parlance. The so called “untouchables” are further divided into vertically graded castes, who are all forced to live in segregated slums in each town and village across India. The “twice born” supremacist trio off upper castes (Brahmins. Vysyas – Baniyas and Khatriyas) are explicitly excluded from all kinds of physical labour, while being given the monopoly over education, commerce and governance for millennia, which has made the "twice born" trio the ruling elite of the Indian governing establishment. The Indian working masses wholly consist of the backward castes and scheduled castes, who are divided by the caste system of the Hindu religion despite being members of a common working class. Backward castes and scheduled castes were traditionally excluded and banned from education, governance and acquisition of wealth, which started changing slowly only after the advent of British rule and the dawn of the independent India, while the core of the ruling elite still comprises of Brahmins, Baniyas (Vysyas) and Kshatriyas under the religious and ideological leadership of Brahmins.

Even a wealthy “Shudra” still remains only a “Shudra” in the Hindu caste system – as codified and governed by the bigoted Hindu scriptures. According to the bigotry of the Hindu caste system, a wealthy Shudra is still deemed and doomed to be a “Shudra” (“slave of the Brahmin”) who should use his wealth to serve the Brahmin and the latter’s bigoted agenda while wallowing in his inferiorized “Shudra” status in the caste system. Thus acquiring wealth does not abolish the inferiorized and degraded “Shudra” (slave) caste status and the allied caste identity of a person nor does it grant him a social status on par with Brahmins and “twice born” trio of supremacist upper castes (Brahmins, Baniya-Vysyas and Kshatriyas) in the caste system. A famous example of this was the refusal of Brahmins to coronate the Maratha warrior and leader Shivaji as “King” because he was born into a caste deemed to be “Shudra” by the Brahmins. Thus, even a wealthy person cannot escape his “Shudra” status and the allied inferiorized caste identity which are determined by birth and not by wealth. The same applies to the wealthy amongst those belonging to various castes stigmatised and segregated as “untouchables” by the Hindu religion – since acquiring wealth does not abolish the inferiorized and stigmatised “untouchable” caste identity of a person. This is why true advocates of social justice want affirmative action to be awarded to backward castes (Shudras) and scheduled castes (Dalits) irrespective of their economic status.