Sunday Special: Excerpts from an Autobiography: 3
Monday, 7. September 2009 - 12:20 AM
My friends felt sorry for me when they heard that the Principal had rejected my scholarship. “Had you told us this earlier, we’d have stopped you from meeting him. The Principal gives any number of scholarships and freeships if you get a letter from Swamiji of his caste’s Mutt. Nothing else works with him,” they told me.
But my mind was already drawn inward. I contemplated on my condition: an inability to pay my monthly fees of Seven Rupees. As far back in time as I could recall, I felt no bitterness for reservations and special privileges given to the backward castes. I appreciated the reasoning that special support was required for castes that historically had no atmosphere in education either at home or outside. I had a firsthand, ground-level understanding of caste from childhood. I had roamed every village in the vast Coconut Region (Ed: The region spanning the districts and towns of Tumkur, Tiptur, Arasikere, all way almost up to Hassan is known as the Tengina Seeme Coconut Region.), stayed in homes of almost every caste. I intimately knew their traditions, customs, food habits, and their economic and social standing.
We had only two broad categories of caste in my time: B (Brahmins) and non-B (non-Brahmins). However, no one single caste represented all of the non-B category. The non-B category included numerous other castes and sub-castes with differing economic, educational, and social conditions. In my time, Vokkaligas and Lingayats were politically very powerful castes. Very few politicians from other “backward” castes did dot the political spectrum but they were mere figureheads, more like dummies to show “proportionate” representation. But they were truly dummies until Devraj Urs ushered in an entirely new brand of politics. But that was too far away in time. These two castes were among the first to enjoy the fruits of the anti-Brahmin movement that began in the pre-Independence days.
However, in my situation at the time, one question constantly tormented my emotions and my sense of ethics. Several of my classmates belonging to the “backward” castes got money equal to the salary of an Assistant Commissioner or Assistant Professor from home. Their lifestyles matched their “cash inflow.” Some of these boys were also frequent visitors of whorehouses. Their economic status certainly didn’t prohibit paying the Seven-Rupee monthly fees, buying books, etc. Yet, why did they continue to claim and enjoy all benefits that reservations offered them? On the other side of the coin, why was it denied to someone like me–a “forward caste”–who desperately needed it?
Most politicians at that time were wealthy landowners and mega businessmen who, while they demanded and got privileges for their respective castes, didn’t refuse these privileges for their individual selves as a matter of personal ethics. Framing the definition of social backwardness by separating the economic aspect of this serious issue proved very rewarding to their vociferous agitations. But they lost sight of the simple reality that economically backward people existed among Brahmins as well. Rage, hatred, and a sense of vengefulness guided their discourse rather than a calm and reasoned approach to the issue.
The villages where I spent my growing up years had a healthy mixture of all castes. While they didn’t practice intercaste dining, there was no dearth of mutual love, compassion, caring, and a sense of “I’m there for you” between them. However, the leaders who claimed to represent them had completely lost these basic qualities.
[ED: Excerpted from Bhitti, an autobiography of SL Bhyrappa]
7. September 2009 - 2:24 PM
Unless you don’t polarize two groups, you can’t create traction to reap benifit. This is the bear minimum quality for politicians these days.
Is there one example who would talk without polarities?
7. September 2009 - 3:46 PM
Sandeep, I am convinced that the whole caste issue has come down as a form of bad karma on our great nation and is haunting us till date. Till that bad karma is worked out, the caste problem will never be resolved. I think that no amount of “self-respect” movements will ever yield results and will result in further marginalization of both so-called Forward Classes as well as the truly marginalized Backward classes.
It is a truth that any country that direspects vedic pundits and the sacred scriptures (the vedic Brahmanas, not those who claim it by birth) will suffer. The so-called Brahmins themselves have gone away from the traditional values. Until we rediscover the spiritual guidance with which our ancestors lived, our country will continue to suffer.
7. September 2009 - 8:48 PM
offtopic news:
The riots in Miraj started because a Ganeshotsav Pandal has a poster depicting Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj killing Afzal Khan (Historical fact) which hurt the feeling of some minorities.
http://www.mid-day.com/news/2009/sep/060909-Miraj-Sangli-Ganesh-Immersion-Riots-Communal-Violence-News.htm
“It all began after a temporary arch was put up by local mandals dominated by the saffron alliance party sympathisers including Shiv Sena activists and BJP MLAs. The arch displayed a scene of the slaying of Afzal Khan by Chhatrapati Shivaji. Permission to put up this arch was earlier denied by the district administration fearing that it would lead to tension. However, senior Shiv Sena leader Diwakar Raote visited Sangli and pressurised the district administration to grant permission. All hell broke loose, when members of the minority community protested against the scene on the arch on Wednesday. Some tore off the cloth on the arch setting off stone pelting and clashes with the police. In the melee, members of the minority community are said to have thrown stones inside a Ganesh mandal.”
Here are some of the videos of what these hurt people did….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCPat2hZRYo&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQq0-ZEGLZ4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC32HMfSZ5Q&feature=related
8. September 2009 - 9:19 AM
Sanatana Dharma is the eternal truth. Man has only discovered it like he discovered the Gravitational pull. It was there before all of your ancestors lived and it will be there in all the foreseeable future. Do not take it into your hand to “Protect Sanathana Dharma” or to “Protect the Eternal Truth”. Have you decided that if you don’t protect, it will be dead ? It is self sustaining and the Protector is itself. If God can be killed or destroyed, then he is not anymore God. Understand that you are mortals and have a very limited capability. Even if you all decide that you would not believe in it, the Eternal Truth remain unaffected. By attempting to do God’s role, please do not stop another Avatar of God. There were many instances during the various yugas when Adharma was felt superior to Dharma and in all those instances, the faithful prayed to God and the God saw a role for Himself and took Avatars. Keep your faith, Pray to God and observe from a distance all the Adharma that is happening around you. For instance, whom you assume as Hindus who believe in Eternal Truth could have fought and overpowered the Muslim or Christian Invaders if it was God’s wish. The hollow faiths that you see around your self whose purpose is to stick the Mortals to material pleasures are part of the plan called MAYA. It may require another Avatar of God to remove this veil. If you want to know more on MAYA, read the Geetha and the purpose of Maya is to keep the Mortals at a virtual distance from the Eternal Truth. An Athiest is creation of God, also is a Missionaries Conversion agent and also are all the Jihadis. The world external to a man is called Prakriti and that is nothing but manifestation of the Supreme Being. In an Avatar called Sankara, the Supreme Being has told that “everything you could see and that you cannot see are all manifestations of the same Supreme Being and are one and the same”, it is called Advaitha. Someone teases you that you believe that Tree, Snake, Monkey, Dog and so many others are God. Are you ashamed of it ? Do not be ashamed. There is “nothing” that is not a manifestation of the Supreme Being. When you call it a stone, it is a stone and when you believe it as Ganpathi, it is Ganapathi. Maya makes someone to look Ganapathi as Stone and for a believer, the Stone is not visible and only Ganapathi. The hollow faiths preach against something called Satan and they don’t clearly explain whose creation is a Satan. Can a Satan challenge the so called God. If he is equally powerful, then the mortal has a choice to choose between God and Satan. In Advaitha, whatever you know or don’t know is NOTHING but a manifestation of Supreme Being or God.
10. September 2009 - 8:14 PM
Hey sandeep, this is off topic, but upgrade your wordpress installation to the latest version as it’s been discovered that earlier versions are extremely insecure and can be hacked into trivially.
14. September 2009 - 1:50 AM
Sandeep, FYI:
http://www.livemint.com/articles/2009/09/10210732/Why-Hindus-should-weed-out-Git.html
Some people just dont get it!