Thursday 22 September 2016

Is Caste System ,a disguised Economic Order?

On the face of it,most of us would like believe that Caste System is a social order only.The reason for this belief could be that,CS has been presented as a' social order' by the media and the official text books.
But a critical look at the Caste System would lead us to doubt such a conclusion.Read on to know more...
Link:https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-economic-implications-of-caste-system

Image Credit:Google

Saturday 17 September 2016

Let Us Kill The Caste Monster !


The impact of Caste-Mindset On Indian Attitudes.
                As a keen observer of the Indian Caste System in practice,I could not help but observe  its undue impact on the mindset and attitudes of every Indian, irrespective of his religious affiliation.In fact every single move of an average Indian is directed by all the all powerful and pervasive Caste System or Caste Spirit(CS).
               I have herein attempted  a critical and well-researched study on the impact of Caste System on the Indian mindset and attitudes.For such a study to be realistic ,first of all,one needs to step out of the system and observe through the eyes of a foreigner.I am sure that you would agree on my observations once you read the analysis in full. I would urge you to consider this study more as an introspective exercise ,than as a charge sheet against CS .For if this study is considered as a charge-sheet, it may unnecessarily prompt the reader to prepare a defence. After all,we need  to know ,that all said and done CS undoubtedly remains as a curse on India, that needs to be mercilessly killed in the interests of the nation.
·        Caste System is not about just people!
                     Often we think that CS applies only to’ human beings’ !  However if you critically analyse you will know that the tentacles of Caste System possibly extends into every area of human activity in India.Let us see how.
               The’ left hand ‘of the body is treated as inferior to the ‘right hand’ and is used for cleaning ***.Similarly the ‘leg’ is treated as’ low’ as it carries all dirt of walking etc.Most Indians wash their legs when they return home after going out.’Shudras’ the low castes varna were born from the leg of Purusha ,according to Manusmriti.Among drinks coffee is considered as ‘high’ and ‘tea ‘is considered ‘low ‘.The reason is’ tea’ is normally consumed by people who are the’ labour class’and coffee is taken by upper caste ‘thinkers’! Now, about cars. Maruti 800 is a’ low caste’ while Dzire/Sedans will fit into ‘high caste’ . Among towns also a caste gradation exists.For example,in Tamil Nadu Sri Rangam,Kumbakonam,Thanjavur are Brahmins while Perambalur,Jayamkondan are Shudras.The snacks are also not exempt from gradation.Some are considered low and some as high depending on each area.When it comes to families,in certain Hindu families, the eldest son is treated like the high caste as against the youngest who is the servant caste.The youngest is supposed to serve all in the family.Similarly between ‘man’ and’ woman’ a woman is always the low caste and is entitled only to what is left after the men in the family have their full.Among the animals dogs are considered low and that is the reason why Indians have the minimum number of dogs as pets per household in the entire world .Brahmins never have any pets .
In Satapatha Brahmana 14:1:1:31‘women ,dogs and shudra are equated in a verse ‘-
“And whilst not coming into contact with Sudras and remains of food; for this Karma is he that shines yonder, and he is excellence, truth, and light; but woman, the Sudra, the dog, and the black bird (the crow), are untruth: he should not look at these, lest he should mingle excellence and sin, light and darkness, truth and untruth.”
                 Among cattle the poor buffalo is low caste as its’ varna’ is black ! Cow is a Brahmin among the cattle.Garden lizards are to be killed as they were anti-Rama and squirrels are ‘reverential’ as they reportedly helped  Rama in building the bridge to Lanka!
Among diseases,’autism’ is high caste while TB is low caste! When it comes to language ,appropriate words of respect or contempt are available to ‘place’ people in their slots.To address a Brahmin the word is ‘Samy’ and for others ‘Neenga,Neer,Nee ‘ in descending order of respect are available for the one English egalitarian word’you’.
Let us understand that CS is not about just ‘people’ but about every thing living and non-living ,in India.
·        ‘Untouchable Brahmins ‘?
Read this interesting articles on the ‘untouchability’ practiced within Brahmins themselves!
·        Caste Spirit makes one knowledge-proof !
                 When CS rules one’s mind, the person may learn new things but nothing that is inconsistent with the CS ever enters his mind. So however high one’s education may be, he may acquire just academic knowledge but he continues to remain change -proof when it comes to his opinion or behavior with respect to superstitions, caste discrimination etc. Indians who are educated in Harvard, when they return back to India, do not change their behavior in any manner.They continue to practice whatever they they were practising before their overseas exposure.When it comes to their marriage,they marry within their caste only. They do not fight against social injustice or superstitions ,as CS still has control over their thought process.Space scientists in India who are capable of sending rockets into the space ,continue to look for auspicious omens before launching the rockets ! CS effectively ensures against any kind of  change in the superstitious culture of the Indian intellectuals,through acquired knowledge.
                 Compare this with a particular tribe in North Eastern India ,who used to kill their enemies and hang their skulls , in their verandahs,as a statement of their valour.When the Christian missionaries who served there ,taught them right values ,they changed their century old obnoxious practice .How could they change a century old practice? Because they are free from  the control of any force like the powerful CS !
·        CS and Sharing Knowledge
              ‘Sharing knowledge’ is against the very spirit of CS as if others know ,what you know,you can no more claim ‘superiority’ over them.So CS makes ‘easy things’ difficult to understand.The Hindu,the popular English daily in India reports”Pachyderm runs amok!”The intention is that the average English reader should not understand the ‘high’ English used ! Incidentally’Pachyderm’ is nothing but ‘Elephant”!Compare this with ,foreigners who make even ‘stem biology’ easy to understand to a common man !
·        CS is against emergence of leadership
As CS reserves leadership positions to Brahmins exclusively,potential leaders in other castes are suppressed from emergence as leaders.For example,the emergence of Dr.B.R .Ambedkar as a great leader was shunned by the CS and it put lot of hurdles on his way.How ever in case of Brahmin leaders,CS gives out of way support in making him a leader.For example,Jawaharlal Nehru’s birth day was celebrated as the Children’s Day and given holiday.In what way Nehru is connected with Children’s welfare? ‘He loves children’ is the clever answer.Is there any one who do not love children? Similarly Dr.S.Radhakrishnan’s birthday is celebrated as ‘Teachers Day’not because he was a teacher but because he was a Brahmin!
In its attempt to support Brahminical leadership ,CS has drawn the concept of ‘Hero Worship’ into play.In ‘Hero Worship’ a particular person is projested as a ‘hero’ who can save you from all your troubles and people are made to worship him.The ‘Hero’ promoted thus has a hidden agenda of strengthening the CS. Rama is the best example of such a hero promoted by the media and culture.
Thus CS effectively suppresses the emergence of great leadership in Indian society.This is the reason why there was not a single upper caste leader during the last 3000 years who wanted to fight against the evil of untouchability.Compare this with Dr.Abraham Lincoln,the white leader who gave up his life to fight against the evil system of slavery in US.
·        ‘Lying’ is the mother-tongue of Caste System !
              The spirit of caste ,over rules every thing else in India.It shapes all your opinions and views.It determines the direction of your ‘decisions’ as well.
Eg. A Painting Competition was held in a Chennai Public Sector Unit for the children of the staff .The Paintings were viewed and given marks by all the viewers .A particular Painting P1 came first followed by Painting P2 ,in this viewers rating.The viewers who gave marks were not aware of who painted P1 and P2.Now a Brahmin Judge comes to finalize the award and he quickly gets to check who painted P1 and P2.Unfortunately P1 is done by a dark Dalit and P2 done by a fair Brahmin ! The moment he comes to know this the Spirit Of Caste(SOC) takes over and commands him to comply with ‘Caste Dharma’.So the Judge tries and finds out some’faults’ in P1 and declares P2 as the winner of 1st Prize ! Here the beauty is that the Judge himself may not be aware that SOC has taken him over and that  his decision is biased !A ‘foreigner’ can sense it immediately.
        Sometimes it becomes so exhausting in convincing the Indian intellectuals,what is patently acceptable ,if their accepting that fact can go against the CD.The intellectuals draw all their argumentative skills to the fullest extent and put down the argument.Suppose a Dalit argues that the sun rises in the East,the response from the intellectuals would be ‘Well,depends on which direction you are sitting !’.The same argument is put forward by a Brahmin,the response would be something like this’That,of course, is a universal truth!’
       This is the reason why Indian intellectuals keep on denying ground realities relating to ’untouchability’ ‘ beef ban’etc.They may not be aware that they are doing it at all,as they are under the SOC.
                      As a natural consequence of this imperative,one is required to do any thing or pay any price to maintain and uphold the ‘Caste Dharma’(CD).That anything includes ‘lying ‘and that is why ‘lying’ is so common in India among intellectuals and others.When the intellectuals practice ‘lying’ ,others tend to imitate the same.So’ lies’ breed ‘lies’ and soon it becomes the official language of the Caste Kingdom.So ’Lying’ becomes an essential part of Caste System(CS) as it is an easy way out when the ground realities clash with the mandated requirements of CS.
           This is the basic reason for lack of integrity among the intellectuals and the accused in India never admitting to his guilt on his own.
·        Caste System controls Judgment/Justice/Law
 CS prevails over all judgments including all judicial decisions.
Let me illustrate the hold CS has over judicial ‘judgments’ with the following explanation.
The western concept of ' justice' implies the following:
 1) just 2) equal 3) neutral 4) impartial 5 )without prejudice 6)fair 7) crime-based
 The Indian concept of ’Dharma’ is  concept unknown to the west.
 ‘Dharma’ implies the following.
1.            Based on one’s birth in a ‘caste ‘,each caste is assigned a duty. The Caste Dharma is to do that duty sincerely. If they do not do their assigned duty and try do the duty of some other caste it is called ‘Adharma’.
2.‘Adharma’ is punishable under Hindu law.
3.The punishment for any crime committed,as per this dispensation, depends on the’ caste of the criminal ‘and not ‘on the crime’. This means for the same crime, different punishments are applicable according to the caste of the criminal.
 For illustration, let us assume that X murders Y in England. The punishment for murder as prescribed in the criminal law  of the land will be awarded to X in England.
1.      But suppose the same X murders Y in India.
Let us see how Dharma works.
First of all the caste of X will be ascertained .
 The punishment will be as under.
a)If X belongs to Brahmin caste ( priestly caste) -Punishment will be very low ,say something like ‘ plucking a few hairs from his head’.
b)If X belongs to Shudra caste(servant caste) punishment will be severe like capital punishment. The lower the caste, higher is the punishment
 Hence Caste Dharma practically translates in to’ injustice’.
So Caste Dharma is the opposite of’ Justice’.It is not crime-based but criminal-based.
It is unfair,unjust,prejudiced,partial and unequal .
 Now ,how does ‘Law’ fit into CS ?
 Law & Practice
                                    According to the constitution of India, India is a Sovereign, Secular, Democratic Republic.While the de-jure position is amply clear, what is the de facto position? Is the country secular and democratic as claimed and declared? Does rule of law prevail or rule of religion prevail?Let us examine.
Interpretation As A Powerful Weapon!
                After completing the longest Constitution in the world,written after studying 70 constitutions , Dr.B.R. Ambedkar, Chair Man of the Drafting Committee, remarked'If after all these checks and balances,the constitution does not work,well ,let us remember that man can be vile..' His expectation regarding the vile nature of man did materialise, with our legal experts  diluting the constitutional provisions through' tricky' interpretations.
'No' means 'Yes'!
                The word 'secular' played into the hands of our legal experts. Oxford English Dictionary authoritatively defines' Secular 'as ' Not connected with religious or spiritual matters:
secular buildings secular attitudes to death Contrasted with sacred .'
              But our Authorities over- ruled the Oxford and defined' Secular' and defined it  as 'relating to all religions'. Its like interpreting' No' as clear ' Yes'! This small trick is a great leap for the religious forces to pierce through the formidable firewalls of the Constitution. Religious forces displaced the throne.
Result- utter chaos, hatred, harassment of minorities,beef on ban etc. To day the nation is at the brink of disaster due to a small trick of interpretation.
Collapse Of The Rule Of Law.
                             A series of such tricky interpretations has robbed the Constitution of its chastity and today the rule of law in India appears to be a distant dream. But it does not mean “ law" does not work in India!
 What ‘law works and what law cannot work in India?
Three Types Of Law In India.
          Those who keenly observe India, would have noted that everything in India is subordinate to one Supreme Power. Don’t ever think that the Supreme Power is God! That supreme power is nothing other than the great Caste System!
                  Anything, including “law" inconsistent with the Caste System does not work, what ever you do,however best you try! The opposite is also true. That is ,anything that strengthens the Caste System works very well even without any “law"supporting it or inspite of a 'law' against it!
So, in India, these are 3 types of Law, as under:
Type 1: Mandatory “law"
 Which has to be carried out, against all odds. This category may or may not have legal backing. But it surely works. This category can work against legal “law" also.
Eg.Government opens a new building.There is no 'law' that you should perform a 'pooja' while opening a new building.In fact there is 'law' that India is 'secular'.But nothing can deter any one from this ritual and no Government scheme is launched without a 'pooja'  preceding it!
        The CS has a powerful parallel or superseding legal system which is enforced much more effectively than the constitutional legal system. Recently a kangaroo court in Uttarpradesh ordered “rape of two sisters belonging to Dalit community” as a punishment for inter-caste marriage! Imagine the guts with which such sentences are passed in a country which has the longest written constitution in the world.The peer enforcement mechanism in such cases is much more effective than the legal enforcement machinery of the Government.
 Type 2 Enacted “law" which is beneficial to Caste System will be enforced.
         There are hundreds of laws in our statute book.Not all laws are equally enforced.But 'laws' which strengthen Caste System is always enforced by the concerned.
Eg.Pollution Control Laws are never enforced as the industrialists owning the units are always 'upper castes' but Kerala Bhavan was raided just based on a phone call , for allegedly serving 'beef'!
Type 3:Enacted law which is inconsistent or against Caste System.
             This' law'can be treated as good as' dead law'.This 'law' dies as soon as it is born !It cannot be enforced at all even after exhausting all available legal avenues.At every level there is stiff resistance against its enforcement.It is very interesting to know how it works this way. 
Eg.Let us take a case of an atrocity committed against a Dalit and he goes to the Police Station to file a complaint.THE SCHEDULED CASTES AND THE SCHEDULED TRIBES  (PREVENTION OF ATROCITIES) ACT, 1989 requires the officials to register the complaint promptly and says " 4. Whoever, being a public servant but not being a member of a Scheduled for neglect Caste or a Scheduled Tribe, wilfully neglects his duties required to be performed of duties. by him under this Act, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to one year." But practically the complaint is not registered and more over the Dalit making the complaint ,is often harassed for making the complaint.At every stage of the proceedings,the Dalit finds resistance.Suppose he stands firm and fights his way through,finally the case is dismissed on 'fancy' grounds.
          In Tamil Nadu ,one dalit adolescent girl was raped,murdered and buried in the sand.Her hands were showing out through the sand and people who saw this ,reported to police.The case was taken up and closed by the Police as 'suicide'!How did the Police believe that a girl could committ ‘suicide’,then dug a deep pit,then crawled into it and buried herself into it and showed her hands out? The CS made them believe this incredible story !
·        Media’s Major Role in CS
      Since media is a major instrument used for maintaining the Caste Dharma,media can ill afford to be true to the happenings around.The media has over a perod of time,developed an inherent tendency to project events in a way that would strengthen the CS in some way or other.
Eg.In the 70s ,once a candidate who belonged to low-caste Dalit (named C. S. Das,if my memory serves me right)secured 8th rank in the Open List of the Civil Services Examination. Now,when media got wind of this info,they chose to suppress it completely ,as it conflicts with the CS propaganda that Dalits have no brains or merit .However,despite their best efforts,truth did leak out,but not many would know it !
                          A few years back,when the  huts belonging to Dalits, in a village down in southern Tamil Nadu were torched,the Dalits decided to retaliate with protests after a day of the incident.A leading English national paper published from Chennai ,carried the following headlines’Dalits on the rampage in ……’  The last line in the report casually mentioned’It may be noted that the caste Hindus in the village had torched a few huts belonging to Dalits two days back ‘. What one need to understand is that the paper has not published the first incident of torching the huts at all,as it is not ‘press-worthy’ in its eyes!
 ·  Is ‘Exploitation’ an essential part of CS ?
Exploitation is an essential part of CS. CD demands servitude of the Shudra Castes and Dalits to the upper castes. So CS justifies’ exploitation’ as natural and normal.
Eg. When Government instructed Public Sector Banks to provide business loans to SCs for their livelihood, some enterprising youngsters availed the facility. Most of such units failed because the upper castes’ refused to patronize the units. One young Dalit running a Cycle Hire Shop in a village, complained that all upper castes did patronize and were hiring his cycles, but not paying even a paise, for the use! He felt utterly helpless against high caste customers under whom they serve. Soon the unit became sick for no fault of his! But a systematic propaganda that Dalits are not capable of running was let loose,to prevent further finance by the Banks!
            CS makes you choose between ‘exploiting’ or ‘being exploited’ as a compulsory choice ,in any relationship.Let me explain this situation to those who are new to the system.I leased a house in Chennai .I used to be a good and co-operative tenant.CS makes this attitude as an attribute of ‘weakness’ and it gives a message to the owner of the house to ‘ill treat me’ as he wants ! So my house owner started ‘harassing’ me ! So as a ‘tenant’ I should have been ‘rude’ to guard myself from ‘harassment’ from him ! Either ,you ‘explot’ or be ‘exploited’ is the general rule.
·        Caste System Kills Conscience!
CS slowly kills conscience. As narrated in the fore-going case, if conscience is present, one will not refuse to pay after hiring the cycle.Conscience  is bound to prick.
                A decade back ,a well known music maestro of Tamil Nadu ,donated Rs13 lacs for the renovation work  of the famous Sri Rangam Temple. Money was received promptly and used for the renovation work.But when the renovation was completed and inauguration was done ,the donor  was not invited, as he is a Dalit !
·        Sorry !Forgiveness has no place in CS!
           CS encourages vengeance for any action against the individual or caste for any action that is perceived as intentional insult. Nothing is accepted as a possible mistake. So there is no place for forgiveness in the CS and vengeance is almost a ‘certain’ consequence for any perceived offence.
·         What is Gratitute ?
        CS defines that carrying out one’s caste duties without expecting any recognition or reward is ‘Dharma’.So the quality of ‘Gratitude’ does not fit into the ‘Dharma’dispensation. ‘Gratitude’is nothing but recognizing something good done by somebody to us and feeling thankful to him for it. There is no provision for doing something good to anyone in CS and hence no provision for gratitude also. In other words,CS is ‘good proof’  ! If some one oversteps and does something good to anyone, CS does not allow the ‘recipient’ of the benefit, to thank them.
Eg. Prior to the advent of the British rule in India,the CS did not allow access to education for the non- Brahmins. But the British decided against such a discrimination and opened ’education to all the castes including the Dalits in India. How grateful should every beneficiary feel towards those who made available quality education to all for free ? But even national leaders who enjoyed the benefits of British  Schools speak against Christianity and the British on many occasions.Sashi Tharoor went to the extent of claiming reparations for British exploitation of India !It is CS that ensures that no one feels grateful when they enjoy any benefit .
              When I was serving as a Senior Executive in a PSB, I had to cancel a particular Banquet Meet ,due to some unforeseen circumstances.I did not want the lavish dinner I had arranged for the meet to go waste and so invited some poor workers residing in the area ,to enjoy the dinner.They all came,sat and silently enjoyed the dinner.When they left NOT A SINGLE SOUL chose to thank me for the gesture !They do not know what a ‘thanks’ mean and why they should ‘thank’.I won’t blame them but blame the CS that controls them.
·        CS and ‘Love-Hate’
           Caste System imbibes an unusual quality in every member.That is ‘Every one should either ‘love’ or ‘hate’ other member as per his ‘caste’.This is compulsory.There is no neutral position.If you ‘love’ some one ,you need to ‘love’ what ever he does’good’ or ‘bad’.Similarly if you ‘hate’ a person,you should ‘hate’ whatever he does,including ‘good’ also.Eg. X is a ‘Brahmin’ and so ‘he ought to be good’ only.You should ‘love’ him even if he commits a ‘heinous’ crime ! After all ,he is ‘good’ only.On the other hand, Y is a ‘low-caste Dalit’ and does lot of ‘good’Nevertheless he is to be ‘hated’ only as he is a Dalit !So values are de-linked from your inter-personal relationships/ responses effectively in the CS.
·        CS and Driving Style
You might wonder how seemingly unconnected issue is the real cause of angry driving in India.The well established Caste Spirit in India,allots different privileges to different castes.Priority right to way is one such right.So 75% of Indians(except Dalits) enjoy this right over some caste or other.This is why Indians can’t stand in queues peacefully.’Queue is for him not for me!’ is every Indian’s thought.Unfortunately ,traffic signals are not subject to Caste Spirit !So every one is angry that he has to wait like that poor low-caste guy riding a low-cost moped!What is this?The privilged want their right to way irrespective of any other waiting for hours.That’s their inseparable privilege!So they are naturally angry!
·        “Merit” according to CS means………..
         CS has no place for’ merit’  as ‘merit’ is inherently attributed and reserved only to Brahmins who constitute just 5% of the society  .By continuous propaganda ,people are made to believe that other castes do not  or cannot have ‘merit’ what ever they do.This propaganda is so powerful ,even the target group themselves are made to believe that they have no brains !
                   What happens if some’ news ‘going against this propaganda leaks out ? Ramar Pillai, a Dalit village scientist from Tamil Nadu,invented a method of extracting petrol from herbs. Even though he proved the process before scientists of IIT Madras, the entire Indian intellectuals mocked  at him and humiliated him on grounds  of his low caste.Later the same process has got approved but not credited to him! Similarly while selecting sports persons ,low caste people are ignored even if they are excellent performers.Fishermen are excellent swimmers but never selected for swimming contests of national or international levels.
        On this issue of ‘merit’ of Dalits ,I reproduce hereunder what one anonymous Dalit has to say, in the Quora Answers forum:
How does it feel to be a Dalit in India ?
 Being a Dalit myself ,I can portray a clear picture about being a Dalit in India. Let me be fair and honest in my views in the matter. My views are fully supported by my personal experiences.
             In fact,being a Dalit in India, is not a problem at all, as long as one accepts the slot allotted to the Dalits in the prevailing social system.
This means a Dalit has to willing  accept the following with out any kind of resistance.
1)He should allow the upper caste Hindus(UCH)  to freely trample on him without any reason.
2) He should allow them to spit, insult or do anything extremely atrocious to him.
3) He should not aspire to raise in his life.
4) He should not dress well or wear slippers.
5) He should not talk back when asked to do something.
6) He should stand with a position of respect in front of them.
7) In case he does any creditable thing, he should not claim it.
8) Many more such expectations.
What happens if a Dalit chooses to revolt?
1) He is suppressed with all possible power/might at the command of the UCH
2) He is side lined and trapped in some misconduct or disciplinary proceedings etc.
3) If the Dalit is smart and intelligent,its all the more trouble for him. All people join together and launch a whisper propaganda  against the Dalit.
4) Every body joins together to make his life a hell of a misery.
5) If in a incognito contest  a Dalit scores high marks it is reduced the moment the identity is known.
      I secured 142 general rank in a tough All India Exam competing with 78000 candidates in 1976,the moment they checked my papers,I was put under SC/ST category !
              I topped as no 1 in collection of a particular business and the incentive foreign tour due for the achievement was given to a totally unconnected UCH !Even my own staff were shocked as my Brahmin Boss decided on this !I often got admitted for 'heart aches' whenever 'injustice'was unbearable. This only one example !
        I joined as Level 1 direct officer and should have reached Level 12 in the normal course ,which is like MD, for my merit and performance.But with the Dalit tag ,I could not cross Level 4 ,at my retirement.
Now I publish my works in US easily than in India. US recognises me because its a nation of merit.
Often I tell my daughters "If your Dad was born in US ,I am sure he would have been a Bill Gates or like "
 Thats it.”
Caste Spirit Versus Olympic Spirit
The motto of Olympics is is made up of three Latin words : “Citius - Altius – Fortius”. These words mean Faster - Higher - Stronger. Reaching new levels is the objective and it is a value towards excellence.As against this Olympic objective,the only objective of the Caste System is ‘Put down,Suppress,Hate’ the ‘lower castes’.So the CS cannot form a ‘team’ with ‘lower castes’ to win other nations.They would rather make ‘other nations’ win than our ‘lower castes’ win!This ‘spirit’ kills the ‘team spirit’ that is needed for our Indian players to win in Olympics.
   This speaks about how ‘merit’ in India fares in 21st century.When India suppresses its ‘merit’ ,how can it compete with the world?That is why India(Rank 55)  lags behind even small countries like South Korea(Rank 5) in Olympics Medal tally.We talk about ‘level playing field’ with other countries while denying the same to our own nationals!
·        Caste System Freezes ‘Thinking and Leadership’
              Since CS allots ‘Leadership and Thinking’ as exclusive attributes of Brahmins,it effectively makes other people as just’followers’ or ‘conformists’.They are not allowed to ‘think,question or strike new paths’ but just follow what is laid down by the Brahmins.
·        ‘I know every thing!You know nothing!
Often ,in India,we find it difficult to make one accept simple,obvious and straight facts,during serious discussions.People stick to their positions and do not budge an inch.For example,the introducing the subject of Yoga in schools.It’s very obvious that Yoga is a Hindu subject and one does not need rocket science to understand that fact.But,even the Govt refuses to accept the fact .One has to argue his lungs out or go upto Supreme Court ,to prove that simple obvious fact.Why is it like that?
The reason can be attributed to that all-powerful Caste System that is ruling Indian mindset.The Caste System offers exclusive rights to knowledge,only to Brahmins.So its almost against ‘Dharma’ for others to ‘know’things they ought not to know.When ‘knowing’ itself is not permitted,how can arguing be allowed?So it leads to a position’I know every thing;you know nothing.Shut up!’Arguments are not relished and so arguments come up,they simply disagree or make fun of it!So Caste Spirit does not give you a right to dissent.This is why simple facts are not accepted in India.
·        Caste System Makes Hindus Unfit To Rule India
The CS makes every Hindu grossly unfit to rule over any other Hindu,Christian or Muslim as it mandates an unjust treatment to them based on their birth.CS mandates ill-treatment to lower castes and respect to higher castes.The basic requirement of any fit governor is fairness,justice and equal treatment based on merit which is anti-thesis to Hindu values.
 ‘Socialising’ is ‘Antithesis’ in CS !
                 Society means” the aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community”.
             If you apply the ingredients of this concept, I am not quite sure whether a caste- based- society would ever qualify to be called as a ‘society’at all. In the Caste System, the vertical hierarchy of the castes makes it more akin to a military structure than a society. More over a period of time, lot of myth,superstitions, proverbs, adages about each caste have been created and floated, to ensure against free interaction among the castes.A particular caste is ridiculed for being stingy,another for being foolish,another for being crafty etc.  This makes free interaction,fellowship,helping each other,working for common good etc as practically impossible.A kind of ‘hatred ‘between the castes is fuelled by constant back-biting.
                         I would like to share an incident to illustrate how this CS works against helpful socializing.When I was in Chennai during the 70’s I used to visit one of my close relatives staying around 20 kms away.I travel all the way in my car along with my family during the week-ends just for a social call. On two such occasions, it so happened that the head of the house, one old uncle of around 80 years old,fell sick.We were happy that we were there at the right time to help him reach the hospital for treatment. This happened two times.We felt happy that we were able to help during two occasions,but  the wife of the old uncle did not feel so! She felt that every time we made a visit, the old man fell sick!What a perverted thinking ! What a world of difference between this perception and our perception of the same incident ! So she started indicating to some others ,not to us ,that we were sort of ‘bad omen ‘bringing sickness every time we visit! How hurting to hear such remarks !Who will go visit them if they categorize people helping them like this? We also felt bad and stopped visiting.The winner is the indomitable Caste Spirit ultimately.
           Now the question is, why are they not able to identify someone who is genuinely helping them? You cannot but  blame the CS  only,for this perverted thought !CS sharpens conflicts and promotes division.It also puts down collaboration and co-operation.
·        CS is against Friendship, as well
              It is difficult for lower-castes to have friends as CS militates against ‘friendship’ which destroys hierarchy.Even in office ,if one of the peers gets ‘promoted’ he starts feeling ‘superior’ and ignores his earlier friendships.
 ‘Common Good’Has No Space here!
               Since CS arranges groups of people into castes and the castes are vertically arranged there is no space for any common good.What is good for one caste is always considered as bad for another caste.This is the reason why people oppose any benefit given to any other castes.For example,if the government gives 3% reservation for physically challenged,there won’t be any noise among the communities.But if the Government gives reservation for any particular community or group of communities,there will be lot of noise and vociferous protests all around! Every caste wants to ensure that their position in the hierarchy remains intact.This means the lower caste needs to remain ‘lower only ‘and even if they try to move up a little high,there will be lot of resistance all around.Each caste is more concerned and bothered about other castes remaining as they are and its own members moving up in the ladder.
            So there is no space for common good.This is the reason why the common roads are dirty,traffic is chaotic and any common facility is not taken care of.For example,I will throw all waste on the roads because it is not my caste duty to keep the  roads clean! My job is to ‘dirty ‘ it and  their job is to clean it !”Let them come and clean” is the general attitude.
Often in India,the complaint heard is that if some body misbehaves with a girl,no one dares to ask.Bystanders ,simply watch even if the accident victim  screams for help.CS makes people apathetic to others cries or pain.Once Tamil Nadu milk men poured 10000 literes of fresh milk on the roads to protest about price hike.Don’t they know that 100s of children are starving for want of milk?Why it did not strike in their hearts to give this milk to them? CS does not allow such thoughts at all!
            Once in my friend’s marriage party held in southern  Tamil Nadu,there was no low-caste person available to clean the dining tables .Dinner was served on plantain-leaves and guests are not supposed to remove it.My friend did not know what to do as the leaves were piling up.At that point of time one hungry beggar came and asked for food.My friend  thought that he can use him to clean the tables and give him food and some money,in addition.But the beggar promptly refused ,saying “I am a --------caste man,I won’t do such work !’ My friend quipped ,” But,you are begging for food ! Is that ok for your ------caste ?” He would not reply but have the food full! Yes,CS permits any caste to beg rather than do work of the lower caste ! So however best we try,CS prevails over our intentions and make us comply with our caste mindset.
·        CS Weakens The Community’s Military Power
      Dr.B.R.Ambedkar said that while an attack on a single Muslim is taken as an attack on the Muslim nation,an attack on 300 million Dalit Hindus would amount to nothing for the Hindu community!They would either remain silent or enjoy the attack at the most!Why ? That’s what CS tells them to do !This attitude inherently weakens the Hindu society(sic) and makes them vulnerable to attacks.The little rat Sri Lanka can insult the ‘mighty cat ‘India by arresting Tamil fisher-men,because they know the cat will not respond to this actions ,due to CS !
·        CS Determines All Sensitivities !
                         It is interesting to note that the CS holds sway over all the ‘sensitivities’of Indians. So, it is very common to observe that the average Indian is not sensitive to what all other civilized citizens of other nations are sensitive to.CS makes one insensitive to the merits of any issue which makes the member unfit to differentiate between ‘good’ and ‘bad’.For example, a little baby fell into a well in Rajasthan and a bystander who saw this bravely jumped into the well ,caught hold of the struggling baby and saved it from death.Now ,if this incident had happened in England or anywhere,the family of the little baby would have rewarded the bravery of the savior.But what happened here after the incident would shock any one .Yes,the family of the baby thrashed the savior for ‘touching’ the baby to save it ! The ‘savior’ is an ‘untouchable man’ who cannot touch upper castes !So the CS has blinded the eyes of reason and makes people differentiate between ‘good’ and’bad’!
Let us now see the list of ‘insensitive’ and ‘sensitive’ aspects of an average Indian.
Not Sensitive To
·        Choas:
    For example chaotic traffic does not disturb any Indian. Similarly chaotic religious festivals like Kumbh Mela  or any local festival,choatic admission procedure in schools, colleges etc. Choatic government procedures for obtaining approvals.
·        Cleanliness
An average Indian is not disturbed by dirt, filth, gutter water sewage seeping over the streets.
·        Queues
An  average Indian is not disturb by jumping of queues and given an opportunity he would also jump the queue happily.
·        An average Indian is not sensitive to work commitment or perfection.                                                                      He will claim that work is worship and all that but not in practice.Recently a electrician in Tamilnadu working on a transformer was electrocuted to death for a “minor mistake”. That ‘minor mistake’ was ‘working without wearing hand gloves’on a high-voltage transformer! No newspaper talks about such a major negligence but disposes off  it as his fate’.Mind you,he is not an exception;he is the rule.
                          CS is against any kind of work ethics as perfection does not matter in a CS environment .The job of each caste is assured from their birth and they need not prove their eligibility or skill to do it.Accordingly a Brahmin who is suffering from even venereal disease is not ineligible to serve as priest in a temple.Compare this with the biblical instructions on priest hood which prescribes the following for priest-hood:
1)Num8.24 commands, “This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting, but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer. They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites.” God regulated the priestly office and limited the age of priests to 25 to 50 years. Anyone younger or older was not eligible to serve.
2) God held the priests to the most stringent standards of behavior and ritual purity (Leviticus 21). Abihu and Nadab were sons of Aaron and two of the first priests. They disobeyed God, however, and were instantly struck down (Leviticus 10:1–2). Later, the sons of the high priest Eli “treated the offering of the Lord with contempt” and were also judged (1 Samuel 2:12–17).
           Since work ethics is not considered important,an average Indian worker is not punctual,not sincere in work,often misleading the customer,having tendency to do certain things stealthily without the customer’s consent and not feeling bad if caught red-handed.
An average Indian worker does not feel proud about his work or his skills.He is more concerned about making money somehow. A biscuit manufacturing unit in Tamilnadu had surplus capacity which was leased to a foreign biscuit company for manufacturing their products,on one condition that the workers shall wear hand gloves without fail, for reasons of hygiene.The staff union agreed to the condition.However random inspections carried out subsequently, proved that the workers stealthily removed their gloves during the work, whenever the Supervisors were not seen around! Whatever best the management did to prevent this practice failed because of the workers’ mindset.Who controls their mindset? You should have known it by this time !
Sensitive To
While the position is so the average Indian is highly sensitive to the following.
·        Any help done to the poor or needy.
Nobody wants any kind of help to be done to the poor labour category like porters, auto drivers, beggars etc. In Bangalore railway station the maximum porterage charges limit is fixed at Rs 70/- I am not aware of any maximum charges on Brokerage fixed for real estate deals. But in case of a porter demanding Rs 10 extra an average Indian fights tooth and nail to avoid giving it. He posts complaint in social media for Rs 10 /-extra !An average Indian is not willing to give Rs 10/-per month,for door collection of garbage but will happily give Rs 5000/- for a 10 day summer camp for kids !
·        The second sensitive area is that of caste.                                                                                                An average Indian can not tolerate any kind of benefit ,reservation or advantage that is given to a caste other than his caste.He employs all his arsenal  to fight against such a move tooth and nail.More than the desire for benefits for his caste,the feeling that the other caste should not get anything rules.
He is against any sort of dilution of the caste system through inter caste marriages. He will go to any extent to defend the caste.’Any extent’ means and includes’ killing of own daughter,son or sister who gets into a intercaste relationship’.This he considers as a’ honour killing ‘to save the caste system!
·        Is‘ Hatred’ ,a part of Caste System ?
            Since the caste system  is a vertical arrangement of various castes,every caste feels superior to the castes which are placed below them and inferior to the castes which are placed above  them . So none of the castes except the highest that is ,Brahmins feel adequate and full. The lowest in the ladder, that is the Dalits feels the most crushed and rejected by every body .They  are made to feel that they are zero  in the system.
                       One common thread that seems to run through the entire CS is the utter contempt for the lower castes and high respect for the higher castes  In practice,however this translates into a vein of ‘hatred ‘running through entire line of hierarchy. Due to this feeling of hatred the Hindus are not sensitive to the suffering of the other castes ,though they are part of  their own religion. However,they  may become be sensitive to the suffering of people in different countries. The Government of India ,once raised funds for Nelson Mandela to fight against Apartheid in Africa, while 300 million Indians are still suffering under the curse of untouchabllity right on is own soil!
 This inbuilt ‘hatred’ in CS works against the feeling of ‘one nation’.
Another interesting point to be observed is that Caste Spirit converts every incident as an opportunity to strengthen the ‘hatred’ between people.For example,in Kumbakonam a fire accident took place in a school and 94 students died.Now,the reason for the accident can be attributed to corruption in granting approval for thatched building,improper wiring by the Electricity Dept and many such factors.But CS takes this opportunity to put the entire blame on a ‘person’ and make him the ‘villain’ of the piece,as if he planned the ‘accident’ and caused the death.People’s anger is directed towards a ‘person’ in all accidents.People instead of feeling for the death of their loved ones are misled to ‘hate’ some body.The spirit of hatred ,thus grows.
·        CS Sure Breeds Inferiority Complex
         At the cost of repetition,let me tell that the caste system  is a vertical arrangement of various castes. Every caste feels superior to the castes which are placed below them and inferior to the castes which are placed above  them . So none of the castes except the highest that is ,Brahmins feel adequate and full. The lowest in the ladder, that is the Dalits feels the most crushed and rejected by every body .They  are made to feel that they are zero  in the system.Overall,every caste suffer from a strong feeling of ‘inferiority complex’s an essential part of CS mindset. Compare this position with the poor in Africa. Even the darkest Africans or Afro-Americans always feel proud about themselves.
·        CS and Communication
         CS affects communication as such as each caste perceives any issue or problems with its own eyes. In other words what is a problem for one caste need not a problem for another caste. Some times what is bad for one caste may even be a source of joy for another caste.This prevents proper communication between two different castes. CS prevents free communication due to clash of interests .This is the reason for the  foreigners’ observe that Indians do not mean what they speak!
 CS & Suffering Of Others/Helping Unknown People
The treatment of each caste in a CS depends on the position they occupy in the hierarchy .As per the position the degree of respect or contempt for the caste is decided .The higher the caste the higher the respect and the lower the caste higher is the contempt .Accordingly a low caste person is treated lower than even animals.While the animals are permitted to pass through the streets or the higher caste ,the lower caste Dalits are not permitted to pass through the same streets,As a consequence of this any kind of suffering undergone by the Dalits are simply not visible to the eyes of the upper caste.CS.As this attitude gets imbedded in the Hindu mind set ,they simply ignore victims of accidents or those who are in a SOS situation.The person affected does not mind about this indifference of others who is suffering as he is conditioned not to expect any help from anyone.This is the main reason why bleeding accident victims in India are not helped by anyone passing by.During the Chennai Floods,none of the Brahmins or their organizations came for rescue but were keen on conducting the annual music festival ,immediately after the floods !They may give different reasons for their apathy,as they themselves may not be aware of these real reasons.
·        How does CS impact Depression/Anger /Anxiety ?
          Caste system nurtures negative feelings like ‘depression anger ,anxiety,etc’ in every one.The lower caste always feel ‘threatened’ despite having intelligence,etc as the higher caste who are the rulers never recognize the merit of the lower classes.As a consequence, these people suffer from constant anger,anxiety ,nervousness and related health problemsl.They are not sure of their future or even the next moment.
·        CS and Cheating
Since CS does not accept ground realities which clash with the CD of the system,it has either to put it down through lies or cheating.Many of the literature carry stories of vile cheating tricks etc employed to save the CS from destruction.Hence cheating becomes an accepted and essential part of maintaining the CD.
·        CS and Personal Grooming
          CS does not attach any importance to presentation,personality,looks etc which are required for executive jobs in other cultures.A Brahmin is considerd as belonging to a high caste even if he is half clad without any upper garment or in whatever look he wants.Similarly a person belonging to a low caste is considered as low even if he is smartly dressed in a coat and suit and well groomed.Consequently personal grooming in a caste society does not matter at all. all.Even public leaders are casually dressed and their personal looks are hardly given attention to.The only well dressed Indian political leader happens to be a Dalit,Dr.B.R.Ambedkar,always dressed right.Even Rajinikanth ,a famous cine-actor,known for his ‘style’, appears in public meetings dressed in surprisingly inappropriate attire.In fact earlier before the advent of globalization in India,many Indians would not have had regular haircuts.More over certain communities believe in having tied up hair than a smart haircut as a part of their caste requirement.So when compared to even the poorest African countries,Indians do not attach any importance to looks and personal grooming.Married women moreover are not expected to ‘make-up’ for fear of attracting other men.
·        C# Helping Unknown People/Humanity
We have already seen how CS is totally insensitive to the suffereing of the lower caste belonging to the same religion.When the upper caste are so insensitive to the suffering of their own people,how will they react to the suffering of unknown people or the humanity.Their mindset is built against helping people.This is a reason why so miuch food is wasted in India when millions of people go hungry everyday.
·        Caste Spirit Decides One’s Response To Anything!
It may sound incredible,but is true that every response ,for any issue ,by any one in India,is dictated      by the Caste Spirit,though the person may not be aware of it.Let me illustrate this finding with an example.On the Chennai-Tirunelveli Trunk Road,is a major town named Perambalur,which is the headquarters for Perambalur District.As Perambalur has Dalits as majority,it was treated as a Dalit place,deserving a low treatment as a Dalit is treated.If you visit the TN Registration Dept.Website,you won’t find Perambalur Dist under any Zone.You will find all ,even smaller districts readily,but not Perambalur !How is that only Perambalur is missing?Did Govt. instruct so?No.It is simply ‘just natural’ for all the staff involved to omit it,without any one telling about it!Till recently,even the town’s name board ‘Perambalur’was not erected in the Trunk Road,though smaller villages name boards on the same trunk road ,were erected without fail.However,instead of ‘Perambalur’ another name ‘Thuraimangalam’ was put up as the name of the town.’Thuraimangalam’ is a part of ‘Perambalur’.Its like putting up ‘Saidapet’ for ‘Chennai’!How mischievous!
During conducting of any examinations,the room next to the stinking toilet is invariably allotted for the SC/ST candidates.Let us know that Govt.does not issue any such instructions,but it is always a ‘designed’ accident ,in all exams!The organizers cannot be blamed as they may not be conscious about what they are doing,when they are under the spell of the powerful Caste Spirit.
 Let Us Join Hands And Kill This Monster!
                          I have not covered the impact of CS on some more areas like hypocrisy ,for want of space. Having known about the ill effects of CS over the mindset and attitudes of every Indian,I feel ,I need not emphasize the need to annihilate the entire system in the interests of the nation.The first step towards that can be taken by the Government of India and the State Government.They can create a new category of casteless people in India called “X” and encourage people belonging to any caste to renounce their caste and be called the “X” category.Government can consider reserving 20% of all the Government/public sector/private sector vacancies to this newly created category.The reservation percentage may be reviewed later and increased if necessary.This reservation can be in addition to the stipulated maximum percentage of 50% for reservations.Apart from this Government can also encourage inter caste marriages whose offsprings can be categorized under “X” category.All educational institutions should make available this option of declaration as “X” category while admitting students.
Media should be barred from highlighting caste based activities and news.Caste references should be dropped in talks and people encouraged to drop their caste surnames with incentives.

          As building up this rigid caste system took around 3000 years,breaking it down may also make take sometime.Neverthless the first step needs to be taken so that the country moves forward to become a super power in reality.After all Caste System is nothing but celebration of division and not unity !And unity builds the nation while division destroys it.
(Published earlier in Quora)

Monday 12 September 2016

My Short Flirt With Quora !

Those of you who know me personally know my thirst for writing since my boy hood days.I used to have lot of admirers for my language and presentation skills,while doing my Degree course ,in Madras Christian College,Tambaram.My perceived forte was looking at an angle which others would normally  miss.Later my observation skills helped me unearth a major fraud of 3.5 crores in an office transaction in 2010.My investigation reports on office frauds were often circulated among the Top Executives of my office for the kind of new angle involved and the apt language employed.
                  While the position is so,I happened to hit on the popular net Question-Answer forum called 'Quora' sometime in 2015,while searching for an answer.I was impressed by the site ,so signed up and started contributing to it regularly thereafter.My answers gained so much popularity,soon it touched 3,75,000 views!One of my answer on'How to help the poor randomly?' was selected by Quora as best answer and sent by e-mail to 1,19,000+ people!
I was also rated as Most Viewed Writer on the following topics:
1)Tamil language
2)Sanskrit
3)Etymology-Greek
4) Etymology-PIE
5)Caste system
6)Reservations
7)Hinduism
8)Brahmins
                      How ever some of the Quorans wanted 'pleasing' answers more than 'right' answers.Quora provides a 'down vote' button to 'down vote' answers that does not please you.Quora also has a policy called'Be nice' policy which wants you to be 'nice' to all readers.This ,sometimes becomes difficult with some answers.For example,if the question is 'Who stole my kerchief?' ,my answer cannot be'I know,its Peter!' as it would amount to violation of Quora's 'Be nice' policy.So my answer has to be something like'Well,I am not aware' or 'It could be any one!'That means ,one needs to compromise on truth he knows and wantonly play to the gallery.I just can't be like that and so I crossed lines sometimes. Quora did warn me twice  to be 'nice' in my answers.I admit that I just could not, where it involved denying truth!So Quora has finally banned my account,probably on this violation.Quora has not advised me the reasons for the ban.
Quora does not encourage appeals also.So here is  my appeal submitted to Quora that got  returned.I am providing it for the information of my followers and fans.Hope Quora hears it through some one.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Dear Moderation Team,
                                      I am advised by Quora that my account has been banned.However,I have not been advised on the reasons for the ban. When I tried submitting an appeal to a link provided, the mail got returned. Since I have a good number of followers and avid readers, I thought I should explain my position to them.
I have been writing in Quora for more than a year, as of now. I have crossed 3,75,000 views on a variety of topics.Many of my answers have been selected for Quora digest. One of my answers has been selected and e-mailed to 1,19,000 +Quorans.
I am also Most viewed writer in:
1)Tamil language
2)Sanskrit
3)Etymology-Greek
4)Etymology-PIE
5)Caste System
6)Reservations
7)Hinduism
8)Brahmins
         I always write objectively with credible supporting evidence and without any fear or favour.I do not write for 'upvotes' nor am I afraid of 'downvotes'.I write what I know.I sometimes can see through the walls ,on certain issues.While I do not intend to hurt anyone or group by any answers, I do not compromise on truth for the sake of complying with ‘Be nice” policy. I write on controversial subjects like  ‘Reservations‘ where one cannot be ‘nice’ to all sections involved.Your answer cannot please the Master and the Slave at the same time.Moreover,I always keep my answers open to comments and I keep replying all comments raised,except that of personal attacks.I was clear in my answers also.
I do believe Quorans are entitled to know truth in any issue, though they need not agree with it. By banning me, they are denied certain rare view points. So, you may like to reconsider your decision to ban my account in the interests of Quorans who want free discussion on intellectual matters.Incidentally,I also understand ,that after the ban, the number of  views of my answers per day, has increased to 1000 and is steadily increasing.(My Profile Page)This does prove that Quorans want my answers badly"

Regards,"
Image Credit:Twitter.com

Sunday 11 September 2016

Why This Blog?

Welcome to my new blog 'Periscope'which means'an apparatus through which you can see things that are otherwise out of sight. That fairly explains what this blog is about .
 A few years back we were chatting in our office.Suddenly a question arose.  'Between 'man' and 'woman'who is beautiful?' There were lot of smiling women also present  in the chat.Almost every one in the group agreed that 'Woman' is beautiful ,undoubtedly.However ,I turned to be  the sole soul to disagree with the unanimous verdict.
So I asked 'Who says or judges that 'woman' is beautiful?'. Answer was 'Of course,its the men !' I said 'Yes,it is 'men's only' view point.Since 'men' are ruling opinions,this view point rules the world!'
Then I went on to prove 'man' is actually ' beautiful' if judged by a neutral non-human being.Man is always physically more attractive with mane and all,rugged looking and ruler like.'Man' considers  2 pieces of wobbly flesh,ie the female breasts as the most attractive thing in the world,not because they are beautiful but because he is programmed to be attracted by it !

Look at the animal kingdom.Among all animals 'males' are 'beautiful' be it 'peacock' or 'fish'.Male is created to rule and look beautiful.My view point brought some wrinkles and hesitant smiles in tthe faces of those listening.Nevertheless,they would not give in!Finally I won though they did not have the generosity to concede their defeat !Their silence declared my medal!
So the point I am trying to stress is that 'Majority view need not be right view' One may know some thing special which is not  known to others.This blog for such fresh insights.Keep reading,you will never regret!
image credit:google