One of the major issues during the last General Elections (April-May 2024) was about conducting a caste census. The INDIA Alliance put it forward very strongly, while BJP is opposing it. This opposition is very clear-cut and unambiguous. The issue of caste has been the core issue in strengthening of Hindu right wing politics. The awareness of exploitation by the downtrodden was recognized by the likes of Jyotirao Phule and Bhimrao Ambedkar. In response to this the upper caste formations started articulating the glorious past, the concept of Hindu nation and Manusmriti’s values formed the core of their agenda. In due course, particularly during the last few decades the narrative promoted by RSS was that all castes were equal and their ideologues did come out with a number of books on different castes showing their past history of being equal.
The RSS leaders claimed that these castes had come into existence due to atrocities by foreign invaders and did not exist in Hindu religion earlier. “Three top RSS leaders have sought to attribute the genesis of Dalits, tribals and many other groups to “Muslim invasion” in medieval times.” According to Bhaiyyaji Joshi, a top leader in RSS hierarchy, ‘shudras’ were never untouchables in Hindu scriptures. ‘Islamic atrocities’ during the medieval age resulted in the emergence of untouchables, Dalits. Joshi further elaborated, “To violate Hindu swabhiman (dignity) of Chanwarvanshiya kshatriyas (a caste in Hinduism), foreign invaders from Arab, Muslim rulers and beef-eaters, forced them to do abominable works like killing cows, skinning them and throwing their carcasses in deserted places. Foreign invaders thus created a caste of charma-karma (dealing with skin) by giving such works as punishment to proud Hindu prisoners.”
Now carrying on from here there is a renewed attempt to present the caste system in a positive light and as a saviour of this nation (Hindu). As the demand for caste census is picking up RSS’s mouthpiece Panchjanya in its August 5 (2024) has published an article by Hitesh Shankar (HS), “A Netaji: Kaun jaat ho” (Oh Leader, to which caste you belong). This article argues that the foreign aggressors could not break the caste curtains and so could not do the conversions. The caste has the major basis of Hindu society and has kept the nation in the pink of health despite the foreign aggressors. This article approvingly quotes an earlier ex-Bishop of Bombay, Louis George Milne’s book, ‘Mission to Hindus: A contribution to the study of Missionary methods’. The quote is “…then it (caste, added) is necessarily a part of social structure. Still for all practical purposes it constructs religion for millions…It acts as a link between one’s nature and Religion.” (Translated from Hindi Article).
As per the author what was pinching the Missionaries then is pinching the Indian National Congress (INC) which is the inheritor of East India Company and Lord A O Hume. Further it points out that as the aggressors could not break the caste fortress they (Muslims) forced the uptight castes for manual scavenging; as such there is no mention of this system in earlier society. As per the missionaries they attribute backwardness of society to the caste system. As per the HS, like British, INC also looks at the caste as a thorn in the system.
This article is a compilation of a bundle of the lies. To begin with the caste system was articulated strongly in Manusmriti (2nd Century AD, much before foreign aggressors came) and many Holy books stated that the low caste should remain away from the upper caste and this was the root of untouchability, and manual scavenging is the expression of the same. This is inherent in purity-pollution practices and also in the theories of rebirth. Earlier references of this are found in Narada Samhita and Vajasaneyi Samhita. In Narada Samhita 15 duties listed for untouchables, one is the removal of human excreta. In Vajasaneyi Samhita, Chandals are referred to as slaves engaged in disposal of Human excreta.
Dr. Ambedkar viewed caste as a Brahminical imposition on society. While the whole article of RSS mouthpiece is singing praise for the caste system. Radical Dalit intellectuals and activists have seen this as a major ill of Hindu society. It is here that Ambedkar in several of his writings calls for ‘annihilation of caste’.
While proportionate representation and caste census is an eyesore for Hindu Nationalists, led by RSS, its beginnings are in Poona Pact between Gandhi and Ambedkar and later it found its place in Indian Constitution. To oppose this in subtle and direct forms there were riots in Ahmedabad in 1980 and then 1985. Ram Temple movement became more aggressive when Mandal Commission recommendations were implemented in 1990.
As far as INC being an inheritor of East India Company and Hume’s legacy is concerned, this is a concoction which only those can formulate who were away from Freedom Movement and now are opposed to the idea of India as a plural; diverse country. INC from Tilak to Gandhi was totally against the British rule of which Hume was a part. Hume conceived of it as a safety valve, it is alleged. Going deeper one will see that emerging India National organizations like, Madras Mahajan Sabha (founder Panapakkam Anandacharlu), Bombay Association (founder Jagannath Shankarshet) and Poona Sarvajanik Sabha (founder M.G. Ranade) were looking for a political platform to reach their demands for British rule. They responded to this call of INC as they saw and did actualize to make it a national platform to put forward demands of emerging India. This initially called for opening centres of ICS in India, INC called for restrictions of landlords so that the captive labour power is released and demanded more facilities for rising industrialization.
The same organization (INC) in due course called for ‘Total Independence’ and ‘British Quit India’! The same Congress whom Panchjanya is targeting led the national movement, taking along the issue of social justice, which was strongly put forward by Ambedkar.
As such the contrast between Ambedkar, who represents the values of Indian Constitution, and RSS, which represents Hindu Nationalism, are stark. Ambedkar burnt Manusmriti; RSS upholds the values of caste inequality given in this holy book. Ambedkar drafted the Indian Constitution and RSS opposed it directly for a long time and indirectly at present!
Ram Puniyani is president of the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism.