R.M. Pal
(Ambedkar Centre of Mumbai and Centre for Social Change, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai jointly organized a seminar on the subject. It was held at M.N. Roy Human Development Campus of the Centre on 10th January 2009. Dr. R.M. Pal, former editor, The Radical Humanist and editor, PUCL Bulletin delivered this keynote address).
Since the time I became editor of the PUCL Bulletin, a monthly magazine devoted to Human Rights and Civil Liberties, published by People’s Union for Civil Liberties, I gave the utmost importance to societal violation of human rights caused by the caste system and communalism. I have been trying to make my own contribution to highlight human rights of Dalits and to that effect I requested the National Human Rights Commission to hold a brainstorming session on the subject. This session took place in Chennai in August 1996. My only satisfaction is that for the first time the subject became a part of the NHRC’s agenda. The proceedings of the session were published in book form under the title ‘Human Rights for Dalits’ edited by me and my friend, Mr. G.S. Bhargava, and published by Gyan Publishing House, New Delhi. Before that at the UN World Congress on Human Rights in Vienna in 1993, I met Mr. Yogesh Varhade, organizer of the Ambedkar Centre for Justice and Peace operating from Toronto. Then came the Durban Conference in 2001.
It is usually agreed that caste-created Indian issues like untouchability cannot be tackled without abolishing caste. It is in this context that I would like to start by referring to a discussion on the subject years ago. I had the privilege of sharing a platform with Justice Krishna Iyer and the well-known Arya Samajist, Swami Agnivesh. Justice Iyer, with tears in his eyes, said that the Dalit problem could be solved if more judges from Scheduled Caste communities were appointed. Agonies suggested that Dalits be given firearms so that they could teach the upper castes a lesson. I said that it was not possible to reform the Hindu society without abolishing the hierarchical system of varnavyavastha/caste. The Arya Samaj is no doubt against the system. But the problem arises when the Arya Samaj and people like Swami Agnivesh affirm their faith in the theory of Karma, which is at the root of keeping the downtrodden under perpetual bondage. It does not admit of revolt against tyranny. It prevents one from shaping one’s own destiny. The institution of caste has been the stumbling block to attaining social justice and human rights. The theory does not acknowledge the fact that every human being, given favourable conditions, is capable of developing unlimited powers of intellect, and that the conditions have not yet been created for those who deserve them the most. The caste system, an ‘ugly relic of the past’ as M N Roy described it, stands in the way of all progress. And let us be clear that India cannot sit in the comity of civilized nations until this system is abolished. I am sure the participants in this meet will take a look at the intellectual, moral and religious support that has been given to the caste system.
According to the laws of Manu, Brahma created the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas and the Sudras from his mouth, his arms, his thighs and his feet respectively. And this he did for the sake of prosperity in this world. He assigned separate duties and occupations to them in order to protect the universe, the first three for teaching, protecting the citizens and trading. The Dalits are described as varnasankara, born out of the intermixture of the varnas, and they are outside the system. Furthermore, the laws prescribe that the penalty for a Brahmin killing a cow and killing a Shudra is the same. In fact killing a cow is a more heinous crime than killing a Shudra. Now let us go to the Gita. Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that the work of Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the Shudras are different. The work of the Shudra is service. They all attain perfection when they find joy in their work. ‘Greater is thine own work even if this is humble than the work of another even if this be great. When a man does the work God gives him no sin can touch this man; a man should not abandon his work because thou art in the bondage of Karma’. In this context I want to refer to an incident. When Gandhi once went to Delhi, he stayed in the Valmiki colony. He told all the valmikis that their work is the most noble one under the sun and added that in the next life he’d like to be born in the Valmiki community. The valmikis immediately replied, “Bapu, why do you have to wait for so long? Come along now and we’ll give you all the equipment to do the job.” They were referring to the job of cleaning toilets. Gandhi, incidentally, didn’t come forward.
Many of our liberal intellectuals maintain that the caste system does not exist now and the grip of caste is loosening. One Mr. A N Sattanathan belonging to a lower caste in Tamil Nadu has published a book ‘Plain Speaking: Story of a Shudra’. He maintains in this book that the grip of caste has loosened even though he makes another and contradictory revelation. According to him, he did outstandingly well in his university exams in History and applied for a teaching job at a college close to his home, run by the Jesuits. The Principal called him for a personal interview. He went there and the Principal told him, “You must be either an Iyer or Iyengar (Brahmin castes, for a man from a low caste cannot achieve such outstanding results.”
In the end I would like to say a few words about the IHEU’s proposed international conference on untouchability in London later this year. Untouchability exists in other parts of the world, in Nigeria, Japan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. I hope the IHEU will take account of the fact that untouchability in India is a very complex question and without a discussion as to how to abolish caste, untouchability cannot be removed from India. I may now refer to the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and indicate briefly how caste provisions are in conflict with the provisions of the UDHR. Our system gives different status to different people on the basis of birth. Our system requires a person to join the occupation of the caste to which he is born and this violates Article 23 (1). Our system does not permit certain sections of the people including women to learn Sanskrit, to read religious books, to be priests. This is in contradiction to Article 18, which states that everyone has the right to freedom of thought and expression. Some people are forced to live on the outskirts of the village and this violates Article 13.
This seminar has been conceived to address both the philosophical and on-the-ground realities of caste, for without the former, it will be impossible to find solutions to the latter. Therefore, the discussion on Gandhi and Ambedkar’s respective approaches to the annihilation of caste become critical to any meaningful way forward.
Concept Paper for the seminar on Humanist Responses to Major Indian Issues