Dalits - Real Issues & Discussion

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Rajesh: Sri Sri on Dalits
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><i>RD: A Dalit leader once told me that the caste system is the biggest scam in the history of mankind, that Brahminism is a way of oppressing people at the bottom.</i>Sri Sri: There is nothing wrong with Brahminism. People who accuse Brahminism have not read Adi Shankara. He clearly says Jathi, Nethi, Kula, Gotra durakam. Caste, religion—all this you have to transcend; it is not what you are. Whatever caste a person is, the wise will always be respected—Vidhwan sarvatra pujith. Of course there has been oppression of Dalits [but] there has been oppression in many countries and many cultures. Christians had the Spanish Inquisition, [they’ve] been against science, [but] you can’t say that Christianity is bad.

In the Brahminical text it is written that the sudhra is the feet, but it also says that the feet should be worshipped. No part of the body is considered low in the Vedic literature. Throwing [out] all Brahminical wisdom is foolishness.

I think we are blowing out of proportion the Dalit issues. Not all Brahmins have always suppressed Dalits. Even Ambedkar’s mentor was a Brahmin. Basavanna, Adi Shankara, Ramanujacharya—[all] worked for Dalits.

We brought out a book called The Heritage of Dalits. In that we said that many of the rishis are from lower castes. Krishna was from a backward class and he is worshipped.
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On a recent trip to India, I've searched for this book "The Heritage of Dalits" but haven't had any luck.