Anti Brahminism

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Brahmins to demand strict action against anti-Brahmin stance</b>
September 2, 2007
Ponda (Goa): It is observed that through various mediums like books, newspapers and public programs, there is unwarranted criticism against Brahmins. Such communal and aggressive propaganda against Brahmins has resulted in rift between Brahmins on one side and other communities on the other which is very dangerous from the viewpoint of unity of this country. Even then, no action is being taken against those involved in such propaganda; on the contrary, at the Government level, such propaganda is fuelled. The safety of Brahmin community is at stake. (This is the result of secularism. Hindus must now be prepared to bring in power a system based on righteousness. – Editor) Therefore, books like “Shivaji Rajanche khare shatru Kon?” by Shri. Shrimant Kokate or ‘Brahman rashtracha burakha Hindu rashtra’ by Shri. Purushottam Khedekar, ‘Bhatobacha kardan kaal Jyotiba’ and ‘Bahujanancha Sanskrutik Itihaas’ should be banned as they are spreading hatred against Brahmins and strict action should be taken against the concerned. The above demand is going to be made by Brahmin community from Goa to the President, Prime Minister, Governor and Chief Minister through a representation. Conferences of Brahmins were held on behalf of Sanatan Sanstha on 26th August 2007 at Ramanathi, Ponda so also at Khorli, Mhapsa. In this conference it was decided to start a signature campaign for submitting the representations. In this representation, a few paragraphs from the controversial books are cited as examples of hatred against Brahmins spread through them.

<b>Few lines from the book ‘Shivaji Rajanche Khare Shatru Kon?’ by Shrimant Kokate are given below. </b>
Brahmins are ready to compromise on anything for acquiring money and power and they are responsible for riots in the country. – (Page 16 of the book)
Ramadas was a pleasure-seeking and flirtatious person. ( Page 41)
Tilak started Ganeshotsava festival to stop Shivajayanti celebrations (Page 51)
Those persons, who are coward, weak and dependent on others, only worship God and accept supremacy of Brahmins (page 65)
All Brahmins in the country are foreigners / outsiders (Page 74)
Few points from the book ‘Brahman Rashtracha Burkha Hindu Rashtra’ by Shri. Purushottam Khedekar

Meaning of Brahmin and Hindu Rashtra as per Shri. Khedekar (Page 7)
Bahujan Samaj will have to sacrifice for protection of welfare of Brahmins. (Point -4)
Women, single or married, from Bahaujan Samaj will belong to Brahmins and she will not have any rights. (Point – 5)
Person from Bahujan Samaj will have to carry a spittoon and a broom for cleaning the roads. (Point – 7)
Brahmins will have the right to sacrifice men and women from Bahujan Samaj. (Point – 11)
Therefore, it is not a fight of strength but a fight of brains/intellect and the only solution is to burn Brahmins in furnaces. (Point – 2, page 19)
Only a ‘vaidik’ was opposed to crowning of Shivaji Maharaj and his leader was Ramdas. (Page 20)
In short, Ramdas was like present days ‘Dawood’. (Page -23)  <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[acharya]

The secret anti brahminism which started during the British rule and sponsered by the British continued with the marxist and Maculytes after independence.

This is long term strategy to change the social order and also for conversion and revoultion

They are working on a total change in Indian social order with conversion and soft social revoultion. They must have invested some 100B in the study of Indian social order in the last 40 years.

Rockefeller foundation is the principle entity which is most interested in the social studies of India. University of Chicago is a Rockefeller sponsered University and is also the biggest center for social studies of Indian society.

This massive intellectual studies has been going on after 1960s taking form the work done by the British sociologists and Indologists

[Guest]

<b>High Court stays GO on archaks assets </b>

DH News Service, Bangalore: Deccan Herald, march 01, 2008

The High Court on Friday stayed the operation of the recent State Governments Order, and subsequent circular which seeks details of income and assets of archaks of all muzrai temples in the State.

Justice K L Manjunath passed an interim order to this effect following a writ petition by M R Neelakanta Dixit, pradhana archak of Sri Someshwara Swamy temple, Bangalore and several other archaks of various temples in Bangalore, Kolar and Mandya districts.

The petitioners impugned the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Commissioner's circular dated January 30, 2008, directing all DCs to collect the assets statements of archaks, assistant archaks, upadikantaras, mantrapushpa archaks or parupattedars working in all muzrai temples.

<b>Validity challenged</b>

They also challenged the validity of the State Government Order dated January 11, 2008.

The petitioning archaks said that archaks have meagre monthly salaries and depend on 'Thattekasu' (offerings) obtained during mangalarathis and archanes, and 'Dakshine' on performing homas, for livelihood. The State government move to seek assets of archaks and their relatives is of no relevance to the muzrai department, but only a way to harass them, they contended.

They said, the GO and Circular seeks details of salary and seva commission, although no minimum pay is fixed for archaks till date and no commission is received by them for their services.

The Court stayed the operation of both the GO and the circular, while ordering notices to Secretary to Revenue Department (Muzrai) and the Endowments Commissioner on the petition.

[Guest]

http://www.hindu. com/2008/ 05/02/stories/ 2008050251711100 .htm
<b>‘Per capita income of Brahmins is the lowest’ </b>

Special Correspondent
May 02, 2008


Bangalore: Koota Samaja Organisations Federation, a conglomerate of six associations representing Brahmins hailing from Udupi district and living all over the country has come out with an agenda to help poor and meritorious Brahmin children with scholarship for pursuing their education.

Giving details of the federation, its general secretary Yajnanarayana Herleru and K.L.B. Aithal, K. Keshava Holla, K.N. Raghavendra and Ganesh Rao, executive committee members, said that a statement by the government on the floor of the Legislative Assembly prompted them to take up such philanthropic programme for Brahmins.

<b>Mr. Herleru said the per capita income of Christians was Rs. 1,562, Vokkaligas Rs. 914, Muslims Rs. 794, Scheduled Castes Rs. 680, but that of Brahmins was the lowest with Rs. 537 in the State</b>. He said that <b>50 per cent of the rickshaw pullers in Patel Nagar of Delhi were Brahmins and 44 per cent of the children from the caste were dropouts at the primary school level and 36 per cent at the high school level</b>.

<b>He said that while 45 per cent of the people across the country belonged to the below-the-poverty line, it was 55 among Brahmins. </b>Mr. Herleru said that the federation had the desire to extend the scholarship to other sections, but only after meeting the needs of Brahmin children.

<b>Brahmins, even though educated, were not getting employment and were not getting even menial jobs and were in penury.</b> The federation would be inaugurated by the Pejawar Math’s Vishvesha Tirtha Swami on May 3.

[Bodhi]

parallel between prevailing anti-Brahmanism in India and past anti-Semitism of europe

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->To be against Brahmanism is part and parcel of the political
correctness of twenty-first-century India. This indicates that
something is wrong with the Indian public debate. Promotion of hatred
towards a religious group and its traditions is not acceptable today.
But it becomes truly perverse, when the intelligentsia endorses it.

In Europe, it took horrendous events to put an end to the propaganda
of anti-Semitism, which had penetrated the media and intelligentsia.
It required decades of incessant campaigning before anti-Semitism was
relegated to the realm of intellectual and political bankruptcy. In
India, anti-Brahmanism is still the proud slogan of political parties
and the credential of the radical intellectual.

Some may find this parallel between anti-Brahmanism and anti-Semitism
ill-advised. Nevertheless, it has strong grounds. First, there are
striking similarities between the stereotypes about Brahmins in India
and those about Jews in the West. Jews have been described as devious
connivers, who would do anything for personal gain. They were said to
be secretive and untrustworthy, manipulating politics and the
economy. In India, Brahmins are all too often characterised in the
same way.

Second, the stereotypes about the Jews were part of a larger story
about a historical conspiracy in which they had supposedly exploited
European societies. To this day, the stories about a Jewish
conspiracy against humanity prevail. The anti-Brahmanical stories
sound much the same, but have the Brahmins plotting against the
oppressed classes in Indian society. In both cases, historians have
claimed to produce "evidence" that cannot be considered so by any
standard. Typical of the ideologues of anti-Brahmanism is the
addition of ad hoc ploys whenever their stories are challenged by
facts. When it is pointed out that the Brahmins have not been all
that powerful in most parts of the country, or that they were poor in
many regions, one reverts to the image of the Brahmin manipulating
kings and politicians behind the scene. We cannot find empirical
evidence, it is said, because of the secretive way in which
Brahmanism works.

Third, both in anti-Semitic Europe and anti-Brahmanical India, this
goes together with the interpretation of contemporary events in terms
of these stories. One does not really analyse social tragedies and
injustices, but approaches them as confirmations of the ideological
stories. All that goes wrong in society is blamed on the minority in
question. Violence against Muslims? It must be the "Brahmin-
dominated" Sangh Parivar. Opposition against Christian missionaries
and the approval of anti-conversion laws? "Ah, the Brahmins fear that
Christianity will empower the lower castes." Members of a scheduled
caste are killed? "The Brahmin wants to show the Dalit his true place
in the caste hierarchy." An OBC member loses his job; a lower caste
girl is raped? "The Brahmanical upper castes must be behind it."

This leads to a fourth parallel: in both cases, resentment against
the minority in question is systematically created and reinforced
among the majority. The Jews were accused of sucking all riches out
of European societies. In the decades before the second World War,
more and more people began to believe that it was time "to take back
what was rightfully theirs." In India also, movements have come into
being that want to set right "the historical injustices of
Brahmanical oppression." Some have even begun to call upon their
followers to "exterminate the Brahmins."

In Europe, state policies were implemented that expressed the
discrimination against Jews. For a very long time, they could not
hold certain jobs and participate in many social and economic
activities. In India, one seems to be going this way with policies
that claim to correct "the historical exploitation by the upper
castes." It is becoming increasingly difficult for Brahmins to get
access to certain jobs. In both cases, these policies have been
justified in terms of a flawed ideological story that passes for
social science.

The fifth parallel is that both anti-Semitism and anti-Brahmanism
have deep roots in Christian theology. In the case of Judaism, its
continuing vitality as a tradition was a threat to Christianity's
claim to be the fulfilment of the Jewish prophecies about the
Messiah. The refusal of Jews to join the religion of Christ (the true
Messiah, according to Christians) was seen as an unacceptable denial
of the truth of Christianity. Saint Augustine even wrote that the
Jews had to continue to exist, but only to show that Christians had
not fabricated the prophesies about Christ and to confirm that some
would not follow Christ and be damned for it.

The contemporary stereotypes about Brahmins and the story about
Brahmanism also originate in Christian theology. They reproduce
Protestant images of the priests of false religion. When European
missionaries and merchants began to travel to India in great numbers,
they held two certainties that came from Christian theology: false
religion would exist in India; and false religion revolved around
evil priests who had fabricated all kinds of laws, doctrines and
rites in order to bully the innocent believers into submission. In
this way, the priests of the devil abused religion for worldly goals.
The European story about Brahmanism and the caste system simply
reproduced this Protestant image of false religion. The colonials
identified the Brahmins as the priests and Brahmanism as the
foundation of false religion in India. This is how the dominant image
of "the Hindu religion" came into being.

The sixth parallel lies in the fact that Christian theology
penetrated and shaped the "secular" discourse about Judaism and
Brahmanism. The theological criticism became part of common sense and
was reproduced as scientific truth. In India, this continues unto
this day. Social scientists still talk about "Brahmanism" as the
worst thing that ever happened to humanity. Perhaps the most tragic
similarity is that some members of the minority community have
internalised these stories about themselves. Some Jews began to
believe that they were to blame for what happened during the
Holocaust; many educated Brahmins now feel that they are guilty of
historical atrocities against other groups. This has led to a kind of
identity crisis in which they vilify "Brahmanism" in English-language
public debate, but continue their traditions.

In twentieth-century Europe, we have seen how dangerous these
elements of anti-Semitism were and what consequences they could have
in society. The question that India has to raise in the twenty-first
century is this: Do we need bloodshed, before we will realise that
the reproduction of anti-Brahmanism is harmful? Do we need the
victory of fascism, before we will admit that pernicious ideologies
should not be sold as social science?

Jakob<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Bodhi]

ramaaz made an important addition to this thread ( though making a post on Karnataka Election thread):

<!--QuoteBegin-ramaaz+May 25 2008, 12:42 PM-->QUOTE(ramaaz @ May 25 2008, 12:42 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Dear Sri. G. Subramaniam,

I am replying to your posting here as I see you are active now and since I wanted to get in touch with you since I read your postings on Reservations. You look very broad minded in your outlook, very practical, though I see that a non-brahmin reading your comments are sure to get hurt.  But, you seem to be for Hindu-Unity which I very much admire.  Your observation is perfectly right in your statement about the tamil brahmin not according Dwijahood to about 30-40% of the tamil population who in fact practiced vocations of Khatriya and Vaishya dharma of Hinduism.  Lord Krishna describes Vaishyas in Bhagawad Gita as those who practise Krishi-Vaanijya-GoRaksha and such populace form about 40-50% of the population.   

Since, you have quoted about meeting Periyavaal of Kanchi math, I was wondering whether you have read a discourse of Periyavaal posted at this site

http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part3/chap6.htm

This article/discourse will answer the cause for the anti-brahmin attitude in Tamil Nadu.

If you send me a personal email, I would be interested to correspond with you. My personal email is ramak20@hotmail.com

I live in Phoenix, Arizona. Married with two kids and graduated from IITM in 1986.

Rama Krishnan
[right][snapback]82025[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Important is the link posted there http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part3/chap6.htm which is a discourse by paramapUjya swami of kAmakoTi, and I paste the whole text here. (there are some hyperlinks in the text, for which visit that site.

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Who is Responsible for the Decay of Varna Dharma?
(HinduDharma: The Vedic Religion And Varna Dharma)

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Politicians and intellectuals alike say that jati is part of an uncivilized system. Why? Who is responsible for the disintegration of so worthy an arrangement as varna dharma?

These are question that I raised and I shall try to answer them. The wrong ideas that have developed about varna dharma must be ascribed to the Brahmins themselves. They are indeed responsible for the decay of an ages-old system that contributed not only to our Atmic advancement but also to the well-being of the nation as well as of all mankind.

The Brahmin relinquished the duties of his birth-the study of the Vedas and performance of the rites laid down in the Vedic tradition. He left his birthplace, the village, for the town. He cropped his hair and started dressing in European style. Giving up the Vedas, he took to the Mundane learning of the West. He fell to the lure of jobs offered by his white master and aped him in dress, manners and attitudes. He threw to the winds the noble dharma he had inherited from the Vedic seers through his forefathers and abandoned all for a mess of pottage. He was drawn to everything Western, science, life-style, entertainment.

The canonical texts have it that the Brahmin must have no love for money, that he must not accumulate wealth. So long as he followed his dharma, as prescribed by the sastras, and so long as he chanted the Vedas and performed sacrifices, he brought good to the world, and all other castes respected him and treated him with affection. In fact they looked upon him as a guide and model.

Others now observed how the Brahmin changed, how his life-style had become different with all its glitter and show and how he went about with all the pretence of having risen on the scale of civilization. The Brahmin had been an ideal for them in all that is noble, but how he strayed from the path of dharma; and following his example they too gave up their traditional vocations that had brought them happiness and contentment, and left their native village to settle in towns. Like the Brahmin they became keen to learn English and secure jobs in the government.

For thousands of years the Brahmin had been engaged in Atmic pursuit and intellectual work. In the beginning all his mental faculties were employed for the welfare of society and not in the least for his own selfish advancement. Because of this very spirit of self-sacrifice, his intelligence became sharp like a razor constantly kept honed. Now the welfare of society is no longer the goal of his efforts and his intelligence has naturally dimmed due to this selfishness and interest in things worldly. He had been blessed with a bright intellect and he had the grace of the Lord to carry out the duties of his birth. Now, after forsaking his dharma, it is natural that his intellectual keenness should become blunted.

Due to sheer momentum the bicycle keeps going some distance even after you stop pedalling. Similarly, though the Brahmin seeks knowledge of mundane subjects instead of inner light, he retains yet a little intellectual brightness as a result of the "pedalling" done by his forefathers. It is because of this that he has been able to achieve remarkable progress in Western learning also. He has acquired expert knowledge in the practices of the West, in its law and its industries. Indeed he has gained such insights into these subjects and mastered their finer points so remarkably well that he can give lessons to the white man himself in them.

A question that arises in this context is how Vedic studies which had not suffered much even during Muslim rule received a severe set-back with the advent of the European. One reason is the impact of the new sciences and the machines that came with the white man. Granted that many a truth was revealed through these sciences- and this was all to the good up to a point. But we must remember that the knowledge of a subject per se is one thing and how we use it in practice ins another.

The introduction of steam power and electricity made many types of work easier but it also meant comforts hitherto unthought-of of to gratify the senses. If you keep pandering to the senses more and more new desires are engendered. This will mean the production of an increasing number of objects of pleasure. The more we try to obtain sensual pleasure the more we will cause injury to our innermost being. The new pleasures that could be had with scientific development and the introduction of machines were an irresistible lure for the Brahmin as they were to other communities. Another undesirable product of the sciences brought by the white man was rationalism which undermined people's faith in religion and persuaded some to believe that the religious truths that are based on faith and are inwardly experienced are nothing but deception. The man who did not give up his duties even during Muslim rule now abandoned them for the new-found pleasures and comforts. He dressed more smartly that the Englishman, smoked cigarettes and even learned to dance like his white master. Those who thus became proficient in the arts of the white man were rewarded with jobs.

Now occurred the biggest tragedy.

Up till now all members of society had their hereditary jobs to do and they did not have to worry about their livelihood. Now, with the example of the Brahmin before them, members of other castes also gave up their traditional occupations for the jobs made available by the British in the banks, railways, collectorates, etc. With the introduction of machinery our handicrafts fell into decay and many of our artisans had to look for other means of livelihood. In the absence of any demarcation in the matter of work and workers, there arose competition for jobs for the first time in the country. It was a disastrous development and it generated jealousy, ill-will, disputes and a host of other evils among people who had hitherto lived in harmony.

Ill feelings developed between Brahmins and non-Brahmins also. How? Brahmins formed only a small percentage of the population. But they were able to occupy top positions in the new order owing to their intelligence which, as I said before, was the result of the "pedalling" done by their forefathers. They excelled in all walks of life- in administration, in academics, in law, in medicine, engineering and so on. The white man made his own calculations about developing animosity between Brahmins and non-Brahmins and realised that by fuelling it he could strengthen his hold on the country. He fabricated the Aryan-Dravidian theory of races and the seeds of differences were sown among children born of the same mother. It was a design that proved effective in a climate already made unhealthy by rivalry for jobs.

As if to exacerbate this ill-will, the Brahmin took one more disastrous step. On the one hand he gave up the dharma of his caste and joined hands with the British in condemning the old order by branching it a barbarous one in which one man exploited another. But, on the other hand, though he spoke the language of equality, he kept aloof from other castes thinking himself to be superior to them. If in the past he had not mixed physically with members of other castes, it did not mean that he had placed himself on a high pedestal. we must remember that there was a reason for his not coming into physical contact with other castes. There have to be differences between the jatis based on food, work and surroundings. The photographer needs a dark room to develop his films. To shoot a film, on the contrary, powerful lights are needed. Those who work in a factory canteen have to scrupulously clean; but those who dust machinery wear soiled clothes. This does not mean that the waiter in a canteen is superior to the factory hand who dusts machines. The man who takes the utmost care to keep himself intellectually bright, without any thought of himself, observes fasts, while the soldier, who has to be strong and tough, eats meat.

Why should there be bad feelings between the two, between the Brahmin and the Ksatriya? Does the Brahmin have to come into physical contact with the Ksatriya To prove that he does not bear any ill-will towards him? If he intertwined with the Ksatriya he would be tempted to taste meat and such a temptation might eventually drag him into doing things that militate against his own duty. Each community has its own duties, customs and food habits. If all jatis mixed together on the pretext of equality without regard to their individual ways of life, all work would suffer and society itself would be plunged into confusion.

It was with a definite purpose in view that the village was divided into different quarters: the agrahara (the Brahmin quarter), the agriculturists quarter and so on. Such a division was possible in rural life but not in the the new urban way of living. With urbanization and industrialization it becomes necessary for people belonging to various jatis to work together on the same shift, sit together in the same canteen to eat the same kind of food. The Brahmin for whom it is obligatory to observe fasts and vows and to perform various rites was now seen to be no different from others. Office and college timings were a hindrance to the carrying out of these rites. So the Brahmin threw them to the winds. He had so far taken care to perform these rites with the good of others in mind. Like a trustee, he had protected dharma for the sake of society and made its fruits available to all.

All that belonged to the past. Now the Brahmin came forward proclaiming that all were equal and that he was one with the rest. All the same he became the cause of heart-burning among others and -ironically enough- in becoming one with them he also competed with them for jobs. That apart, though he talked of equality, he still thought himself to be superior to others, in spite of the fact that he was not a bit more careful than they about the performance of religious duties. Was this not enough to earn him more hatred?

The Brahmin spoiled himself and spoiled others. By abandoning his dharma he became a bad example to others. as a matter of fact, even by strictly adhering to his dharma the Brahmin in not entitled to feel superior to others. He must always remain humble in the belief that "everyone performs a function in society; I perform mine". If at all others respected him in the past and accorded him a high place in the society it was in consideration of his selfless work, his life of austerity a, discipline and purity. Now he had descended too such depths as to merit their most abrasive criticism.

It is my decided opinion that the Brahmin is responsible for the ruin of Hindu society. Some people have found an explanation for it. The Brahmin, if he is to be true to his dharma, has to spend all his time in learning and chanting the Vedas, in performance sacrifices, in preserving the sastras, etc. What will he do for a living? If he goes in search of money or material he will not be able to attend to his lifetime mission- and this mission is not accomplished on a part-time basis. And if he takes up some other work for his livelihood, he is likely to became lax in the pursuit of his dharma. It would be like taking medicine without the necessary diet regimen: the benign power gained by the Brahmin from his Vedic learning will be reduced and there will be a corresponding diminution in the good accruing to mankind from his work.

This is one reason why Brahmin alone are permitted by the sastras to beg for their living. In the past they received help form the kings_ grants of lands, for instance-in consideration of the fact that the dharma practised by them benefited all people. But the sastras also have it that the Brahmins must not accept more charity than what is needed for their bare sustenance. If they received anything in excess, they would be tempted to seek sensual pleasures and thereby an impediment would be placed to their inner advancement. There is also the danger of their becoming submissive to the donor and of their twisting the sastras to the latter's liking. It was with a full awareness of these dangers that in the old days the Brahmins practised their dharma under the patronage on the rajas(accepting charity to the minimum and not subjecting themselves to any influence detrimental to their dharma).

The argument of those who have found an excuse for the conduct of latter days Brahmins goes thus. "Brahmins ceased to receive gifts from rulers after the inception of British rule. How can you expect them to live without any income? Force of circumstances made them to English education and thereafter too seek jobs with the government. It is unjust to find fault with them on that score. "

There is possibly some force in this argument but it does not fully justify the change that has come over Brahmins. Before the British, the Moghuls ruled us and before them a succession of sultanates. During these periods a few pandits must have found a place in the darbar. But all other Brahmins adhered to their dharma, did they not, without any support from any other ruler? The phenomenon of the Brahmin quarter becoming deserted, the village being ruined, all pathasala (the Vedic school) becoming forlorn and the lands(granted to Brahmins)turning into mere certificates is not more than a hundred years old. Did not Vedic dharma flourish until a generation ago?

The Vedic religion prospered in the past not only because of the patronage extended to the Brahmins by the Hindu rulers. People belonging to all varnas then were anxious that it should not become weak and perish. They saw too it that the Brahmin community did not weaken and contributed generously to its upkeep and to the nurturing of the Vedic tradition. Today you see hundreds of Vedic schools deserted. There are few Brahmin boys willing too study the scriptures. Who had raised the funds for the Vedic institutions? [In Tamil Nadu] the Nattukottai Nagarattars, Komutti Cettis and Vellalas. The work done by Nagarattars for our temples indeed remarkable. Throughout Tamil Nadu, if they built a temple they also built a Vedic school with the belief that the Vedas constituted the "root" of the temple. This root, they felt, was essential to the living presence of the deity in the temple and for the puja conducted there. Similarly, the big landowners among the Vellalas made lavish donations to the Vedic schools.

If the Brahmin had not been tempted by the European life-style and if he were willing to live austerely according to the dictates of the sastras, other castes would have come forward to help him. It is not that the others deserted him. He himself ran away from his dharma, from his agrahara, from his village and from the Vedic school because of his new appetite for the life of luxury made possible with the new technology of the West. He forgot his high ideals and paid scant respect of the principle that the body's requirements are not more that what it takes- in physical terms- to help the well-being of the Self. All told the argument that the Brahmin was compelled to abandon his dharma because he was denied his daily bread does not hold water. We cannot but admit that the Brahmin became greedy, that he yearned far more that what he needed for his sustenance.

Let us concede that the Brahmin left his village because he could not feed himself there and came to a city like Madras. But did he find contentment here? What do we see today in actual practice? Suppose a Brahmin received a salary of Rs1000 in Madras today. If he gets a job in Delhi with double the salary he runs off there. When he goes to Delhi he would abandon totally the dharma he was able to practise at least to a small extent in Madras. Later, if he were offered $4000 a month in America he would leave his motherland for that country, lured by the prospect t of earning a fortune. There, in the United States, he would became totally alienated from his religion, from his dharma, from all his money. The Brahmin is willing to do anything, go to any extent, for the sake of money. Fort instance, he would join the army if there were the promoter of more income in it. If necessary he would even take to meat and to drinking. The usual excuse trotted out for the Brahmin deserting his dharma does not wash.

I will go one step further. Let us suppose that, the following the import of Western technology, other communities also became averse to observing their respective dharmic traditions. Let us also assume that, with their thinking and feelings influenced by the Aryan-Dravidian theory concocted by the English, these castes decided not to support the Brahmins any longer. Let us further assume that to feed himself(for the sake of a handful of rice) the Brahmin had to leave hearth and home and work in an office somewhere far away from his native village. Were he true to his dharma he would tell himself: "I will continue to adhere to my dharma come what may, even at the risk of death". With this resolve he could have made a determined effort to pursue Vedic learning and keep up his traditional practices.

There is no point, however, in suggesting what people belonging to the generation that has gone by should have done. I would urge the present generation to perform the duties that the past generation neglected to perform. To repeat, you must not forsake your dharma even on pain of death. Are we going to remain deathless? As it is we accumulate money and, worse, suffer humiliation and earn the jealousy of others and finally we die losing caste by not remaining true to our dharma.

Is it not better then to starve and yet to be attached firmly to our dharma so long as there is breath in us? Is not such loyalty to our dharma a matter of pride? Why should we care about how others see us, whether they honour us or speak ill of us? So long as we do not compete with them for jobs they will have no cause for jealousy or resentment. Let them call us backward or stupid or think that we are not capable of keeping abreast of the times. As we not now already their but of ridicule? Let us be true to our dharma in the face of the mockery of others, even in the face of death. is not such a lot preferable to suffering the slings of scorn and criticism earned by forsaking our dharma for the sake of filling our belly? People nowadays die for their mother land; they lay down their lives for their mother tongue. They do not need a big cause like the freedom of the country to be roused too action: they court death, immolate themselves, even for a cause that may be seem trivial like the merger of a part of their district in another. Was there any demonstration of faith like this, such willingness to die for a cause or a belief, when the British came here with their life-style? At the same time did we protect our dharma with courage, in the belief that even death was a small pride to pay for it?

The Lord himself has declared in the Gita that it is better to die abiding by one's dharma that prosper through another man's dharma ("nidhanam sreyah"). Brahmins who had seen no reason to change their life-style during the long Muslim period of our history changed it during British rule. Why? New sciences and machinery came with the white man. The motor car and electricity had their own impact on life there. Brahmins were drawn to comforts and conveniences not thought of before. This could be for a reason for their change of life, but not a justification.

The Brahmin is not to regard his body as a means for the enjoyment of sensual pleasures but as an instrument for the observance of such rites as are necessary to protect the Vedas- and the Vedas have too be protected for the welfare of mankind. The basic dharma is that to the body of the Brahmin nothing must be added that incites his sensual appetite. It was a fundamental mistake on the part of the Brahmin to have forgotten the spirit of sacrifice that incites his dharma and become a victim of the pleasures and comforts easily obtained form the new gadgets and instruments. There is pride in adhering to one's dharma even when one is faced with adverse circumstances. Brahmins(during British rule) committed a grave mistake by not doing so and we are suffering the consequences. See the ill-will in the country today among children of the same mother. We have created suffering for others also. At first Brahmins were denied admission to colleges and refused jobs. Now things have come to such a pass that other communities also suffer the same fate.

All was well so long as man, using his own innate resources, lived a simple life without the help of machines. With more and more factories and increasing machine power, life itself has become complicated. The situation today is such everyone is facing difficulties in getting admission to college or in getting a job.

People ask me: "What is the remedy today? Do you expect all Brahmins to leave their new life-style and return Vedic learning? "Whether or not I expect them to do so and whether or not such a step seems possible, I must ask them to do so( to return to their Vedic dharma). Where is the need for a guru-pitha or a seat on which an acarya is installed if I am to keep my mouth shut and watch idly as the dharma that is the source of everything is being endangered? Even if it seems not possible (Brahmins returning to the dharma of their birth) it must be shown to be possible in practice: that is the purpose of the institutions called mathas. They must harness all their energies towards the attainment of this goal.

During the years of the freedom struggle some people wondered whether the white man would quit because of satyagraha. Many things in this world regarded as not being within the realm on possibility have been shown to be possible. It is not for me to say that this(return of all Brahmins to the Vedic dharma) is not possible; to take such a view would be contrary to our very dharma. it is up to you to make it possible in practice or not to make it possible. All I can do is too keep reminding you the message of the dharmasastras.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

ramaaz made an important addition to this thread ( though making a post on Karnataka Election thread):

[quote=ramaaz,May 25 2008, 12:42 PM]Dear Sri. G. Subramaniam,

Since, you have quoted about meeting Periyavaal of Kanchi math, I was wondering whether you have read a discourse of Periyavaal posted at this site

http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part3/chap6.htm

This article/discourse will answer the cause for the anti-brahmin attitude in Tamil Nadu.

If you send me a personal email, I would be interested to correspond with you. My personal email is ramak20@hotmail.com
I live in Phoenix, Arizona. Married with two kids and graduated from IITM in 1986.

Rama Krishnan
[right][snapback]82025[/snapback][/right]

Dear Sri. Bodhi,

Thanks for taking note of my posting to Sri. G. Subramaniam. The Paramacharaya of Kanchi was a very learnt person as also a person with Tapobala. He always maintained that it is the brahmin who is the cause for destroying Hinduism. He was once approached by many prominent non-brahmins asking him as what they can do. He replied that "you are doing more than what you are supposed to do". However, the brahmins have gone so corrupt and under such circumstances, I do not have the courage to ask you to do this or that. The acharya was also against taking charity from non-brahmins for Veda Patashalas run by Mutt as he maintained that, other communities should not be punished for the sin committed by the brahmin. The acharya always maintained that the brahmin is the most spoiled of all the Hindu communities.

I see the Acharya's statement here as the chief cause for the anti-brahmin attitude and large scale conversion in areas like Kerala (50% to Islam and Christianity), Bengal (60% Muslims when you include the former East Bengal). The Acharya stated that "The brahmin took a disastrous step. On the one hand, the brahmin talked about all as equal, he himself kept aloof from others thinking himself to be superior to others. Thus, the brahmin became a source of heartburn for others".

FYI.. I am a Tamil brahmin and a practising Hindu by doing Sandhya prayers, Bhajan etc but never ask any Hindu for their caste fearing that I could sin myself and always ensure that I never hurt the sentiments of non-brahmins.

Jai Hind, Radhe Krishna, Jai SriRam
Rama K.

[Guest]

Ramaz, read this book on political and social angle of anti-brahminism in TN.

Brahmin and Non-Brahmin: Genealogies of the Tamil Political Present - M.S.S.Pandian

http://www.mrmlonline.com/si/016140.html

[Husky]

http://hamsa.org/coelho.htm
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Francis Xavier was the pioneer of anti-Brahmanism which was adopted in due course as a major plank in the missionary propaganda by all Christian denominations. Lord Minto, Governor General of India from 1807 to 1812, submitted a Note to his superiors in London when the British Parliament was debating whether missionaries should be permitted in East India Company’s domain under the Charter of 1813. He enclosed with his Note some <b>“propaganda material used by the missionaries” and, referring to one missionary tract in particular, wrote: “The remainder of this tract seems to aim principally at a general massacre of the Brahmanas”</b> (M. D. David (ed.), Western Colonialism in Asia and Christianity, Bombay, 1988, p. 85). Anti-Brahmanism has become the dominant theme in the speeches and writings of Indian secularists of all sorts.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Not satisfied with genociding Jews, Gypsies, Serbs, Rwandans, native Americans and others, christos are ever driven by their christoterrorism to satiate its insatiable desire for others' blood.


And in direct line, you get christoDMK kind and other christonazis in India:
http://koenraadelst.voiceofdharma.com/reviews/hock.html
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Now, these anti-Hindu forces are exploiting the AIT to the hilt, infusing crank racism in vast doses into India's body politic. Read e.g. Kancha Ilaiah's book Why I Am Not a Hindu (Calcutta 1996), sponsored by the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, with its anti-Brahmin cartoons: move the hairlocks of the Brahmin villains from the back of the head to just in front of their ears, and you get exact replicas of the anti-Semitic cartoons from the Nazi paper Der Stürmer.
This crank Dalit tendency is <b>strongly patronized by the Christian missions, witness the distribution of one of the Bahujan Swayamsevak Sangathan's anti-Hindu pamphlets at the Indian Catholic bishops' Delhi press conference just before the Pope's visit in November 1999.</b>
Many of V.T. Rajshekar's brochures (Dalit Sahitya Akademy, Bangalore) are transcripts of speeches given at <b>Christian conferences</b>. Like pure Indian Marxism before, this lumpen <b>anti-Brahminism is also well-liked and even patronized by Western academe. Thus, Ilaiah was invited to contribute to the American University Press book Democracy in India, a Hollow Shell edited by Prof. Arthur Bonner.</b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Nazi-supporters in western education. How utterly unexpected arcasm

Christo support:
http://koenraadelst.voiceofdharma.com/arti...anpolitics.html
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Many of V.T. Rajshekar’s brochures are transcripts of <b>lectures at Christian institutions</b>, and one wonders if the latter are aware of the more eccentric parts of his work, e.g. he is the only Indian to merit a mention in an authoritative study (Poliakov 1994) of contemporary anti-Semitism. His anti-Brahminism is also moulded after the anti-Semitic model, e.g. just like both capitalist plutocracy and Bolshevism have been blamed on the Jews, Rajshekar (1993) treats both religious Brahminism and Brahmin-led Indian Marxism as two hands of a single Brahmin conspiracy. Note that his anti-Brahmin plea opens with a profession of belief in the AIT: “The fair-skinned foreigners, the Aryan barbarians, who strayed into India, came into clash with India’s dark-skinned indigenous population – the Untouchables” (1993:1). This kind of company ought to worry those who rely on the principle of “guilt by association” in their argument against the AIT skeptics.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Indian christonazis - antisemitic of course:
http://koenraadelst.voiceofdharma.com/bo...a/ch14.htm
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Thus, in an article about the Israeli technician Mordechai Vanunu, Dalit Voice says that he is a Sephardic Jew (migrated from the Muslim countries), who are oppressed by the Ashkenazi Jews (migrated from Europe, and founders of Israel). When the technician revealed to the world some nuclear secrets of Israel, this was portrayed as an element in the ethnic struggle of oppressed (dalit) Sephardim against Zionist Ashkenazim, who also oppress the Palestinians. So it all fits : Dalits and Muslims should form a front against the Brahmins, therefore Dalits support the Palestinians, therefore they oppose the Zionists who are Ashkenazi Jews, and link up with the oppressed Sephardic Jews. But here the racist logic breaks down : it so happens that the hard-liners in Israel, like many in the Likud Party, are precisely these Sephardim, who have fled Muslim countries and have no love lost for the Arabs, while the Ashkenazim are generally more liberal. This goes to show once more the nonsense of these racial conspiracy theories on which the Hitler and Rajshekars of this world feed.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[acharya]

http://escapefromindia.wordpress.com/india...hmin-rule-data/

[Guest]

<b>Anti-Brahmanism: A Case Study </b>
http://indiasecular.wordpress.com
U. Mahesh Prabhu, ivarta

The Great Uprising of 1857 unnerved the British, though for a while. Within two or three years of quelling it, and with great ferocity, they set to work putting together a version of the incident that would suit their ends. “The uprising was confined to just a few pockets”, they said, adding, “it erupted as a result of local misunderstandings”, and that “there was no national sentiment behind it for the leaders themselves fought only for their feudal privileges-one because her son was not being recognized, another because his pension was being stopped, and so on.”

This version was believed to be the true narration of the incident for so long that it even finds mention in Nehru”s “Discovery of India”!

<b>The British did not stop at rewriting history books. They initiated a series of real politick measures. As Brahmins had provided the ideological leaven for the uprising, the campaign of calumny against them was redoubled.</b>

<b>They started their propaganda against the Brahmins and an era of anti-Brahmanism began which lives on till date.</b>

Though the British just gave a boost to such sentiments, they were not the beginners of the legacy. In the book “Diwan-i-Salman“, Khwaja Masud bin Sa”d bin Salman wrote of the Battle of Jalandhar (Punjab) thus: “The narrative of any battle eclipses the stories of Rustam and Isfandiyar. By morning meal, not one soldier, not one Brahmin remained alive or free. Their heads were levelled to the ground with flaming fire. Thou have secured the victory to the country and to religion, for amongst the Hindus this achievement will be remembered till the day of resurrection.”

In Mughal times, Sheikh Ahmad (Mujaddid) of Sirhind wrote a letter to Mirza Darab excerpts of which read thus: “Hindu Brahmans and Greek philosophers have spent a lot of time on religion. Since their efforts were not according to the Shariat of the prophet, they were all fools. They will remain devoid of salvation.”

According to the Tawarikh Firishta, Firoz Shah Bahmani (circa 1398-99), kidnapped 2,000 Brahman women, who were later freed by Raja Devaraya of the Vijayanagara Empire.

A country is never fully defeated as long as its martial and intellectual leaders exist. A self-conscious imperialism undertakes to reduce them as its first important task.

Muslims coming to India found brave, armed, men and a Brahman class providing cultural and spiritual leadership. Dr. Ambedkar, quoting Muslim historians, says the first act of religious zeal by Mohammad bin Qasim, the first Arab invader, was circumcision of Brahmans. “But, after they objected, he put to death all above the age of seventeen.”

Rev. C. Buchanan said Indians should be baptized because “it attaches the governed to the governors.” <b>They thought that Brahmans came in the way of their dream of a baptized India.</b>

They started blackening and discrediting them. A brochure called “The Book of Wisdom” with 279 verses was widely circulated by missionaries under William Carey, touted as the father of the Indian press. <b>It was one of the first he printed and is addressed to the “mean, despicable Brahmans”. The brochure promises hell for heathens and salvation through Christ.</b>

The British administration found Brahmans to be the only “national” caste, held in much respect and capable of providing political leadership. They fomented anti-Brahman movements in different parts of the country which are still very powerful in today”s secular India.

Their fears were well-founded. Brahmins were the intellectual leaders of the Independence struggle. Thus anti-Brahmanism was a construct of the last two centuries. And though learnt under the colonial-missionary aegis, it became an important category of future social thinking and political action.

Brahmans began to be described as “cunning, parasitic, exploiters and authors of the iniquitous caste system”.

<b>A lot of scholarship and intellectual labour was put into this thesis before it acquired its present momentum and currency. Anti-Brahmanism originated in, and still prospers in anti-Hindu circles.</b>

It is particularly welcome among Marxists, missionaries, Muslims, separatists, and casteists, of different hues. <b>When they attack Brahmans, their target is unmistakably Hinduism.</b>

Even in the freedom struggle, the contribution of Brahmans under the leadership of the Mahatma was enormous. A great percentage of his followers were Brahmans and hence, the country owes quiet a lot to them, and they certainly deserved special privileges.

But when freedom was attained, their services were quickly forgotten. In the name of empowering the lower caste, their right to a fair chance in education, service, and so many other things, was snatched away.

There is no credible testimony to the fact that Brahmins ever opposed upliftment of the lower caste, yet the government, for the sake of “strengthening the weak”, in every sense, weakened the strong.

Today, the situation is such that Brahmans have been practically deprived and made to suffer in the same way as the Dalits were “made to suffer”.

There are 50 “sulabh shauchalayas” (public toilets) in Delhi; all of them are cleaned and looked after by Brahmans (this much-needed public institution was started by a Brahman).

<b>A far cry from the elitist image that Brahmans have! There are five to six Brahmans manning each toilet. They came to Delhi eight to ten years ago looking for a source of income, as they were a minority in most of their villages, where Dalits constitute the majority (60 to 65 per cent). In most villages in UP and Bihar, Dalits have a union which helps them secure jobs.</b>

Did you know that you also stumble upon a number of Brahmans working as coolies at Delhi”s railway stations? One of them, Kripa Shankar Sharma, says that though his daughter is doing her graduation in science, he is not sure if she will secure a job. “Dalits often have five to six children, but they are confident of getting them placed easily and well,” he says.

As a result, the Dalit population in villages is increasing. He adds, “Dalits are provided with housing, even their pigs have spaces; whereas there is no provision for “gaushalas” (cowsheds) for the cows of the Brahmans”.

This reverse discrimination is also found in bureaucracy and politics. Most of the intellectual Brahman Tamil class has emigrated outside Tamil Nadu. Only 5 seats from the 600 in the combined UP and Bihar assemblies are held by Brahmans-the rest are in the hands of the Yadavs.

At least 400,000 Brahmans of the Kashmir valley, the once respected Kashmiri Pandits, now live as refugees in their own country, sometimes in refugee camps in Jammu and Delhi in appalling conditions. But who gives a damn about them? This is all simply because their vote bank is negligible.

At Tamil Nadu”s Ranganathaswamy Temple, a priest”s monthly salary is Rs 300 (as per the Census Department findings) and a daily allowance of one measure of rice. The government staff at the same temple receive Rs 2,500 and above every month. But these facts have not modified the priests” reputation as “haves” and as “exploiters”. The destitution of Hindu priests has moved none, not even the parties sympathetic to Hindus.

The Indian government gives Rs 1,000 crores (Rs 10 billion) in salaries for “imams” in mosques and Rs 200 crores (Rs 2 billion) as Haj subsidies. But no such help is available to the Brahmans and the upper castes.

As a result, not only the Brahmans, but also some of the other upper castes are suffering in silence today, seeing the minorities slowly taking control of their majority.

Even after so many years of persecution by invaders and their own countrymen, Brahmans still continue to suffer in silence and yet, contribute in a very positive way to this land. Not a day has ever been recorded in history when Brahmans, anywhere in this land, have resorted to arms.

There are incredible success stories attributed to them. Had there been no Brahmans, the IT sector of India, in which the media and government take pride, would not have even existed. There are so many industrialists, academicians, journalists, engineers, and doctors, who continue to contribute to this land by trying to forget their deprivation.

In light of this, I wish to ask my Muslim brethren as to what they are complaining about. Can they complain of more atrocities than the Brahmans? Everyone has had their share of bad luck. I am a Brahman, but I hold no prejudice against Muslims or Christians for they are my countrymen today. I always say “we have issues to resolve” and not “scores to settle”.

Yet, whenever I try to expose the negations and false concoctions of Muslim and Christian intellectuals I am easily branded a “fanatic”, “fundamentalist” and what not.

The point I wish to wish to make here is simple. If Brahmans, after facing so much opposition from everyone including those of their own faith, can keep up their courage, write stories of passion, and contribute proactively, without brooding over their plight, then it is certainly possible for the Muslims to do so provided they come to terms with modern world dynamics and shun violence in all forms and types.

Anti-Brahminism/Semitism @ http://globeonline.wordpress.com/2008/08/1...tismbrahminism/

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->From: Radha Rajan <.com>
Date: Tue, Feb 17, 2009 at 4:47 PM
Subject: To Bar Council of India - Rowdies in the High Court of Chennai
To: bcindia1@vsnl.com
Shri Radhakrishnan,
Secretary, Bar Council of India

Shri Radhakrishnan, Namaskar. I am deeply pained at the events in Court 3 of the Madras High Court today. I am forwarding to you the letter that I have written to the Commissioner of Police, Chennai,  in this regard. The Bar Council of India must take note of the incident because what happened in court today is a disgrace to the country's Bar and Judiciary in its entirety.

If lawyers, from among whose ranks will be selected the judges of the future become increasingly physically violent and verbally obscenely abusive IN COURT, not even in court campus, but inside the court, I shudder to think of the consequences this erosion of standards will cause to the high dignity and integrity of our judicial system. <b>The rowdies who entered the court today, abusing the brahmins as 'dogs' and abusing police personnel as 'dogs' </b>(they have a limited abusive vocabulary) and physically and violently assaulting people in court, CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO PRACTISE LAW. They have no place in civilised society, much less in a court of law. This group must be de-barred in the Bar Council's own interest.

With regards, Radha Rajan.

**************
To:
The Commissioner of Police,
Chennai.

Sub: Goondas in Court 3 of the Madras High Court

Mr.Commissioner, Namaskar. I was present in Court 3 of the Madras High Court this morning in connection with the Chidambaram Temple case which came up for hearting before Juctices Mishra and Chandru in Court 3. Dr. Subramaniam Swamy too was in court to implead himself in the case.

At around 12 PM today, a group of slogan-shouting lawyers entered Court 3. They raised slogans against the Indian government's stand against events in Sri Lanka.

However, some of us who were present in court realized that the anti-Sri Lanka slogans was a deceptive strategm only to enter the court. The moment this group of goonda lawyers entered the court, one group shouted obscene slogans against the police and another group began to physically assualt Dr. Swamy.

Some of the scum manhandled the police pushing them out of the court and raising slogans asking the police to leave the court so that they could physically assault Dr. Swamy without hindrance.

Several police personnel however entered through the last entrance which I kept opened forcibly using by body and shoulders while one rowdie lawyer kept trying to close the doors.

<b>The slogan shouting soon acquired obscene anti-Brahmin overtones and the goonda lawyers assembled in the court asked 'paarpana naai' to go out. They kept repeating paarpana naai. </b>I raised a slogan myslef - Jaadi peyarai sollade. This enraged the goonda lawyers, who are politically affiliated and supported and who have come to beleive that when they indulge in <b>goondaism and attack Hindus and Brahmins people will be so intimidated that they will not confront them</b>.

I am appalled that such rowdies could enter the court premises, raise slogans and assault Dr. Swamy who was injured, assault with impunity the police personnel on duty and try to beat me on the head because I kept the door open for the police to enter and because I shouted at them asking them not to name any caste in their slogans.

The police were helpless and I can understand why the police are reluctant to take action against such ruffians and street rowdies.

But sir, I earnestly plead that this matter be brought to the attention of the Chief Minister. Temple issue concerns all Hindus and intimidating them, physically assaulting them, abusing them in foul and obscene language inside court premises only signals the total break down of law and order.

Ordinary law-abiding citizens who come to the courts to seek justice are horrified at this brazen and shameless lawlessness of the section of rowdy lawyers. It horrifies me to know that it is from among such lawyers that future judges may be appointed to our courts.

If the police have pictures of the rowdies who forced their entry into the court and who attacked the polciemen, AC Shri Kader Moideen and Dr. Swamy, then I request you Mr. Commissioner to pass on the pictures not only to the Chief Minister but also to the Bar Council of India. The Chief Minister should know the true state of anti-Hindu sentiments in his courts and also know the extent to which party-affiliated thug, rowdy,goonda lawyers will go simply to intimidate Hindus, especially brahmins.

The Bar Council must know the ranks from which will rise our future judges. God help Tamil Nadu.

respectfully, Radha Rajan. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Can they do same with Dalit, Muslims, Christians in India? Hey NO.

[Guest]

Will Brahminism Become Extinct?

By: Saroja Hanasoge

Those who consider themselves “modern” may view Brahminism as a tradition of intellectualism. Whereas, the fact that it is considered a privilege conferred by birthright amongst the more tradition-bound set has not eased its entry into the 21st century. The future of Brahmin culture rests on resolving this rather fundamental dichotomy: Is Brahminism a set of practices to free the mind or is it a collection of rituals and beliefs for the preservation of the karmic earnings of those who follow them?



Many who came to the United States before the 1980s have generally found it convenient to categorize opinions about Indian culture as those held by the younger generation or those held by the elder generation. This type of sorting obscures the complexity and spectrum of opinions actually held by various members of the so-called second generation (i.e. younger) Indians. Homogeneity has never been a characteristic of the Indian mindset – regardless of the generation and geographical location. Thus, when older Indian immigrants try to preserve what they believe to be their dying culture by lamenting about its potential extinction, what they may in fact be bemoaning is the dynamic and malleable nature of Indian thought.



Some may agree that the defining feature of Brahminical thought is recognition of the importance of the mind. Freedom, a Brahmin might suggest, comes from having control of one’s mind. The optimal way to achieve this is by leading a disciplined and methodical life, he may add. Yet there is no consensus on the best method to pursue and the philosophical framework to select. At the two ends of the spectrum are Advaita and Dvaita philosophy. Advaita literally means non-duality and it expounds on the illusory distinction between object and subject. According to Advaita, there is no separation between the one who perceives God and God itself. On the other hand, adherents of Dvaita suggest that one’s ultimate aim is union with a separate God; the object and the subject are distinct. While there are additional philosophies, for the purposes of this discussion, it is sufficient to consider Advaita and Dvaita thought.



Based on these philosophical paths, it can be seen that the ancient thinkers did not have unity in their attitudes. Advaita and Dvaita are quite dissimilar. The question then arises: What exactly is Brahminism? The answer may be that there is no one correct answer. At best, one may say that the term refers to a collection of diverse sets of ideas regarding the nature of reality and perception. It would appear then that the term “Brahminism” is in fact a misnomer. The use of the term “Brahminism” suggests a uniformity of practice and thought that is not there.



Currently it appears that some believe that Brahminism is defined by specific dietary, social, and marital practices. It is easy to see then why those who subscribe to this point of view feel that Brahminism is threatened. Diet, society, and marriage are all subject to the vagaries of time and place. Presumably, Brahman is independent of time and place. It is not clear then why many decide to practice Brahminism in this time bound manner. I shall define “context” here as time and place. Anything that is defined by context-specific practices will inevitably become extinct when the context changes.



A tradition-bound lifestyle cannot replace the labor and analysis required to think of Brahman. Regardless of whether one marries within the community, eats meat, or spends time only with other Brahmins, realization of Brahman may not come any closer. Understanding Brahman may require an open and active mind and a great deal of mental effort. Careful and exhaustive inquiry might be key features of this process. On the other hand, dogmatism and rigidity may be the hallmarks of non-adaptive traditional ways. Incisive thought may be compromised by strict adherence to a ritualistic lifestyle. The idea of maintaining so-called Brahminical values with a stereotyped way of life and the actual body of thought espoused by something like Advaita appear to contradict each other. It appears that Advaita philosophy encourages the use of one’s own mind to understand Brahman. It could be that a past that may never have existed is what is being revered by a strict adherence to tradition. It also seems that neither the past nor tradition is equivalent to Brahman.



The timelessness of the Upanishads and the Vedas is due to their recognition that the truth of existence lies beyond the drape of society. The vitality of Hindu philosophy comes from its reliance on and encouragement of discussion and debate. Active engagement with a set of ideas ensures its longevity. Reverence from afar for ideas that are viewed as immutable will certainly hasten their demise. The reed that bends with the wind is the one that remains upright after the storm. Many in fact have injured and repressed genuine curiosity about the Vedas and Upanishads. Some believe that expert intermediaries are the only ones fit to interpret Hindu texts such as the Upanishads for the rest of society. Notably, it is in the Upanishads that a comment is found on the equality of a Brahmin, and a dog, amongst others.



Though the term “Brahminism” has been used throughout this paper, its definition is still not clear as suggested previously. Therefore it is peculiar that the departure of Brahminism is fretted about by the self-described older generation. What is in danger of going away exactly? It appears that those who are content with their fixed way of life may be the ones most likely to worry about Brahminism.



That certain lifestyles are changing does not mean that people are no longer interested in the mind and its development or the nature of the universe. The vigor of Hindu thought comes from its plurality. Therefore, the complaint that marriage outside the so-called community dilutes Brahminism is not justified. In fact by bringing new people into the folds of this way of thought, Brahminism is strengthened rather than weakened. The more exposure and involvement there is with a set of ideas the more likely it is that those ideas will persist. Given this, it may be a wasted effort to worry about the extinction of Brahminism.

[Guest]

[url="http://ibnlive.in.com/news/shiv-sainiks-clash-over-shivajis-guru-statue/138682-37-64.html%3Ffrom%3Dtn"]Shivaji's guru statue demolished, Sena protests[/url]

Pune: A scuffle broke out in Pune between the Shiv Sena and the police after the Pune Municipal corporation demolished a statue of Dadoji Konddev, who is known as king Shivaji's Guru.

The statue was part of a three statue installation at the historic Lal Mahal.

Maratha organisations in the city had been demanding that the statue be demolished by alleging that naming Konddev as the Maratha warrior king's guru was part of Brahmanical conspiracy.



The other other two statues are of king Shivaji and his mother Jijamata. The Shiv sena and BJP had opposed the demolition of the statue and Shivsena leader Neelam Gorhe was part of this protest.



The demand by Maratha organisations to demolish the statue comes amid controversy over Dadoji's role in Shivaji's life.



The demand to demolish the statue was made by Maratha organisations in the city who allege naming Dadoji Konddev as Shivaji's guru was a Brahminical conspiracy and that he had received all his education only from his mother.



Some say this is an attempt by Maratha organisations to downplay Dadoji's role in Shivaji's life.

[G.Subramaniam]

http://tamilnation.co/caste/nambi.htm



While a dravidianist site, has a lot of good info on the source of anti-brahminism in south India

[Meluhhan]

Buddhist scriptures talk about kingdoms in Ancient India where Kshatriyas and not Brahmanas were the dominant caste. This quote is from the [url="http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/dob/dob-03tx.htm"]Ambattha Sutta[/url]:

'Once, Gotama, I had to go to Kapilavatthu on some business or other of Pokkharasâdi's, and went into the Sâkyas' Congress Hall{2}. Now at that time there were a number of Sâkyas, old and young, seated in the hall on grand seats, making merry and joking together, nudging one another with their fingers{3}; and for a truth, methinks, it was I myself that was the subject of their jokes; and not one of them even offered me a seat. That, Gotama, is neither fitting, nor is it seemly, that the Sâkyas, menials as they are, mere menials, should neither venerate, nor value, nor esteem, nor give gifts to, nor pay honour to Brahmans.'

[HareKrishna]

Brahmins were advisers and law makers for kshatrya.Thats why they abuse of their power.

[G.Subramaniam]

http://tamilnation.co/caste/nambi.htm



Rev. Fr. Ambrose, a Christian, moved a resolution in the Coimbatore Non-Brahmin Conference, explaining the objects of a Central District Association in Coimbatore. (74) Therefore it may be concluded that from the point of view of most of the non-Brahmin leaders with the exception of leaders like Dr. Nair, the term 'non Brahmins' included in its compass non-Brahmin Hindus excluding the Panchamas ( Dalits ) , but including the Muslims and the Indian Christians.

[G.Subramaniam]

Bal Thakerays father was very active in the anti-brahmin movement in Maharashtra, but his anti-brahminism was limited to job quota for non-brahmins

And he never attacked religious brahmin priests or the hindu religion.



Periyar and Karunanidhi kissed british ass and then supported Jinnah during his partition drive, along with slippering Hindu gods in public, and destroying Hindu idols

[G.Subramaniam]

The interesting thing in Tamil Nadu, is after all the Aryan-brahmin-North Indian bashing



They import

1. Tamil Brahmin Heroines - Jayalalitha onwards

2. 'Aryan' North Indian actresses - Radha Saluja onwards

3. Kalki Koechlin and Amy Jackson, rather average looking white girls as tamil actresses



MGR, was a Nair, who looked fair and handsome and heavily in demand - because - Multiple generations of impregnation of matrilineal Nair women by Nambudhiri brahmins



Most of the DMK leadership has brahmin mistresses or married brahmin women, for all the brahmin bashing, they have a taste for brahmin and North Indian 'aryan' women