Webzine Volume 2 Issue 1

This issue is a special one on the caste question being brought out on the occasion of Ambedkar’s 68^th death anniversary on dec 6^th. The caste issue, much neglected by communists, is one of the most pernicious forms of oppression where an entire category of people are treated as untouchables. Such a disgusting categorisation exists nowhere in the world. Far worse than even racism.

In addition, it is a hierarchical structure graded into thousands of layers with each one considering themselves superior to that below it. This gradation is an ideal tool for any exploitative ruling class; so, not surprisingly it was propped up by all rulers – Muslim, Christian and ofcourse Hindus. No need for a divide and rule policy as people are already divided; and not just divided but categorised as superior and inferior. It is so malevolent that it has wormed it way into even the other religions.

It is perpetuated not only by varied religous rituals, but also such social habit inculcated since childhood like food habits (vegetarianism and not eating beef and pork), dress codes (particularly for women), and thousands of different customs depending on the caste and geographical location. The higher up the caste ladder, the more the rituals.

One can categorise castes into three major categories – upper castes (brahmins, kshatriya, and banias); the vast OBCs and then the dalits. Today it is the brahmin-baniya that rules the roost, while the bulk of the kshatriyas and OBC act as their major social base and includes some co-opted from the Dalits. Much of the OBCs, due to their social/ideological backwardness and lack of modern education quickly fall prey to the hindutva agenda and act s a major social base of the brahmin-bania rulers. Some even become their torch-bearers and foot-soldiers greedy for the crumbs thrown to the from the glittering brahmin-baniya table.

Ofcourse, in the present scenario, the rulers are dominated and led by the imperialists and their agents within the country (most of whom are also the brahmin- bania gangsters), who sell their soul for power and pelf. Not surprisingly Brahminical hierarchy is perpetuated by all parties even those from the ‘left’. Once the left openly opposed raising the caste question as divisive; now they cannot be so blatant so find varied means to bypass the issue or remain quiet on it. And within the left and educated, Brahminism is often reflected in intellectual superiority, with contempt for manual labour. So, it is not surprising to find in many a left house, their wives playing the same traditional roles while the husbands are the ‘political’ ones turning a blind eye to the efforts of their women. Some even go to the extent of considering it their birth right to do the ‘political’ work while the women do the drudgery, to ‘facilitate’ their activities.

Casteism and Brahminical superiority is often accompanied by a deep rooted patriarchy with the son being pampered and molly-coddled. The females mostly accept their secondary role in the families, even of those claiming to be communist. Have we not seen hundreds of examples where the female is a dynamic activist before marriage, but overnight turns into a ‘wife’ serving her husband and his family after marriage; with little or no socio-political role. The political husband does not even consider it his role to help them come forward in this patriarchal atmosphere.

Casteism and Brahminism has to be attacked at varied levels to root it out thoroughly: 1) First, all should be encouraged to drop their caste identity and oppose the blatant forms in which it manifests (many in the south have dropped surnames); 2) caste based occupation should be abolished; 3) manual labour should be compulsory for all, particularly the intellectuals 4) traditional and patriarchal roles in our homes should not be tolerated 5) No discrimination of children on the basis of sex, with the girl-child encouraged to do all roles; and finally, 6) casteism and Brahminism must be rooted out not only in our daily practice but in our very thought process.

It is only by thee six practices in our daily lives that we can pay true homage to Ambedkar on death anniversary; not just glorifying the individualdd. Afterall it is nearly a century since Ambedkar wrote his works; but the feudal/Brahminical/patriarchal system seems little changed – at best it has, chameleon like, adapted itself to modern times.

In this issue, the article titled “Religions in South Asia and Caste” there in an extensive research on Ancient Indian History which we would like to continue in further issues. We would like to encourage other researches to delve deep into such topics.

Religions in South Asia and Caste

December 5, 2024December 6, 2024

Partha Pathak (Excerpt from his PhD thesis) Conceptually speaking, the definition of religion for India as an organised order of belief and rituals does exclude vast areas of local, regional popular dogmas and practices of people, the Upanishadic, Christian…