The organizers of this program had suggested some topics for my speech. Out of them, I have chosen the topic ‘Social Equality and Hindu Consolidation’, as it has a vital bearing on the future of our nation. Hindu consolidation is a must for the welfare of the nation. Hence, all the aspects of it are important. Even among them, the aspect of social equality, being a delicate and currently relevant topic, appealed to me as one of great import.
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Our history of the past hundreds of years tells us that just a handful of Muslim invaders and even fewer Englishmen could rule over us and could forcibly convert many of our brethren to their religions. They also created controversies like ‘people of caste’ (Savarna) and ‘untouchables’ (Asprishya). But we cannot just blame the foreigners for this and exonerate ourselves. What is the use of lamenting that it was because of the divisive machinations of the foreign invaders that our unity was shattered?
It was inevitable that we would, sooner or later, come into contact with foreign societies and their cultures. There could not forever be a Berlin Wall between them and us. Only diffident people, afraid of the contacts and thoughts of others, seek to put up a wall around themselves. The greatness of any system is proved only when it can hold its head high even while in contact with outsiders. When a system encloses itself in an impenetrable shell, it is only declaring its own inferiority. Hence, instead of blaming others for our shortcomings, we should introspect within ourselves and try to know which of our failings enabled the foreigners to get the better of us.
In this regard, Dr Hedgewar, founder of the RSS, had a unique outlook. Whenever this topic arose, he used to say, ‘We cannot escape our responsibility by simply blaming the Muslims and the Europeans for our downfall. We must seek out our own failings.’ We have to admit that social inequality amongst us has been one of the major reasons for our downfall. Fissiparous tendencies like caste and subcaste rivalries and untouchability have all been the manifestation of this social inequality.
For the activists of Hindu unity, this is a delicate and difficult issue since we are immensely proud of our dharma and our sanskriti, or culture.
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We should also be able to think clearly and without bias about the genesis of the systems that came into vogue in the ancient past. There is no reason to think that our ancestors had no insight into things and created these systems arbitrarily or out of ignorance. We must keep in mind that the thinkers and leaders of society of those times had considered the needs of the society under those conditions and laid down suitable norms to ensure its solidarity and progress. If those systems are found unnecessary or unsuited for the present, we are free to reject them. But it is also necessary to understand why a particular system was introduced in a particular period of time.
Take, for instance, the ‘varna vyavastha’ (the caste system). It is said no such institution existed in the olden times. But after some time, it was felt that some social arrangement was necessary to ensure proper and steady progress of the society. Leaders of those times thought that the society could progress only if four kinds of functions were properly and efficiently executed. Hence, the society was classified into four groups depending upon the specific qualities and aptitudes of individuals. Thus, the varna or caste system came into existence.
It did not envisage any differences in the status of the people belonging to different groups. Classification is one thing and class-discrimination is another. According to some scholars, this classification was also not hereditary initially. But, as time went by, it must have become increasingly difficult to recognize and classify each individual based on his or her aptitudes in an extensive society, residing in such a vast stretch of land and having no means of quick transport or communication. Under such circumstances, birth in a particular family itself must have been taken as the indication of the aptitudes of the individual and a basis for classifying their varna. That is how the hereditary varna system must have come into place.
But, even at that time, there were no superiority or inferiority complexes attached to different varnas. On the other hand, the whole society was visualized as a single living entity, the very personification of the ‘Virat Purusha’ – Magnificent Being – with ‘thousand heads, thousand eyes and thousand feet’. Such a glorious vision does not permit perverse and ridiculous notions like ‘the thighs are superior to the feet, the hands are superior to the thighs, or the head is superior to the hands’. The idea was that all those limbs were equally essential for the proper functioning of the society. The sense of high and low that we witness today had no place in that concept of one integral and living social entity. To imagine otherwise would be to do grave injustice to our ancestors.
It was for this reason that the system was acceptable to one and all. Certain checks and balances evolved to carry it forward from generation to generation. For example, the group endowed with the intellectual power was asked to embrace poverty. The group with ruling power was denied wealth power. State power and wealth power were not allowed to combine in the same group. So long as these checks and balances were efficiently maintained, the system worked well. But defects crept in the system when these checks and balances were ignored in the course of time.
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The situation has changed completely today. The changed situation demands changes in our way of thinking as well, in keeping with the times. Those were the days when every student had to learn his lessons at the residence of his teacher. The printing press had not been invented. The machine age had not set in. A blacksmith’s son or a jeweller’s son or a weaver’s son used to learn their trades by observing their fathers at work. Home itself was their school. Hence, heredity and environment cooperated with each other in teaching the individual about their vocation.
But today the printing press has arrived; and education is imparted in institutions, not at homes. The machine age has shifted vocations to factories where machines are used, rather than to homes where work was once done by hand. Science has progressed and new inventions have been made. The whole environment has changed. It is now recognized by one and all that, though heredity is important, environment also has an effective role in shaping human character. Therefore, it is inconsistent with the demands of modern times to insist on the hereditary caste system.
Some people attach great importance to the differences arising out of natural and hereditary factors. To an extent, their contention is true. But to make these differences into a science is simply ridiculous. It is definitely not to the credit of man if he were to make efforts only to substantiate the hereditary disparities in individuals. His efforts should be to study nature’s processes and devise ways and means for lessening these disparities and making them tolerable. Therein lies his greatness and his courage.
Keeping in mind the limited importance of heredity, we should, by changing the environment and imparting education and training, and introducing suitable systems, try to remove any hereditary defects and handicaps in any section of the people. This is possible in the present times. The Japanese people were considered to be dwarfish in stature. But after the Second World War, they came into close contact with the Americans. Appreciable change took place in the eating and drinking habits of the Japanese people as also in their general style of living. As a result, their average height has now increased.
Before the First and Second World Wars, only certain groups of people in our country and also other countries were termed martial races. But during the two wars, massive mobilization and conscription of soldiers had to be resorted to in all the countries, and huge armies were raised. It was then observed that those people had fought better than even professional soldiers and standing armies. Nobody accepts the notion of ‘martial’ or ‘fighting’ races anymore. Hence, it is now futile to try to give heredity a philosophical basis.
In fact, circumstances have changed so much that even the existence of that varna vyavastha, which served as a necessary basis for proper functioning of the society in the past, itself has become untenable. Castes, no doubt, exist, but they have nothing to do with the preservation of the social fabric. Caste is now confined only to marriage alliances. It exists only in form, while its spirit disappeared long ago. What exists now is not a vyavastha but only avyavastha – disorder!
Time has come for all to put their heads together and think about how to guide this system – a system that has to die anyway and is in fact already on the path of its natural death – along the correct path to its termination.
‘Roti, beti, vyavahaar’ is a phrase that is in vogue in our country. In the olden days, even the roti-vyavahaar, that is, partaking of food, was restricted to within one’s own caste only. That restriction has, however, broken down, and nowadays people of all castes have started partaking food together. The credit for such a change should go to English education, organizations such as the Jhunka-Bhaakar Sangh, community dinners, social workers taking up that task, etc. The RSS too deserves some credit for its camps and other congregational programmes that have subscribed greatly to the erasing of disparities among different castes.
Inter-caste marriages have also started taking place. It can be said without hesitation that if the beti-vyavahaar, just like roti-vyavahaar, also takes place in greater measure, it will help hugely in wiping out caste-differences and bringing about integrity in the society.
However, beti-vyavahaar, or inter-caste marriages, are a more difficult proposition than inter-caste dining. Keeping this in mind, all should conduct themselves in a congenial manner without showing any unseemly haste. The reason is that in any marriage the question of a good match naturally crops up. Anyone cannot marry anyone else indiscriminately. It can be a good match if the bride and the groom can claim near-equality in educational, economic and social standards. This is possible when the residences of both are in close vicinity encouraging close contact with one another. Residential colonies like LIC colony, bank colony, railway colony and teachers’ colony are coming up in good number nowadays; these help in building such an atmosphere. Along with this, when their economic status also rises and education becomes universal, such marriages too will become natural irrespective of caste differences.
Legislations, monetary temptations, propaganda tactics cannot bring about this change. This is a delicate matter that cannot have any instant solution. Everyone has to keep this in mind and contribute their might towards bringing about social transformation. This may take time, but it is bound to happen.
Untouchability is another saddening and unfortunate aspect of our social inequality. Some thinkers opine that it was non-existent in the olden times but gate-crashed into our social system with passage of time and took firm roots. Whatever be its origin, all of us consider that untouchability is a terrible folly and it must, of necessity, be thrown out lock, stock and barrel. There are no two opinions about it. Abraham Lincoln, who abolished slavery in America, said, ‘If slavery is not wrong, then nothing is wrong.’ Similarly, it is for all of us to declare that ‘If untouchability is not wrong, then nothing in the world is wrong!’
Every one of us must, therefore, aim at eradicating social inequality in each and every form. We must clearly explain to the people at large how our society became weak and disorganized on account of such social evils. We must also show them the way to get rid of them. It is necessary that every individual must make his or her contribution in this effort. That would remove a major obstacle in the way of Hindu unity.
In this task of bringing about social equality, we should be able to win over the support and cooperation of various types of people. We should, for that purpose, conduct ourselves with restraint and grace. Then only we will be successful. Our religious leaders, saints, sages and scholars hold a great sway over the popular mind. Their cooperation in this task is essential. Sometimes we feel that they are firmly attached to old customs and would not like to change. However, this should not make us mistake their good intentions. In other countries too, there are religious preachers pinning their faith on ancient systems. Nevertheless, people there do not ridicule them because of that.
We could approach our religious leaders in an appropriate manner and plead with them that they should, in their preachings and discourses, not only educate people about the facets of our Dharma that are of eternal value but also reflect on those facets that may require change. Such efforts from them would be more pervasive and impactful. We should also appeal to them that the responsibility of protecting the society is on them too and that they can discharge it only by coming out of their ashrams and unreservedly mixing with the society. Fortunately, there are already auspicious indications that our Dharma gurus have started working in this direction. Our late sarsanghchalak, Param Poojaneeya (most revered) Shri Guruji had brought all the religious leaders together on one common platform under the auspices of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and persuaded them to this viewpoint. As a result, many saints and religious leaders have started coming out and mingling with all sections of the society. They have given up their previous opposition to reconversion and come forward to take back the converted brethren of ours.
The enlightened section of our society has a great responsibility in this regard. They should also think and act in a manner that will help achieve equality and, at the same time, not give rise to bitterness in society. Those suggesting various revolutionary solutions to the problem of untouchability should also keep in mind the saying ‘Upaayam chintayan praagnaha apaayamapi chintayet,’ meaning, they should think about the dangers that such solutions may lead us to. We want equality only for the purpose of an atmosphere of goodwill, harmony and mutual cooperation in the society. Those that speak, write or act without understanding this fundamental objective will only harm the cause they claim to be serving.
Many times, one particular section of the society is made the target of stinging attacks. It is highly improper to disgrace or demoralize any section of our society. Instead, examples of new and better social behaviour should be placed before them. Unfortunately, there are still some people in our society who believe in discrimination and are unable to understand the right attitude. But they are also a part and parcel of the Hindu society. It is not expected that we pounce upon such people or tackle them the hard way. There are certainly other ways of persuading and bringing them round.
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It is a fact that the backward or untouchable brethren of ours have borne a great amount of misery, insults and injustice in all these centuries. That agony is there in their hearts. We have to find a way out of this. All of us feel that onslaughts on them are wrong and that they should stop forthwith. Our efforts, our talk and our behaviour should be conducive to the achievement of this goal. I appeal to the oppressed brethren also to exercise care and restraint.
The faults and follies in our society must certainly be criticized. But there are different ways of criticism. When foreigners criticize us, it is with a sense of contempt. But when our own people criticize, it carries an element of pain born out of affectionate concern. Otherwise, if we begin to drag our past quarrels into the present, we end up placing our future in jeopardy. That will only hamper our progress towards equality and harmony.
They (the oppressed brethren) should feel that they are also a part and parcel of the same society and shall live as such with other members. If they stand up shoulder to shoulder with others who have similar ideas and feelings, then the combined efforts of both will make the task much easier and bring the goal much closer. In the past, some eminent leaders of the oppressed communities have severely criticized certain castes and certain religious texts. That was necessary at that time. In order to draw the attention of the people towards a specific point and rouse public opinion, an individual may employ strong language in the beginning. But it is not necessary that such tirades should continue forever. Times have changed, and transformation is evident today. In such a scenario, it is our responsibility to employ only such language that will help further the process of change.
I believe that the ‘backward’ brethren of ours do not ask for the mercy of anybody. They only desire an equal status with others and that too on their own merits. Since they have been backward all these days, they only want facilities and opportunities to be provided to them to advance. This desire of theirs is quite legitimate. And it is for them to decide how long these privileges should continue. In the long run, however, they will have to compete with others and earn an equal status only on the basis of merit alone. Perhaps, they also know this. It is for them to think and strive and chalk out a time-bound plan of raising themselves up. A day has to come when all of us will feel equal, both in our worth and capacities.
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If one wants to establish unity and harmony in society, one has to think about what principles should be picked up from our religious texts and from our history, which would be conducive to the removal of disparities and the consolidation of Hindu society. May all of us sincerely feel that the Hindus must unite, and the basis for that unity can only be social equality! With this conviction, may all of us come forward to make our society united and strong! This is my fervent appeal to one and all.
This is part of ThePrint’s Great Speeches series. It features speeches and debates that shaped modern India.