Social reform has been an integral part of Hindu culture throughout history. Individuals have used their words and actions to reorganise, reinvent, and reform the religion – something I call the ‘RRR of Hindu culture’. This legacy is now being strengthened by Juna Akhara – one of the 13 official congregations of Hindu seers – which recently accorded the ‘mahamandaleshwar’ and ‘jagadguru’ titles to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe saints. The move fosters inclusivity while underscoring the fact that people from various castes, including those from Dalit and tribal communities, have championed and authored the core texts and pillars of Hindu philosophy.
The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are prime examples of this inclusivity. Valmiki, the author of the Ramayana, was non ‘upper caste’, while Veda Vyasa, who composed the Mahabharata, was not a ‘caste Hindu’. Regardless of their social status, these individuals crafted monumental texts with their wisdom, knowledge and spiritual prowess. BR Ambedkar, a Dalit icon, leader and social reformer, continued this tradition of inclusivity by drafting the Constitution.
Ambedkar famously said: “The Hindus wanted the Vedas; they sent for Vyasa, who was not a caste Hindu. The Hindus wanted an epic; they sent for Valmiki, who was untouchable. The Hindus wanted a Constitution, and they have sent for me.” This statement underscores the idea that Hindu culture and philosophy have always sought wisdom and guidance from individuals from non-upper caste backgrounds.
The inclusion of the transgender community at the Kumbh Mela, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, further demonstrates ongoing efforts to promote inclusivity within Hinduism. The Kinnar Akhara, a group of transgender saints, were offered a dedicated camp at the 2019 Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj and the 2016 Kumbh Mela in Ujjain. The presence of transgender activist Laxmi Narayan Tripathi as ‘Acharya Mahamandelshwar’ at both these events – which I attended – indicated the Hindu community’s willingness to embrace diversity and foster inclusivity.
The appointment of Dalit and tribal saints to leadership positions within the Juna Akhara is not only a step toward social reform but also a way of honouring the legacy of Adi Shankaracharya, one of India’s most revered spiritual leaders, whose birth anniversary falls on 12 May this year. Shankaracharya established the Dasanami Sampradaya, a monastic order that includes the Juna Akhara. By appointing Dalit saints to leadership roles, the Juna Akhara reaffirms its commitment to the principles of equality and inclusivity that Adi Shankaracharya advocated.
Fighting inequality with transformation
Several subaltern community leaders continue to draw inspiration from non-subaltern spiritual and social reform leaders. One example is Tamil Nadu’s Vanumamalai Ramanujadasan, community leader and managing trustee of Sri Ramanuja Trust and the Nandanar Trust who takes immense inspiration from Hindu philosopher and guru Sri Ramanjucharya and empowers Dalit and tribal communities, as well as HIV-afflicted individuals, through Hindu culture.
Another example is of the tribal woman T Thayabari, a social worker from the Nilgiri district in Tamil Nadu who works with six tribal communities in the state – Kota, Kuramba, Toda, Paniya, Irula, and Kattunayaka. Among her works are initiatives to instil patriotism, cultural education, community harmony and indigenous sustainable living practices among community members. Both Ramanujadasan and Thayabari are recipients of the Ramanujacharya-Ambedkar Award, instituted by my team and me at the Tamil Nadu Young Thinkers Forum in 2023.
Hindu culture has also demonstrated a capacity for self-reflection and recognising its follies. Balasaheb Deoras, the third chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), highlighted in one of his seminal speeches how important it was for Indians to look within and understand the shortcomings of our society. He asserts:”We must acknowledge that social inequality exists. Inequality amongst us has been a reason for our downfall. Fissiparous tendencies. Rivalries between castes and sub-castes, along with untouchability, have been the manifestation of this social inequality.” Deoras, inspired by Abraham Lincoln, alsofamously stated in the same speech that “If untouchability is not wrong, then nothing in the world is wrong.”
Deoras, through the example of RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, highlighted the importance of transforming individuals to promote social cohesion. He said: “I had the good fortune, at my young age, to work under his guidance. In the beginning stages, we had very interesting experiences. I was present in the first Sangh camp. In that, there were quite a number of mahaar (untouchable) brethren. At the time of meals, some began hesitating to sit along with them. They had never before in their life sat for meals with the mahaars. They placed their problem before Doctorji (Hedgewar). Doctorji simply said: “Our practice is to sit together. We shall sit accordingly.” All of us sat together for meals. Those few that were hesitant sat in a separate line. But, for the next meals, those very people came to Doctorji and apologised and sat with us of their own accord. If Doctorji had taken disciplinary action against them at the very outset and sent them out of the camp, they would not have been transformed.”
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Embracing the three Rs
History also shows how readily Hindu spiritual leaders embraced the reformation, reinvention, and reorganisation of their culture. Take Shankaracharya’s inspirational text, Manisha Panchakam,which evolved from his encounter with a chandala (outcaste) and, in some ways, (re)revealed to him the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta. Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati, the founder of the Chinmaya Mission and the inspiration behind the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), faced protests for communicating in English the essence of Vedanta. He disproved many by holding fort and embarking on jnana yajnas (spiritual talks) in English, a move that resonated widely among the masses. Enabling social cohesion is the job of spiritual and social organisations and leaders.
True to this, the Chinmaya Mission Chennai, through its Chinmaya Academy of Management, held a dialogue with the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the theme of enabling social cohesion and distributive justice in 2016. I recall that in this event, Sanjay Paswan, Former Member of Legislative Council, Government of Bihar, said: “Spiritual organisations should have their doors open towards the marginalised communities.” Even Gautam Buddha, despite all his criticism and revolt against Hindu culture, is still worshipped and revered as part of the Dashavatar – the 10 avatars of Vishnu – an integral part of Ram’s idol at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Hindu society has consistently strived for equity, meticulously examining every aspect of its practice and philosophy. Martin Luther King Jr.’s statement, “We have come a long, long way and we have a long way to go”, resonates with these persistent efforts to demonstrate reforms.
These are no doubt difficult conversations to have. The point is that no community should perceive visible signs of reformation within Hindu culture as harming them. There are incredibly diverse communities with their own set of beliefs and traditions. But this is about finding true Hinduism – one without human-made division. What is true Hinduism, then? Chinmayanada answered this in his 1951 lecture, ‘Let us be Hindus’.
“True Hinduism is the Sanatana Dharma (Eternal Truth) of the Upanishads. The Upanishads declare in unmistakable terms that in reality, man, at the peak of his achievements, is God Himself. He is advised to live his day-to-day experiences in life in such a systematic and scientific way that, hour by hour, he is consciously cleansing himself of all the encrustation of imperfections that have gathered to conceal the beauty and divinity of the true Eternal Personality in him.”
Sudarshan Ramabadran is a policy expert, author and international communications and public diplomacy professional. Views are personal.
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)