Have posted it below for the time being, will try and post it in Outlook and EPW, where this article was published, unfortunately, I do not have log in access to either, so would be grateful if someone else could do it too Best
http://forums.sulekha.com/forums/coffeehouse/The-Parallel-between-anti-Brahminism-and-anti-Semitism-851964.htm On 13/07/2008, Afthab Ellath <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Very good response... Do post it as a response wherever his article > came.... > > Regards > > Afthab Ellath > > On Sun, Jul 13, 2008 at 7:46 AM, damodar prasad <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > >> *bobby, * >> *Adipoli *critical response >> dprasad >> >> >> On 7/13/08, Bobby Kunhu <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>> >>> Should this be posted on de Roover's blog? >>> >>> Manufacturing episteme is an important function for any ideology, >>> particularly in the process of being institutionalised. It's in this >>> context; one has to ask the question who is Jakob de Roover? A Belgian >>> academic, who claims specialisation and interest in India, working with the >>> University of Ghent. Reading his opinions along with his biography, would >>> remind one of the well-meaning Indologists of the yore – claiming >>> epistemological expertise with no reference to the experience of the human >>> beings that's sought to be represented. Now, if one takes a harder >>> look, de Roover works with S. N. Balagangadhara, and most of the former's >>> writings have either echoed his mentor or praised him. One only needs to >>> look at the wiki entry for Balagangadhara, it seems to have been written up >>> by this ardent discipleship and contains cross-references therein. Then, de >>> Roover belongs to a different breed of Indologist, but nonetheless with the >>> same amount of scantiness of respect for the human population that he >>> theorises on. In short, he plays the same academic game that he claims to >>> abhor and wants to thrust a point of view from the ringside without adequate >>> grounding!!! He betrays this in another article on *Does Europe have a >>> Civilising Mission in India?, * arguing vehemently against the >>> representation made by Dalit groups before the European Parliament. >>> >>> >>> >>> Now, having said as much, the purpose of this write up is to rebut the >>> pernicious and obnoxious thesis put forward by de Roover drawing parallels >>> between anti-Brahminism with anti-Semitism in his piece *The Parallel >>> Between anti-Brahminism and anti-Semitism. *At the first glance, the >>> piece reveals an opinionated mind that has done its homework and has worked >>> on stereo-types and generalisation to build a thesis and sell it. I am at a >>> loss how anyone can write such a piece without any reference to Zionism. >>> This lack of reference plays into the same trick conjured by the State of >>> Israel of claiming victimhood to prevalent anti-Semitism to legitimise >>> genocide of Palestinians. This comparison also is an insult to the victims >>> of the Nazi perpetrated anti-Semitic genocide, given that the symbols of the >>> Nazi ideology were borrowed wholesale from Brahminical sources – in case of >>> doubts refer to the Swastika. The next thing that's striking about the >>> article is a complete lack of understanding of the caste system in South >>> Asia and how it defines lives in the geo-cultural region. Further, perhaps >>> de Roover does not understand any of the terms he uses from Brahminism to >>> Semitism to Social Sciences >>> >>> >>> >>> The piece is excruciatingly painful in trying to portray the true fact >>> that Brahmins are a minority in India like the Jews in Europe, where the >>> similarity begins and ends. In attempting this portrayal, the article >>> betrays its lack of homework on what Brahminism is and how it operates. Let >>> me start with a caveat that de Roover glosses over, that brahminism is not >>> about Brahmins alone, it is about a social system that is so pervasive that >>> it engulfed even Christianity and Islam that came to the sub-continent much >>> before the colonising influences with its strict hegemonies. If the European >>> colonising episteme did help in pointing out the unfairness of the >>> hierarchy, well and good. In that sense, Brahminism of course, as de Roover >>> points out is not a religion in the sense of the Judaic faith. >>> >>> What is amazing about the opinion is that while discussing an ideology >>> that affects around one and a half billion people in the South Asian region, >>> there seems to have been little effort made to look at sources or >>> methodologies that have worked on the phenomenon called Brahminism. The >>> piece evidently glosses over numerous studies that have shirked off what de >>> Roover claims as western epistemology – as non-understnding of caste – to >>> arrive at Brahminism. I assume, that Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and his ilk might be >>> contrary to the position that de Roover is trying to propagate, but he could >>> have at least sought the academic support of people like Dipankar Gupta, >>> whose ideological positions in international fora strongly resemble de >>> Roover's. Or, do studies that emanate from the sub-continent too frivolous >>> for any research on "Indology"? >>> >>> Further, de Roover and his ilk promoting a meritorious Indology seem as >>> far removed from the reality that India is. To start with, throughout the >>> history of the sub-continent, there have been no reported incidents of >>> violence against Brahmins, while, the worst victims of Brahminism, Dalits >>> are the subject of overt and subtle violence on a day to day basis as can be >>> seen if de Roover reads even mainstream Indian newspapers daily. Of course, >>> there have been instances of retaliatory violence on the part Dalits, but >>> those almost always have been directed against the immediate oppressive >>> castes and in the Indian context, most often, these are the dominant middle >>> castes and not Brahmins. Further, if de Roover was interested in serious >>> research on the issue, the fact that it was a party which claims its roots >>> to the Bahujan (plebeian castes) that first reached out for an alliance with >>> the Brahmins to a resounding electoral victory in Uttar Pradesh, an effort >>> that none of the Brahminical parties have made from the BJP to the Congress >>> to the mainstream left, proving that the fight against Brahminism is a fight >>> against an oppressive ideology and not a fight against people born in the >>> Brahmin community >>> >>> >>> >>> Last, but not the least, in a globalised world, I wonder, how de Roover >>> can claim epistemological purity in any analysis and further, where does he >>> find his claim to be authoritative about the subject that he writes about >>> given the major gaps in research. It is not just ill-advised, but pernicious >>> throwing questions on the intentions of de Roover, to even attempt the >>> comparison he has made >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On 09/07/2008, C.K. Vishwanath <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> 1. The Parallel between anti-Brahminism and >>>> anti-S<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/message/11014;_ylc=X3oDMTJzcGlzNjFzBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzEzMzU5MzQ3BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2NDMwOQRtc2dJZAMxMTAxNARzZWMDZG1zZwRzbGsDdm1zZwRzdGltZQMxMjE1NTM2NjEz>emitism >>>> >>>> <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/message/11014;_ylc=X3oDMTJzcGlzNjFzBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzEzMzU5MzQ3BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2NDMwOQRtc2dJZAMxMTAxNARzZWMDZG1zZwRzbGsDdm1zZwRzdGltZQMxMjE1NTM2NjEz> >>>> Posted >>>> by >>>> Thursday, July 03, 2008 >>>> The Parallel between anti-Brahminism and anti-Semitism >>>> >>>> To be against "Brahminism" is part and parcel of the political >>>> correctness of progressive scholars in twenty-first- century India, >>>> much like being against Muslims is part of the message of their >>>> Hindutva colleagues. ... >>>> >>>> by Jakob De Roover >>>> >>>> Social science debate in India has been hijacked by the struggle >>>> between secularism and Hindutva for decades now. Usually the Sangh >>>> Parivar is blamed for this turn of events. However, it could well be >>>> argued that the Hindutva ideologues simply adopted the stance of the >>>> secularists. Perhaps the best illustration is the case of >>>> anti-Brahminism. >>>> >>>> To be against "Brahminism" is part and parcel of the political >>>> correctness of progressive scholars in twenty-first- century India, >>>> much like being against Muslims is part of the message of their >>>> Hindutva colleagues. This indicates that something is very wrong with >>>> the Indian academic debate. Promotion of animosity towards a religious >>>> tradition or its followers 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-Brahminism is still the proud slogan of many political >>>> parties and the credential of the radical intellectual. >>>> >>>> Some may find this parallel between anti-Brahminism 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-Brahminical 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-Brahminism 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 >>>> Brahminism works. >>>> >>>> Third, both in anti-Semitic Europe and anti-Brahminical 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 "Brahmins" of the >>>> 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 upper castes must be behind it." So the story >>>> goes. >>>> >>>> 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 Brahminical 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-Brahminism 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 >>>> Brahminism 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 Brahminism and the caste system simply reproduced >>>> this Protestant image of false religion. The colonials identified the >>>> Brahmins as the priests and Brahminism 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 Brahminism. 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 "Brahminism" 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. In some cases, >>>> this has led to a kind of identity crisis in which they vilify >>>> "Brahminism" in English-language academic debate, but continue their >>>> traditions. In other cases, the desire to "defend" these same >>>> traditions has inspired Brahmins to aggressively support Hindutva. >>>> >>>> In twentieth-century Europe, we have seen how dangerous anti-Semitism >>>> was and what consequences it could have in society. Tragically, >>>> unimaginable suffering was needed before it was relegated to the realm >>>> of unacceptable positions. In India, anti-Brahminism was adopted from >>>> Protestant missionaries by colonial scholars who then passed it on to >>>> the secularists and Dalit intellectuals. They created the climate which >>>> allowed the Sangh Parivar to continue hijacking the social sciences >>>> for petty political purposes. >>>> >>>> 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-Brahminism is as harmful as anti-Muslim >>>> propaganda? What is needed to realise that the Hindutva movement has >>>> simply taken its cue from the secularists? Do we need a new victory of >>>> fascism, before we will admit that pernicious ideologies should not be >>>> sold as social science? >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Visit Your Group >>>> <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste;_ylc=X3oDMTJmOTI5cXNnBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzEzMzU5MzQ3BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA2NDMwOQRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0aW1lAzEyMTU1MzY2MTM-> >>>> Need traffic? >>>> >>>> Drive >>>> customers<http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=13odrs2t2/M=493064.12016308.12445700.8674578/D=groups/S=1705064309:NC/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1215543814/L=/B=cmxQAELaX9s-/J=1215536614151727/A=3848644/R=0/SIG=131l83flq/*http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/arp/srchv2.php?o=US2006&cmp=Yahoo&ctv=Groups5&s=Y&s2=&s3=&b=50> >>>> >>>> With search ads >>>> >>>> on Yahoo! >>>> 10 Day Club >>>> >>>> on Yahoo! >>>> Groups<http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=13o4fauun/M=493064.12016283.12445687.8674578/D=groups/S=1705064309:NC/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1215543814/L=/B=c2xQAELaX9s-/J=1215536614151727/A=5202316/R=0/SIG=11aijbghb/*http://new.groups.yahoo.com/allbrangroup> >>>> >>>> Share the benefits >>>> >>>> of a high fiber diet. >>>> Y! Groups blog >>>> >>>> the best >>>> source<http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=13o5irv16/M=493064.12016258.12582637.8674578/D=groups/S=1705064309:NC/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1215543814/L=/B=dGxQAELaX9s-/J=1215536614151727/A=5191955/R=0/SIG=112mhte3e/*http://www.ygroupsblog.com/blog/> >>>> >>>> for the latest >>>> >>>> scoop on Groups. >>>> Need to Reply? >>>> >>>> Click one of the "Reply" links to respond to a specific message in the >>>> Daily Digest. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> > -- Bobby Kunhu http://community.eldis.org/myshkin/Blog/ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to greenyouth@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
