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Dear Rajen,
Your observation "the lower caste want the sanction of the upper
castes" shocked me, although I might have heard it
before. Somehow I did not realize the impact earlier. Is it something deep
in the subconscious mind --- some sort of a psychological disease? The
psychologists should come forward to help us find the answer to the problem. I
am going to seek advice of a few scholars of sociology whom I know.
Anyway, in South Africa, they have broken this
barrier. Maybe it is still there in India. We must find out what to do.
With love to everybody,
Himendra
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2006 1:57
PM
Subject: Re: [Assam] Fw: Caste
System
>To show them what is possible, I am planning
to hold a religious ritual in Puri in the month of January 2007, to be
>performed by Priests (Pujari) who do not belong to any Brahmin or Upper
caste Hindu. The Puja will also be >performed by Women Priests (Pandita),
again belonging to the so called lower caste. The Delegation of Priests will
>come from South Africa where they have broken all the barriers right at
the grass-root.
Himenda:
I can see your sincereity of
purpose. But I am afraid that the above will not serve the purpose and simply
won't work. Do you know why?
Because, the people in the lower
caste look for a Brahmin Priest. Your ideal, presented with so much effort and
sincerelty, will simply be looked down by the very lower caste people for
whom you are trying uplift.
One will have to go deeper in
Hinduism, digging the past ruthlessly, to find out why the lower caste
want the sanction of the upper castes. Otherwise all these type of reform
works are simply 'galw balw khwlakotor tal'. Just think about this, this is
happening in 2005. Lip service to uphold Hinduism simply won't
work.
Rajen
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2006 12:33
PM
Subject: Re: [Assam] Fw: Caste
System
Dear Rajen,
This kind of things must be stopped in two
fronts:
(1) Laws are very clear. This is a criminal
violation in Indian Penal Code. The perpetrators (the entire village
panchayat in this case) must be punished. During the Suttee Eradication
Days in 1829-1837, entire villages were deported to kalapani for life ---
that eventually stopped Suttee. Current recurrences are very rare compared
to what happened in the 1800s.
(2) Law alone cannot eradicate a social evil.
You are very correct to say that the "caste system is very much there in the
Indian blood". We must work to "Change the Mind-set" of people at the
grass-root. To show them what is possible, I am planning to hold a religious
ritual in Puri in the month of January 2007, to be performed by Priests
(Pujari) who do not belong to any Brahmin or Upper caste Hindu. The Puja
will also be performed by Women Priests (Pandita), again belonging to the so
called lower caste. The Delegation of Priests will come from South Africa
where they have broken all the barriers right at the grass-root. The netters
should be prepared to help by raising funds to meet the expenses.
With love to everybody,
Himendra
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2006 10:44
AM
Subject: [Assam] Fw: Caste
System
Ramgopal:
This shows that some Hindus are not allowed
to temple and caste system is very much there in the Indian
blood.
RB
hindustantimes.com
BHUBANESWAR, INDIA, December 15, 2005: Another
controversy over temple entry has hit Orissa. In Keraragard village in
Kendrapara district, four Dalit women who entered a temple were
beaten and later fined US$22.24 (a considerable sum) by the village
panchayat. Sebati Muduli, Annapurna Mahali, Jharana Jena and
Sakuntala Muduli had entered the Jagannath temple in Keraragard as a
matter of right, as only non-Hindus are barred from entering some temples.
But this invited the wrath of the priests and upper-caste villagers. After
the women were beaten, the village panchayat issued a decree to recover
$22.24 from them -- to spend on temple-purification rituals. BJD MP Mohan
Jena said, "If the women who entered the temple are Hindus, then why
should they be barred from entering the temple? The mindset of such
upper-caste people who oppose the entry of Dalits into temples should
change, otherwise the Hindu religion will crumble." The priests, however,
remained unmoved. Niranjan Panda, head priest of the temple in Kerargard,
defended the practice. "The entry of scheduled caste people has been
prohibited for many years," he said. Kendrapara SP Pratik Mohanty said:
"The district collector has ordered a probe. Depending upon the findings,
the district police will take action."
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