Indian Primates: Buried Below Permafrost Of Sanskriti
(”A TRIBUTE TO INTERNATIONAL WOMAN’S DAY ON 8TH MARCH”)
Animal species buried under permafrost carry with them their way of living, foraging, hunting, giving way to newer species with new ways and means of individual and group behavior. Millions of years old Mammoths buried under the permafrost of Siberian wilderness carried with them the reasons of their extinction in the fast changing world. Some Japanese scientists are making effort to decipher the DNA of the extinct species and recreating clones from the decipherable DNA sequences. The Neanderthal species of Homo sapiens disappeared in oblivion probably because they failed to compete with the progenies of Mother Lucy (real Eve) of East Africa. Survival of the fittest is still a valid universal theory of evolution.
The anthropologists and social scientists generally agree that certain groups of human societies do often get mummified and frozen in the past in the name of Sanskar, Sanskriti, Tehzib, Virasat Rewayat, Rehat Maryada etc. Evolvement of human social behavior, organised social attitude and other barriers created by various religious communities crumble down as the Time marches ahead shrinking the human sphere of connectivity and connecting and reconnecting the wirings of behavioral patterns.
Disconnectivity with the advancing human civilization and preference to live in the darkness of tradition has, as per anthropologists, rendered certain tribes in Africa absolutely distinct from the progress of the human race in other parts of the world. When the rest of the western world had embarked on scientific breakthrough the Sultanates and the Mughals in India remained busy in archaic warfare and building mausoleums and giant building edifices, mosques and temples. Failure to keep step with the developments in the western countries had paved the way for conquest and prolonged colonialism. Ossified societies remain slaves to their social Sanskar and Tehzib and are easier targets to foreign slavery. Indian Hindu society is the living example of this universal theory of civilisational stagnation, isolation from global reality and cultural inbreeding.
The descendant of Mother Lucy of East Africa, who started the theme of ‘charaiveti, charaiveti’ (Aiteriya Brahmana of Rig Veda) discovered almost all the known parts of the earth-landmass. It has been 30 lakh years since mankind started walking and discovering the wonders of the world. They evolved in different geographical areas developing linguistic, cultural and behavioral patterns which, later, came to be accepted as Sanskar, Sanskriti. Tehzib, Rehat Maryada and Social Practices. These concepts, often conjured with religion, evolved over centuries under peculiar social circumstances.
In Social practices of the Hindus the Varnashram had evolved out of the so-called Aryan concept of division of work; priests, warriors, traders and other professional practitioners who kept the wheel of the organised society moving. Gradually the de-morphed society created watertight social strata by inventing untouchability and vast groups of people who lived in the same society, performed certain vocations but were not recognized as the inseparable part of the so-called Hindu Sanskar and Sanskriti i.e. Culture.
The Bengali Hindus did not strictly follow the varnasharm till such time the Brahminical population started migrating to fertile Banga Bhumi. However, the Sena Dynasty that came from Andhra to Bengal as victorious rulers had introduced the rigid Kaulinya (highest of the high) system, which reclassified the Brahmins as Radi, Barendra, and Gaura etc. Similarly the Rajputs and Shudras (kayasths) were classified according to Kaulinya system. In West Bengal, till recent past, certain family titles like Ghosh, Bose, Guha, Mitra etc were classified as Kulin. In early twentieth century the so called Kulins squirmed at the idea of marrying in a non-Kulin family. Fortunately these barriers have started breaking down and the mischief committed by the Barman and Sena rulers is being corrected by the society itself. Now, Bangla Sanskriti is typified by Tagore, Ramakrishna, Vivekananda and of course fish curries and rice.
Even after the surge of Muslim nationalism and influences of the puritan mullahs the Muslim society has remained caste ridden and there are unwritten rules about the Ashraf (noble) Muslims interacting with the Ajlaf (low caste) Muslims. Varnasharm has been injected into the Indian Muslim community over centuries and even a Mughal was supposed to be unfit for matrimonial relationship with Arab, Persia origin Sayeed families. Sadly enough the barbers, weavers, smiths, leather processors, meat sellers etc are also classified as ajlaf. Perhaps, the Indian ambiance has serious corroding ingredients that divide people and refuse to unify them. Even the Sikhs treat low caste coreligionists as Mazhabi Sikhs. There is hardly any social interaction between a Jat and a Mazhabi Sikh. The infamous Pakistani national Qasab, arrested during Mumbai attack derived his family name from the popular slang Kasai, often stylised as Qureshi.
I do not intend to analyse the details of caste dispensation in different parts of India amongst the so-called Hindu communities. However, what has been disturbing the society at large the Sanskar and Sanskriti madness of some Hindu groups who have assumed the role of protectors of Hindu Sanskar and Sanskriti. Sanskar is defined as family, societal and group behavior conforming to social edits in day to day rituals and Nitya Karm Padhwati. It is equivalent to ‘Behasti Jevar’ that is prescribed as standards of daily individual and social behavior. Sanskar includes worship of a family deity, food habits, wearing apparel, application of sindur and conch shell and iron bangles by Hindu women and ultimately total abidance to the practices followed in a family. Standards vary from family to family. Certain changes had crept in with the Renaissance, Arya Samaj Movement and Bhakti cults that sprouted in different form in different parts of the country modifying social rituals and behaviorism.
Unfortunately, dowry system, bride burning, female feticide and torture on women, preference to male child in matters of education etc are treated as parts of Sanskar. Stories of social edits passed by Haryana panchayats marriage in the same khap (clan) was anti-Sanskar and such marriages are null and void. The recent case of an edit that a married couple (same khap) should treat each other as brother and sister had shaken the modern society, which was no more inclined to follow that rigid khap system. Even in modern times Sati is regarded as holy Sanskar, desirable to be performed by every woman as an honorable highway to heaven. If these are the Sanskars of the so-called Hindu society the social historiographer would have no option but to describe that ‘such a society branded as Hinduism is buried under permafrost.’ Such a society with ugly Sanskars has very little chance of connecting with the changing world, which is becoming smaller by the day.
A Slum Dog Millionaire may have earned acclaim in the film world. But thousands if not lakhs of such slum dogs live amongst us and our Sanskar and Sanskriti treat them as something lesser than Homo sapiens. Over centuries we have created untouchable Dalits and pushed them at the farthest corner of high-caste society and their Sanskars and Sanskriti. These were often sanctified as inviolable, frozen in the past and sinking the developmental process with weighty anchors of faith, bigotry and hostility towards unification of the global behavioral patterns.
The recent madness of the so-called Ram Sena attacking women visiting a pub exhibited the worst nakedness of so-called Hindu Sanskar and Sanskriti. The same perverts try to keep their own women under shackles and disapprove their modern apparel preferences, open and free socialization and expression of love towards a male closer to their hearts. Such monkey brigades often styled as Bajrang Dal do moral policing in states like Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The likes of Babu Bajrangi and Muthalik are enemies of the Hindu society and they want to enforce on vibrant human societies the dead weight of Hindu Sanskar and Sanskriti.
The Hindu mullahs should read classical Sanskrit literature and find out that women were squally attracted towards Soma Rasa. These guardians of Hindu tradition should remember that the Suras after being defeated by the Asuras had finally approached the “Shaktibhute Sanatani” the eternal Mother force, endowed on her all the energies and worshipped her to fight and defeat the Asuras. The Mother, after drinking huge quantity of Soma Rasa and Madhu laughed so loudly that the universe pulsated in fear. In that state of sura induced Sanatani had finally defeated the Asuras and delivered the Suras.
For the enlightenment of the ignorant Hindu mullahs I quote from Slokas 34-36 of Third Adhyaya of Shri Shri Chandi or Durga Shaptashati to assert that Great Woman Energy was empowered by frightened and defeated Devas who fought Mahishasura valiantly. The audacity of Mahishasura irritated the Mother.
“Tatah Krudhwa Jaganmata Chandika Panamuttamam,
Papau punah punaschaiva Jahasarunalochana,
Nanarda Chasurah Balabirya Soahpi balabiryamadoudhawah
Vishanabhyancha Chikshep Chandikang Prati Bhudharan.
Sa Cha Tan Prahitangstena Churnayantii Sharotkarayh,
Uubach Tang Madodhutamukharagakulaksharam.”
(After that Universal Mother Chandika became very angry and repeatedly drank superior quality Madhu (Soma Rasa) and laughed with red angry eyes. Mahishasur also snouted with strength and in anger. Mother also destroyed all the missiles thrown by the Asura-approximate translation).
She sarcastically told the Demon that till such time she finished drinking Madhu he could shout and fret. After sufficient consumption of Madhu she laughed out loudly and killed the Demon.
I do not intend to assert that women in historic and pre-historic times drank wildly. But if there were no such social liberty, the poet or poets who composed the Shri Shri Chandi would have not dared to depict the Mother the way they did. If this is what has been scripted in a highly respected religious book about woman power, who are these monkey brigade foot-soldiers to oppose gender freedom in the name of Sanskar, Sanskriti and Tradition? It is hoped the Hindu scions would explain to their foot-soldiers that by doing what they are doing they have degraded the Hindu society by devising Hindu Sharait and Hadith. I do not find any difference between the mullahs and the fossils of Hindu civilization. I request the protectors of Hindu Tradition to remember that our women fight such battles every day at home and work place and keep the wheel of the society moving. They are made to slave at home and are harassed at work place. They are picked up by Hindu animals and raped in cars and open places. Such animals have no right to determine and dictate where and when a woman would go to have a few relaxed hours over a drink or coffee.
Babu Bajrangi, the genocide expert, had commented on camera, “We didn’t spare a single Muslim shop, we set everything on fire … we hacked, burned, set on fire … we believe in setting them on fire because these bastards don’t want to be cremated, they’re afraid of it … I have just one last wish … let me be sentenced to death … I don’t care if I’m hanged … just give me two days before my hanging and I will go and have a field day in Juhapura where seven or eight lakhs [seven or eight hundred thousand] of these people stay … I will finish them off … let a few more of them die … at least 25,000 to 50,000 should die.”
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad later disowned this Hindu messiah and he shifted loyalty to Shiv Sena, another parochial political body floated by Marathi chauvinists.
The latest incident of moral policing at Balmatta area of Bangalore by the Hindu primates surrounding a Hindu girl and a Muslim boy (family friends) sipping juice at roadside stall is another instance of the self-styled Tradition worshiper primates of the society. If a Muslim mullah issues a fatwah against Hindu-Muslim male and female social interaction we instantly call it Islamic fanaticism. What about the Hindu mullahs? The saddest incident in Calcutta involving Rizwanur and Todi family girl (legally wedded) had prompted even senior police officers assuming the role of moral policing. Rizwanur had to pay with his life, for no crime committed by him. Several such incidents have been headlined by the media and the Hindu and Muslim mullahs have been condemned. Such condemnations have not stopped moral policing. The trend is gathering vicious proportions.
Unfortunately hundreds of incidents of woman-degradation are not reported. Only on 26th February, 2009 a woman was stripped, tied to a tree and beaten in Ajmer district of Rajasthan after a panchayat took law into its hands to `punish’ her on the words of her suspecting husband.
When Mithu, a villager of Moyada, went to the panchayat of Bhambi community of Dalits on Thursday, and said his wife was having an affair with another man, its reaction was swift. First, the statements of Mithu and his family were recorded and the `punishment’ followed. Seeta, Mithu’s wife was summoned by the panchayat, tied to a tree, beaten and stripped. Though the police have recorded a case, Seeta would not be accepted back by her husband’s family. If such are the Traditions of the Hindu society, I beg to pray; I would prefer embracing Eskimo Tradition and live in polar wilderness than living in a so-called 5000 year old Hindu civilization. These Hindu mullahs are worst than fundamentalist Muslim mullhas.
The latest report of the international medical journal LANCET claims that burn injuries are the biggest killer of Indian women in the age group of 15-34. Burn injuries are caused by marital disputes, dowry related torture, suicide, homicide and kitchen accidents. Nearly 1.6 lakhs such deaths are reported each year. Many more cases are not reported at all. Is this the Tradition of the fosslised Hindu primates? Why these fools offer flower to the Mother Goddess and hang her next day for fat dowries?
Several Hindu organisations agitate over forcible conversion by the Tablighi Jammat and various denominations of Christian Churches, especially the Australian, New Zealand Baptist churches, Churches affiliated to ABFMS (USA). Some allegations are genuine, some not. Proselytisation has never been the core-concept of what is known as Hinduism. Large scale conversions of Hindus to Islam during Muslim rules and to Christianity during British rule were not done merely at sword and gun points. Other major factors have not been properly evaluated. Hindu society, which was not at all united, had failed to face determined attack by the early plunderers and the so-called valiant Marathas, Rajputs and Khastriyas never forged alliance, though they professed loyalty to cultural and religious uniformity. Why? Indian tradition was never punctuated by unity and cultural bonds were never in action except during brief periods of military superiority of the Mauriyas and the Guptas. Threatened by Mlechh threat Hindu tradition reacted as snails or tortoises, folding itself inside and inventing hundreds of social sanctions binding the people with Sanskars, and Sanskriti shackles.
In Bengal, where the English-inspired reawakening took place beginning with Raja Rammohan Roy, the Derozio School of youths rebelled against the black traditions and mummified Sanskars of Hinduism and some of them embraced Christianity. Michael Madhusudan Dutt, the celebrated poet was the torch bearer of such social revolt. Caste rigidity, social inequality and injustice had also pushed many low caste Hindus to Islam and Christianity which promised equality and progress. Some of the present day mummified Hindu primates still consider the untouchables as societal insects.
The Shuddhi movement had initiated a new trend in Hindu zealots and the same practices are being pursued in Gujarat, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura and several other states. The bloody battles of Kandhamal between Christian and Hindu tribes have set up a new trend, though India has distinct laws about forced proselytisation. The Christian missionaries should remember that Dharma is not a Legion which is part and parcel of Army of the Roman and Greek empires. Legion in the New Testament is described as a Demon. Mere addition of the alphabets RE does not make a Legion a spiritual body. India is no more open to religious Legionary assault, either forcible or through allurement. The same principle applies to the Tablighi Jammat and so-called Hindu Shuddhkaran zealots. Law of the land should apply to all zealots equally.
Instead of Shuddhikaran the Hindu bodies should reach the abandoned Hindu population with rays of hope like the Christian missionaries. Mere slogan of religion cannot assure the lowest strata of the people by dangling the carrots of Tradition, Sanskar and Sanskriti. Organised participation by the Hindu bodies, RSS etc, in financial, educational and economic uplifting would go a long way to assure the ‘achhyuts’ that there are some humanitarian concern in Hindu pantheon. Swami Vivekanand had said: those who serve the humanity serve the God. Has this principle been emulated by the rakshakas (protectors) of the Hindu society and tradition? The RSS should reconsider and revise their agenda and in addition to Go-Mutra and Go-Mal and Gau Mata veneration, pay little more attention to the distant Hindu communities known as Dalits. They should not only ritually worship the Mother Goddess. They should accept women-equality in every sphere of life. Babu Bajrangis and Muthaliks should be directed to honour women and treat them as equal social partners and to serve the neglected fringes of the Hindu society.
I had made several efforts to elicit information and definition of Hindu Sanskriti from my friends in the Araya Samajis and the RSS. Sanskar is a bundle of rituals which are injected in free minds from childhood as a part and parcel of Virasat, Khandan, Tehzib etc. What are the totems of culture? Dowry system? Child marriage? Female feticide? Child labour? Preference for Putra (son) against Putri (daughter)? Is it correct when illiterate RSS bigots assert that ‘the child that rescues ancestors from hell called Put is Putra? Is it a totem of culture to expect a woman covering up every inch of her body in the name of culture? If so, why these very guardians of Sanskar and Sanskriti throng the cinema halls to see scantily clad woman gyrating to the tune of foreign music? Why these pandas of Hindu Puritanism rush to the film festivals to witness near-naked female bodies. If they believe in purdah system why they challenge the Muslims for imposing Burqa on their womenfolk? Both are equally fundamentalists.
A venerated RSS friend tied to escape from my embarrassing question about moral policing by Ram Sena and Bajrang Dal etc. If these monkey brigades are family branches of the Sangh they should be answerable to the parent Sanskriti and Sanskar radiating body. If they are remote twigs of the BJP, the mother tree should own them or discard them as parasites. The Sangh has not openly condemned these social demons; the BJP government acted half-heartedly giving an impression that the seeming action is aimed at vote-bank protection. Why cannot the prime Hindu organisations condemn these monkey brigades openly and try to shun responsibility by saying that Muthaliks and Babu Bajrangis etc are individuals who are not permanent offshoots of the mother ideological body. These excuses are unacceptable. The broader society expect the guardians of Hindu Puritanism to redefine the concept of Sanskriti and Sanskar and allow the broader Hindu society to break the hated barrier of varnashram, bias against female child and accept that admixture of global culture with aboriginal culture. Admixture of culture that encompass changed concept of clothing, food and drinks preference, synthesisation of music and induction of new female-male relationship, recognition of gender equality and sex-preference are the realities of life that cannot be covered up under the rotten garbage of Sanskar and Sanskriti.
The concept of globalization of economy cannot be thwarted by ‘Swadeshi Jagran Manch’ and Swabhiman etc mummified movements. In spite of wasting time and energy behind such anachronistic concepts the protagonists linked to the Sangh Parivar should try to restore harmony in the broader Hindu society and establishing equilibrium between different religious communities. India cannot be united by the mere slogan of Ram Mandir and Ram Setu, both of mythical origin without any scientific proof. Hindu India, Hindu Sanskar and Sanskriti alone cannot unify the nation. These are divisive concepts, suffering from the pre-partition hangover of Cultural differences between the Muslims and the Hindus. Cultural traits are bound to be different, because of social practices emanating from religious sanctions. This reality is required to be recognized and accepted as social reality that does not militate against One Nation One People concept that is the spinal cord of the Sovereign Republic of India. Positive Secularism is the soul of the constitution and not vote-bank secularism, which is being done by certain political parties. The concept of different Nations-different Countries has been buried in the history of troubled India.
The pronounced concept of One Culture one Nation refuse to recognize the kaleidoscopic variety of India, where different religion, social practices and segmental Sanskars and Sanskritis have come to stay side by side. The slogan of Cultural nationalism is misleading and divisive. In a multicultural country cultural unity is a chimera. Their coexistence does not militate against national unity.
The civilization of a country depends largely on own inherent cultural, ethical, moral and spiritual base. It nourishes holistic life style and shapes the culture. According to Oxford Dictionary, culture of a country denotes the way of people’s life, their customs, beliefs, attitude, and social set up. It also encompasses various arts, literature, music etc. The monkey brigades should understand the purest form of Bhartiya Sanskriti is not a unified concept from Kashmir to Kanya Kumari and Gujarat to Nagaland-Arunachal Pradesh. The formats of dances, temple designs, music etc are vastly different from northern India. The Hindus of eastern India have developed their own patterns of Sanskriti. The Hill states of the northeast are dominated by different denominations of Christianity and the Manipur Valley is dominated by Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Manipuri culture is different from cultural traits of the Hindus in Karnataka or Maharashtra. These regional differences add spices to Hindu concept.
The Muslims, despite differences in religion, have added rich ingredients to Indian culture. Music to dance to architecture to decorative arts was emulated from Persian and Central Asian cultural traits. These have been Indianised. No religious group can claim exclusivity of any Sanskar and Sanskriti in India. Many Sanskritic origin languages have borrowed from Persian/Arabic language. Urdu is the child of Indo-Persian etymological interaction. Dowry or Dahej system was borrowed by the Muslims from evil Hindu social practices. Hindu palates have been enriched by Mughlai and Avdhi cooking. Professing different religion, social practices do not make a people a different Nation. Variety is the soul of Indian culture. The Hindu chauvinists who clamour for Cultural Nationalism should understand that Indian culture is a kaleidoscopic concept. There is nothing called exclusive Bhartiya Culture and Tradition.
I would like to give a finishing touch to this mirror-polishing effort by referring to a recent experience suffered in Mumbai. Having grown with the ‘Bangal Kheda’ movement in Assam, ‘Bangali Hatao’ movement in Orissa and Bihar and ‘Amra Bangali’ stupidity in West Bengal. I did not expect insult and humiliation in the hands of ‘Marathi Manus’ in Mumbai, the city I love. On a visit to meet a writer producer friend I made an attempt to relive the younger days by ordering a chicken Pau Bhaji at the crossing of Peddar Road and Sofia College Road. As I merrily munched the dear Pau three young men accosted me and asked if I were a Bhai from Bihar. One of them raised slogan ‘Jai Maratha’ and pushed the tasty Pau out of my palm. I missed that Pau and I missed the Mumbai where I frequented to discharge my official work as a spy-master. I was reminded again the childhood Bengali lullaby: Chele Ghumalo, Pada Juralo, Bargi elo Deshe’ (The Bargis-Maratha plunderers-have come the child has gone to sleep and there is silence in the mohalla). It reminded me of Calcutta’s Maratha ditch. I failed to recall that valiant Maratha, Balwant Phadke was the first Indian revolutionary, who had left a Commissariat job and pioneered armed rebellion against the British. I hope I would not have to die in the hands of neo-Maratha Bargis who have adopted the poisonous weapon of parochialism. I could not join voice with the Bargi’s slogan of ‘Jai Maratha’ though I had in my heart the famous poem by Tagore eulogizing Chhatrapati Shivaji.
Jai Bharat-the Aasamudra Himachal Bharat!
114 Responses to “Indian Primates: Buried Below Permafrost Of Sanskriti”
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July 11th, 2009 at 2:31 am
Recently I read an article about the life of Dionysis the Greek God, in India. It is from a Greek source and it mentions 7 castes in India at the time (Chandragupta Maurya’s time) but does not mention a word about untouchables. It means that untouchability was a recent invention when compared with the vastness of Indian history. We don’t know how this inhuman practice started. As you said it is the duty of RSS and VHP to campaign for the abolishing of untouchability from the Hindu society.
People like Ram Sena must first read Ramayana. Ramayana mentions that even Lord Ram drank wine. The ancient Tamil poetess Avvaiyaar mentions in one of her poem that the king offered her the best meat and the best wine. These people who beat up women are no different from the Taliban and must be treated in the same way.
June 16th, 2009 at 9:01 am
now I’ll stay tuned..
June 15th, 2009 at 10:37 am
Hi, very nice post. I have been wonder’n bout this issue,so thanks for posting
May 7th, 2009 at 1:51 am
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