Baba
Discarding is the solution
Namaskar,
In India often people think that the society is divided into high caste and low caste people. Likewise, in many western countries, race or skin color is thought as the basis of social hierarchy. Further, as the chasm and its negative effects were recognized the societies took recourse to providing special benefits to the so called lower caste or oppressed races as applicable. Many movements began in which special benefits and reservations were demanded. It is interesting that today in some areas people fight for getting recognized to be belonging to the lower castes so that they can get the privileges. Such special solutions, however, do not work on the removal of the chasm in the society.
Problems with caste/race
It is an irony that on one hand people ask for getting included in lower caste to avail the benefits of reservation while on the other they also do not like discrimination.
Progress in transportation made it possible to bring people together from various backgrounds. In past, people from varying backgrounds were mostly geographically isolated but today they are forced to live together. Thus, the need for the teachings of neohumanism is more than ever so that people can cope up with this change in the environment and live together with love and harmony.
Solutions
If there is a problem in any machine then there are two possible approaches, namely, (1) preventive maintenance and (2) breakdown maintenance. Preventive maintenance is always preferred as the loss due to the breakdown can be avoided. In case of the breakdown of the society caused by caste and race, various preventive measures can be taken, namely:
- Stopping documentation of caste/race,
- Marriages across the boundaries of caste/race, and
- Government supported social incentive schemes to promote abolishing of caste/race based differences.
Stopping documentation of caste/race
There should not be any documentation of one’s caste or race. If one’s caste/race are mentioned in a document there will be chance of different treatment by biased people. In India, to overcome the biases in exam paper evaluation a double blind strategy is used. Instead of the student’s name a unique ID is provided in the paper. The examiner gets to see only the ID and not the name of the student. Thus, the examiner can evaluate the paper without any biases. In absence of that the examiner may get biased towards the castes which he has an allegiance to while against the ones he feels to be inferior. Thus, there should be a complete removal of caste/race based records from the databases. This is the only practical way that is prescribed in Prout.
Marriages across the boundaries of caste/race
A tool to maintain the caste system is to have same caste marriage. Likewise, race identity can be maintained only if interracial marriages are not accepted and discouraged. Baba has given the system of revolutionary marriages. If there are marriages across the caste in a few generations the caste identity will be lost. Likewise, interracial marriages will even fade the difference in skin colors.
Government supported social incentive schemes
To make the cause of abolishment of caste/race government can incentivise revolutionary marriages and all the steps that can help overcoming the problem of caste/race.
Self-interest clouding the minds
US constitution,in theory, does not give credence to race. People belonging to so-called higher race do not want affirmative action on the basis of race. Not because they have neohumanist feelings but because they do not want to give privileges to the so-called inferior race people. While the so-called inferior race people want to have affirmative action as they want to gain the privileges. However, it is a fact that social ills are caused by race documentation.
Similar reasoning applies to the caste system in India. People know the ills of caste system and yet due to self interest want to maintain the defective system. Such a clouded mentality is preventing people from taking the big step towards a caste/race free society.
Economic basis of privileges
Privileges should be provided to economically backward. Other criteria based on race and caste for special provisions will only increase the bias and should be abnegated as they promote division in the society. There are many examples we can find in daily newspapers in which a well-to-do intellectual but so-called black person is discriminated and a low-caste university professor is not promoted adequate to his/her merit in India. Such things happen because even by means of reservations if so-called inferior race person or so-called low-caste person gets educated and even makes money, they are still discriminated against in the society because the caste system or race is acknowledged.
Why discard caste or race
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "Casteism is a burden on the Hindu society. All the year round they preach casteism but on the polling days they decry it. This is wholly undesirable. It is better to avoid all titles. Titles signify the caste. If casteism is to be wiped out, it is incumbent to discard the titles. It is commendable if everyone adopts uniformity on title – Deva *. Persons using a particular word more often will influence their minds with the meaning of that word. People are reluctant to use the word dása because this word signifies slavery. Whenever the so-called low caste people catch an opportunity, they declare themselves as belonging to the so-called elevated caste, etc. It is an ideal to become deva and for this reason Deva title should be adopted." (1)
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "Titles of the present society have undergone considerable changes during the past fifty years, the cause being that everyone aspires to pertain to an elevated caste. The so-called Shúdras also use the sacred thread. This is only an effort towards the concealment of one’s identity. By this means, they conceal only their disregarded status. This is to be regretted. It is consequent on social debility that they harbour the desire for changes in their situations. It is out and out purposeless to convene All-India Conferences or particular castes. All of them desire to assert and establish their rights. This is simply misuses of energy and money." (1)
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "The consent of those embraced must be sought for before renaming them in Saḿskrta. Language has got nothing to do with religion and as such, there is no reason for anybody depreciating the use of Saḿskrta. In this connection it may be added that the great emperor Aurangzeb used the term sudhárasa (juice of nectar) for mango (original Saḿskrta term for mango is ámra) and saddharma for Islam." (1)
So many areas of the globe are affected by caste, race, and communal feeling. Here above Baba gives the perfect antidote and solution to such narrow-minded and harmful thinking.
Conclusion
Caste/race is a fictitious concept and is used by the self-serving groups in the society to fragment and derive benefits from it. Such systems have polarized the society into exploited and exploiters. The exploited run movements to fight against injustice and demand for special rights and privileges based on their caste/race. Such rights and special privileges further degrade the situation as it makes the social divide wider and broader. The only solution is totally doing away with the caste system.
This can be accomplished by
- Stopping documentation of caste/race,
- Marriages across the boundaries of caste/race, and
- Special help should be given to economically backward people—without considering caste or race—to uplift them and provide basic necessities.
At His Lotus Feet,
Bhakti
* Note: The title Deva should be suffixed to males and the suffix Devii should be suffixed to females.
Reference
1. Tattvika Diipika, 5th part, Ánanda Púrńimá 1957
== Section 2: Links ==
Recent Postings
Other topics of interest
More important letters
Legal Notice: ©2017 Ananda Marga Universal Forum. All rights reserved. Ananda Marga Universal Forum content is the intellectual property of Ananda Marga Universal Forum or its third party content providers. Ananda Marga Universal Forum shall not be liable for any errors or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Any copying, republication or redistribution, part or full, of Ananda Marga Universal Forum content, including by framing or similar means, is against the court of law and expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Ananda Marga Universal Forum.
