822 words free essay on Untouchability

Untouchability is still being practiced in rural India. People in metropolitan cities have hardly any idea about the behavior of the rural elites with the so called lower caste people. In most of the villages in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh scheduled caste people are not allowed to sit on cots in the presence of a Thakur or Brahmin.

Even the urban elite don’t behave with them in a decent manner. In most of the temples in rural areas their entry is barred. Shankaracharyas, the religious heads of Hindus have not been kind to them. One of them has a firm belief that they should not be allowed to enter temples. After all they too are human beings. If others are allowed to pray and have darshans of Gods they too should be allowed to enter the spiritual world.

South, of course has made great progress in the field of education, technology and many other spheres. The people in other areas form a high opinion of the discipline and scholarship of the South.

So far as untouchability is concerned, injustice is done to the so called lower caste people. They have been harassed and exploited as in other areas. The exploitation of tribal’s in Andhra Pradesh has made them naxalites. They have become conscious of their status and have become revengeful.

It was Gandhi from the upper castes who called the down trodden as Harijan i.e. the people of God. But these people of God could not and can not visit the precincts of God. The elites followed Gandhi in politics. But in raising the status of the down trodden and giving them a social status they did rot show much enthusiasm.

Some journalists have voiced that these ‘men of God’ should be made priests in prestigious temples like that of Krishna in Guruvayur or Vishwanath in Kashi. Those who are at the helm of affairs never accepted it. The Dalit Sinankaracharya of Laloo Prasad Yadav’s Bihar is nowhere seen. The Dalits have no say even in the hill temple of Sabarimala in Kerala, although it is relieved that the deity there is ethnically associated with the so called Dalits.

The assertion of Dalits goes back to the days of Narayan Guru in Kerala. He was instrumental in building separate temples when the brahminical order did not allow Dalits to enter their temples. The priests too are Dalit. Lord Shiva is the deity they worship. It was only a Brahmin priest who could instal the idol; and no Brahmin would perform that ceremony in these temples. Narayan Guru himself installed an idol and called the deity Ezhava Shiva i.e. Dalit Shiva.

While Narayan Guru was active in Kerala Periyar E.V. Ramaswamy came to Vaikkom to lead a movement. Madhavan, an Ezhava advocate was not allowed to enter the court premises as the court was situated in the palace of the Maharaja of Travancore. When some leaders of Ezhava Community decided to launch a Satyagrah in mid twenties they chose Vaikkom.

The temple lay in the centre of the town square. All government offices, local court and police station were located on the four approach roads.

As the Dalits i.e. Acharis, Vanniyars, Panchamas, Weavers and Ezhavas were not allowed to enter even these approach roads they could not be employed in any of the shops or offices situated on these roads. Although the Maharaja welcomed Periyar he became restive when Ramaswamy started the movement. He was arrested. He called his wife Nagammai and his sister S.R. Kannammal, who continued the struggle. Periyar was behind the bars again for six months. The temple namboodiris started Shatrusamhara Yagna to destroy Periyar and his followers. The Yagna had no effect on the Satyagraha. Strange enough the Maharaja expired.

The repercussions of this strong Brahmanical creed of untouchabilit} were that the traditional order got a severe blow. Periyar, an old Congress activist started Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham. The later AIADMK is just an off shoot (although they are inimical to each other). The so called untouchables have proved their worth and efficiency. They are high educated, have held the reigns of power for two decades.

No All India Party of the caste elites is expected to rule the State of Tamil Nadu that has 69% reservations for the 69% population of the so called non brahminical order.

The conservatives may call it anything it is better-far better than the mass conversion as was seen at Minakshipuram in early eighties. The elites throughout the country do not rise to the occasion and if the so called untouchables are not given social equality even in the rural areas they would revolt.

A stage may come when their hurricane demolishes the palaces of the elites. If the people embrace them wholeheartedly they would be in a position to give a severe blow to foreign powers that have been making serious efforts to form a cleavage in the Hindu society.