I read the disdain in my cousin's voice when she wrote of the angst of castism and the palpitating moments she went through in trying to build bridges between the so called castes. (read the article in the link http://divyadurgadas.blogspot.com/2007/07/holding-back.html). I was also quite astounded to see the conviction in her words not to confirm to the old world norms and be as she is.
"Bang " had gone down the phone when we called up a close friend to invite them for my wedding. "Who is the groom?" "Manoj Mathew"..... and the line went dead. I had been considered as the ambassador of brahminism as I knew (a) to recite lot of slokas, (b) learnt to put kolams and the likes of it. Perhaps it felt like a wrong number when they heard a Christian name as my would-be husband. As I expected more such vicious reactions, I made an instant decision not to invite anyone distantly linked to our family to avoid any such unwanted and unwarranted comments and spoilers to a happy occassion. After all no deviations from conventions are accepted with a smile???? !!!
The one who knows Brahmam is a Brahman", is what I read in a book some time back (name I am unable to recall) and also saw it being repeated vehemently in a Malayalam film "His Highness Abdulla". I have always mused on why we have contorted the intelligent division of labour to such demonic proportions. Who was responsible for the perpetration of belittling manual work??? This very idea was resounded in the Tamil serial "Enge Brahmanan" - "Wither Brahmin" wherein the producer tried to question the very base of who is truly a Brahmin. In today's world the "division of labour" no more exists and there is no TRUE BRAHMIN at all. The serial has been abruptly discontinued... I presume truth always hurts and takes time to sink in the true sense into the brain.
I truly believe in the division of labour due to which the classes of people were made - Kshatriyas - people who chose to be warriors and security personnel; Brahmans - who chose to be learners, teachers and academicians; Vysyas - who chose to be traders; and Shudras - who chose not to do heavy work but simple routine manual work. We were also taught the same division of labour in our school times too. Man is an animal and it showed in the transformation of the thought proces of this division of labour. The whole division was compartmentalised with no permission for crossing over, ideas of "HIGH" and "LOW" emerged, which started the churnings of the "CASTE" storm which even today has not subsided. Perhaps, brain development gets restricted to one sphere when concentration is paid only to one aspect over years ; for Brahmins considered themselves more learned than Kshatriyas, Kshatriyas considered themselves more valiant and brave than Brahmins, Vysyas thought all the rest were foolish in dealing with finances and money ...and the Shudras were shunned by everyone as menial and cursed by GOD ... What an irony !!!! ...
Sadly, even today the storm of castism has not subsided... It is camouflaged in different forms and shapes. While all the forces in the country talk of ending castism, involuntarily all of them are contributing to widening the gap - Reservations, concessions, special financial aid - all add to the already brewing fire. As a bubbling college girl I had furiously questioned Mr. Seshan the erstwhile Election Commissioner "Why reservations and concessions if we really have to end Casteism?" Pat came the reply .."You have to pay for what your forefathers deprived others" ...TRUE... I was reminded of the wording, "Whatever you do in life, you will surely get the rewards and returns for it. If not today, perhaps tomorrow, perhaps in a hundred years. But you will surely be rewarded. Nature must pay off the debt. It is a mathematical law and all life is mathematical " Seshan was right...the mathematics of life was equalizing.....
So, is there never an end to this quagmire???? Will half the population go through "crest" when the rest go through the "trough" and the cycle keep repeating times immemorial???? Can there be a change..??? Yes perhaps... quietly and slowly ... by being YOU and let others be (as my cousin said)... Till the mathematical law equalizes, treat all human beings as individuals, look at differences in individuals as differences in living, upbringing, beliefs and respect the differences not just the similarities. If you feel you can create a bridge between the two rivers of faith, thought, practices, habits, ideologies...be it... and silently change the thought process.. No new venture, no innovation, no breaking of conventions has ever been received with a smile... But success always has no barriers... and success in this quiet process only, can be the slow and singular step towards a boundary less society...
Thus began OUR first step in this direction on 15 November 2004... Manoj and me... We had our cultural, upbringing, social and societal differences... but without disdain to any, WE have been fortunately, silently been able to tide through them fairly successfully. Another silent step was taken on 16 September 2006 when our son was born and we were asked to write the caste. We wrote "Indian"... Perhaps if the trend continues our son will write "HUMAN"....May be this is what my cousin meant "Let them be and us be" ......
"Bang " had gone down the phone when we called up a close friend to invite them for my wedding. "Who is the groom?" "Manoj Mathew".
The one who knows Brahmam is a Brahman", is what I read in a book some time back (name I am unable to recall) and also saw it being repeated vehemently in a Malayalam film "His Highness Abdulla". I have always mused on why we have contorted the intelligent division of labour to such demonic proportions. Who was responsible for the perpetration of belittling manual work??? This very idea was resounded in the Tamil serial "Enge Brahmanan" - "Wither Brahmin" wherein the producer tried to question the very base of who is truly a Brahmin. In today's world the "division of labour" no more exists and there is no TRUE BRAHMIN at all. The serial has been abruptly discontinued... I presume truth always hurts and takes time to sink in the true sense into the brain.
I truly believe in the division of labour due to which the classes of people were made - Kshatriyas - people who chose to be warriors and security personnel; Brahmans - who chose to be learners, teachers and academicians; Vysyas - who chose to be traders; and Shudras - who chose not to do heavy work but simple routine manual work. We were also taught the same division of labour in our school times too. Man is an animal and it showed in the transformation of the thought proces of this division of labour. The whole division was compartmentalised with no permission for crossing over, ideas of "HIGH" and "LOW" emerged, which started the churnings of the "CASTE" storm which even today has not subsided. Perhaps, brain development gets restricted to one sphere when concentration is paid only to one aspect over years ; for Brahmins considered themselves more learned than Kshatriyas, Kshatriyas considered themselves more valiant and brave than Brahmins, Vysyas thought all the rest were foolish in dealing with finances and money ...and the Shudras were shunned by everyone as menial and cursed by GOD ... What an irony !!!! ...
Sadly, even today the storm of castism has not subsided... It is camouflaged in different forms and shapes. While all the forces in the country talk of ending castism, involuntarily all of them are contributing to widening the gap - Reservations, concessions, special financial aid - all add to the already brewing fire. As a bubbling college girl I had furiously questioned Mr. Seshan the erstwhile Election Commissioner "Why reservations and concessions if we really have to end Casteism?" Pat came the reply .."You have to pay for what your forefathers deprived others" ...TRUE... I was reminded of the wording, "Whatever you do in life, you will surely get the rewards and returns for it. If not today, perhaps tomorrow, perhaps in a hundred years. But you will surely be rewarded. Nature must pay off the debt. It is a mathematical law and all life is mathematical " Seshan was right...the mathematics of life was equalizing.....
So, is there never an end to this quagmire???? Will half the population go through "crest" when the rest go through the "trough" and the cycle keep repeating times immemorial???? Can there be a change..??? Yes perhaps... quietly and slowly ... by being YOU and let others be (as my cousin said)... Till the mathematical law equalizes, treat all human beings as individuals, look at differences in individuals as differences in living, upbringing, beliefs and respect the differences not just the similarities. If you feel you can create a bridge between the two rivers of faith, thought, practices, habits, ideologies...be it... and silently change the thought process.. No new venture, no innovation, no breaking of conventions has ever been received with a smile... But success always has no barriers... and success in this quiet process only, can be the slow and singular step towards a boundary less society...
Thus began OUR first step in this direction on 15 November 2004... Manoj and me... We had our cultural, upbringing, social and societal differences... but without disdain to any, WE have been fortunately, silently been able to tide through them fairly successfully. Another silent step was taken on 16 September 2006 when our son was born and we were asked to write the caste. We wrote "Indian"... Perhaps if the trend continues our son will write "HUMAN"....May be this is what my cousin meant "Let them be and us be" ......
