REPRODUCED by the kind permission of the author herself. And courtesy Bharat Bhatari.
New post on Bharata Bharati
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"Dr. Elst's trajectory is different from ours. We should not be stampeded into abandoning what we see are the best strategies, some of which are rooted in our conviction that this Punya Bhumi will endure forever, despite the best efforts of the asuric forces. And meanwhile, yes we should continue to attack the injustices of the asuric forces, their barbaric customs, their past history of war and violence and their present attempts to control the world's resources and economies, their white racism (under which the infamies of the brown sahibs and brown clergy are subsumed). That is not only our moral imperative, but it is also our defence against the asuric forces." - Dr. Vijaya Rajiva
In the recent controversy sparked by Dr. Koenraad Elst's 2007 articleand his subsequent rejoinder (in Bharata Bharati) to his critics only a few days ago, it has become clear that certain issues have come to the fore. Dr. Elst, as the present writer has remarked (see the articles in Bharata Bharati) is an intellectual and a non-Hindu at the same time. Why are these facts significant?
His interest in the Hindu problem is motivated by his intellectualism (he used to be an academic), i.e. such intellectuals are rootless and tackle problems at random, and sometimes out of intellectual curiosity. There is also in him a high ethical sense, and so he is also genuinely concerned with the Dalit question (as he sees it) even when he tries to defend the Hindu caste system amongst non Hindus (white, brown, black, whichever colour!). Both his articles now printed in Bharata Bharathi reflect this situation. In his earnest discussions with the foreign asuric forces he does not seem to realise that they are actually laughing at him behind his back; they are pleased with his discomfiture, the subtext of their statements to him would be that he simply does not understand these pagan Hindus and why is he defending them? It is the caste system, stupid. Not because unequal societies have not existed since time immemorial but because that is the stick with which they can carry on beating Hindus and their 'sympathisers'. That process has gone on and will go on, rest assured.
And the more he argues, the more he makes them feel good. If he were to inform himself of the many articles, books and blogs that are appearing today he would realise that Hindus are carrying on a certain battle couched in the terms that the asuric forces themselves have set. No matter. Hindus have to continue to play that game at one level. They cannot abandon that task. Nor can Elst. he is committed to it for ever and aye.
Secondly, while works such as Dr. Rakesh Bahadur's Equality and Inclusion : Progress and Development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes In Indpendent India (2010) are contexualised in the secular framework of the Indian Constitution, and while the HAF Report on Caste is a straightforward attempt to refute the notion that Hinduism condones Untouchability, there are others who finger point white racism (as well they should) and the valid point made by Srimathi Radha Rajan that the Western world carries on its dominance by using race to construct politics and vice versa, there are others who argue that the caste system was the basis of India's economic prosperity etc. Recently, George Augustine has given a comprehensive account of the caste system and it has been reprinted in Bharata Bharati.
Still others focus on the inherent strength of the Vedic Agamic tradition and the inability of the asuric forces to defeat that tradition in the past and its inability in the future to do so.
All these are tried and tested methods, and they will continue to work. It is a package deal, a multi-pronged approach. It is not smugness or anachronistic world views or anything of the sort,the wild charges that Dr. Elst in his frustration with the foreign asuric forces that he interacts with, has claimed. The present writer is serious in saying that this is also because he is a non-Hindu. We Hindus have forged various methods, some quite obvious, some subterranean, some a mix of both, to resist the encroachments of the asuric forces.
One of the Radhakrishnans, either Dr. Radhakrishnan himself or the son, once said (unfairly) that Dr. Elst is trying to carry on his Christian crusader's battle against Islam on Indian soil. This is patently unjust and inaccurate. However, the present writer would urge him to continue his work, and not be unduly concerned with the Hindu dilemmas and their handling of the asuric forces. We can handle them, not to worry. And so can we handle the domestic social injustices.
Of course, in his task (such as it is) he is handicapped by not being a Hindu. As the present writer has pointed out earlier he cannot with a straight face claim that the Vedas are apaurusheya (not of human origin). Nor can he extol the many complicated rituals both of Veda and Agama as his heritage. This strength belongs to the Hindus and they and they alone can carry the battle for the defence of what they consider is the land of the Veda. Dr. Elst and other well-intentioned sympathisers can only provide auxiliary forces. Some of their efforts are successful, some only partially so. He can only say that the caste system has been a force for stability, as he does in his article printed in Bharata Bharati on the subject. He cannot say : it has been the practice in the land of the Veda, and so on and so forth.
It is therefore important for Hindus to realise once and for all that Dr. Elst's trajectory is different from ours. We should not be stampeded into abandoning what we see are the best strategies, some of which are rooted in our conviction (not smugness, as he alleges) that this Punya Bhumi will endure forever, despite the best efforts of the asuric forces. And meanwhile, yes we should continue to attack the injustices of the asuric forces, their barbaric customs, their past history of war and violence and their present attempts to control the world's resources and economies, their white racism (under which the infamies of the brown sahibs and brown clergy are subsumed). That is not only our moral imperative, but it is also our defence against the asuric forces.
And the generic Church can stand on its head but will not succeed in defeating the Veda and Agama.Above all, we should avoid being distracted from our own methods of struggle against the asuric forces.» The writer is a Political Philosopher who taught at a Canadian university.
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Dear Dr. Elst:
ReplyDeleteWhat about the history of your own Belgian rule in Belgian Congo? Did you forget that Belgian rulers were Christians who did not believe in Untouchability but believed in torture and mass murders of "Negro" in Congo? Why feign moral superiority? Why hide the dog poo poo sticking to the shoes of Christians and behave as if it is not there, and if it is, it does not smell at all? Of course, confessions wipes out all the past sins, yeah(!!), so they can now beat up on others while racism and discrimination given up for political correctness in all policies is rampant in Western white societies!! Are you suggesting that Untouchability is officially recognized and encouraged by government or religious authorities in India or by Hindus any more than Racism and unofficial Slavery are condoned by the Western Governments? But let us not fail to face the fact that Church did not speak against the Holocaust while it took place for more than a decade, nor did it agitate against slavery or serfdom for nearly two millennia when it was practiced. So now that it is "officially" not practiced and the Mexican labor in America and other labor like the Polish, Turkish, and Asian labor is exploited in Europe and treated nearly like what you describe as Untouchables, what makes the Western Church not reform their own societies? How many Black, Mexican and other races regularly attend integrated Christian Churches in the West or eat as equals at their tables? Social discrimination in the West is rampant and obvious.
Where was the Church when the "negro" had to use segregated housing, separate water fountains, and toilets if they were even provided? This is in mid 60's and even East Indians ("colored") could not use the public restrooms in the US marked for Whites only. This was more than 20 years after Untouchability was officially abolished by law in India. NINA "no Irish need apply" were posted on the businesses, and now there is discovery of e-mail just last week that a business in private sector required hiring of only blonde with blue eyes as an official policy resulting in a class action suit. Are you in touch with reality of the White Racism? Is it that only the Hindus are pointing to it, and they are wrong if they recognize it when it exists? These are all known facts and your article is full of mendacity in exhorting an attitude change for Hindus and Hindu intellectuals. If stating facts can lose friends, they are not friends to begin with. Making friends by becoming obsequious is a trait that Hindus have and it is high time they shed this trait. Please do not teach Hindus to make friends and influence people because when they take abuse for centuries they are not cut out to be likes of Dale Carnegie in the International political arena. Hindus must stop taking abuse. Enough is enough. (continued)
Dear Dr. Elst:
ReplyDeletePlease repent for re-vicitimizing the victim and show your moral superiority in that manner rather than be adamant in your false assertions and in promulgating the same untruth that the proselytizing world dominating imperialistic religions are using for mud slinging. Who does not identify with the poor Dalits, or the poor deprived Blacks in the South, or the Turks and Polish in Germany or even the dehumanized negro in Belgian Congo sitting in front of lap top? Have you seen any Mother Teresa in the Indian reservations for Native Americans (Indians) or the "negro" living in dismal abject poverty in American ghettos? Not one Mother Teresa is to be found in the segregated apartheid in South Africa. Your arguments are therefore meaningless in pointing an isolated incident of Mother Teresa, who was welcomed by the Hindus, honored, and was given government recognition by the Hindu Majority In India. That would never happen in any other country but one in which secular minded Hindus have existed for millennia welcoming and tolerating other religions as legitimate paths, to their own peril now with massive demographic attacks on their own society with pointing out caste as "racism" as another excuse to legitimize such attack on Hindus. You need to work to stop such "histrionics" which the Western society cannot see because they are indoctrinated weekly in their Churches to accept these exaggerations and distortions as facts.
You are a friend of Hindus and hopefully will remain so, and so, please do not antagonize Hindus any more with your spurious arguments.