Class Caste Relations – Marxist Approach: Ananta Acharya The Democratic Action Forum of Dalits, Women and Minorities (DAFODWAM), formed on 14th April 1999, has published in 2010 the book Class Caste Relations – Marxist approach. It is edited by Ananta Acharya. The book is dedicated to Jyotiba Phule (1827-90) The editor tells that this booklet of 80 pages is a reproduction of an article from JANA SHAKTI, the central organ of CPI (ML), written by K. Ramachandran who had died nearly two years ago. The editor hopes that the book will help the activists who are fighting for caste annihilation. The booklet begins with a description of methodologies and mentions three of them: (1) Dalit democratic methodology, (2) Dalit-marxist methodology, and (3) Marxist methodology. It claims the third method to be scientific as it helps us to see the part along with the whole, to look at all the contradictions present in the object, and to study things in motion. The caste structure is explained thus: Varna system divided the society into four broad divisions – Brahmin, Kshastriya, Vaishya and Sudra. But by Jati system the society is divided into a large number of “mutually exclusive socio-economic groups of people organized in a hierarchial order with immutable hereditary occupations, endogamy and commensality.”(K. Damodaran, New Age, May 1960). While writing about the origin of Varna-Jati, we find reference to “continuous wars amongst Aryan tribes as well as between Aryans and autocthonous tribes. According to Rig Veda, the final victor Aryan tribes fought against enemies like dasas, dasyus, yakshas etc. Most of them were autocthonous tribes of black skin, some of them were described as nose – less, some as bull-lipped.” (Page 11) Again on page 12, we find the following conclusion: “So the first division between rajanyas, brahmanas and vis one on one side and dasas on the other side was along the Colour of skin, but that too was not very rigid. One verse in Rig Veda says that by means of wealth a dasa can become an Aryan.” (emphais added) But due to doctrinaire Marxist analysis, the reality of the origin of Varna on the basis of colour of the skin is not followed consistently. On page 13 it is stated thus: “Varna system started division on the basis of social ranks and social ranks were decided on the basis of social division of labour as well as political subordination of one tribe by another. Subordinated and toiling people were in the lower rung of the social order.” (emphasis added). The doctrinaire approach leads to some confused conclusions: “Earlier both the Patriarchal Aryans living in cattle – rearing and plough agriculture, and matrilineal tribes engaged in hunting and cultivation could find a place in the purushamedha. That was the mechanism to bring all under one umberella to assimilate them into the brahminical society.” (Page 19). Purushamedha Yagna was a Vedic ritual in which human sacrifice was made. How could such a cruel practice lead to assimilation? We are really baffled! Then there is an abrupt interpretation of the origin of untouchability in the same paragraph: “A clan was then collectively admitted within the society; but with the development of agriculture, untouchability came into existence. Although even in the earlier period chandalas were looked as impure people, the scope enlarged – Antycvasin became the term applied to untouchables.” Why were those belonging to a clan made slaves when agriculture was developed? A correct reading of history will clear these imperfections, inconsistencies and confusions. Before Aryan immigration or invasion, there was a highly developed urban civilization nurtured by the pre- Aryans who were mostly Dravidians; others were mangoloids, Austroloids etc. Though these original inhabitants had prosperous agricultural settlements and had trade links with other countries in the west and the east, the Aryans were able to gain power and influence over them because of certain favourable factors: They moved swiftly riding horses and driving strongly built chariots. They extensively used iron implements, and such implements helped them particularly in war to subdue the native Dravidians and others. Above all, the fair skin and the attractive physical features gave them a psychological advantage in olden days when people made judgements mostly by appearance. As the Aryans who came to India were small in number when compared to the native Dravidians etc., they could not lead an isolated life; there has been much admixture of blood from the beginning. At the same time, the Aryans did not want to lose the advantage of their fair skin (bright colour) by completely merging with the black, brown and yellow native inhabitants. Thus they evolved the social structure of Chatur Varna. Those natives who accepted the servile status were made sudras, and those who resisted were forced to be Avarnas, chandalas, or untouchables. They were made to live outside the villages and towns under inhuman conditions. In course of time, as the society became complicated and Vedic influence expanded, the four-fold Varna division gave rise to more than four thousand Jatis, with a graded system of inequality. One is automatically assigned a high or low position in the society according to his birth in a particular caste or Jati. Class differences arise due to extreme inequalities in income and wealth, a situation where those who own extensive lands or the means of production on a large scale are able to exploit the dispossessed labourers. Division of labour has material or physical basis. But the caste system that leads to division of labourers, as Dr. B. R. Ambedkar has put it, is mainly spiritual or psychological. Racial prejudices and ethnic differences originally caused Varna-Jati inequalities. But they were soon justified and sanctified by religious faith. All the Hindu scriptures, Vedas, Ithihasas, Dharma Shastras and Puranas preach and propagate the principles and practices of Varna-Jati (caste) system. Bhagavat Gita tells that Vaisias, Sudras and women are of sinful birth. Even Lord Rama ruled according to Manu Dharma. He beheaded Sambuka, the Sudra, for doing Tapas (meditation). Hindu scriptures say that a sudras has no such right. Hindu religion promotes the pernicious caste system by fostering faith in Atma (soul), rebirth, and the doctrine of Karma. Being mentally shackled, they have lost the will to fight against the inhuman and unnatural Varna-Jati. It is under these circumstances Periyar E.V.Ramasami, (1879-1973) propagated the principles of Self-Respect and rational thinking. He carried on incessant propaganda and struggled all his life for the equal rights and opportunities of all sections of people, including woman. His goal was to build a new enlightened and egalitarian social order. The Caste order permanently divides society as consisting mainly of two sections: the intellectuals consisting the Brahminical upper castes doing mental work, and the labourers consisting of lowers castes doing manual work. This dichotomy should be abolished. We find support to this line of approach in this book (page 66). Upholding the principle of social justice, the people of deprived castes should be given reservation in education and Job opportunities (Page 74). What has been denied to them for several centuries because of their caste, should be restored to them on the criterion of caste. Only such a step will in course of time lead to annihilation of Caste. In this context, we welcome the proposals contained in pages 78 and 79 to improve the condition of the under-privileged and to abolish caste: ECONOMIC FIELD 1. Fight for dalits right to land (besides the untouchables, all the lower castes are referred to as Dalits) 2. Fight against feudal exploitation. 3. Fight against the New Economic Policy which is continuously marginalizing the dalits more and more. (The main brunt of the modernization programmes is being faced by the dalits and women.) 4. Fight for fulfillment of reservation quotas in educational institutions and government jobs and extension of it to private sector. 5. Fight for OBC quotas in educational institutions and governments, public and private sector jobs according to ratio of population. 6. Fight against all sorts of discriminations and bureaucratic manoeuvres in granting loans to the dalits. 7. Fight for implementing radical land reform on the basis of land to the actual tillers. POLITICAL FIELD 1. Fight for representation of dalit at all levels. 2. Fight against using casteism as vote banks by reactionary politicians. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL FIELD 1. Fight against all oppression, suppression and discrimination carried on against dalits. 2. Fight for individual right of marriage. Encourage inter-caste, inter-community marriage. 3. Fight against all manifestations of untouchability. 4.Fight for introduction of state languages and local languages in all official work of the state. 5. Fight for the abolition of English as a subject in state level public service commission examinations. IDEOLOGICAL FIELD 1. Develop self-respect among the dalits. 2. Fight against all manifestations of jati-ideology. 3. Fight against brahminical interpretation of history. Government is a powerful political instrument, an organization of the state for comprehensive action. Normally it functions to retain the status quo, to serve the vested interests of the privileged sections. But the under-privileged people can make the government machinery to take progressive measures through concerted united efforts. Educating, enlightening and awakening people through mass contact will help to transform the social order.
Posted on: Fri, 27 Jun 2014 05:54:49 +0000
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