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Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Crusader Against Caste and Untouchability of Hindu Social Order

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Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Crusader Against Caste and Untouchability of Hindu Social Order Orissa Review * January - 2008 Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Crusader Against Caste and Untouchability of Hindu Social Order Tofan Bemal The various socio-religious reform movements, that these sere obstacles to national advance. They which took place in India during the British rule, were convinced that the new society could were the expression of the rising national politically, culturally, and economically develop consciousness and spread of the liberal ideas of only on the basis of liberal principles such as the the West among the Indian people. These recognition of individual liberty freedom of human movements interestingly tended to have a national personality and social equality.4 scope and programme of reconstruction in the The reform movements represented the social and religious spheres.1 In the social sphere, striving of conscious and progressive sections of there were movement of caste reform or caste the Indian people to democratize social institutions abolition, equal rights for women, a campaign and remodel old religious outlooks to suit the new against child marriage and ban on widow social needs. remarriage, a crusade against social legal inequalities.2 It was the grievances of the Indian Social In the religious sphere, there sprang up reformers that the slow advance of social reform movements which combated religious was due to the insufficient support to it by the superstitions and attacked idolatry polytheism and British government, which, they asserted, did not hereditary priesthood. These movement in varying actively assist them in the work of storming the degrees, emphasized and fought for the principles citadels of social reaction and injustices in the of individual liberty and social equality and stood country. The rate at which the social reform for nationalism.3 legislation was enacted was too slow and generally undertaken under the pressure of the advanced The new society which was developing in opinion in the country. It is true that in the first India since the advent of the British rule had half of the nineteenth century, the British ruler distinct needs differing from those of the old themselves initiated such progressive legislation society. as the abolition of slavery, Suttee and infanticide. The new intelligentsia, which imbibed the However their attitude suffered a change later on. liberal Western culture, recognized the needs and In fact the age of consent act passed in 1891 was launched movement to reform or revolutionized the only important social reform legislation enacted social institutions religious outlooks and ethical by government during many decades prior to that conception inherited from the past since they felt date. This only strengthened the determination of 19 Orissa Review * January - 2008 the leader of the Indian national movement to governed every caste or sub-caste. A person secure political power so that they could use it to belonging to one caste could not marry a person accelerate the tempo of social and religious reform of other caste. Thus birth restricted the zone of in India.5 The caste system of Hindus, which selection in the matter of matrimony.8 divided the Hindu community into a multitude of Since caste system was hierarchically almost hermetically sealed groups, hierarchically graded, it was based on social and legal graded and based on birth, was one of the inequalities. For example, at the apex of this social principal target of Socio-religious Reform pyramid stood the caste of Brahmins who had Movement. the monopoly right to officiate as priests with The caste system was "steel flame of exclusive access to all higher religious and secular Hinduism". It was ancient than the Veda, which learning and knowledge while, at the base recorded its existence at that time. Originally, the swarmed the mass of Shudra together with the Hindu society seems to have been differentiated untouchable and even unapproachable whom the into three or four castes. Subsequently however, scheme of Hindu society, sanctified by the Hindu as a result of the operation of such factors as racial religion and enforced by the coercive power of admixture, geographical: expansion and growth Hindu state, had assigned the duty of serving all of crafts which brought into existence new other caste and constrained to follow, under the vocations, the original caste (Varnas) broke up threat of severest penalty, such low vocation as into various smaller castes (Jatis).6 those of scavengers, tanners and others.9 While Hinduism made for cultural unity of The uniqueness of caste system did not all Hindus in the past, the caste system socially consist in that it was based on the difference of disintegrated them in to an ever increasing number functions. Its specificness lay in the fact that it made of groups and subgroups. In all vita ! Social birth as the basis of social grouping. It implies not matters such as marriage, vocation and dining only the negation of equality but the Organization each such group or sub groups was an exclusive of inequality exclusively on the basis of inheritance. unit. Difference there will be in an imaginable society, The caste system was undemocratic and difference of functions at all events. It is not in authentarian in the extreme. The castes recognizing their inevitability that caste is peculiar, constituting the series were hierarchically graded, it is in the method it adopts to systematize and each caste being considered inferior to those control them. above it and superior to those below it. The status Since each caste had its own conception of a man born in a particular caste was determined of the norms of conduct which it forced on its by the rank of that caste in the hierarchy. Once members, it became culturally separated from born in that caste, his status was pre-determined other castes which had other conception of ethics. and immutable. Thus birth decided his status, Each caste thus became a separate socio cultural which could not be altered by any talent he might group. 7 show or wealth he might accumulate. Further the caste system was sanctified by Similarly, the caste in which a man was born the sanction of religion. Its very genesis was predetermined what vocation he would pursue. attributed to God Brahman. If a member of a caste He had no choice. Thus birth decided the infringed the caste rules, he did not merely commit occupation of a man. The rule of endogamy a crime against the caste but perpetrated sin 20 Orissa Review * January - 2008 against religion. Thus, religion fortified the hold of nationalism. The ruination of the artisans and the the caste over its members in fact, the basic impoverishment of farmers made it economically demand of Hinduism on its followers was that he necessary for them to take to other vocations. should gladly accept the social position in which The spread of democratic ideas such as individual he was born, i.e. his caste since it was divinely liberty kindled urges to revolt against caste ordained and should fulfill meticulously the duties distinctions and inequality among the educated which the caste assigned to him. Indians. Since caste controlled his life including such It was the educated section of the Indian vital personal affairs as marriage, vocation and people who launched attack on caste. It sensed social intercourse. Such as eating with others and the anomaly of the caste in the new India. For since behind the imperatives of the caste stood national freedom and advance, political, social, the sanction of religion, the coercive power of economic, cultural, the caste structure had to be Hindu state as well as the penal authority with reformed, or even eliminated. The social which the caste itself was armed, the individual reformers propagated national progress as the was almost completely shorn of personal liberty. objectives of men. He could not choose his profession he could not The social reformers attacked inequalities marry to whom he desired; he could not eat with and separatism and stood for equality and co- whom ever he likes. And, further, the rank of the operation. They attacked the heredity as the basis caste in which he was born, in the finally graded of distinction, and law of karma as which caste hierarchy determined his social status and supplied the religio-philosophic defence of the position in the eye of law of the state which was undemocratic authoritarian caste institution. They not uniform hut varied awarding to the caste a called on the people to work for the betterment person belongs to. in the real world. In which they lived rather than Hierarchic gradation, social and other strive for salvation after death. The branded the inequalities, endogamy, restrictions on dining and caste system as the powerful obstacles to the the lack of freedom regarding the choice of growth of national unity and solidarity.10 vocation, were the principal feature's of the caste There were different angle from which caste system. was attacked by different social reform groups, The caste system became an obstacle both Raja Ram Mohan Ray the founder of Brahma to the development of the contemporary economy Samaj invoked the authority of Mahanirvana established during the British rule, in India as also Tantra, an old religio-sociological work of the to the national unity so vital to win national Hinduism, to support his view that caste should freedom. For the growth of Industries, it was no longer continue. The Brahma Samaj opposed necessary to have of labour supply. The rigid rule the rigid social divisions which caste implied. of caste forcing its every member to follow the Rabindra Nath Tagore and Keshab hereditary occupation came in the way of the Chandra Sen, who succeeded the Raja Ram plentiful labour supply for industries.
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