It is very important to study history from all angles, because what we constitute as the past or the truth, consists of multiple perspectives. With this in mind, one has to be open-minded when it comes to studying and understanding our history. When it comes to Indian history, there are multiple sides to it, and in this article, we are going to look into why the Dalits stood at the side of the British Government. It is important to understand what role conversion plays in our history, so that we can make amends to the mistakes committed in the past. If Hindus start to understand the history of our Dalit Movement, we will start empathising with them, then we can begin to make amends and finally abolish the anti-Hindu outfits that serve as an obstacle for Hindu unity.

How did the Depressed Classes or Dalit Movement begin? How did it develop? Is it possible to pinpoint stages of development in the movement?

The first stage in the Dalit Movement was mass conversion, especially to Christianity. This was the most significant step the Dalits took in the 19th century to improve their lot. This stage may be dated from the 1860’s or 1870’s through the 1930’s. The Dalits themselves took the initiative in conversion. Usually a depressed class community or a portion of it in a particular village decided to convert and then encouraged their friends and relatives in neighbouring villages to convert as well. This they did because they thought conversion would be good for their people. The primary motive in this attempt seems to have been social and psychological; a chance to move up by moving out of the caste system, a chance to acquire helpful friends outside the village, and a new sense of one’s own worth, dignity and self-respect which came with conversion.

What came of this attempt? The converts continued in the same village, under the same landlords doing many, but not all, of the things they did before conversion. A few children had the privilege of receiving education and left the village, as a mission employee afterwards. Conversion often raised the converts in the esteem of the landlords, but did not remove the problem of poverty. Thus, conversion to Christianity did not provide a total solution to the problems of the Dalits.

The second stage of the Dalit Movement began around 1900 and went up to 1955, characterised by caste Hindu efforts to improve the conditions of the Dalits. This was, at first, done as voluntary social service through organisations such as the Depressed Classes Mission (1906), Harijan Sevak Sangh (1932) and so on. Later it acquired a political dimension when Hindu reformers used the agency of Government, particularly after 1937, to pass laws and to finance and or administer programmes for the welfare of the Dalits. These attempts by the caste Hindu reformers seemed to have had three motives: humanitarian-nationalist; to prevent conversion; political.

The third stage of the Dalit Movement, which can be dated from the 1920’s to the present, is characterised by self-assertion and self-reliance on the part of the depressed classes themselves. This has taken a number of organisational forms such as All India Adi-Dravida Maha Jana Sabha, The All India Depressed Classes Conference, etc.

What was the role of the leaders of the Depressed Classes Movement?

While the Dalit Movement in Madras Presidency lacked resources, internal cohesion and leadership, yet some of the leaders who were nominated/elected to the Madras Legislative Council during the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s played a vital role in the legislative body.

M.C. Raja, a nominated Dalit Member in the Madras Legislative Council and later in the Central Assembly, pioneered the cause of the Dalits in the legislatures, and he was also the President of the All India Depressed Classes Conference. He raised innumerable questions which concerned the Dalits in the Madras Legislative Council. In 1919, M.C.Raja recommended in the Legislative Council that Panchamas (i.e. Dalits), should be admitted in all schools. In 1922, he proposed that scholarship amount given to the Dalits should be increased. He ran a hostel for the Dalit children at Madras. In the Legislature, Raja also recommended that candidates should be selected for appointment as constables and sub-inspectors from among the Dalits. In 1923, he demanded that 20 seats should be set apart to his community in the Madras Legislative Council and that they should be nominated by the Government, not by the ministers. He also introduced a bill for the abolition of untouchability in 1933.

Another leader who battled for the Dalits in the Legislature was R.Veerian. Veerian was a native of Coimbatore and a nominated member in the Madras Legislative Council, raised a number of pertinent questions concerning the interest of the Dalits. For instance, in 1925, he recommended that Dalits should be admitted in public management schools. Verian presided over the 8th Conference of the Depressed Classes Adi Dravidas. This conference requested the Government to make secondary education free as far as the depressed classes were concerned and to award scholarships to deserving Adi Dravida pupils without making age reservation.

The other Dalit leaders who took up the cause of that community inccluded: A.S.Sahajanandam, L.C.Guruswamy, R.T.Kesavelu, and M.C. Madurai Pillai. These leaders, it would not be incorrect to day, were to a great extent reflecting the aspirations of the Dalits or, at least, the educated members of that class. The role of the leaders in the legislature and outside at conferences suggest that during the period between 1919 to 1939, the Dalits were getting class-conscious and were attempting class organisation and endeavoured to establigh themselves as a social group with distinct political interests entitles to special consideration by the Government.

As to their ideology, one could say that they did not have a clear ideology, except that they wanted to better the condition of their fellowmen. They seem to have placed their major reliance upon the belief that the British Government would come to their aid. The first resolution, moved from the chair, in both the conferences referred to in this articles, was a vote of thanks to the British Government.

This kind of “homage” needs to be understood in the context of non-brahmin rule in Madras presidency to which the Dalits were not favourable. Home Rule meant, in that context, enslavement of the Dalits by the high caste non-brahmins. This political concern was expressed with a renewed vigour by 1930. When the prospect of further advancement towards self-Government was becoming clearer, the leaders of the Depressed Classes repeated in conferences that in the interest of the Dalits, the British Government should not part with power because Congress Raj meant (to them) crushing the Adi Dravidas.

In Isaiah Berlin’s work called, “The Hedgehog and the Fox: An Essay on Tolstoy’s View of History”, he explains that Tolstoy was driven by a “desire to penetrate to first causes, to understand how and why things happen as they do and not otherwise.” If we know how the world really works, we know everything, but of course, it is not that simple. Tolstoy believed that the history does not reveal causes; it presents only a blank succession of unexplained events. This is why the Indian history bemuses me.

It is said that in any story there are many different ways of interpreting it. History is the same, in the sense that there are many perspectives to consider. Finding truth in history is about understanding that this truth is not absolute. In this sense, truth is based on perspective. The perspective of the person who captured it and the person interpreting it, and the perspective of the translators and editors and primary sources.

If you read the mainstream history textbooks, it will teach you about the Nationalist Movement and the freedom struggle in India. They also claim that the leader of the freedom struggle was Gandhi, and the perspective of the freedom struggle history is mainly offered to us from Gandhi’s point of view, with Gandhi being the central theme. The other important influential leaders would be the side characters.

Ramesh Chandra Majumdar was a historian and professor of Indian history, who is the author of the three volumes of the book “The History of the Freedom Movement in India.” When the Government of India set up an editorial Committee to author a history of the freedom struggle of India, he was its principal member. But following a conflict with the then Education Minister, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, on the Sepoy Mutiny, he left the government job and published his own book, “The Sepoy Mutiny & Revolt of 1857.” According to R.C.Majumdar, the origins of India’s freedom struggle lie in the English-educated Indian middle-class and the freedom struggle started with the Banga Bhanga movement (first partition of Bengal) in 1905. His perspective of the History of Indian freedom struggle will be different.

Similarly, when you read the works of Dr. B.R.Ambedkar, especially “Volume 9 – What Congress and Gandhi Have Done To the Untouchables”, you will get another perspective of the Indian history pertaining to the freedom struggle. After reading this volume, I realised and gained greater appreciation about history and how different perspectives make us re-think about what constitutes truth, when it comes to humans and their ways of conducting themselves. Dr. Ambedkar had great concern about the status of the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), if the British were to leave India after bestowing independent status to the Country. It was evident that he openly opposed Gandhi and the Congress on this point, because they did not worry about what will happen to the SC/ST people in terms of their livelihood, their rights to basic necessities and their dignity, after the British left.

Reading different perspectives of the history gives you more room for thought and reflection. Yet it may also confuse you, and make you wonder which version of it is the truth. There are historians who claim Tipu Sultan a nationalist hero and the Peshwas who sided with the British as the villains who led the way towards India becoming a British colony. And then there are historians who list the atrocities committed by Tipu Sultan against the Hindus and Christians (non-Muslims), and the Peshwas as brave warriors who fought against the barbaric Mughal ruler. Eminent historians like R.C. Majumdar go a step further and analyse history. He claims that India was not under colonial rule for two centuries, but it was under colonial rule even about four centuries prior to that, since the Mughal rule started. The war between the Peshwas and the Tipu Sultan simply led to the transfer of authority to rule India from the Mughals to the British.

Currently, I am reading R.C.Majumdar’s “History of the Freedom Movement in India.” It is an interesting read, because the author provides his perspective of the history very clearly, with a nationalist touch. My strongest recommendation for his works to all of you who wish to get a clear perspective of our Indian history.

(Published as Facebook Post on 19 October 2018.)

“The fundamental element that makes Hinduism a unique religion is that there are no fundamentals. We have no single sacred book, no single religious hierarchy. There is no faith on the planet that allows such diversity of interpretation and practice as Hinduism. And that is its essence and great strength.” – Shashi Tharoor, during an event that was held last week, called “Tharoorism” at the Kasauli Lit Fest.

This pretty much sums up Tharoor’s understanding of Hinduism.

When asked by an audience member on how we can derive strength from the precepts of Hinduism that can help us to face life on a day-to-day basis, Tharoor had no straight answer. Instead, his interviewer, Rajiv Mehrotra, had to chime in with Swami Vivekananda’s philosophy of four paths (i.e. Karma yoga, Jnana yoga, Raja yoga and Bhakti yoga).

So I wonder what qualified Tharoor to write a book about Hinduism, when he cannot even give a simple straight answer to the audience on how he can derive strength from Hinduism as he practices it. Why even name his book, “Why I Am A Hindu” when he doesn’t even know how to be one?!

How can I derive strength from Hinduism? What should I do on a day-to-day basis to be a “good Hindu”?

Tharoor says you should simply ‘do your duty’, as it is what the Bhagavad Gita says. He also expressed a very misleading statement from the Bhagavad Gita. That is, one should do their duty without expecting any rewards. This is an amateur understanding of the Gita. In truth, what Sri Krishna says in the Gita is that you should do your svadharma, which is under your control. The result, on the other hand, is not in your control. Hence, you should simply do your svadharma and leave the results be whatever it turns out to be. Accept the results as Ishwara prasaada and move on. Tharoor couldn’t even explain this in simple English. A man who claims to have read many books in his pursuit of Jnana Yoga is not even able to explain simply the essence of the Bhagavad Gita. He cannot even explain the essence of Hinduism other than using the words “tolerance” and “acceptance”. So let me attempt.

The essence of Hinduism is “Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah”. What we call “duty” is actually your Svadharma, that is your duty as a son/daughter or husband/wife or father/mother. What we call Dharma is the Yamas and Niyamas, which can be found in any Dharmashastras:

Yamas (universal values, compulsory to follow):
1. Ahimsa or Non-injury
2. Satya or Truthfulness
3. Asteya or Nonstealing
4. Brahmacharya or Sexual Purity
5. Kshama or Patience
6. Dhriti or Steadfastness
7. Daya or Compassion
8. Arjava or Honesty
9. Mitahara or Moderate Diet
10. Saucha or Purity

Niyamas (not universal, optional):
1. Hri or Modesty
2. Santosha or Contentment
3. Dana or Charity
4. Astikya or Faith
5. Ishvarapujana or Worship of the Lord
6. Siddhanta Sravana or Scriptural Listening
7. Mati or Cognition
8. Vrata or Sacred Vows
9. Japa or Incantation
10. Tapas or Austerity

Why should I follow all this Dharma? What is in it for me? Well, the phrase “Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah” is sufficient to explain that when you protect Dharma (by following it), it will in turn protect you from misery, suffering and pain.

In Ramayana, Sri Rama beautifully says that Dharma is nothing but repaying of our debts.

-> We owe a huge debt to our parents and ancestors for our current body and existence. Hence, we pay obeisance to them. We seek our parents’ blessings. We offer tarpanam for our ancestors.
-> We owe a huge debt to our Rishis, who gave us knowledge through our shastras. Hence, we study the scriptures and also help to spread this knowledge to others.
-> We owe a huge debt to this Bhoomi, Mother Earth. Hence, we take care of our environment.
-> We owe a huge debt to Ishwara for blessing us with this life, and hence, we offer prayers to Ishwara.
-> We owe a debt to our fellow human beings and other creatures. Hence, we also ensure to take care of them through works of charity.
Doing our Dharma is nothing but repaying our debts. We are simply expressing our gratitude.

Rituals (i.e. puja, tarpanam, yajna) cannot be divorced from knowledge. You will not achieve much when your pursuit of knowledge is devoid of rituals. Many people find themselves to prefer the intellectual pursuit of knowledge about Vedanta, Yoga and Hinduism in general. But they look down on the rituals of Hinduism as something superstitious, bogus or unnecessary. This is because these so-called “liberals” have rarely been taught the value of rituals and the reasons behind them. Rituals, especially yajna, is the most important part of Hinduism. It is from yajna that philosophy is born, not the other way around. When you master the yajna, you can master the knowledge.

But we are quick to jump to the intellectual pursuit, without even glancing at the rituals portion of Hinduism. Rituals are fundamental to Hinduism and they cannot be skipped. This is how you derive strength from Hinduism. Through rituals. They strengthen your body and mind. Knowledge only comes at the end, just like how Upanishads are placed at the end portion of the Vedas. This is something that the Tharoorians and the so-called “liberal” Hindus do not understand!

Simply think about Arjuna and what he went through in life, before facing the battle of the millennium and becoming the recipient of the invaluable knowledge from Sri Krishna, that which we today call the Bhagavad Gita! Arjuna went through hundreds of rituals, penances, and yajnas! All of which made him physically and mentally strong and qualified enough to receive the secret knowledge. Before setting off into our own intellectual pursuits into Vedanta (devoid of rituals in our life), we should ask ourselves “am I qualified like Arjuna?”. 🙏

பண்டைய காலத்தில் இந்து மதத்தில் மட்டும் அல்ல, மற்ற மதங்களிலும், பெண்கள் மாதவிடாய் காலத்தில் தேவாலயங்கள்/மசூதிகளுக்குப் போகக்கூடாது, மற்றும் பைபில்/குரான் புத்தகங்களைத் தொடக் கூடாது என்ற விதிமுறைகள் இருந்தன. இது எதனால் இப்படி இருந்தது என்று நீங்கள் கொஞ்சம் சிந்தித்துப் பார்த்தால் உங்களுக்கே புரியும். இன்று நம் வசதிவாய்ப்புகள் பெருகிவிட்டன. கோடெக்ஸ், விஸ்பர் என்று பல ப்ரோடக்ட்ஸ் நம் வசம் இருக்கின்றன. நாம் நம்மை சுத்தமாக வைத்துக்கொள்ளும் அளவில் வசதிகளைச் செய்துக்கொண்டோம். ஆகையால் இன்று பெரும்பாலான பெண்கள் மாதவிடாய் காலத்திலும் கூட, தேவாலயங்களுக்கோ, மசூதிக்கோ, இல்லை கோவிலுக்கோ செல்கின்றனர். அது ஒவ்வொருவருடைய தனிப்பட்ட சுதந்திரம் என்று ஆகிவிட்டது.

மற்ற மதங்களை விட்டுவிடுவோம். இந்த பெண்களின் மாதவிடாயை தீட்டு என்றா நம் இந்து தர்மம் கூறுகிறது? மாதவிடாயின் போது பெண்கள் என்ன தீண்டத்தகாதவர்களாக கறுதப்படுகிறார்களா? மாதவிடாய் காலத்தில் பெண்கள் கோவிலுக்கு போகக்கூடாதா இல்லையா என்பதை முடிவு செய்ய நீ யாரு???? சாமி கும்பிடரது பெண்களுடைய உரிமை இல்லையா??? அவங்க கோவிலுக்கு போவாங்க போகாமலும் இருப்பாங்க, அதை கேட்க நீ யாரு??? – இப்படி எல்லாம் கேள்விகள் கேட்பவர்களுக்கு ஒரு இந்து பெண்ணாகிய நான் பதில் கொடுக்கிறேன். சற்று பொருமையாக இதை படித்து புரிந்துக்கொள்ளுங்கள். கோவில்கள் விஷயத்திற்குள் போவதற்கு முன்பு, இந்த மாதவிடாய் காலம் பற்றி கொஞ்சம் அவசியம் நீங்கள் புரிந்துக்கொள்ள வேண்டும். ஆண்களும் கூட இதை தெரிந்துக்கொள்வது நல்லது.

மாதவிடாய் என்பதை சமஸ்கிரத மொழியில் “ரஜஸ் ஷ்ரவா” என்று அழைக்கப்படுகிறது. ‘ரஜஸ்’ என்பது இரத்தத்தைக் குறிக்கிறது, ரஜோ குனத்தையும் குறிக்கிறது. “ஷ்ரவா” என்பது ஓட்டத்தை குறிக்கிறது. அதாவது, இரத்தத்தின் ஓட்டம் (flow of blood) என்று எடுத்துக்கொள்ளலாம். இது ஏன் இவ்வாறு அழைக்கப்படுகிறது என்பது எல்லோரும் அறிந்ததே.

ஆயுர்வேத சாஸ்திரங்கள் மற்றும் மருத்துவ சாஸ்திரங்கள் பலவும் பெண்களின் மூன்று முக்கியமான உயிரியல் செயல்பாடுகளைப் பற்றி விரிவாக விளக்கியுள்ளன:

1) Menstruation – முதல் மாதவிடாய், அந்த காலங்களில் பெண்கள் தங்கள் உடல் நலத்தைப் பேணிக்காக்க என்னென்னவெல்லாம் செய்ய வேண்டும் என்பதற்கான செய்முறைகள் மற்றும் மாதவிடாய் நிறைவு பெரும் காலத்தில் ஏற்படும் பிரச்சினைகள்,
2) Pregnancy – கர்பினி பெண்களுக்கான பராமரிப்பு விஷயங்கள்,
3) Post-partum care – குழந்தை பெற்ற பிறகு பெண்கள் எப்படி தங்கள் உடல் நிலையை பேணிக்கொள்ள வேண்டும் என்பதற்கான விளக்கங்கள்.

இந்த சாஸ்திரங்களை எல்லாம் இயற்றியது ஆண்கள் தானே என்று நீங்கள் கேட்கலாம். அக்காலங்களில் எதுவுமே எழுத்து வடிவில் இல்லை என்பதை நீங்கள் முதலில் உணர வேண்டும். நம் முன்னோர்கள் எதையுமே எழுதி வைக்க வேண்டும் என்று எண்ணியதில்லை. இந்த விஷயங்கள் அனைத்துமே வம்சாவழியாக (அதாவது தாயிடமிருந்து தன் பெண் குழந்தைக்கு) வாய் வார்த்தைகள் வழி (oral tradition) வந்த அறிவுரைகள் தான்.

இன்றைய காலகட்டத்தில் நூற்றில் 80 பெண்களுக்குக் காலம் தவறிய மாதவிடாய் (Irregular periods) பிரச்சனை இருக்கிறது. நமது கர்ப்பப்பையிலோ அல்லது சினைப்பையிலோ நீர்க்கட்டி (PCOS – Polycystic ovary syndrome), ஹார்மோனின் சமமற்ற நிலை என்று இதற்கு நிறைய காரணங்கள் இருக்கின்றன. இதுபோன்ற ஒழுங்கற்ற மாதவிடாயினால், குழந்தை பெறுவதிலும் சிக்கல் வருவதை அதிகமாக இருப்பதை பார்க்கிறோம். நம்முடைய உணவு முறை மாற்றம், லைஃப் ஸ்டைல் சேஞ்ச், மன அழுத்தம் தான் இதற்கு முக்கிய காரணமாக இருக்கிறது.

ஆனால் இந்த பிரச்சினைகள் எல்லாம் அக்காலத்து பெண்களுக்குச் சமாளிக்க கைவசம் ஆயுர்வேத ஞானம் இருந்தது. அறிவியல் என்ற ஒன்று வருவதற்கு முன்பே நம் முன்னோர்களுக்கு இந்த விஷயங்கள் அனைத்திலும் புரிதல் இருந்தது என்பது ஆச்சரியத்திற்குரியதே. இன்று, அறிவியலும் ஆயுர்வேதத்தை ஆதரிக்கிறது. அந்த வகையில் “Rajaswala Paricharya: Effect on Menstrual Cycle and Its Associated Symptoms” என்ற ஒரு அறிவியல் ஆய்வின் முடிவுகள் பெண்களுக்கு நல்ல விதமாக அமைந்துள்ளன.

இந்த ஆய்வில் 30 ஆரோக்கியமான பெண்கள் கலந்துக்கொண்டு ஆயுர்வேதத்தில் கூறப்பட்டிருக்கும் சில விதிமுறைகளை தங்களால் முடிந்தவரை ஒரு ஆறு மாதங்களுக்குப் பின்பற்றினர். அந்த விதிமுறைகள் இதோ:

1. உரத்த குறளில் பேசக்கூடாது. அதிகமாகவும் பேசக்கூடாது.
2. அதிக வேலை செய்யக்கூடாது, ஓடக்கூடாது, நீண்ட தூரம் நடக்கக்கூடது. ஓய்வு அவசியம். அதே சமயம் ஒரே இடத்தில் அதிக நேரம் உட்காரந்திருக்க கூடாது.
3. அளவாக உணவு உட்கொள்ள வேண்டும், எண்ணையில் பொரித்ததை சாப்பிடக்கூடாது. முடிந்தால் சைவ உணவு சாப்பிடவும்.
4. பகலில் தூங்கக் கூடாது.
5. உடல் உறவு வைத்துக்கொள்ள கூடாது.

இந்த ஆய்வில் கலந்துக்கொண்ட 30 பெண்களில், 24-25 பெண்களுக்கு மாதவிடாய் காலத்தில் வரும் பிரச்சினைகள் நிறைவே குறைந்து காணப்பட்டது என்றனர். இந்த ஆய்வின் முடிவுகளை நீங்களே தேடி படித்து தெரிந்துக்கொள்ளலாம்.

ஒரு பெண்ணின் உடலிலிருந்து 50-80மிலி இரத்தம் வெளியேற்றப்படுகிறது இந்த 3-5 நாட்களில். ஆகையால் அவளின் உடலில் இருக்கும் ரஜஸ் என்ற சக்தி குறைகிறது. இதற்காகவே பெண்கள் இந்த காலத்தில் அதிக வேலை பழு எடுத்துக்கொள்ள கூடாது என்று ஆயுர்வேதமும் அறிவியலும் கூறுகிறது. வாதம் மற்றும் கஃபம் தோஷங்களுக்கான நிவாரணத்திற்கே இந்த அறிவுரைகள். உடலில் அக்னி சக்தி குறைந்திருப்பதால் ஜீரன சக்தியும் குறைந்து இருக்கும். ஆகையால் தான் அதிகம் அஜீரனம் உருவாக்கும் உணவை உண்ண வேண்டாம் என்று கூறுகிறது நமது ஆயுர்வேதம். பத்திய உணவு சிறந்தது.

காலில் காயம் பட்டு இரத்தம் சிந்திய ஒருவர் ஓய்வு எடுத்துக்கொண்டு தன்னை எப்படி தேற்றிக்கொள்வாரோ, அதுபோல ரஜஸ் ஷ்ரவா என்பதும் கர்ப்பப்பையில் ஏற்பட்ட காயம் தான், அதற்கும் ஓய்வு தேவை என்று நமது ஆயுர்வேத சாஸ்திரம் கூறுகிறது. நமது உடலில் இருக்கும் வாதம் பித்தம் மற்றும் கஃபம் என்ற மூன்று தோஷங்களும் சமநிலையாக இருக்க வேண்டும் என்பது தான் ஆயுர்வேத சாஸ்திரத்தின் குறிக்கோள். மாதவிடாய் காலத்தில் இந்த தோஷங்கள் சம நிலையில் இருப்பதில்லை. அதை சரி செய்யத்தான் இந்த விதிமுறைகள்.

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இந்த ரஜஸ்வல பரிசர்யத்தின் விதிமுறைகளில் எதிலுமே கோவிலுக்குப் போகக்கூடாது என்று கூறப்படவில்லை. ஆனாலும், நீங்கள் அனைவரும் கோவில் வழிபாடுகளைப் புரிந்துக்கொள்ள வேண்டும். வேத-ஆகம சாஸ்திரங்களின் விதிமுறைகளைப் பின்பற்றி, மந்திரங்களை ஓதி, பிரான ப்ரதிஷ்டை செய்து உருவாக்கிய கோவிலில், தினமும் மந்திரங்கள் ஓதப்படுகிறது. ஆகையால் நமது இந்து கோவில்கள் பலவும் மிக சக்திவாய்ந்தவை. இதை கோவிலுக்குச் சென்று வழிபடும் எந்த ஒரு இந்துவும் மறுக்க முடியாது.

கோவில் பூஜை புனஸ்காரங்களில் கலந்துக்கொள்வது அதிக வேலை பழுவை பெண்களுக்கு உருவாக்கும். அதுமட்டுமின்றி பெண்களின் உடலில் இருக்கும் அபான வாயு (காற்று) என்ற பிரான வாயு கீழ் நோக்கி செல்கிறது. இந்த அபான வாயு தான் ரஜஸ் ஷ்ரவா (menstruation) உருவாகக் காரணம். ஆனால், கோவில் பூஜைகளில் சுழலும் வாயு, நம் உடலில் இருக்கும் பிரான வாயுவை மேல் நோக்கி நகரச்செய்யும். ஆகையால் மாதவிடாய் காலத்தில் பெண்கள் கோவிலுக்கு செல்வதாலோ அல்லது பூஜையில் கலந்துக்கொள்வதாலோ தீட்டு என்றெல்லாம் ஒன்றுமே இல்லை. இது பெண்களின் உடல் நலனைத்தான் பாதிக்கிறது, கோவிலுக்கு தீட்டு ஒன்றும் உண்டுபன்னாது.

இதில் என்ன சிக்கல் என்றால், இது உடனே உணரக்கூடிய விஷயமும் அல்ல. நாம் எளிதில் உணரக்கூடிய விஷயங்களை நம்ப தயாராக உள்ளோம். ஆனால் சூக்‌ஷமமாக நிகழும் எதையும் உடனுக்குடனே உணர முடியாது. அதுபோல தான் இதுவும். இதனுடைய பாதிப்பு நீண்ட காலத்திற்கு பிறகு நம்மால் உணரமுடியும். இதற்கு அறிவியல் ஆதாரம் இல்லாததால் என்னாலும் இதை உறுதியாக சொல்ல முடியவில்லை. தனிப்பட்ட முறையில், என் மாதவிடாய் காலத்தின் போது நான் கொவிலுக்கும் செல்வதில்லை, வீட்டில் பூஜையும் செய்வதில்லை. ஆனால், மனதில் சிவபெருமானை நினைத்துக் கொண்டு தியானம் மட்டும் செய்வேன்.

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மாதவிடாய் தீட்டு என்ற விஷயத்தை நாம் எப்படி எடுத்துக்கொள்ள வேண்டும்?

சரி, நான் கேட்கிறேன். கடவுள எல்லா இடத்திலும் இருக்காரு என்பதால் நீங்கள் குழியல் அறையில் பூஜை செய்வீர்களா? இல்லை தானே? ஆகையால் தீட்டு என்பது, என்னைக் கேட்டால் “hygiene” என்று தான் சொல்வேன். சுத்தபத்தமாக இருப்பது. உடலளவிலும், பேச்சிலும், மனதளவிலும் சுத்தமாக இருப்பது. இது 24/7 கடைப்பிடிக்கப்பட வேண்டிய அடிப்படை தர்ம விதி. இதை சமஸ்கிரதத்தில் ஷெளச்சம் (shaucam) என்று கூறுவர். இது அனைவரும், எல்லா மனித இனத்தினரும் கடைப்பிடிக்கப்பட வேண்டிய அடிப்படை விதி. நான் சொல்வது சரியா?

ஆகையால், ஒரு பெண் உடலளவிலும், மனதளவிலும் சுத்தமாக நிம்மதியாக இருக்கிறேன் என்று உணர்ந்தால், அவள் நிச்சயமாக கோவிலுக்கு போவாள். அது மாதவிடாய் காலமாக இருந்தாலும் சரி. ஆனால், எனக்குத் தெரிந்து நிறைய பெண்கள் இந்த காலக்கட்டத்தில் கோவிலுக்குப் போவதில்லை. இதை அவர்கள் விருப்பத்திற்கு விட்டுவிட வேண்டும் என்பதுதான் என் கருத்து. பெண்களுக்கு எதுவும் புரியாது என்பது போல் முன் வந்து அறிவுரை கூறுபவர்களை நான் கேட்டுக்கொள்கிறேன். தயவுசெய்து இதில் முழு புரிதல் இல்லாமல் பொத்தாம்பொதுவாக அறிவுரை கூறவுதை தவிர்க்கவும்.

என்றுமே நமது இந்து கலாச்சாரம் மாதவிடாயை தீட்டு என்று பார்த்ததில்லை. முதல் மாதவிடாய் என்பது சந்தோஷமாக கொண்டாடக் கூடிய காலம். மஞ்சல் நீராட்டு விழா என்று ஒரு பெண் வயதிற்கு வந்துவிட்டால் என்று ஏன் கொண்டாடுகிறார்கள்? ஏனென்றால் பெண்களுக்கு முதல் மாதவிடாயின் போது positive experiences கொடுக்க வேண்டும் என்பதற்காக இதை ஒரு கொண்டாட்டமாக நிகழ்த்தப்படுகிறது. இது பேசக்கூடாத தீட்டு என்ற விஷயமே கிடையாது. சந்தோஷமாக கொண்டாடப்பட வேண்டிய விஷயம். நாம் Victorian கலாச்சாரத்தில் இருப்பவர்கள் அல்ல என்பதை நினைவில் கொள்ளுங்கள்.

இறுதியாக, ஒரே ஒரு விஷயம் மட்டும் சொல்லிக்கொண்டு இந்த நீளமான பதிவை முடித்துக்கொள்கிறேன்.

“Women (possess) an unrivalled means of purification; they never become (entirely) impure. For month by month their temporary uncleanness removes their sins.” – Baudhayana Dharmasutra 2.2.4.4

ஒரு பெண் என்றுமே புனிதமானவள் என்பதை தான் நம் வேதங்களும், தர்ம சாஸ்திரங்களும் கூறுகின்றன. ஆகையால், அவள் என்றைக்குமே தீட்டு ஆகிவிட முடியாது. 🙏

The Sabarimala issue has been going for many days and only in the past week we have heard the “landmark” judgement from the Supreme Court that women cannot be denied entry into the Temple under any pretences whatsoever. I have seen many diverse reactions to this issue coming from all corners. I have reserved from sharing my immediate reactions because I needed time to see how this plays out in the coming weeks, and I am still reserving my views. Despite that, I do have certain views I want to raise.

The Writ Petition for Sabarimala has been filed in public interest by a registered association of Young Lawyers. The have claimed that they are gender rights activists working in and around the State of Punjab, with a focus on issues of gender equality and justice, sexuality, and menstrual discrimination. Hailing from the Northern part of India, they may not totally be aware of the Keralite Hindus and their affiliation with Ayyappan Swamy. Clearly, they have not taken into consideration the majority consensus of women regarding their desire to visit the Sabarimala Temple. In fact, there are over 1,000 Ayyappan Swamy Temples in India, in which He is not in the form of Naishtika Brahmacharya. He is worshipped as a child at Kulathupuzha. He is worshipped with his consorts Pushpaka and Poorna in Achankovil. Hence, there are no similar restrictions on the entry of women in these Temples.

So how did the petitioners get the idea of filing a petition for this issue? In the SC judgement text that can be found online, we find that the Petitioners have stated that they learnt of the practise of restricting the entry of women in the age group of 10 to 50 years in the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala from three newspaper articles written by Barkha Dutt (Scent of a Woman, Hindustan Times; July 1, 2006), Sharvani Pandit (Touching Faith, Times of India; July 1, 2006), and Vir Sanghvi (Keeping the Faith, Losing our Religion, Sunday Hindustan Times; July 2, 2006). None of these writers and none of these petitioners have ever been to Sabarimala, neither will they go to Sabarimala Temple for Ayyappan Swamy’s darshan, now that the Supreme Court itself as debarred the women from entering the Temple. 

Feminists and activists for women’s rights conveniently forget one important point. They talk about the rights of women, and in today’s world, women have all the rights to do whatever they want. Having the “rights” to do something is one thing. But what about having the “qualification”? Which feminist or women’s rights activist has spoken about the qualifications of women to do what they must be allowed to do? That’s because the law does not care about qualifications. All it cares about is whether someone has the “right” to do something. Qualification is the concern of an individual. I may have the right to enter the Sabarimala Temple today, after the 28^th September SC judgement, but whether I have the qualification to enter the sanctum of the Temple is an entirely different matter.

If you observe carefully, nowhere in Hindu scriptures does it say that “you should not” or “you should” do this or do that. The scriptures give clear instructions to attain specific goals, and then they also inform you on the consequences of following or not following those specific instructions. But nowhere would they dictate what should or should not be done. Hence, our scriptures are always not dogmatic in nature. Likewise, nowhere do the Sabarimala priests have said that women should not take the 41-day fast. They have taken into consideration the plight of menstruating women and their inability to observe the 41-days fast. Hence, they have prescribed a solution, which is to wait till they attain menopause, after which they are free to follow the 41-days fast to its completion and fulfil their vows satisfactorily. This is a prescription, not discrimination.

Now, the function of the courts and especially the Supreme Court, is to interpret the Constitution and to deliver a conclusion based on its interpretation of the Constitution. Their conclusion must be based on solid facts, hard evidence, and established case law. Hence, you will notice that their judgements usually run for hundreds of pages. It is not a simple verdict, as it must be backed with substantial matters of the law, case law and other relevant factors. The judges (except Justice Indu Malhotra) delivered a “secular” judgment on a “religious” matter. So what difference does this judgment make, when the sane and sensible women have taken a vow that they are #ReadyToWait till they attain the qualification to visit the Sabarimala Temple? Why was the PIL allowed to be taken up in the first place? Why wasn’t the PIL filed by women of the menstruating age from Kerala, having the desire to visit the Sabarimala Temple themselves? What right does the secular courts have to pass a judgment requiring religious interpretation?

Out of all this ruckus, I heard one voice of clarity and that was of Honorable Justice Indu Malhotra’s judgment. If possible, please read her judgement (page 336 onwards).

If one thing this judgment succeeded in doing was that it united the Hindu voice. I appreciate the legitimate reactions of the Hindus, be it when they agree with the judgment or when they disagree with it. To me, it doesn’t make any difference. Yes, I agree with the judgment, and despite that I know I will not go to Sabarimala Temple, because I feel I don’t deserve to go there, as a devotee. No, I disagree with the judgement, and I still would not go to the Sabarimala Temple. The Supreme Court’s pronouncement based on its crude interpretation of Hinduism and Hindu practices is not going to influence my tradition, my beliefs and my convictions about how rituals need to be followed. 

I’m still reserving my views, as I expect this judgment to open up more cans of worms. This precedent that they have set, can now be potentially applied to many other places of worship. Let’s wait and see.

Exactly 11,323 days have passed since the day I was born. Who knows how many more days I have for the rest of my life?

To think back and reminisce on the bygone days can give you two kinds of feelings. Either you feel nostalgic, and in that case, you want to recreate such memories. Or you feel anger and resentment, in which case, you would just avoid thinking about such memories. We humans have a tendency to either keep looking back or looking further down the road. We are hardly the kind of people who live in the present moment. But to be able to live in the present moment means that you are very lucky. It means that you have lived a sufficiently good life, and that you also do not have to worry so much about your future, because you are currently in a comfortable position in your life. It is the people who are living in poor financial conditions or in terrible life situations, who will be living either in the past or worrying about the future. It means, that if you are ever the kind of person who can live in this present moment, then you are indeed lucky.

Today, very few people live in the present moment. When I say ‘a few people’, I actually mean a few millions of people compared to the world population. Such people often give an advise to the rest of us, that ‘happiness must come from within’, or something along the lines of being content with what you have. Of course, such statements are ambitious pronouncements that sound really good to hear. But I find it problematic.

You see, how do you define “happiness”, when it differs from person to person? If say, I define “happiness”, as a “state of mind that is complete in itself and does not desire for anything at all”. For example, for the minute moment when you are enjoying a tub of Rocky Road, you are in a state of mind with complete satisfaction, not desiring anything else in the world. That moment flickers in and out of your mind for just a moment. Nonetheless, it was there and that was “happiness”. A state of desire-less being.

Now imagine you go around telling everyone you meet, that you should not search for happiness outside, but you must search for happiness within yourself. That person will never fully understand what you are talking about! Because that person is eager to achieve his or her dreams. That person wants to soar high and become someone famous. That person has lacked attention since young, probably, and wants to be the center of attention at some point in his or her life. Such a person does not need philosophical pronouncements. Instead, they need to learn how to improve their own economic condition in their homes. They need to understand how life works, and how to deal with the problems life throws at us. Because “happiness must come from within” is a lesson that each and every person must learn themselves. It cannot be taught to someone outrightly. They have to realise this themselves, during the natural course of their lives.

I consider myself lucky in the sense that now I can and I am beginning to understand how happiness must come from within. At the same time, I expect to learn a lot more lessons from this life. The toughest challenge is yet to come, and I mean, dealing life together with a partner in crime. But that is something only time can tell.

(My article below was published on hindupost.in on 10 March 2018.)

I wonder how many of us in Bharat actually pay attention to Rajiv Malhotra and his brand of Swadeshi Indic thoughts. After Narendra Modi’s uprising, the dissent from the so-called ‘Left’ has kicked off and hence, we can no longer ignore Mr Malhotra. If you have an hour to spare, please give this video a chance before reading this article.

The Trustees of the Hindu Forum of Britain and the volunteer team of the British Board of Hindu Scholars came together to arrange this ground-breaking lecture on “Soft Power Reparations” in the House of Commons. This important event was hosted by Honorable Bob Blackman, who is a loyal friend to Bharat and the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for British Hindus. This is the most important lecture ever given by Rajiv Malhotra in all these years he has spoken on stages in conferences, debates and talks. Although I am a relatively new follower of him, I realise the importance of this particular lecture, which sets the tone of the Bharat’s Grand Narrative.

Rajiv Malhotra was not the first one to speak on reparations to be done by the British for the injustices they have meted out to Bharat during colonisation. Shashi Tharoor has also spoken on many occasions, and even written about, financial reparations that Britain must do for Bharat. While Tharoor’s proposal did not include any specific recommendations on what the British government must do in terms of financial reparations, Rajiv Malhotra goes many steps forward and puts forth a concrete agenda of items that can be done by the British government, which he termed as “soft power reparations”.

At the beginning of this lecture, Malhotra reminded the British that without soldiers from Bharat who fought together with the English against the Axis, they would not have won the World War. Many Bharatiya soldiers have given their lives fighting together with the Allies for the betterment of the world, and yet no memorial has been built for them in Britain. If not for these great Indian Army heroes, we would all be speaking German instead of English.

Likewise, Rajiv Malhotra put forth a few key suggestions on how the English can do reparations to Bharat. His first important suggestion was asking the British to support and institutionalise the Swadeshi Indology, by cooperating with Bharat on various matters. While Bharat has attained political and economic autonomy, we still have not completely decolonised our education system. Even today, we look towards what the West sets as the narrative, before even looking into the Indic narrative. Therefore, the English have to first quash the historical distortions and false propaganda narratives they have built on Bharat, starting from the Aryan Invasion Theory. The United Kingdom stands to benefit greatly if it were to collaborate together with the Hindus, and integrate our scriptural knowledge of the mind, health, body, consciousness, neuroscience, surgery and more.

Bharat and the cultural heritage of the country has always been an inclusive culture. We never practised exclusivity and we always want to place Bharat as Vishwa Guru (Teacher of the World) and share our invaluable knowledge with the whole world. Therefore, the UK must stop seeing Bharat as a threat and stop helping the ‘Left’ in Bharat, as they are usually extreme leftists disguised as “liberals” and “human rights activists”. This can be detrimental to both UK and Bharat in the future. As the ‘Left’ of Bharat has been politically defeated with the rise of Narendra Modi-led NDA government, it is high time that the British start backing this new dispensation and let go of the old ones.

The most important point mentioned by Rajiv Malhotra in this lecture, according to me, is that the word ‘tolerance’ should be replaced with ‘mutual respect’.

If I ‘tolerate’ you, it means that I do not like what you practice and yet I will endure your behaviour. This would mean that nobody will change, and this sort of ‘tolerance’ fosters hypocrisy. On the other hand, if I were to “respect” you, then I would also expect you to “respect” me. If we were to truly replace “tolerance” with “mutual respect”, then there should be reciprocity and equal reverence for both viewpoints. But also, there should be a degree of “deserving” of such respect. In that case, there will be room for change for self-betterment. Mutual respect also demands that we first possess self-respect. Hence, there will be ‘integration’ with the people of differing viewpoints, but there will be no ‘assimilation’. Each and every cultural uniqueness must be preserved and celebrated.

This lecture will have two important outcomes that will be put into action:

i) A conference marking the 100th Anniversary of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre on 13 April 2019, and

ii) A conference on refuting the Aryan/Dravidian Theory developed by the East India Company.

With these two conferences lined up, Rajiv Malhotra will also be soon establishing his Infinity Foundation in UK. We can expect more from him, but we can also contribute ourselves to the Swadeshi Indology by reading Rajiv Malhotra’s books and watching his videos on YouTube.

There were so many things that captured my attention as I sat and watched the ‘Black Panther’ movie from the Marvel series. Firstly, the most captivating thing about the movie was the soundtrack, curated by Kendrick Lamar. Then came the strong African women warriors who guarded the kingdom and treated their duty to be above their own lives. The portrayal of women as on par with the men in the movie was phenomenal, as this is a rare sight on television and on-screen these days. Moreover, this is done effortlessly in the movie. Then came the rare sight of an African making fun of the “white boy”. This was the one movie that will go down in the history as the first major box-office hit movie that portrays the Africans as the superior and advanced race compared to the rest of the humanity. This too was done effortlessly and without sounding too proud. 

After having enjoyed the movie-watching experience thoroughly, I felt the reality sink in my mind. The West has done it again. The process of appropriation is hard to notice at first. But once understood, it will become clear why this is bad. 

Cultural appropriation is the process of taking the elements of a culture that does not belong to you, eliminating all the indigestible bits, adding on digestible bits from your own culture, and then calling it your own ‘interpretation’. It is a simple case of misrepresenting a culture to make it look palatable to the culture that you come from. The West has been doing it for many years now. They took our Yoga, they removed the indigestible parts such as the ‘yamas and niyamas’ (dharma values to be followed before mastering yoga asanas) so that it becomes palatable to the Western community, and then adding on some digestible parts, for example beer, and then calling it “Beer Yoga”. They took our meditation methods and called it spirituality, stress management techniques, etc. The list goes on.

In ‘Black Panther’, the African community has been subjected to the same cultural appropriation by the Western media. Sure, I might be overthinking this as it is just a movie. But cultural appropriation is not always a good thing. Imagine how a Kenyan or a Nigerian would feel when he or she watches this movie. Considering the current position of many African countries, the West has sold them an utopian dream of the potential of African countries through Wakanda, which has never gone through colonisation under the British or the French. The directors and story writers of the Marvel comics and this movie have presented an outsider’s version of what the African culture is all about, be it the rituals, the ancestral worship, etc. Only one South African musician was featured in this movie’s soundtrack, Babes Wodumo, and the movie makers failed to take up this opportunity to highlight the native African talents to the world. To top it all, there was a ‘Black Panther’ premiere held in Los Angeles, South Korea, London, but not anywhere in Africa, apart from a small screening event in Kenya. Imagine a movie that glorifies and celebrates the African heritage, and yet no premier was held in Africa itself. 

Have you guys ever wondered what a movie based on our Hindu epics would look like if the West were to produce it? Would the Indian film industry ever produce movies that show Indians in the superior and dominant position over the “white boy”? These are just some questions for you to ponder. 

Meanwhile the producers of the ‘Black Panther’ movie in India have muted one word from the movie and it is “Hanuman”. One of the characters in the movie, M’baku from the Jabari tribe, says “Glory to Hanuman”. Now, this Hanuman is not the same Hanuman from the Ramayana epic. The name, again, has been appropriated by the writers of the Marvel comic series for Black Panther. According to the Marvel storyline, M’baku belongs to the tribe that worships the Great White Ape as opposed to the tribes that worship the Black Panther. It is a fictional God and bears no resemblance to the Indian deity, Sri Hanuman. While initially I felt ecstatic as I heard a character from an English box-office-hit movie utter the word “Hanuman”, my enthusiasm was quelled as soon as I learned that it was just an appropriated word. Therefore, let us not jump into conclusions on accounts of “intolerance”. Let us respect the decision of the producers to mute this word, no matter what their reasons were.