India: Let's keeps the Gods (and Goddesses) out of the caste system
By Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay Oct 15, 2011 3:20AM UTC
Do Hindu Gods and Goddesses have caste identities? Can one bring in
the divisive issue of caste when talking about them? Would it be right
to say that one particular God or Goddess is a Brahmin while the other
is a Kshatriya, a Vaishya or even one of the OBCs?
These thoughts surfaced in the mind after reading a news report
mentioning that a section of students in New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru
University have decided to "observe 'Mahishasura Day' on October 25 to
reiterate that the demon killed by Goddess Durga belonged to a
Backward Community."
The report elaborated that the All India Backward Students' Forum
"decided to honour Mahishasura after a tussle with another section of
students who had allegedly taken the forum head-on for putting up
'blasphemous posters on the campus during Durga Puja that hurt
religious sentiments'."
Having been the only university in which I ever enrolled, I have an
overt interest in developments related to JNU. The report led me to
speak to friends which though not adding much on the incident per se,
sharpened stray thoughts sparked off by the report.
I have been aware of the academic discourse on the caste profiling of
mythological characters – especially from the Ramayana. At the level
of popular culture, I have tracked Dalits celebrating 'Ravana Melas'
to protest the burning of his effigies on 'Dussehra' and his portrayal
in mainstream Hindu culture as the epitome of evil.
The step in JNU to observe Mahisasura Day is something similar so
prima facie there should not be any opposition to it since Ravana
Melas have been held at various places for years. But spreading the
trend elsewhere and to other mythologies would dilute the symbolic
nature of the protest. It also has the potential of boomeranging.
Mythologies have portrayed Lord Krishna as a Yadav king but I have not
come across any Upper Caste Hindu refusing to revere him. If we
extending caste profiling of mythological characters, Gods and
Goddesses a situation may arise when any OBC group may suddenly
declare that Upper Caste Hindus do not have the right to include Lord
Krishna in their pantheon. Instead of eliminating the caste order,
that would only widen the existing schism.
There is also the added problem of 'fitting' in the Gods of the
ati-Shudras or Dalits. Will OBC groups allow Dalits to consider
Mahisasura to be their God also and allow entry into temples?
We have caste based parties or political parties that draw their
strengths primarily from one caste. Gods have not yet been split on
caste lines. Instead of doing so, it would be best to allow people to
follow their own Gods – and if any group has a 'problem' with the
mythology of one group then it's best to shut one's ears. After all,
the bulk of these Gods and Goddesses either wake up once a year or
come visiting just once. Thereafter, it is a matter of routine
personal religiosity with no community participation.
------------------------------------
----
INFORMATION OVERLOAD?
Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to ZESTMedia-digest@yahoogroups.com, OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/
PARTICIPATE:-
On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to zestcaste@yahoogroups.com
TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:-
If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to ZESTCaste-subscribe@yahoogroups.com OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/
Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
ZESTCaste-digest@yahoogroups.com
ZESTCaste-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ZESTCaste-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
No comments:
Post a Comment