NOVEMBER 26; THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION
DAY
HOW RSS DENIGRATED INDIAN
CONSTITUTION: A PEEP INTO ITS ARCHIVES
The Constituent Assembly of India finalized the Constitution
of India on November 26, 1949 which is celebrated as the CONSTITUTION DAY. This
Constitution promised new born Indian Republic a polity based on democracy, justice,
egalitarianism and rule of law. However, RSS was greatly annoyed. Four days
after the historic event of approval of it, the RSS English Organiser in
an editorial on November 30, 1949, complained:
“But in our Constitution there is no mention of the unique
constitutional development in ancient Bharat. Manu’s Laws were written
long before Lycurgus of Sparta or Solon of Persia. To this day his laws as
enunciated in the Manusmriti excite the admiration of the world and
elicit spontaneous obedience and conformity. But to our constitutional pundits
that means nothing.”
Thus RSS wanted this Constitution to be replaced by Manusmriti
or Manu Code which is known for its derogatory and inhuman
references to Sudras, Untouchables and women. By demanding promulgation of the laws
of Manu in independent India RSS was simply following its mentor,
philosopher and guide VD Savarkar. According to him,
“Manusmriti
is that scripture which is most worship-able after Vedas for our Hindu Nation
and which from ancient times has become the basis of our culture-customs,
thought and practice. This book for centuries has codified the spiritual and
divine march of our nation. Even today the rules which are followed by crores
of Hindus in their lives and practice are based on Manusmriti. Today Manusmriti
is Hindu Law.”
RSS continued to hate Indian Constitution despite it being
regarded as one of the finest documents upholding principles of equality and
justice globally. The most prominent ideologue of RSS, MS Golwalkar declared it
to be anti-Hindu. The collection of his writings Bunch of Thoughts which
is a Bible for the RSS cadres carries the following statement against the
Constitution.
“Our Constitution too is just a cumbersome and heterogeneous
piecing together of various articles from various Constitutions of Western countries.
It has absolutely nothing which can be called our own. Is there a single word
of reference in its guiding principles as to what our national mission is and
what our keynote in life is?”
What kind of civilization the
RSS and Hindutva camp want to build by enforcing the laws of Manu, can be known
by having a glimpse of the laws prescribed by Manu for the lower
castes/Untouchables and women. Some of these dehumanizing and degenerate laws,
which are presented here, are self-explanatory.
Laws of Manu concerning Dalits/Untouchables
[This
selection of Manu’s Codes is from F. Max Muller, Laws of Manu (Delhi: LP Publications, 1996; first published in
1886). The bracket after each code incorporates number of chapter/number of
code according to the above edition.]
1. For the sake of the prosperity of the worlds (the divine one)
caused the Brahmana, the Kshatriya, the Vaisya, and the Sudra to proceed from
his mouth, his arm, his thighs and his feet. (I/31)
2. One occupation only the lord prescribed to the Sudras, to serve
meekly even these (other) three castes. (I/91)
3. Once-born man (a Sudra), who insults a twice-born man with gross
invective, shall have his tongue cut out; for he is of low origin. (VIII/270)
4. If he mentions the names and castes (jati) of the (twice-born)
with contumely, an iron nail, ten fingers long, shall be thrust red-hot into
his mouth. (VIII/271)
5- If he arrogantly teaches Brahmanas their duty, the king shall
cause hot oil to be poured into his mouth and into his ears. (VIII/272)
6. With whatever limb a man of a low caste does hurt to (a man of the
three) highest (castes), even that limb shall be cut off; that is the teaching
of Manu. (VIII/279)
7. He who raises his hand or a stick, shall have his hand cut off; he
who in anger kicks with his foot, shall have his foot cut off. (VIII/280)
8. A low-caste man who tries to place himself on the same seat with a
man of a high caste, shall be branded on his hip and be banished, or (the king)
shall cause his buttock to be gashed. (VIII/281)
As per the Manu Code if Sudras are to be
given most stringent punishments for even petty violations/actions, the same
Code of Manu is very lenient towards Brahmins. Shloka 380 in Chapter VIII
bestowing profound love on Brahmins decrees:
“Let him never slay a Brahmana, though he
have committed all (possible) crimes; let him banish such an (offender),
leaving all his property (to him) and (his body) unhurt.”
Laws of Manu concerning women
1. Day and night woman must be kept in dependence by the males (of)
their (families), and, if they attach themselves to sensual enjoyments, they
must be kept under one’s control. (IX/2)
2. Her father protects (her) in childhood, her husband protects (her)
in youth, and her sons protect (her) in old age; a woman is never fit for
independence. (IX/3)
3. Women must particularly be guarded against evil inclinations,
however trifling (they may appear); for, if they are not guarded, they will
bring sorrow on two families. (IX/5)
4. Considering that the highest duty of all castes, even weak
husbands (must) strive to guard their wives. (IX/6)
5. No man can completely guard women by force; but they can be
guarded by the employment of the (following) expedients:
6. Let the (husband) employ his (wife) in the collection and
expenditure of his wealth, in keeping (everything) clean, in (the fulfilment
of) religious duties, in the preparation of his food, and in looking after the
household utensils.
7. Women, confined in the house under trustworthy and obedient
servants, are not (well) guarded; but those who of their own accord keep guard
over themselves, are well guarded. (IX/12)
8. Women do not care for beauty, nor is their attention fixed on age;
(thinking), ‘(It is enough that) he is a man,’ they give themselves to the handsome
and to the ugly. (IX/14)
9. Through their passion for men, through their mutable temper,
through their natural heartlessness, they become disloyal towards their
husbands, however carefully they may be guarded in this (world). (IX/15)
10. (When creating them) Manu allotted to women (a love of their) bed,
(of their) seat and (of) ornament, impure desires, wrath, dishonesty, malice,
and bad conduct. (IX/17)
11. For women no (sacramental) rite (is performed) with sacred texts,
thus the law is settled; women (who are) destitute of strength and destitute of
(the knowledge of) Vedic texts, (are as impure as) falsehood (itself), that is
a fixed rule. (IX/18)
Reproduced parts of Manu Code above need no
further elaboration and commentary. They are too glaringly venomous, fascist
and degenerated against Untouchables who are referred to as Sudras by Manu.
It is hugely sad times for democratic-secular
Republic of India that RSS-BJP rulers who worship Manusmriti and want to
undo the present Indian polity would be putting up a farcical show of
celebrating the Constitution Day. The nation must be at guard to defend the
Constitution from wolves in the attire of sheep!
Shamsul Islam
November 26, 2021
Link for some of
S. Islam's writings in English, Hindi, Urdu, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada,
Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati and video interviews/debates:
http://du-in.academia.edu/ShamsulIslam
Facebook:
https://facebook.com/shamsul.islam.332
Twitter:
@shamsforjustice
http://shamsforpeace.blogspot.com/
Email: notoinjustice@gmail.com
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