RSS/BJP CHOICE FOR BHARAT RATNA
DECREED MANUSMRITI AS HINDU LAW
The
current vociferous campaign for awarding Savarkar Bharat Ratn by Savarkarites
claims that this Hindutva 'Veer' was a ‘rationalist Hindu’ a leader who ‘ended
the practice of Untouchability’, propagated ‘scientific temper’ and died as an
atheist. They also persist in saying that his “outlook was absolutely modern
and scientific and secular”.
It is
interesting to note that such protagonists of the Hindutva politics who declare
the modern times as kalyug (state of
moral decay), atheists as scum of the society, Casteism synonymous with
Hinduism and call for scientific temper as foreign conspiracy by Christians and
Communists are glorifying these qualities of Savarkar!
However,
let us compare these claims of Savarkar being a liberal person with the facts
available in the Hindu Mahasabha archives of the times of Savarker.
Savarker wanted Manusmriti
as constitution of Hindus
How
great a rationalist, crusader against Untouchability and practitioner of
scientific temper Savarkar was, can be understood by knowing the fact that he
was a firm believer in Manu’s Codes? He held Manusmriti as a sacred book
for Hindus. As a philosopher and guide of Hindutva, and the RSS he, without
mincing words said:
"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. That is fundamental.
[VD
Savarkar, ‘Women in Manusmriti’ in Savarkar Samagar (collection of
Savarkar’s writings in Hindi), Prabhat, Delhi, vol. 4, p. 415.]
If this dream of Savarkar of
enforcing the Laws of Manu is ever fulfilled, it is undoubtedly going to be the
end of the road for Dalits and women in India. To what miserable and
dehumanized status their lives will be reduced to can be known by having a
glance at the Codes of Manu about them.
Manu’s Laws Concerning Sudras
For
the sake of the prosperity of the worlds [the divine one] caused the Brahmana,
the Kashtriya, the Vaisya and the Shudra to proceed from His mouth, His arm,
His thighs and His feet. (I/31)
One
occupation only the lord prescribed to the Shudras, to serve meekly these
[other] three castes. (I/91)
A
Shudra, who insults a high caste man with gross invective, shall have his
tongue cut out for he is of low origin. (VIII/270)
If
he [Shudra] arrogantly teaches Brahmanas their duty, the king shall cause hot
oil to be poured into his mouth and into his ears. (VIII/272)
A
low-caste man, who tries to place himself on the same seat with a man of high
caste, shall be branded on his hips and be banished, or [the king] shall cause
his buttocks to be gashed. (VIII/281)
Let
[the first part of] a Brahmana’s name [denote something] auspicious, a
Kshatriya’s be connected with power, and a Vaisya’s with wealth, but a Shudra’s
[express something) contemptible. (II/31)
[The
second part of] a Brahmana’s [name] shall be [a word] implying happiness, of a
Kshatriya’s [a word] implying protection, of a Vaisya’s [a term] expressive of
thriving, and of a Shudra’s [an expression] denoting service. (II/32)
The service of
Brahmanas alone is declared [to be] an excellent occupation for a Shudra; for
whatever else besides this he may perform will bear him no fruit. (X/123)
The
remnants of their food must be given to him, as well as their old clothes, the
refuse of their grain, and their old household furniture. (X/125)
No
collection of wealth must be made by a Shudra, even though he be able [to do
it]; for a Shudra who has acquired wealth, gives pain to Brahmanas. (X/129)
Manu’s Laws Concerning Women
By
a girl, by a young woman, or even by an aged one, nothing must be done
independently, even in her own house. (V/147)
In
childhood a female must be subject to her father, in youth to her husband, when
her lord is dead to her sons; a woman must never be independent. (V/148)
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)
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)
Considering
that the highest duty of all castes, even weak husbands (must) strive to guard
their wives. (IX/6)
He who carefully
guards his wife, preserves (the purity of) his offspring, virtuous conduct, his
family, himself, and his (means of acquiring) merit. (IX/7)
As
the male is to whom a wife cleaves, even so is the son whom she brings forth;
let him therefore carefully guard his wife, in order to keep his offspring
pure. (IX/9)
No
man can completely guard women by force; but they can be guarded by the
employment of the (following) expedients:
Let
the (husband) employ his (wife) in the collection and expenditure of his
wealth, in keeping (everything) clean, in (the fulfillment of) religious
duties, in the preparation of his food, and in looking after the household
utensils. (IX/10, 11)
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)
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)
Knowing
their disposition, which the Lord of creatures laid in them at the creation, to
be such, (every) man should most strenuously exert himself to guard them.
(IX/16)
(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)
[All laws are
the verbatim reproduction from the F. Max Muller (ed.), The Laws of Manu,
Low Price Publication, Delhi, 1996. The bracket after every code carries
chapter number and code number respectively. For instance (I/31) means chapter
I and code number 31 of Manusmriti.]
Savarkar
remained committed to Manu’s diktats throughout his life. While delivering the
presidential address to the 22nd session of the Hindu Mahasabha at Madura in
1940, Savarkar once again underlined the crucial fact of Manu being the law
giver for Hindus and emphasized that once we ‘re-learn the manly lessons’ which
Manu taught ‘Hindu nation shall prove again as unconquerable’. He firmly
believed that once laws given by Manu were enforced ‘our Hindu nation shall prove again as unconquerable and conquering a
race as we proved once…’7
[V.
D. Savarkar, Samagra Savarkar Wangmaya: Hindu Rashtra Darshan, vol. 6,
Maharashtra Prantik Hindusabha, Poona, 1963,
p.
426. ]
Savarkarites
emphasize the fact that their mentor organized community lunches with
Untouchables and went to visit their residential quarters. How serious he was
even in these cosmetic reformative actions can be known by the fact that he did
it in his personal capacity ‘without involving the Hindu Mahasabha
organization into social and religions [sic] activities not
guaranteed by its constitutional limits…’8 [Bold as in the original text]
[A. S. Bhide, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s
Whirlwind Propaganda:Extracts from the President’s Diary of his Propagandist
Tours Interviews from December 1937 to October 1941, na, Bombay, 1940, p. xi. ]
Savarkar
assured Sanatani Hindus who were opposed to Untouchables’ entry into
Hindu temples in 1939 that Hindu Mahasabha,
"will not
introduce or support compulsory Legislature [sic] regarding Temple Entry by the
untouchables etc. in old temples beyond the limit to which the non-Hindus are
allowed by custom as in force today."
[Bhide,
p. 128.]
On June 20, 1941 he once again pledged in the form of a personal assurance that he would not hurt the sentiments of Sanatani Hindus so far as the issue of entry of Untouchables in temples was concerned. This time he even promised not to touch anti-women and anti-Dalit personal laws,
On June 20, 1941 he once again pledged in the form of a personal assurance that he would not hurt the sentiments of Sanatani Hindus so far as the issue of entry of Untouchables in temples was concerned. This time he even promised not to touch anti-women and anti-Dalit personal laws,
"I guarantee
that the Hindu Maha Sabha [sic] shall never force any legislations
regarding the entry of untouchables in the ancient temples or compel by law any
sacred ancient and moral usage or custom prevailing in those temples. In
general the Mahasabha will not back up any Legislation to thrust the reforming
views on our Sanatani brothers so far as personal law is concerned..."
[Bhide, p.425]
Despite
all the above facts and many more about the anti-humanity ideas/practices of
Savarkar being available in the archives of the Hindu Mahasabha itself, he is
being glorified as a great rationalist, secularist and believer in social
justice! The reality is that RSS/BJP rulers want Bharat Ratna for him because
Savarkar had total faith in the Manusmriti
and hated democratic-secular Constitution. His liberal ethoses are being
manufactured so that vast majority of Indians who stand for egalitarianism and
reject Untouchability change their opinion about this god of Hindutva which is
synonymous with Casteism.
Shamsul
Islam
October
24, 2019
Link for some of S. Islam's writings in
English, Hindi, Urdu, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati
and video interviews/debates:
Facebook: shamsul
Twitter: @shamsforjustice
http://shamsforpeace.blogspot.com/
Email: notoinjustice@gmail.com
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