Trent Frank and dalit bill in America - reservations?

Trent Frank, a Republican who represents the 2nd District of Arizona in the U.S. Congress, introduced a bill supporting the cause of dalits (former untouchables) in India in May 2007. The bill focuses on caste discrimination in India which to some people is like interference in internal matters of India. But the bill uses value of human lives to do so. In doing so America is acknowledging the existence of untouchability which the Indian Government has been white washing under the pretext Anti-untouchability law it has enacted. It is another thing this law is buried under the dust in rural India. The American bill internationalizes the issue of caste discrimination in India. It also speaks of dealing the issue through various International bodies.

Further people receiving funding from American government in India should be aware of this policy of stopping caste discrimination. Such people should not discriminate on the basis of caste. However, this bill is limited to people or groups receiving funds from United States of America government and not to private funding.

It also advises the American citizen dealing in India to not discriminate on the basis of caste.

Then we have the resolution of European Union (EU) which demand that the Council and the Commission give priority to promoting equal opportunities in employment in private EU-based companies and encouraging EU-based companies to implement the "Ambedkar Principles" (Employment and Additional Principles on Economic and Social Exclusion Formulated to assist All Foreign Investors in South Asia to Address Caste Discrimination).

Really speaking this has not caused much stir in India but it has wide potential.

Now American Multinational Companies, after establishing themselves firmly in India can demand to know the caste of applicants in order to implement affirmative action on American lines in India. The Microsoft, Oracle and Google etc. are candidates for this kind of action. The day the MNC start implementing affirmative action it will be a bad day for business corporations in India. This would amount to gross interference in Varna dharma of Hindu society and highly adharmic. But as people know this is Kaliyug the upper castes will have to bear with it. Even they my also join the process to show the world , especially USA and EU, their main business areas, that they are not inhuman or backward people and really believe in promoting equality in the society.

Even Infosys, the software giant in India, has taken up to train the untouchable candidates in their institutes in contrast to its earlier stand of counting only merit! It may be due to USA bill or threat of Indian govt. of forcing reservations in private sector of India.

Hindu ethos - Indian media

The India mainstream media which does not give a place to the views of untouchables and Shudras, is very much angered about the treatment given to Hindu religion in Californian school textbooks for the VI graders. In Indian media all the views about untouchables are given by upper caste Hindus journalist, reporters. Columnist and editors. May be their ethos prevent them from giving space to these people; all are ingrained in purity of Hindu religion.

However the same logic is not employed in case of study by Americans. As per their ways of working the American themselves are entitled form a view about Hindu religion which is required to be taught in American schools.

However, as we have seen in previous posting dated 7 October 2007 that certain aspects of Hindu religion are too inhuman and cruel to be taught to VI graders with impressionable minds. Actually untouchability and sati system should not be taught to anybody below 18 years of age anywhere. However, in India the untouchability can be taught to both upper caste and lowest caste children right from childhood; no schooling is needed here; the sick society is itself the teacher. Such a thing is integral part of Hinduism. Nobody in rural India can challenge it! It is a truly rich and spiritual heritage of which everyone is pride of whether in India or abroad. To show this Indian diaspora is divided into many castes, the society structure taken from their roots, the great spiritual land - the India, and taken to materialistic West. But these Western people are not willing to leave India’s internal matters as it is and mind their own business.

However, Pioneer Columnist Sandhya Jain is very critical of the role of Witzel and his role in Californian school textbook controversy. She alleges that all this is an agenda of Hindu haters and Christian converts. It looks like speaking against Hindu religion essentially means hating, not the criticism or protest or dissent. The pure Hindu religion should not be criticized even if for the practice of sati and untouchability. Both depict the inhuman cruelty inherent in the structure of Hindu society.

Further she warns of bad effect Western world on Hinduism as follows,

“Any attempt to accord primacy to secular education and employment (Mammon) is counter to the Hindu ethos wherein the hierarchy of values (varnas) ranks mercantile and wealth-generating groups (Vaishya varna) as third, well after spiritual preceptors (Brahmin) and those who uphold the power of the state (Kshatriya).”

The concept of secularism and materialism (Mammon) will destroy the inhuman hierarchy of Hindu religion!!!! Its civilizational ethos of hierarchy are in grave danger if lower castes learn about equality and if they castes are given the jobs which make them financially well off. With the concept the lower castes will challenge the varna (values!) system and with material success they will not obey the upper three Varnas! She does not want the wealth, power and lawmaking (the Brahmins are the lawmakers of Hindus) to go to lower castes. So evidently hates the concepts of equality and elimination of poverty. Well if that is true then she hates 80% of Hindus. Of course she belongs to mercantile class and looks down upon lower castes with contempt and hate. This is founding principle of Hinduism which should essentially pass as great virtuous quality of Hindu religion.

It seems like that she is really an integral part of privileged upper castes in ancient sense and not so ancient, Hindu civilization is still a continuous Civilization where there is no place for 1/5 of the society.!

California school books - righteous Hindu way !

The Indian Diaspora takes the image of Hindu religion very seriously. In 2006 it tried to get the changes made in the school textbooks for VI standard in California, United State of America. California is one of the biggest and trend setting states in America. It creates a demand for 12-15 % of books in America. So it is quite influential.

The alleged negative image of Hinduism has been a matter of grave concern to high caste Hindus in America. The image created by these school textbooks has been such that it had a negative psychological impact on Hindu school children. The white students are said to be making fun of Hindu student over casteism, untouhcability, sati , widows and women?s right etc. As it happened many times the 11 years old Hindu American school children came to their homes almost in tears and complained that they were being taunted in the class for coming from a culture where untouchability is practiced and women have fewer rights than men. This isolation and taunting was allegedly having an adverse effect on children of impressionable age.

Some people decided to do something about and started protesting. Texas based VF (Vedic Foundation) and HEF (Hindu Education Foundation) complained against this stating a bias the textbooks against Hindus. The portrayal of Hindu religion was supposed to be faulty and prejudiced. According to them the changes should be made according to wishes of the practitioners of Hindu religions. The Hindu religions should not be taught in a bad light. The good things of Hindu religion should also be emphasized. The California Department of Education and State Board of Education entertained their requests and agreed to make the changes (edits) suggested by them.

The California State Law states.

?1. Adverse Reflection. No religious belief or practice may be held up to ridicule and no religious group may be portrayed as inferior.?

2. Indoctrination. Any explanation or description of a religious belief or practice should be present in a manner that does not encourage or discourage belief or indoctrinate the student in any particular religious belief.?

Here the Hindu Americans claim the textbooks emphasize on the negatives of Hindu religion. Thank goodness they do not claim that there are no problems within Hindu society. And discrimination based on caste and untouchability does not prevail in India because there are laws against them in India.

The books for VI graders are supposed to be a negative influence by teaching them the gross and inhumane disabilities imposed on untouchables. Such a thing may not be digestible to American children since they are brought up in an environment of equality. It is country where whites fought against whites to end the slavery and about 5 to 7 millions lost their lives in the process. Such a thing can not be seen to happened in Hindu society. Freedom and liberty of untouchables are suppressed by the upper castes who are protesting against the school textbook portrayal of oppressed untouchables. These people or Indian Diaspora practice casteism in America, Britain and other places and want a clean picure of Hindu society. They do not their children to get taunted in class over untouchability but teach them casteism in social behavior in their own circle. There are separate temples for different castes in foreign countries. These people anyway deny the existence of caste in India. To show this they do not have single Dalit in their hallowed circle. These people shielded by caste system find nothing wrong with the system. Even Mahatama Gandhi was a staunch supporter of caste system though he opposed untouchability.

An 11 year old feels shameful on learning negative things about his religion, his glorious heritage.

But what about the shame which the Hindu religion thrusts upon million of untouchables since birth to death? At least in California they wait for 11 years to tell a person a thing here in India they start right at the birth. This creates stunting of personalities among untouchables and an inferiority complex which become an embedded part of their personalities. The advocates of changes in history books are actually favoring telling of lies! And of course nobody should utter a word about human rights.

The upper caste parents always lie to their children and present a glorious picture. They never talk about negative things but ingrain negative feeling about low caste people in them! The traumatic lives of untouchable never mattered to these people who are sensitive to their own portrayal in negative terms with accuracy.

The biased academics were said to be asked to give their views and unbiased people from Hindu sides (many of those who have opinion that caste system and untouchability never existed in India.)

In practice Hinduism is polytheism but in theory it is monotheism.

In fact the casteism and associated untouchability are in fact too inhuman to be taught to VI graders. These should be removed from the school textbook meant for them. However their parents can teach them this since these young and impressionable minds are 5 or 6 years old. Again sati system is also too inhuman to be known by such young and soft minds. Inhumanity in Hinduism is too much for VI graders but not bad enough to be taught at home.

Then we have the philosophy of Hinduism such as Karma, birth and rebirth. and the philosophy given Upnishids. These philosophy are too abstract and complex to be taught to such young minds. So these should also not be taught to them. There should be no mention of polytheism and monotheism because these are again complex and debatable points.

There should be no mention of coming of Aryans and also the fact that they leaned agriculture from natives of India. Otherwise how the gloriousness of Hinduism can be shown?

So what remains is the mention of four Vedas, Varna system without heredity aspect and Hindu holy trinity BrahmA , VishnU and Mahesh. With this the introduction to Hindu religion should be over. It should not take more than one page.

The major part of Hinduism is not fit for VI graders and should be removed from the syllabus of the Californian schools. Actually the Hinduism should not be taught to students below 18 years. Its inhuman aspects are strictly meant for adults though in Indian villages an untouchable child learns them at a tender age of 4 or 5 when he faces derogatory remark about his caste and learns that voluntary submission is the best way to deal with these people whose kith and kin protest a lot in America! Disowning the heritage is very quick when you are dealing with Americans and a matter of pride when dealing with untouchables either in India or abroad. It is all fair with absence of justice.