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.
FYI, "Hinduism" is a term placed by the British upon ALL the systems of belief in India, many of which varied. Clumping them all into one system is not very "Hindu" at all.
ReplyDeleteJust as Christians now claim that Christianity is against slavery but justified and endorsed slavery through Biblical passages some decades ago, it can be easy to mix spiritual beliefs with social practices. I'm not denying that there are some serious class-based inequities in India that are often justified as religious tradition. But learning about social Darwinism or Puritan beliefs doesn't make people decide that Christianity is inherently non-egalitarian
since Christians are in the mainstream, just as learning about Christian bombers doesn't make people in the US think that Christianity is a violent religion although the same cannot be said when bombers are Muslim.
As a Hindu, I know from experience what it's like to be asked ignorant questions based on two paragraphs of information about my religion by fellow middle schoolers. The same questions would not be asked after reading two paragraphs about Christian practices and beliefs that are inhumane.
I think that Hinduism is one of the least understood religions in America (and reading your blog confirms this). If you read an entire book that gives you both the historical context of Hinduism as well as a current array of lifestyles and beliefs, THEN we can talk about children's exploring Hinduism.
If you actually talk to Hindus about what they believe, even better. I don't like the fact that the tone of your article Others me and other Hindus rather than including us as a valid part of this discussion.
I don't think there's a problem with teaching kids about historical social practices in India. There IS a problem with the Eurocentric (really, Ameri-centric) focus of social studies that negates the history of all others only to spend a day on "Hinduism" that boils all the spiritual and material complexities and histories of India into a few pages.
To ignore a student's religious history for most of the years of his or her schooling only to portray a limited amount of information in two or three passages vs. spending a reasonable chunk of time going in depth and reading many sources and perspectives about
(elementary school history in general is a joke, by the way~to act like history has one objective voice and that it isn't debatable is a joke).
If CA textbooks want to teach about a religion, then they ought to give ALL the details. I don't think that there's a problem with rewriting a portion of a text that already gives limited information to prevent students from misconstruing information.
If you want to tell it all, spend more time learning about other parts of the world and study it in some depth for gossake!
It's always easier to point fingers than to see our own shortcomings as a society. I live in California, and having worked with children in poor urban and rural schools here, seeing the injustices they face compared to their wealthier counterparts ~for that matter, to see the racial inequities such as those practiced against migrant workers, or knowing that all the cheap STUFF that we buy is produced either by slave laborers or those working in slave-like conditions in other countries~and all this under the guise of "democracy"~certainly do not make me think for a moment that we have a fair and equal society here. But hey, it's easier to make fun of Hindu kids for a system they didn't create and do not endorse.
My family is against all of these inequities, as well as those in India. And as I mentioned, we're Hindus. Brahmins! Imagine that!
You: “As a Hindu, I know from experience what it's like to be asked ignorant questions based on two paragraphs of information about my religion by fellow middle schoolers”
ReplyDeleteReply: You seem to be talking about feeling but untouchables also have feelings. You just can not compare their pathetic feelings to you feelings.
You: “I think that Hinduism is one of the least understood religions”
Reply: You suggest the topic I will talk – whether on dualism or non-dualism or casteism or spiritualism.
You: “I don't like the fact that the tone of your article Others me and other Hindus rather than including us as a valid part of this discussion.”
Reply: I entirely agree with you but have the upper caste people have considered the untouchables as a valid part of caste discussion. For them the caste is non-existence though it exists in USA and stares them in face in the form of atrocities in India.
If you want it to be “us” then diversity of Hindu society would be at stake. Do you really want this to happen? Upper castes living with scavengers – I like this idea!
Or by “us” you think that you are a different kind of Hindu – separate from lower castes and above them.
You: “And as I mentioned, we're Hindus.”
Reply: And all Hindus are Casteists even the lowest of them. Please see my posting on this also You do not know the plight of manual scavengers.