Nepal The creation of civilization is Brahmanbad. Brahmanbad is guided by intellectualism and culturalism. The origin of human civilization is Himabatkhand of Nepal. The Himabatkhand covers the land of Brahmaputra in east, Hindukush in west, Kailash Mansarobar in north and Ganga River in south. In past, Nepal was greater than what it is today. This region is the origin of Bedas, Upanishads, Purans and Nitishastra. As the region has been irrigated by Himalaya borne rivers, several saints of different ethnicity have enriched it through spirituality and knowledge.Kasyap Rishi (sage) in Kailash-Mansarobar, Pulatsya Rishi, Biswamitra (Kaushik Rishi ) in shore of Koshi, Bedabyas (Chhetri) in Gorkha, Yagyabalkya in the Kingdom of philosopher king Janak, Gargi (Women), Maitreyi (Women) and Arundhati (the wife of Atri Rishi) were the creators of Bedas. Parashar Rishi and his son Parsu Ram were Chhetries. Besides fame of Balmiki Rishi in Gandak, Bashistha Rishi in Devghat, ‘Ne-muni’ named Rishi in Bagamati and Aakuni Rishi of Kirats is widespread and it is mentioned in Rigbeda. The sage Biswamitra (writer of Bed was Chhetri), The sage Vasista was Besyaputra, The sage Aakuni was Kirati. At present, the Yogi Narahinath is (Chhetri), Swami Prapannacharya is Rai. There were and are many-many Chhetri, Rai, Kirati and others were the creator of Brahmanbad.

In Bashistha Upanishad regarding the Himabatkhand Nepal, Basistha Rishi quotes ‘Bharatkhande Uttarayane Himalaya Tate Swornabhoomi Sworgabhoomi (There is golden land and heaven in northern part of India. In first verse of Kumar Sambhav, Kaidas (a Chhetri) also said that the land from east to west of Himalayan range is the land of Aryans. Not only Brahmins but other ethnics and castes created ancient Hindu literatures (Bedas, Purans, Upanishads, Shruti, Smriti etc). They all were creators of Brahmanbad. Bhrahmanbad is the source and origin of civilization. Because Nepal has been flooded with knowledge of Bedas, Shruti, Smriti and Yoga, it is considered as origin of human civilization and oldest land of world civilization. In the same land, Gautam Buddha was borne in Shakya dynasty and enlightened the world. The point is that he was not a Brahmin. Swayambhunath that is linked with the story of Manjushree, is also a property of all castes and races of Nepal. It has been said “Bodhisatya Mahasatya: Swayambhu Chaitya Namanyamha” (The message of the Buddha is as great as Swayambhu Chatya.) The Hindu Civilization has deep and arguably the longest continuous history of existence.

In Nepal, none of the cultures are limited to a caste or race. All Nepalese people decorate in TIKA on their forehead. Several seven sages like Kasyap, Bhardwaj, Biswamitra (Kauishik), Basistha, Atri, Gautam, Jamdagni were there in Himabatkhand Nepal. Further Parsu Ram, Upamanyu, Mautgalya, Shandilya, Marichi, Angira Pulah, Bhrigu, Mandav, Garki, Yagyabalkya, Maiteyi, Byas were also in existence. Nobody can challenge the fact. Lichhivis were the founder of Bikram Sambat and Senbanshi, Malla, Shah & Thakuri have been following the indigenous Bikram Sambat. They are all Chhetris but not Bahun. But some communal man and pro-foreign party leaders in Nepal are trying to spoil the reality of Brahmanbad.

So, I am expressing with a pure intention of unity amongst every caste and tribes of Nepalese nationalists that in future we have the capacity and are able to face any kinds foreign intervene. So, the time has come to fight against the destructive force of civilization. The Lord Krishna (Chhetri) had said-’If you will not fight this righteous war, then you will fail in your duty, lose your reputation, and incur sin.’ Treating pleasure and pain, gain and loss, and victory and defeat alike, engage yourself in your duty. By doing your duty this way you will not incur sin.’ So, we should be active to save our identity. Culturalism and Intellectualism= Brahmanbad. Rama (was not Brahman) said in Ramayan- ‘The motherland is greater than heaven.’ Both are the creator of Brahmanbad.

Can anybody prove that here was no existence of above mentioned sages, Bedas and Upanishad in this region? Some frontline ethnic leaders, Christian people of different ethnic communities and aesthetics want to hurt the emotions of real Hindus. Without arguments, they are trying to suppress the values of Brahmanbad. In the evolutionary process of the world’s civilization, many sages had guided the way of life in the world by Beds, Upanishad. Actually, ‘Brahmanbad is the philosophy of civilization. Brahman is mind. Hinduism and Buddhism known as earth, water, fire, air and sky. Brahman is the Absolute self-luminous Consciousness.-(Dr.V.Malavalli.) A famous scholar Aldous Huxley has said-’In Hinduism the first of these four doctrines is stated in the most categorical terms. The Divine Ground is Brahman, whose creative, sustaining and transforming aspects are manifested the Hindu trinity.’ Thus, consciousness is eternal for all castes and tribes. It proves that we, Bhahun, Chhettri, Magar, Rai, Limbu, Newar, Tharu, Dhimal, Madeshis are all equal in nature. So, the western philosopher Voltaire, George Bernard Shaw, German scholar Nitse, Megasthaniz and Fai-Han has written many books supporting the Hindu philosophy expressing the evolutionary process of the world’s civilization. Hindu philosophy is incomparably greater intellectual work than the Bible?

Caste, language, religion, land and mines of Nepal are considered to be highly sensitive issues. If you raise these issues without your understanding and enough homework, you will be trapped in net. Since past few years, some leaders raised these issues so lightly that their Pandora’s Box has been broken and totally exposed. In fact, there are three types residents in the country viz An-adibasi (those who are living from immortal time), Aadibasi (indigenous caste), Aaprabasi (migrants). Brahmins, Chhetri and few Newars are Anadibasi. Magar, Gurung, Tamang, Rai, Limbu, Sherpa, Rajbansi, Tharu and Dhimal etc are indigenous castes. Unlike, migrants are Muslims, Bengalis Marwadis, and Madhesis, who came to Nepal extending their business and trade. But, some culprit political leaders of Nepal are creating a dangerous condition of conflicts among these three groups of residents. Federalism and racism are neither issues nor solutions of Nepal. Who lives if the country’s identity dies and who dies if the country’s identity lives? So, our realistic issue is to assure their equal and active participation in every sector of nation building.

In these days the federalism is under question. Actually, federalism means is to establish the feudalism and the secular state means is to establish the Religious terrorism. Actually, federalism with ethnics group will be the causes of disintegration of civilization (Brahmanbad) and the religious unity. We are Nepali brothers and sisters -Bahuns, Chetri, Gurungs, Magar, Tharus, Newers, Limbus, Rai, Tamang and Madhsis where we are in Himal, Hill & Tarai etc The unified attempts and efforts of all people of Nepal, the civilization has been developed.

Indian intelligence service Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and CIA have been fomenting violent deterioration in Nepal. We know, Indian government is making difficult for Nepal to assert her sovereignty. In Nepal, Indian leaders have been playing an active role to diffuse the democratic aspirations of the Nepalese people.

The irresponsible party leaders want to make this country another Kashmir and Afghanistan. Now, the 30 years’ long LTTE’s armed ethnic struggle is over. So, we Nepalese people must learn from the lessons of Srilanka. The practical activities of the people are the only true method of testing the correctness of our opinions, theories and ideas. Therefore our own identity- Brahmanbad as the founder of world civilization should be protected and should not be the part of demolition of the civilization.

Written by Dirgha Raj Prasai

In a major development, the Maharashtra government dismissed Mumbai’s top police encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma, the crooked brahmin IPS officer  from service early Sunday, according to a police official.

Sharma was served the dismissal order at his residence at 1 am on Sunday.

He has been accused of having links with the underworld, corruption and amassing huge properties in his name among other things.

In his 25-year career with the Mumbai Police, Sharma has shot dead 107 criminals. Aug 2008, IANS

Hindu militant party leader L. K. Advani (C), with fake swamis : Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (R) andTelevision yoga guru Swami Ramdev attend a function for the release of Hindi version of Advani's book 'My Country, My Life' at a stadium in the central Indian city of Bhopal June 30, 2008.

At 5am beneath the Shivalik hills in northern India, Swami Ramdev sits cross-legged swaddled in saffron robes commanding the rapt attention of 500 devotees of his brand of yoga. The crowd is made up mostly of middle-class Indians, many suffering from chronic conditions for which traditional medicine has little to offer but comfort.

Each “patient” has paid 7,000 to 40,000 rupees (£90 to £500) to be among the first to spend a week at the swami’s newest venture: a village of 300 bungalows offering spiritual retreat in the shadow of eucalyptus trees.

Swami Ramdev’s pitch is that pranayama, the ancient Indian art of breath control, can cure a bewildering array of diseases. “Asthma, arthritis, sickle-cell anaemia, kidney problems, thyroid disease, hepatitis, slipped discs – and it will unblock any fallopian tubes,” he tells his audience in the yoga village, who line up to have their blood tested and receive herbal remedies.

Although India has a long tradition of mystical gurus, Swami Ramdev represents a new phenomenon: the television yoga evangelist. Almost all his congregation have been drawn through his shows on India’s Aastha channel.

Every morning, the swami appears on television chanting prayers and explaining that ailments, physical and mental, can be treated by what looks like little more than sharp intakes of air and painful-looking body contortions. More than 20 million tune in each day in India alone. The television guru, who is also known as Baba Ramdev, is also available across the world – including Britain.

He has just finished teaching on a yoga cruise from India to China, which even after attracting corporate sponsorship still charged disciples £1,000 a ticket. Last year he appeared in Westminster to give British politicians a chance to sample his yogic wisdom.

Ludy Mantri, a housewife from Mauritius, has paid 40,000 rupees and travelled 4,000 miles to see “her swami” in the Haridwar yoga village in the hope he can help her find a cure for diabetes.

“I have been on medicines every day for the last 12 years. The chanting of Om has an amazing effect and the words of Ramdev energise one through the day.”

Born into a farming family in north India he retains a common touch, making rustic jokes in chaste Hindi. The guru combines this with a gentle manner and a knack for public relations. The swami sells himself as a one-person health service. He says he only charges the wealthy and that the poor get his medicines for free. He has 500 hospitals in India serving more than 30,000 a day.

It is no surprise that many sections of the Indian elite – including judges, ministers and Bollywood stars – have visited his camps. Such is his popularity that the Indian army incorporated Ramdev’s techniques claiming it made for a “deadlier fighting force”.

Ramdev often speaks less of spiritualism and more of the need to develop his country through yoga, portraying himself as an Indian nationalist. He attacks multinational companies for seeking to drain India of profits. He calls Coke and Pepsi good only for “toilet cleaning”.

In a country where renunciation is seen as almost a divine virtue, Ramdev announces that he has long ago given up sex – because “it is not love”.

The adoration he inspires was seen in 2006 when Indian communists accused the guru of using human bones and animal parts in ayurvedic drugs produced by his pharmacy. His followers rioted and attacked the party headquarters. The Communist party backed down when it saw where public sympathy lay.

In an interview with the Guardian, Ramdev said that the problem with communists was that they did not have “faith in spirituality and are philosophically against religion. My cures are clean but the communists have an agenda.”

There is little controversy about his basic assertions. He says that following his yoga teachings for 30 minutes a day, along with a vegetarian diet of raw or lightly boiled food and no alcohol or tobacco, clears clogged arteries, reduces blood sugar and lowers blood pressure.

But the swami defended his more extravagant claims that yoga could cure terminal illnesses such as cancer. He also said he had evidence that breathing exercises could help Aids patients recover by enabling a rise in the number of cells that the HIV virus destroys.

Ramdev has an explanation for his success with cancer – that yoga oxygenates the blood which kills the tumour. “Yoga is self-healing and self-realisation. I have many cases of cancer which I can provide where patients have recovered. We have cured blood, throat, ovarian, uterine and throat cancers with yoga.”

In the case of HIV, he says scientists “have not understood [it] properly”. He says that “through yoga and lifestyle changes people increase their CD4 count [the cells the HIV virus attacks]. The truth seen for the first time does appear like a miracle.”

Such claims have angered many doctors. Mohammed Abbas, The president of the Indian Medical Association, said that although yoga is “good exercise, it cannot be used to make ridiculous claims about curing HIV or cancer. This is false hope for ill people.”

The swami says patients are tested and improvements measured by “independent” doctors. Asked whether he has run any tests to analyse treatment, he offers a book of testimonies from disciples convinced they have been cured of cancer, cirrhosis and kidney failure.

Some have called for the swami to be prosecuted for “peddling quackery of the highest order”.

“Claiming such absurdities is against the law,” said Sanal Edamaruku of the Indian Rationalist Association. “The magical remedies act of 1954 was brought in to stop people such as Baba Ramdev from promoting dangerous ideas about curing cancer and the like.

“The political class is running scared of this man and the backlash that such a prosecution might unleash.”

Randeep Ramesh in Haridwar
The Guardian, June 14 2008

A Hindu priest covered in red powder performs the traditional Deodhani dance with goats, that will be sacrificed at a Hindu temple, in Guwahati, August 19, 2007. The three-day festival in which Hindus worship the snake Goddess Manasha is currently being celebrated in the city.

A Durban Hindu priest who was convicted of murdering a teenage neighbour five years ago will have to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

This week in the Pietermaritzburg High Court, Judge Noel Hurt dismissed Chatsworth priest Sundesigan Govender’s appeal against his conviction for the 2003 murder of 18-year-old Ashwin Maharaj.  Govender, 27, claimed he had shot and stabbed Maharaj in self-defence.

He told the Durban High Court during his trial last year that Maharaj and two other youngsters had attempted to steal Hindu deities and jewellery from the temple outside his Kharwastan home.

He said he fired shots in the dark and recognised Maharaj as a neighbour only after switching on the lights.
However, according to ballistic experts, most of the shots were fired when Maharaj was in a sitting position.
Judge Shyam Gyanda described Govender’s testimony as “unsatisfactory” and handed down a life sentence.

Defence advocate Gideon Scheltema applied for leave to appeal and Govender was granted R50000 bail.
While awaiting his appeal, Govender made a controversial religious film, Durga Maa, in which he played the central character.

In the movie, which outraged Hindu leaders, Govender re-enacted parts of his court case.
The movie also contained visuals of animal slaughter and showed the priest smoking dagga and drinking alcohol.

Govender, who was not present at his appeal this week, must hand himself over to police within seven days.

Judge Hurt questioned whether there had been a struggle, in view of the injuries to Maharaj.

“I respectfully adopt the reasoning that there is no possible explanation in the evidence which shows why the deceased sustained multiple injuries,” he said.

The murdered teenager’s family burst into tears when the judge announced his decision.

His father, Indar, said that he was happy justice had finally been served after five years.

“He was our baby and such a saint. I am glad that Govender will finally be behind bars. Our lives have been tainted far too much by this man,” he said.

The Times, Teneshia Naidoo, Aug 22, 2008

Ramesh Hanumant Gadkari, 50, and Mangesh Dinakar Nikam, 34

Mumbai: Two Hindu “terrorists” were arrested today for allegedly planting bombs at theatres, prompting the Maharashtra chief minister to say this had shattered “the myth” that all bombers came from a particular community.

Ramesh Hanumant Gadkari, 50, and Mangesh Dinakar Nikam, 34, are accused of targeting shows of Ashutosh Gowariker’s film Jodhaa Akbar and a Marathi play that is a spoof on the Mahabharat. They are charged with two blasts that injured several people and an attempted bombing.

Police said the duo were members of the Sanatan Sanstha and the Hindu Jana Jagruti Samiti, organisations involved in protesting “denigration” of Hindu religious icons as in, allegedly, M.F. Husain’s paintings.

“These (the bombings) were definitely terrorist acts as they were carried out by people motivated by an ideology,” said Hemant Karkare, chief of the anti-terrorist squad that nabbed the accused.

“The arrests? have broken the myth that persons belonging only to a particular community are involved (in blasts),” chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said.

Those arrested were produced before the Mazgaon court and sent to police custody till June 24.

According to information collected by the ATS, the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti was formed by Dr Jayant Athawle in 2002. It has protested against three major issues ? paintings of Hindu deities by M F Hussain, the Marathi play Yada Kadachit now called Amhi Panchpute, and the movie Jodhaa Akbar.

“Their sphere of activities extends into the hinterland. While we do not have evidence to directly link them to the Bajrang Dal or the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, they have protested together on occasions,” said Karkare, denying any link between the two accused and the Nanded blast and adding that all three were ‘clearly terrorist acts motivated by ideology’.

The ATS has indicated that more arrests are likely to follow in this case. “Gadkari and Nikam are full-time sevaks for Sanatan for the last three years. Their links with any terror outfit is yet to be established. Nikam taught Gadkari about bomb-making and one of the two bombs was manufactured within the premises of Sanatan Ashram,” said investigating officer B B Rathor. Nikam had provided a detonator and explosives to make the bomb.

The police got the clues from the number of the motorcycle used by the bombers. The licence number was entered in the log book of the Thane theatre’s parking lot. “We have got evidence of their involvement and are looking for at least half a dozen accused in this case,” said Param Bir Singh, additional commissioner of ATS.

The Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, India, prior to its destruction in December, 6, 1992

Was it a mere coincidence that the Babri mosque was demolished on December 6? Of course, there are strong reasons to believe that the event was not an act of spontaneous mob frenzy but rather an outcome of a high-level conspiracy. No wonder the issue was utilised by the Sangha Parivar to generate communal euphoria across the length and breadth of the country. Moreover, this euphoria was manufactured and nourished sequentially and saw its logical culmination in the ultimate levelling of the mosque. However, the pertinent question is: what drove the saffron forces to chose this particular date for their heinuous act? What was so especial about this particular date that it overrided all other options in the 366 days of that year (1992 being a leap year)? A scrutiny of this question, I posit,would unveil the true character of Hindu communalism or Hindutva completely.
As we are all aware the class struggle between the exploiters and exploited sections continues unceasingly in all human societies. Though at certain critical junctures in history this struggle manifests itself in violent forms most of the time it is fought unabated at the psychological level. This psychological war is fought between the collective/folk memory of the people and the institutionalised memory of the oppressors. The strategy of the ruling classes everwhere and at all times has been to efface this folk memory of the people which is nothing but an historical record of the resistance offered by the people and their heroes to the powers that be. Of course, the oppressors are aware that the oppressed sections get more agitated listening to the tyranny meted out to their ancestors than the fact of actual oppression that they face themselves. Hence the powerful use all the instruments at their disposal to erase this collective memory—from the organs of the state to all the institutions of indoctrination (education) and propaganda (media/cinema). They are also often successful at that.

On the other hand the subject classes strive to eternalise this collective memory by bequeathing it to the successive generations through its own literature, culture, art and folk traditions. In our own times the autobiographies being penned by Dalit authors exemplify this best. They also celebrate and observe the decisive dates in their history or those associated with their leaders (their birth and death anniversaries for instance) to keep the flame of their cause alive. How this memory of tyranny unleashed against their ancestors inspires the oppressed to do something remarkable can be glimpsed in one of the statements by Vivian Richards, a reknowned Black cricketer from Antigua in West Indies. Richards, as we all know, was not only a sportsman par excellence but also a vocal crusader against racial injustice. He once said:

Every member of my team is haunted by the memory of white oppression faced by our ancestors for centuries. When we bowl lethally at them or bat explosively it is as if we are extracting revenge from them for those misdeeds and consequently restoring prestige for our race.

Hence, we can see how this collective memory often acts as the chief weapon in the armoury of the oppressed sections. However, there are certain memories which the powerful can never erase despite their best efforts. In such cases they take recourse to adulterating this memory and channelising it for their own nefarious ends. I contend that on December 6, 1992 when the Babri mosque was razed to the ground similar efforts were made. But I will come back to it later. First a few words on the true character of Hindutva.

The paramount feature of the Hindu faith is the caste system. Moreover, the ideology of Hindutva only nurtures and sustains this system. In Gita, which is accorded the highest place in the corpus of Hindu scriptures, God animated as Krishna states that the varna system is His creation. Besides, all the scriptures of Hindu faith unequivocally support the caste system. It can be further asserted that those sitting pretty at the top of the varna hierarchy have their dominance, superiority, privileges, heaven, salvation, or for that matter everything, secure so far as the varna system operates. How the superiority of the twice-born and their social, political, economic and cultural hegemony can be perennially maintained seems to be the primary concern of the sanatana dharma. Otherwise why do proponents of Hindutva go berserk on the question of 27% reservation for the Other Backward Classes (OBC’s)?

The real history of India is yet to be written. The central role of the struggle against the caste system in the historical development of this land has not yet been rigorously investigated. This will only become a reality once the Dalit-Bahujan masses undergo a process of cultural revolution or, dialectically speaking, it is the very writing of this history that will inaugurate the cultural revolution for Dalit-Bahujan masses.

The history of India is an account of the struggles against the caste system. The emergence of Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism or the influx of Islamic and Christian faiths and their acceptability would not have been possible but for the caste system. One may also propose that it is this very exploitative system which is responsible for the historical stagnation of the productive forces and development of knowledge and science in this country. This historical stagnation was however, consciously or otherwise, arrested by the advent of the British colonial state. In this respect the formulations of Karl Marx, Raja Rammohun Roy and Jotiba Phule bear remarkable similarity. In the mediaeval ages many a dalit-bahujan took a sigh of relief at the demolition of the Hindu temples by the Muslim invaders as these temples were also centres of social power parallel to the state. In these temples the entry of shudra-atishudra was prohibited quite unlike the mosques, churches. gurudwaras or monasteries which were more or less open to general masses and they could pray there collectively without a thought of high and low pervading the sacred premises. Even during the heydays of the struggle against British colonialism the banner of revolt against social imperialism was hurled high by people like Jotiba Phule, Narayana Guru, Periyar, Shahuji Maharaj and Babasaheb Ambedkar. Organisations like Bihar’s Triveni Sangha multiplied in all parts of the country.

The developments since Independence also narrate the story of this struggle—the protagonists being Dr. Rammanohar Lohia, Karpuri Thakur, Kanshiram, Annadurai, BP Mandal and VP Singh.

The anti-caste proclivities received a great boost when VP Singh government announced its decision to implement the Mandal Commission recommendations. In the wake of this move by VP Singh the challenge posed by Dalit-Bahujan masses to the caste elite multiplied tenfold times. Thus they unleashed the genie of kamandal to counter the politics of Mandal. Advani subsequently stormed the nation on his ‘Ram-rath’ leaving behind a trail of blood whereever the rath crossed. When Laloo Prasad finally arrested him BJP withdrew support from the VP Singh government thereby ‘chastising’ him for attempting the unpardonable. Communal polarisation and galvanisation by the Hindutva forces gained momentum resulting in the ultimate demolition of the Babri mosque. No wonder, the ‘Brahmin’ and Brahminist Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao kept himself busy with an afternoon siesta on a wintry day and by the time he woke up the mosque had been razed to the ground.

There seem to be many reasons behind the demolition of the mosque. First, to counter the influence of Mandal by the valour of demolition. Second, to transform the feeling of defeatism plaguing the Hindu psyche due to repeated defeats at the hands of invaders (a consequence of the divisive caste system one may add) into a feeling of glory. Third, to dilute the social contradictions and varna struggle arising out of the assertion of the dalit-bahujan masses by a wider Hindu resurgence and unity. Fourth, the consolidation of the Hindu vote bank by arousing communal passions for BJP in order to achive the ideal of the so-called Hindu Rashtra and so on. However, when we investigate the reason behind a particular choice of date (December 6) we are informed of at least one more reason.

In the twentieth century the major challenge to Hindutva has been indisputably presented by Dr. BR Ambedkar. This challenge, albeit political at first sight, is largely an ideological one. Along with Ambedkar two other names can be shortlisted for having contested Hindutva effectively—namely, Ramaswamy Naicker (or Periyar) and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia. It is unfortunate that Periyar’s influence remained restricted to South India only. Lohia’s slogan pichda pawe sau mein sath (let the backward bag sixty out of hundred) effectively challenged the political power of the proponents of Hindutva. The process of social change and consciousness we witness in North India today, especially in UP and Bihar, would have been scarcely possible without the contribution of Lohiaite ideology. However, one can surely find grounds to critique the contradictions and inconsistencies in his thought regarding Hindu religion, philosophy and tradition. Despite his powerful slogans this lacuna in his thought severely hampers the march of the caravan of social justice towards any meaningful destination. A harmonious integration of Lohiaite and Ambedkarite ideology is therefore imperative to give the much required edge to the politics of social justice.

The Saffron brigade trembles when it hears the names of Ambedkar or Periyar. Afterall, it is they who have bitterly exposed the reality of Hindu faith and have established beyond doubt that this faith is nothing but Brahmanism or the varna system. Both urged their followers not to stop before the complete destruction of this religion. While Periyar swithched to atheism for this purpose Ambedkar advocated disowning of Hinduism and adoption of Buddhism respectively. It is another matter that even Buddhism is silent on the concept of  God.

Despite being a constitutionalist Dr. Ambedkar often finds a pride of place in the league of the world’d greatest revolutionaries. He stood up to combat a system that had been reigning undeterred in this country for the last three thousand years. He could not have urged the voiceless and powerless untouchables leading a life worse than animals for attempting an armed insurrection. That is why he was a constitutionalist. By investigating meticulously the Hindu religious scriptures and authoring powerful tracts (like Riddles in Hinduism, Annhilation of Caste and Revolution and CounterRevolution in Ancient India), and, also by such powerful symbolic gestures like setting Manusmriti on fire and articulating and voicing the concerns and demands of the untouchables in various round table conferences, he laid bare the hypocrisy, contradictions and inhumanity of the Hindu religion and society in front of the whole world. He did not even deter from engaging in a vitriolic polemic and conflict with a personality like Gandhi in order to secure an independent identity and place for Dalits in the Indian political landscape. On the one hand he managed to pocket a few concessions for the dalits by making his way into the Constituent assembly, on the other he also criticised the Indian Constitution on various counts in no uncertain terms. When he became the first law minister in independent India, he strived and struggled to ameliorate the condition of Hindu society, and especially the pitiable condition of its women, by drafting the ‘Hindu Code Bill’ and making efforts to get it passed in the Parliament. However, his efforts came a cropper due to the influence of fanatic Hindus in the Congress party and government which were against modern and radical reforms. Now he saw no point in continuing as a member of Hindu society. During all these years he had been postponing the actualisation of his call to leave Hindu religion that he gave twenty years back. All this time he had been genuinely working at reconciliation with his adversaries. But now he could take it no longer. He converted to Buddhism with lakhs of his followers and reestablished the faith that had been exiled from the country of its origin some fifteen centuries back due to the inexcusable crime of challenging the caste system. In other words, Dr. BR Ambedkar now donned the mantle of a modern Buddha.

Until the day the Indian society liberates itself from the tentacles of the caste system his legacy shall continue to inspire the dalit-bahujan masses. It would be a parochial stance if we recognise Ambedkar only as a champion of shudras-atishudras. He is the leader of all Hindus because his primary concern was to liberate the entire Hindu society by breaking innumerable divisive caste walls. The path of liberation, for a Brahmin as well as a scavenger, from this inhumane caste system is ingrained in the theoretical insights of Ambedkar.

This is the only reason why Dr. Ambedkar’s life, actions, thoughts and struggle pose such a great challenge for Hindutva. His ideology is a guide to action for th dalit-bahujan masses. However, the efforts to destroy his legacy continue to proliferate. It is to meet such sinister objectives that books like Worshipping False Gods are written by Saffron theoreticians like Arun Shourie. Surely, for them a memory which cannot be erased, a legacy which cannot be vanuished can be surely mitigated by aduleration, illusions and sleight of hand pure and simple.

On December 6, 1992 when the nation was observing the death anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar, the Sangha Parivar was engaged in demolishing the Babri mosque with the aid of thousands of its cadres and supporters. A countervailing ‘Hindu glory’ was being forged opposed to Dr. Ambedkar’s memory. Hindutva was making unholy inroads into the dalit-bahujan psyche generally permeated with Ambedkar’s legacy till then. An intense psychological war was witnessed which was no less lethal or violent than the organised and frequent pogroms against dalits and Muslims.

One may well ask why was Ambedkar’s birth anniversary (14 April) not chosen as a date for demolition? The answer is simple. In comparison to his death anniversary his birth anniversary is widely celebrated with much vitality and grandeur. It would have been a risky proposition because then their anti-Ambedkar ideology would have been brought out into broad daylight. They could not have afforded such a big risk at that time. Babri mosque is afterall not the last mosque to be levelled. There are other mosques on their hit-list as well. Whenever they find themselves powerful enough to take such a risk they will show the temerity to do so. Why only Ambedkar there are many other icons that give sleepless nights to the Hundutva forces.

In the end, the explanation rendered above is purely theoretical. No concrete proof was available for this assumption. However, later I happened to discover a somewhat similar proof in some extracts of Malay Krishna Dhar’s book Open Secrets: India’s Intelligence Unveiled published in Outlook (Hindi, 7 Feb 2005):

On 25th December K. N. Govindacharya called me on phone and expressed his desire to come over for dinner to my house along with two of his friends…After dinner the conversation continued till midnight. I shivered from what I got to learn from my friends. They gave me sufficient indications that the Sangha Parivar was not obverse to the demolition of the mosque and putting in its place a temple-like structure…Why only December? I asked. Gurumurthy promptly replied that I should read history once again. Did not Mahmud Gaznavi destroy Somnath temple on December 1025?

It is strange that the author did not ask why only on a particular day in December. It is also possible that the author may have asked the question and would have been promptly replied back that because it is the death anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar, and that he did not share this part of the conversation with his readers for the fear of completely unmasking the mindset of the saffron brigade..Who knows?

Prakashanand Saraswati was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service on Thursday afternoon at Dulles Airport and was being held in Alexandria, Va., according to the Hays County sheriff’s office.

“He’s waived extradition, and arrangements are being made to bring him back to Hays County,” sheriff’s office spokesman Leroy Opiela was quoted as saying in an Austin American-Statesman online report Friday.

The charges stem from an investigation that began in August, sheriff’s officials said.

According to his indictment, Saraswati, known as “Shree Swamiji” to his followers, is accused of groping two girls who were under age of 17 at the time on several occasions between 1993 and 1996.

A spokesperson for Saraswati and his Barsana Dham temple did not immediately return a call Friday to The Associated Press.

The Barsana Dham center is located in a rural part of Hays County on the outskirts of Austin. Society members have been living at the 200-acre ashram, or spiritual retreat center, since 1990, practicing Saraswati’s philosophy of “divine love consciousness” based on ancient texts common to Hinduism.

The center’s Web site says Saraswati was born in 1929 in India and that he traveled the world before establishing the Hays County temple. It was designed as a representation of the holy land of Braj in India, according to the Web site.

Barsana Dham is the first Hindu temple of Austin, Texas. Today, Barsana Dham is one of the largest Hindu temples in North America.

© 2008 The Associated Press, April 25, 2008

The newborn boy of Maya Devi, 28, died Wednesday due to lack of medical help minutes after being born outside the maternity wing of Kanpur Medical College in northern Uttar Pradesh state.

Devi was only put in intensive care after giving birth but she died of a heart attack early Thursday morning.

Several doctors, including the hospital’s chief medical superintendent, had refused to touch her or provide medical care as she delivered her baby, the Press Trust of India reported.

Devi was a Dalit, or “untouchable”, a group at the bottom of the caste social ladder who have long been ostracised and forced into menial professions despite laws banning discrimination. Many high-class Hindus fear coming into contact with them.

Dr Kiran Pandey, head of gynaecology at the hospital, told AFP she was an hour’s drive away in state capital Lucknow at the time and rushed back.

“We provided her the best medicines and treatment but she succumbed to two cardiac arrests,” Pandey said.

College principle Anand Swaroop has ordered an inquiry, as has a district magistrate.

The state’s chief minister, Mayawati, who won elections last year, has ordered the doctors to be suspended and demanded an investigation.