Periyar used to stress that castes are stronger than religions. Religions are subject to changes and easy eradication too, but caste menace is a deep rooted evil. To annihilate castes is therefore difficult, though not impossible. In his editorial on 3rd November, 1929 in ‘Kudi Arasu’ weekly he explained how and why castes are stronger than religions. The excerpts from this significant editorial are as follows:
Outdated religious scriptures say that castes are birth-based but religions are considered principles. None of the followers of a religion would ever say that their religion is birth based. Hence, people change their religion easily by conversion but their caste never undergoes a change. It stays for ever as an indestructible evil. Any individual can opt for change of religion. Religious conversions are accepted as the right of every individual, but people adamantly cling to their caste. Therefore it exists in society as something imperishable, indeed.
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Graded inequality
Fanatics divided people by placing them into five castes – the upper caste Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vysyas, Sudhras and the Panchamas. A Hindu can convert himself as Christian but a Sudhra can never elevate himself as a Vysya or a Kshatriya. This makes it clear that one can change one’s religion but not one’s caste. Some people are forced to convert themselves from one religion to the other, but have we ever heard of a Sudhra forcibly converted as a Vysya or Kshatriya? This indicates that castes are all a stronger evil compared with religions.
Numerical Strength
Statistics tell us that 55 crore people follow Buddhism, a system of thought which was born nearly 2000 years ago. Christianity too is almost 2000 years old with a population of about 50 crore. Islam was born 1300 years ago and today it comprises 23 crore people. The origin of the Hindu religion is not known clearly but it has today nearly 20 crore people. The numerical strength of the Jews is about one crore. The Jewish religion is older than Islam, Christianity and Buddhism as per statistics available. Nearly 17 crore people exist today whose religion is not known. We can therefore say that religions are as per the choice of individuals or by the propaganda of various religious leaders and promoters. Many more new religions may also crop up in future and people of various religions today may convert to those new religions tomorrow. This makes it crystal clear, religions of people are subject to changes and also a return but castes stay forever.
Unconvincing explanations
Social reformers keep saying that they strive to annihilate castes and establish an egalitarian society causing universal brotherhood. Why don’t they come forward to annihilate religions that were born as principles and policies? I do not understand what prevents them from bringing about unity among people through annihilation of religions? This can also pave the way for universal brotherhood, can’t it? The so called volunteers of social reform are unable to offer convincing reasons for their hesitation. Their evasive explanations are getting rejected by our ability to reason and our progressive outlook.
Religions have caused innumerable crimes and robberies all over the country. Religious fanatics pounce upon one another leading to violence and bloodshed. Clashes sprung from religious affinity cause social unrest and disharmony. Religious fanatics perpetrate persecutions resulting in diasporic migrations and dislocations of innocent people. Huge amounts are wasted in an attempt to conserve religions in various ways. Besides, waste of precious time, man power and energy are also matters of grave concern for us.
Voice of Protest
Compared to the census fifty years ago, there is a drastic decline in the numerical strength of Hindus but a steep rise in the population of Islamists and Christians. This indicates that millions of Hindus have converted to other religions unable to tolerate the outdated codes of conduct imposed on them by religious fanatics and ancient spiritual fables. Most people have willingly converted to escape foul restrictions and crazy rules of behaviour. They have also realised that other religions spend their funds on public welfare schemes which is rarely heard of in their own Hindu religion. They are obviously vexed by mismanagement of temples and the corruption they find all around. We have been in favour of religious conversions. Religious fanatics have written 15 letters so far, condemning us for being in favour of conversions. Letters voicing protest have come from Burma, Malaya, Colombo and also from many states in India, but we are unperturbed. Our fight against religious fanatics will continue until we succeed.
Religious persecutions have forced many people opt for conversions. None of the self-appointed guardians of Hindu religion has shed even a drop of tear for the persecuted people. Castes are of course a stronger evil. Let us try to annihilate it gradually but give top priority to reform the fanatics who are knee-deep in maladministration, under the guise of conserving their religion. Our dream is to see people abandon and discard religion. This can be achieved only by over all social transformation.
Dawn break after Dusk fall
Islam is against idol worship. It insists on unity, equality and brotherhood. People who convert themselves to Islam find dawn break after the dusk fall. Islam has spread widely today in places like Turkey, Afghanistan, Egypt etc. These countries are striving boldly for social reformations and achieving tremendous success. In our country we still find atrocities such as “untouchable, unseeable and unapproachable”. Our people are unable to enter the “sanctum sanctorum” of temples though they were all built by them. If a man with six senses gives up his Hindu religion and converts, I shall call it a wise decision because I insist at all times on social justice. All other aspects are of secondary importance.
Double Trouble
Caste annihilation task cannot wait until religious annihilation task is accomplished. Hence, both should be going on simultaneously. We have to wait and see which one gets completed first. I feel that the sufferings of a scheduled caste individual would not end overnight even if he renounces his Hindu religion. His caste would still keep him untouchable, unseeable and unapproachable. But he would be treated equally in society if he converts to Islam or Christianity. Religious conversion would thus delink a person from caste based atrocities, disparity and discriminations. Islam and Christianity do not quarantine people as untouchable, unseeable and unapproachable.
Religion and caste are double trouble for us. Our aim is to eradicate both, besides abolishing superstitions. This objective makes us commend people who convert to Islam or Christianity. People who have realised the ploys, strategies and gimmicks of brahmins would certainly support us. They would find our stand justified.
We have commended the Bill that abolishes child marriages but our rivals are seriously striving to defeat the Bill. They are busy founding new outfits and forums to stop the ratification of the Bill. They are trying to promote child marriages through newspapers. Monetary contributions are being collected in order to start publishing new newspapers for propagating their views in favour of child marriages. By collective efforts we must abolish child marriages forever.
We have been striving not only to annihilate religion and caste but are involved busily in various other tasks such as temple entry, women empowerment, self-respect marriages, equality, upliftment of the downtrodden, reservations, communal representation etc. We have been receiving anonymous letters from rivals threatening to assassinate us. There is a lot of mud slinging, fake news, false propaganda. We are facing all the challenges, obstacles and hurdles bravely and patiently.
People who are in proximity can understand our difficulties. Those who are for away from us have to observe and realise the truth. People who look at us from a distance are likely to misunderstand us by the impact of false propaganda in newspapers of our opponents. Ultimately, truth would triumph. We would be free one day or the other from religion and caste. Times have changed rapidly. The day is not too far when our dreams would come true. We people work hard. Those who hardly work, may ridicule us. We should ignore small people and keep going.
Source: ‘Kudi Arasu’ – 3rd November 1929
Translated by : M.R.Manohar
