The editorial in the ‘Kudi Arasu’ issue of 13th September 1931 consists of Periyar’s views on the Indian economic policies and the measures required to bring our economy to a satisfactory level of perfection. The central idea of his thought is that the Varnashrama system must be annihilated to revamp Indian economy. The content of that editorial is as follows:
It is a known fact that as far as rich resources are concerned, India is in no way inferior to other countries in the world. The number of emperors, landlords and wealthy aristocrats in India is also almost equal to the number of such affluent people living there. Almost to that extent religious monks, heads of monasteries and influential millionaires too exist in India more or less equal to those in other countries. Hardly anyone is unaware of this truth. We equal other world countries even in trade and commerce. A large number of traders and businessmen are in our country as in other nations in the world.
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Agricultural wealth:
India has been reigning supreme even in the world of agriculture. Land owners here possess several thousand acres of cultivable land. Our irrigation facilities, water sources, farming methods, use of manures, handling of fertilisers are all really enviable compared to those of other countries. We excel in food production at all levels. In growing food our farmers are indeed unparalleled. This is a matter of pride for us.
We still have large segments of land that can be used for cultivation. With the passing of time, we would scale great heights in agriculture and overall growth of food production. All our resources are conducive for an amazing development in this sphere.
Further planning:
Inspite of our rich resources, there are some envious elements who still ridicule us as a country of paupers, snake charmers, slaves and rag-pickers. Progressive citizens must go ahead with proper planning to make this stigma vanish. People who really care for the glorious position of India, should think deeply and chalk out plans to get rid of the disgrace belittling us. We should make every other country look at us and admire it as a well-developed country – not an underdeveloped or even a developing country. This great task must be accomplished by our synergetic planning.
The first major problem is that all the rich resources listed above do not reach the common man. The social systems are not conducive enough for that kind of a reach. The two classes of ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ continue to exist. Only a few groups of people enjoy the resource wealth. The root cause of this social injustice is ‘Varnashrama’ system. It allots certain rights and occupations to certain groups depriving the rest of the groups, keeping them perpetually underprivileged. This vicious scheme of disparity prevents national resources wealth from reaching all the people equally. We need further planning to smash this obstacle.
Unplugged loopholes:
The malnourished people who are 90 per cent of the population do not get food beyond a restricted limit. They are denied even a little more. The cause of this dehumanisation is our defective economic policies and the unplugged loopholes in our system of administration. Most of the poor people here are unable to store for themselves any material beyond their restricted requirement. This cruelty has also been etched in the Manusmiriti that says that “storing much by a Sudhra is hazardous for a Brahmin!” This evil Smiriti further says that a brahmin can seize and grab by force all the excess material in the possession of a Sudhra individual. Manusmiriti permits brahmins to rob Sudhras of any of their possessions by any manner of their choice.
A Sudhra individual is indeed a slave and hence has no right to possess any material or wealth. There is evidence for this unjust code in various Hindu religious scriptures. By the word ‘Sudhras’ those fanatics implied hard working labourers. It was Varnashrama that paved the way for such crazy religious scriptures and fables full of myth. How are we to expect economic equality unless we annihilate the merciless Varnashrama system? This must be done for revamping all our economic policies and establish an absolute egalitarian society.
Indirect robbery:
During the British rule we had a little bit of relief from the evil Varnashrama codes. Robbing of ‘Sudra’ properties directly in broad daylight has not happened. May be fear of British laws made the upper caste coterie avoid direct looting. Instead, indirect robbery commenced in the form of temples, rituals, festivals, contributions, ceremonies with inevitable presence of Purohits and Brahmin priests etc; — 75 per cent of Sudhras exist as debtors throughout their lifetime, because of such indirect robbery.
Under some pretext or the other, brahmin priests extort and exploit helpless ‘Sudhras’. I am against Swarajya demand, since it is based on Varnashrama system. If that is achieved, the condition of our poor people would be like falling from the frying pan into the fire itself. Some leaders are bent upon bringing about ‘Swarajya’but their dream will never come true. We shall not allow it to worsen our Indian economy.
Family occupations:
Many of our leaders are in favour of imposing family occupation scheme on our people. They expect our children to study for a few hours in schools and spend the rest of their time in family occupations such as carpentry, locksmith work, blacksmith work, pottery, hair dressing, cobbler’s job etc; This evil scheme would only make the poor, the poorest of all. How can economic development be there in our country when some are advancing in life and when the others are lagging behind? A cobbler’s son need not lead his life as a cobbler. A carpenter’s son need not become a carpenter. We have to fight vigorously against this evil scheme to reform Indian economic arena.
Economic imbalance:
Most of the fanatics around us expect underprivileged people to live and perish as worms and insects. They do not want the downtrodden to move from rags to riches. Wicked plans are being hatched to crush the depressed people completely. How can we set right the economic imbalance, when we are not yet free from the chains of Varnashrama and Manudharma? For economic equality we must delink ourselves from these chains.
Other factors:
Besides all the hurdles described by me, there are some other reasons for the imbalance in Indian economy. On the surface level these reasons would not be clear. One has to probe into them deeply to decipher the deeper level causes. I would cite the blind beliefs of our people as the first and foremost cause. Gullible people think, human life itself is an illusion. They spend money lavishly on meaningless religious festivals and rituals in the hope earning the good will of Gods and Goddesses and getting in return a much more prosperous life in their next birth. How ridiculous this blind belief is! Exorbitant amounts are wasted over marriages and festivals by borrowing huge sums of money from money lenders. Naturally, their debts would multiply. How can such people achieve economic development at home?
There are crazy people who willingly suffer silently blaming their sins committed in their previous birth. They make no efforts to improve their economic status. Belief in heaven, hell and salvation keeps them in rags for ever. This idiocy is caused by adherence to Varnashrama, Manusmirti etc; Therefore, I strongly advise their annihilation.
There are several charity institutions where there is acute mismanagement of funds. Large sums of money are swindled and embezzled, duping the common public. The authorities concerned are not bothered about the large scale exploitation by such hypocrites. In my opinion, this is another cause of economic imbalance and crisis.
Erosion of Economy:
Many rich people have amassed wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income. This unaccounted wealth adversely affects the economic growth of our country. Gold bars, silver ornaments and various precious jewellery lie unused in the coffers of many charity establishments. Equal distribution of wealth is naturally hindered. Buying foreign goods benefit overseas countries. Our wealth is smartly eroded. Products manufactured by our people get stagnated. Taxes paid by us are misused. Small Scale Industries are not encouraged. Their losses grow in leaps and bounds. Working class people struggle for livelihood. Poor wages for hard labour strangulate our people. The Varnashrama or Manusmirti have never ever mitigated the sufferings of our people. Are these factors not behind the declining Indian economy?
Communism Vs Common Rights
Communism is different
from Common rights.
Communism indicates
symbolic equality for all in everything.
Common rights implies
equal availment in reality by
all the people in everything
– Periyar in ‘Kudi Arasu’ (1944)
Perpetual poverty:
Owing to all the causes, cited by me, there is everlasting poverty in most of the families in India. How are we to bring about economic reforms in society? Burning foreign clothes in public places, promoting handloom products and closing toddy shops alone are not the permanent solutions for major economic problems in India. We need productive remedial measures. Irrationality must be thrown overboard and a scientific outlook should be adopted.
The basic reasons for economic regression should be discovered and remedial measures must be worked out by formal discussion by the rulers and their ministry. We need productive and constructive action to stop further decline of Indian economy.
Short period protests on miscellaneous grounds would not yield fruitful results. Annihilating Varnashrama, Manusmriti etc; must be our first step for relief in all respects. Eradicating castes, superstitions, irrationally, social injustice, gender bias, inequality and dehumanisation are further steps to be taken by all of us.
The utterance of Periyar continues to the relevant even to-day-after be passing of 76 years independence (Swarajya). Yes. The present Modi Government is implementing a peculiar scheme. ‘Vishwarkarma’, encouraging people with bank loan assistance who come forward to continue and practice the respective family occupations, without bothering about their liberation from the family occupation – Editor.
Courtesy : ‘Kudi Arasu’ dt. 13.09.1931
Translated by : M.R. MANOHAR
