Caste Census: ✓
"Hindava Sahodara Sarve" [All Hindus are born of the same mother (hence related to each other)]
"Hindu Na Patito Bhavet" [No Hindu can be fallen (or is untouchable)]
THESE two slogans were raised by Hindu sants (saints) and scholars at the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's (VHP) first Dharma Sansad in Allahabad in 1966. Several resolutions were passed unanimously at this conference and the second one in Udupi in 1969. The two declarations were endorsed by all the Shankaracharyas present at these two conferences. This was the most revolutionary call to Hindu society in hundreds of years.
The VHP was founded in 1964 in Sandipani Ashram of Swami Chinmayananda-who was one of the founders of the organisation-in the presence of Shri Guruji, the second Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) sarsanghchalak.
I can say with confidence that this is the only organisation affiliated with the RSS that rose to prominence due to the direct influence and intense groundwork of Shri Guruji. He could persuade hundreds of religious heads of all the major sampradayas, sects and religions born in Bharat to come on one platform and agree to the call of treating every Hindu as a brother, a member of the same family; and eradicating the idea of untouchability. It was path-breaking.
There are many examples of how Shri Guruji discouraged organisations based on caste or customs and rituals that were outdated and those that discriminated against any section of society. He would gently chide acharyas and sants who urged him to enforce outdated rituals and practices that perpetuated casteism.
Denne historien er fra September 21, 2024-utgaven av Outlook.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9500+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September 21, 2024-utgaven av Outlook.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9500+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The Art of Leaving
Saying goodbye to the public arena is no easy call to make
Mortar Memory
Along the quiet stretches near the border and the Line of Control in Jammu, a fragile calm once held sway, until the sudden thunder of heavy mortar shells since May 7 shattered it
Borders on the Boil
Whether it is Pakistan, China, Bangladesh or Myanmar, the unfinished business of history haunts the region every day
Neighbourhood 'Frisk' Policy
India needs to relook at Bangladesh as it partners with China to rebuild World War II air bases
Fields of Nowhere
MYAJLAR is one of the last towns on the Jaisalmer border, which, at 464 km, is one of the longest that India shares with Pakistan.
Brittle, Bitter Borders
In the marshlands of the Rann of Kutch, where the border is invisible yet hotly contested, belongingness becomes tentative
Red Fade
Since the regime change, something has been changing in Chhattisgarh. With top Maoist leaders killed, the remaining are insisting on a ceasefire or peace talks. The state must make the most of the situation
Sir Creek and Adam's Bridge
With the recent military standoff between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that claimed the lives of 26 people, the Indo-Pak border region with its long history of tensions is once again in the limelight.
Lines Drawn in Blood
In villages caught between two nations, memory and fear shape everyday life. The land is under floodlights, children are sent away in silence, and home is a place one must keep returning to
Maps and Minds
Maps have divided transnational ethnic groups Nagas, Zos, Bhutias, Bengalis and Nepalis, among others, but the Naga or the Zo mind does not accept the boundaries on government maps
