A week after the gruesome Pulwama suicide attacks, on 20th February, was the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji, one of, if the not the, greatest military military strategists cum leader that India has produced.
Prime Minister Modi’s leadership and actions in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack has a lot of parallels with celebrated Pratapgadh encounter between Shivaji and the Adilshahi General Afzal Khan, in terms of comprehensive strategy, successful military action and decisive leadership.
First, is the appreciation of the asymmetrical nature of the conflict. Afzal Khan had more than 50,000 well trained cavalry and infantry backed by more than 1000 musketeers and 80-90 cannons. Against that Shivaji’s forces numbered less than 15,000 in strength. The Kashmir conflict is classically asymmetrical with Pakistani army trained and heavily armed terrorists, not following any rules of warfare, fighting with help from civilian stone pelters against disciplined and restrained Indian security forces.
Second, is having a clarity of the objectives with a complete grasp of the situation and ground realities. Shivaji knew that his forces were vastly outnumbered and outgunned by the Bijapur army in open battle. He was clear in his desire to succeed, against all odds, rather than attain glorious martyrdom. PM Modi also displayed amazing clarity of thought. Post Uri surgical strikes were about revenge and boosting the morale of the Indian army. However the post Pulwama airstrikes inside Pakistan targeted the leadership and the foot soldiers of the Jaish-e-Mohammad to pre-empt future suicidal attacks, which would have been very demoralising for the security forces and the Indian nation.
More importantly, the airstrikes were designed to send a message to Pakistan and to the separatists in Kashmir of the Indian government’s willingness to take tough decisions and the ability to implement them successfully.
Third, is the display of nerves of steel in adhering to the defined political objectives and adoption of military strategy to achieve the objectives. Afzal Khan plundered Wai and Pandharpur, demolished temples and committed unspeakable atrocities on the civilian population to draw Shivaji down to the plains to fight and protect his people. In spite of very grave provocation, Shivaji refused to succumb to the pressure. Post Pulwama, clamour for revenge was rising by the day.
Modi took his time and gave a free hand to the armed forces and the security apparatus. This ensured adequate planning and intelligence for the successful execution of the operation. Paksitani overtures for trading India’s captured pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan, for de-escalation were outrightly rejected, notwithstanding “Kandahar” like attempts by certain sections of the Indian peaceniks to build emotional pressure.
Fourth, is the decision to engage with the enemy at the time and place of ones own choice. Shivaji forced Afzal Khan to meet at the foothills of Pratapgadh, a mountainous terrain surrounded by dense forests, to avoid giving Khan’s larger and better equipped forces, the opportunity of an open battle. The time and choice of targets of the Balakot airstrikes was well calibrated. Pakistan was hit in the least expected manner. But more important was the choice of the targets hit (terror camps) inside Pakistan. Sufficient for Pakistan army and leadership to be publicly humiliated but not grave enough for the Pakistan to have a ground for escalating the situation, since their military or civilian installations were not targeted.
Fifth, is the preparation for the aftermath of any military action. Shivaji had placed his men in the dense jungles around the venue of the meeting with Afzal Khan, to be prepared for any eventuality. His forces were kept in readiness for any hostilities, even if arising from an adverse outcome of the meeting with Afzal Khan. Similar care was taken by the Indian government. Fuel supplies in Kashmir military garrisons was quietly stocked up and additional para-military forces were sent to Kashmir to meet contingencies. The Indian armed forces were placed on full alert.
Sixth, is the preparation for any deceit by the enemy. Shivaji took precautions against potential deceit by Afzal Khan by wearing body armour, iron tiger claws and a concealed dagger. As borne out by subsequent events, these precautionary measures saved Shivaji’s life. It was speculated that Pakistan would not attack Indian military facilities since India had avoided doing the same. Nonetheless Indian armed forces were kept in readiness. The IAF successfully repulsed the subsequent Pakistani airforce attack on Indian military installations in spite of Pakistan Prime Minister talking of de-escalation.Last and most important is to drive home the advantage. After killing Afzal Khan, Shivaji’s forces attacked Khan’s army in surprise attacks and drove them out, capturing 23 forts and considerable war booty.
It is here that PM Modi has a long battle ahead. The declaration by the Indian Army representative that India will continue to act against terror camps and the arrests of Kashmiri separatists display a hitherto unseen resolve. PM Modi true to his style, will let his actions speak and time tell the story.
(The writer is a Chartered Accountant and a keen student of history and international relations)
As we celebrate International Women’s Day in the 21st century, the need for empowerment of women is an idea that everyone acknowledges as important. However, following up ideas and ideals with actions is of prime importance. In this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi leads the way.
The development of New India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken our nation to a different sphere. Sab Ka Saath, Sab Ka Vikas is not only the slogan by the government but is also reflected in their central working policy. Women led development is the main center of focus of the Modi government. Those days are gone where women were only considered to be good as homemakers, we have reached a point where Nari Shakti is driving the nation. But while doing so, women have managed to maintain the balance between their personal life and professional life. Throughout history, the central role of women has ensured stability, prosperity and development of nations.
The presence of women at the highest level of decision making speaks a lot about women’s empowerment. Modi’s Council of Ministers consists of 9 female ministers, of whom 6 hold the rank of Cabinet minister. This is the highest number of female Cabinet ministers in any Indian government in history. Two in the powerful Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Defence Minister, and Sushma Swaraj – the External Affairs Minister. Other Cabinet ministers are Maneka Gandhi, Harsimrat Kaur, and Smriti Irani.
The government’s Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, has witnessed an unprecedented success under the Modi Government. Sex ratio at birth improved in 104 identified districts and the programme has bridged the gender gap in enrolment rates. Along with this, the Sukanya Samridhi Yojana, launched in 2015, under which deposits are made in bank accounts of girls, for higher education, more than 1.26 crore accounts have been opened.
Women safety in India is a big concern. From India being famous for its tradition and culture, where women are given most respected place in the society, where women are given the place of Goddess Lakshmi, some cases of crime against women have changed the idea of safety. In order to improve the situation regarding safety and security, the Modi government has taken many steps- provision of Death Penalty for rape of girl child under 12 years and Minimum punishment for rape of a girl under 16 years increased from 10 years to 20 years.
In December, the Muslim Women (Protection of Right on Marriage) Bill, has passed in the Lok Sabha, to promote the rights of the Muslim women.
To provide integrated financial and support services, the Pradhan Mantri MUDRAYojana (PMMY) provides loans upto Rs. 10 lakh to the non-corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises. In which more than 74% of the beneficiaries are women. Over 9 crore women have benefitted jointly from Mudra & Stand-Up India.
In the last few years, India has witnessed change in the status and role of women in society. The approach has been changed, from being the subject of welfare, term has shifted to empowerment. It is not easy to change the perspective of the society overnight. Nevertheless, the Modi government has shifted focus from merely helping them to empowering them.
Please look at the below points in Glance how women’s are empowered in last 5 years.
Maternity leave for working women before 2014 was 12 Weeks now 26 Weeks.
Eighteen crore of the total Jan Dhan bank accounts belong to women.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), where 75% house owners are women.
Ensuring equality to Muslim women, Lok Sabha passes Triple Talaq Bill.
Free LPG gas connections and making their kitchens smoke-free. Over 6 crore free LPG gas connection distributed so far.
More than six crore toilets have been built to make sanitation safer and more accessible, directly impacting the health and dignity of women.
More than 1.30 crore accounts opened under Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme to ensure bright financial future of a girl child.
The provision of death penalty for rape of a girl child under 12 years is a landmark move to strengthen the safety and security of women.
Payout to Anganwadi workers from Rs.3000 to Rs.4500.
Payout to Anganwadi helpers from Rs.1500 to Rs.2250.
Double incentives to ASHA workers & free insurance of Rs.4Lakh.
Lt Bhavana Kasturi become the first female officer to lead the Indian Army’s Service contingent.
Women officers can now get permanent commissions in all 10 branches of the Indian Army.
It was the first time that the three wings of the Indian Armed Forces—the Army, Navy and Air Force—had an all-woman contingent each marching down Rajpath during republic day parade.
The contingents were 148-strong each, and led by Capt. Divya Ajith (Army), Lt Cdr Sandhya Chauhan(Navy) and Squadron Leader Sneha Shekhawat (Air Force) respectively on republic day.
From the birth of a girl to her education, her health, her employment, her motherhood, her financial independence and security, and her entrepreneurial aspirations, schemes like Sukanya Samriddhi to Mudra, Beti Bacho Beti Padao to Ujjwala many such schemes have brought by the central govt to ensure women’s participation in all the field.
For any little girl out there, new India is the place where she stands an equal chance to lead the nation, as much as anyone else. This, as Modi says, is not just women empowerment but women-led development. It is a matter of pride that women are increasingly playing a bigger role in the development of the nation, right from cities and villages up to Parliament. From the Panchayat to the Parliament, Indian women are playing a leading role in decision-making and strengthening the grassroots of our Democracy
Let us celebrate the birth of the girl child. We should be equally proud of our daughters. I urge you to sow five plants when your daughter is born to celebrate the occasion.
On March 6, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made two big announcements in Tamil Nadu. The first being naming of Chennai Central Railway station after Dr. MGR and the second being, the initiative to introduce inflight announcements in Tamil language as well in all flights to and from Tamil Nadu. The first announcement will certainly make the memories and contributions of Dr. MGR to Tamil Nadu and Indian politics everlasting and such move also would pave the way for everyone who enters Tamil Nadu by Rail route are welcomed to Tamil Nadu with the memories of MGR.
The second initiative, i.e., inclusion of Tamil language also for the inflight announcements in all Tamil Nadu bound flights is really a much bigger contribution to our land by the Prime Minister Modi. Such an effort would certainly make the Tamil language much more popular, glorious and cherish-able than what it is today.
The opponents are questioning what is so great about including Tamil language in inflight announcements and how that can be considered as a great contribution. When some movie dialogues and songs written by ‘someone’ can be treated as great contribution to Tamil literature, why not the real contribution of the Prime Minister to Tamil Nadu the opponents see with prejudice.
Any language become popular not based on how many literary works are being done in the language or how old it is but how frequently the language is being used, heard, spoken etc., only makes the language a living language. PM Modi has made the above announcements purely due to his love and passion for regional aspirations and love for all languages, especially the Tamil language.
Narendra Modi was a very successful and reformist Chief Minister of Gujarat before he became Prime Minister of India. He can be considered as a leader with the heart of Gandhi, head of Patel and teachings of Vivekananda, a divine incarnation in human form, came to Indian politics to develop India, end corruption and dynastic politics and achieve sab ka vikas.
Flight journey in India is always considered as the mode of commutation of rich and elite class. Therefore the dominant language used in most airports is English and due to less educated business community who are also using flight journey frequently; the Hindi language is also being used for announcements.
If we count the number of Tamil Nadu bound travelers versus Hindi speaking passengers, Hindi speaking travelers are going to be quite high and from that point of view, the Tamil language may not easily get the chance to be used as the language inflight announcements. But PM Modi considered to include Tamil language in the inflight announcements is largely because of legacy, age, tradition, glory and eternal value of Tamil language.
Tamil language has prospered mainly through Tamil spiritual scholars, philosophers and saints. Tamil language has gained its profundity and sublime value mostly due to the divine worship of Hindu gods that was being propagated by ancient Tamil scholars and philosophers. Unfortunately such great culture was totally destroyed by Dravidian politics by dividing the society into Aryan and Dravidian race and propagated hate politics, politics of negativity, anti-God sentiments, anti-Hindu, anti-Hindi feelings.
PM Modi is attempting to re-invoke the great Tamil tradition and its richness by popularizing the Tamil language at the global level so that the language shall remain eternal and glorious. PM Modi has given ‘Midas’ touch to Tamil language to regain its lost glory which was destroyed by Dravidian politics.
Hope the present generation and first time voters will recognize the importance of India’s security, development and sab ka vikas. A prosperous India, a prosperous Tamil Nadu as dreamt by Dr. MGR and Amma J Jayalalitha is possible only if PM Modi and AIADMK led NDA receive unconditional support from people of Tamil Nadu and India.
On March 2018, construction workers in Mannar uncovered skeletal remains while preparing to build a new outlet for the state, in place of its old building that had been demolished. From then more than 300+ skeletal remains of individuals have been unearthed, out of which around 30 where of children. The archaeologists had also found porcelain, ceramic and metal objects, in addition to some jewelry worn by the victims.
When asked by media, Professor Raj Somadeva, a forensic archaeologist from the University of Kelaniya near Colombo, who is leading a team of experts at the site said “The entire area can be divided into two parts. In one segment we have a proper cemetery. In the second part, you have a collection of human skeletons which have been deposited in an informal way”, he also added “According to my experience this is the largest mass grave ever excavated”.
Earlier this year six samples of different individual were sent to the Beta Analytics in Miami, Florida, USA for radiocarbon dating to determine the time periods in which the deaths occurred, the reports which were received were then submitted to the local court recently which indicated that the samples were from the year 1499-1719. This was the period from when the portuguese and the dutch arrived to Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and to the start of the colonial period.
This place in the recent past have been the battle-front which saw the armed conflict between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a militant group which was formed to create a independent Tamil state, Tamil Eelam, and the government. This conflict lasted for over 25 years, from 1983 to 2009, with an estimate of about 60,000-70,000 people dead more than 20,000 people identified as missing.
I hope you are doing well in your lives. Today is the 8th of March, the International Women’s Day. Today you will see people (specially Woke Feminist) posting pictures and stories with women. Google will change its doodle to something about women empowerment. Big corporate houses will put out videos about how women are getting equal rights and equal say in their organisation. Brand will make use of opportunity to promote their products. #WomenDay will trend across social media. Teenagers and youth will talk and discuss about it since it will make them look cool. There will be debates about it in schools and colleges and the next the day people will be back to their normal business.
Women over the years have come a long way and there is still a lot to be done to empower women and make them self-reliant, but still they have come a long way. There were times when women were oppressed, weren’t allowed to move out alone, they didn’t even had the Right To Vote (in Europe and USA).
Feminism was and is a good and powerful tool but the Left-Liberals have made it a weird thing. Till about a year ago, I was also a ‘Woke Feminist’. I also used to wish women on Women Day, post fancy stuff about how women are so strong and brave on social media. If you are thinking why I did so, the answer is because it looked ‘cool’ or more attractive thing to do. It felt good because I was a class 12th student, who was an average with his grades, averages with his looks, I didn’t had many friends and was in constant pressure to make myself more likable and attractive to the society and liberal world. Actually, that was the time when I realized how much of today’s youth is influenced by leftist propaganda.
Calling ‘Women’s day’ a propaganda might sound a bit harsh, but I don’t think it solves the real problem. Instead it just provides a platform to some brands to promote their products, some celebs to do some publicity, some TV shows to increase their TRPs and some digital content creators some views and clicks (including myself). By the way, there is a thing called ‘International Men’s Day’. Ever heard about it or do you know on what date is it?
Usually liberal celebs who show themselves as ‘Social Justice Warriors’ never even comment on issues of sexual harassment when some of their colleagues or friends are involved. These celebs get disappointed when their movies don’t do well and blame it on the patriarchal society. Radical feminists literally hate men and blame everything on patriarchy when things don’t go their way.
So, in the end just want to say that the real feminists or a strong independent woman doesn’t require a day for themselves so that they could be celebrated. There are many people who are doing great work but you might not have heard about them or read article on them, but yes, they exist.
By the way, ‘Happy Women’s Day’. Just wishing everyone so that no one can call me a women-hater.
A few months ago, I wrote an article on OpIndia explaining why I was considering not taking pains to come to India and vote for Modi. I will not go through those reasons again, and not because they cease to exist, but because the recent happenings in our country have convinced me that there is no alternative than having Modi at the helm at least for next 5 years. And I specifically say Modi, not BJP.
Sure, the BJP has been a bit blind in terms of supporting its supporters. On OpIndia itself, there have been many columns which have explained this in a very intelligent and lucid way. I will also not go into details about why some of the supporters of BJP are slightly unhappy with BJP. There is a feeling of not enough being done, especially when it came to certain issues like Kashmir, Ram Mandir and prosecution of the corrupts in the previous government. Modi himself admitted that one of his failures was that he never got an acceptance from the Lutyens crowd, when most of his supporters believed the views and non-acceptance of those biased, blind (to ground realities) and sugar-puffy self-declared intellectual scoundrels didn’t really matter. Like many, I was a bit disillusioned and hence had started to doubt if my support for Modi was worth it.
However, the Pulwama attacks, India’s response and the subsequent narrative of these anti-India hatemongers made me sit up and rethink what I had been thinking off late.
A democracy thrives on of difference of opinions. But when lies and anti-Indian agenda are peddled as opinions, the fourth pillar of democracy becomes more of a cancer than a pillar. The post air-strike narrative from certain sections of the media, the opposition and these intellectuals were not different from that of Pakistan. In fact, Pakistan used that very narrative to gain back certain advantage that it had lost on the world-scale. And certainly, I will not blame Pakistan for that. They did what was good for their country. However, what Congress and their cronies did was definitely anti-India. From not trusting the government, to not trusting the IAF to making false accusations. Its easy to fight an enemy who lives beyond the borders. It not easy to fight the Jaichands who live amongst you.
I do not mind when an honest take criticizes certain policies of Modi and his government because that is the essence of living in a free world. And frankly this government has not done badly on most of the parameters. Ministers in the Modi government such as Nitin Gadkari, Sushma Swaraj, Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal, to name just a few have set benchmarks for their successors. But when one and all come together to oppose one man who made sure that 5 years of his government did not see a single corruption scandal, something so unusual for someone like me who was born in the 1980s, it makes you wonder if they oppose the man for his policies or because another 5 years of him would make their existence completely redundant. It makes you wonder about the intentions of those in “opposition” who have transcended their hate for one man into a hate for the very country they live in and its culture.
So, yes! I will come back to vote for Modi. Sure, I can debate about his policies and his governance. Sure, I wish some motor-mouths in his government get a percent of his intelligence and his sense of duty. But most importantly, I cannot see my India fall again into the hands of those who would sell it until it would only live in the memory. This is the least I could do.
Abhinandan Varthaman is now the toast of the nation. His name is on the lips of our Prime Minister down to the road side tea vendor. Why are we like this? Only during war time or war like situation, we seem to remember our Armed Forces and feel proud of them. At normal times, we don’t seem to care. Do we?
There appears to be a cultural disconnect among us, as a nation, in our DNA, that we do not regard and respect our true heroes who guard our borders. We care for Bollywood and Kollywood heroes far more. Why?
There is an undeniable construct that men and women of defence forces are no different. They too join the services to eke out a living, just like any of us in the civil services. But there is a huge difference in their willingness to sacrifice their lives in the higher calling of national duty. Have we not heard derisive comments after Pulwama when 40 brave hearts of Central Reserve Police Forces that, “What is so unique about their killings? Did they not willingly join knowing fully well that they may die on duty and after all it is meant to be so for they get paid for it and may even be entitled to martyr’s pension and even solatium from Government/s”. How mean can we get?
And when mild hostilities broke out and Abhinandan exited from his MIG 21 Bison after downing an F-16 – if reports are true – on a chute and landed on the soil of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir side, our hearts swelled in pride even while agonisingly seeking his safe return. And when the video of his being thrashed and found with a bloody face, went viral, our rage knew no bounds. At the end of the day, when a video surfaced on Dawn, with his answering queries from a Pakistani Major with total confidence and dignity, while sipping ‘fantastic tea’, we prayed harder for his return.
His parents were quickly identified and his father found to be Varthaman – also an Airforce man and his mother a doctor and his wife a helicopter pilot, we were convinced that it was a true hero’s family, devoted to the cause of Bharat Mata.
Suddenly, social media was full of displays of public appreciation for personnel from the forces and persons offering their seats on public transport with ‘love’. What changed? Why did we never do it in normal times? Why is it not part of our normal practices? Why should tension with Pakistan alone trigger such acts?
One is not complaining about such expression of love and passion. Not in the least. It is most welcome. Surely for the better. The grievance is why do we not as citizens always regard and respect men and women from the defence services recognising their daring and willingness to sacrifice their lives and limbs, the highest sacrifice, for Mother India, so that we may all live our lives in peace.
Just look at the acts and conduct of those in the US of A, the oldest democracy to our largest. There is immense respect and regard for persons in uniform and a salute to their sacrifices to the country all the time, on a daily basis. When Donald Trump was found trashing his Republican colleague as not a hero in Vietnam, the late Senotor John McCain, Trump was visited with a tonne of bricks. Serving and retired personnel are always addressed by their official designations and all conversations start with thanks and commendation to their service to the nation. Thanksgiving is part of their DNA, it would appear.
And when body bags return from war fronts or from duty in service, there is a respectful mourning and the State goes out of its way to keep the families well cared for. News of demise in action is kept under wraps until the near and dear ones are put on notice first. They respect the privacy of the families of service personnel. We are so different and so distant from such practices and it is such a shame.
Solution. May be time for us to consider Drafting into the forces on compulsive mode to infuse the necessary dose of respect for the services. We need to be part of their lives as otherwise we run the risk being totally oblivious to their trials and tribulations.
Of course, the one genuine grouse of defence personnel is that civil division never respects their distinct services and treats them like any other in their parsimonious ways in the matter of grants. Why should 40 CRPF personnel have become sitting ducks, in Pulwama, on a Bus, when they could have been ferried on flights, which has now been allowed. Even in the matter of salaries and pension- One Rank One Pension included- there is no admiring recognition but only grudging concession. Why? Why? Why? Do we not need to change forever for better? And why wait for the capture and release of another Abhinandan please? Please.
(Author is practising Advocate in the Madras High Court)
As the evolutionists say, all of us have a survivalist instinct in us. We do anything to get food. Extending that instinct to the propagation of genes, we do odd things for sex too. And when society is brought in, social dignity is desired by all of us – almost at any cost. The concept of secrecy that is diluted to privacy which maintains our prestige is there, for all of us to see.
When people are suppressed, nearly all of these instincts are hampered. And when that happens, people resent and oppose the oppressors. But then, we are very complex animals and are not easily understood. The guiding principle, however, is ‘man is what he thinks’. If we are lead to believe that whatever is done to our folks is right, then, we tend not to do much against it. This is the reason why the faithful blame the ideology and the atheists blame the faiths. Painful life just continues. For example, many Indians did not bother about the British Raj till they were enticed, and French peasants were exploited for centuries till the time of the French Revolution.
However, it is said that you can fool some people for some time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time. That is, probably, why there have been many minor and major revolutions in the world, even since man evolved beyond the monkeys – borrowing knowledge from the evolutionist of course.
The Indian caste exploitation has all ingredients for a revolution
But then, almost like the Muslim’s surprise in the absence of Islamization of India like Persia or Egypt despite centuries of Muslim rule in India, or the Christian’s surprise of managing less than 2% of converts despite slicing almost half the Muslim’s time there, India offers a 3rd surprise in its caste system.
With it having high caste oppressing lower caste and practicing heinous untouchability, later ones being confined to their poor, unhealthy areas and misbehaved upon, and the rich Indologists constantly blaming Brahmanism and using the term Brahminical exploitation India had almost every ingredient for a revolution by the oppressed. Furthermore, there was no reason to believe that Indians were any different to the French or the Americans, who revolted against their oppressors. More importantly, these exploitations have been going on since God knows for how long. Several millennia. If nothing else, why not something like a reformation movement against the powerful Catholic Church?
The untouchables
Despite all that, all these centuries India showed no sign of a social revolution by the oppressed. While this is a major surprise, Indologists being busy with blaming Brahmanism (their thoughts ended there) but not even asking the question, ‘Why there was no revolution?’, is not less surprising. Yes, the obvious oppression is screamed about and despite all Indians projecting a united gene pool, ‘Dalits’ are made to replace the Dravidians in the AIT scheme of things. Even their origins in Africa are dragged in to explain the oppression. But, this is possibly the first time, when the reason behind the lack of a social revolution is questioned. And matching the surprise aired above, even answered.
But then, before we understand the caste system and blame Hinduism, we need to understand Hinduism sanctioned Varna system
The Hindu Varna System:
With us having a different race, gender, anatomy, an accident of birth and abilities, and varying even individually, whatever the communists might make us believe, we are not equal. We can only aspire for equal opportunity for all. But then, even when that is offered our aptitude can make us leave home for the search of God.
It is for this reason; Hinduism divides humanity into two groups:
1. Grihastha, the family group.
2. Sadhus, the hermit group, who leave family and seek God.While, reminding class struggle, the rest of the world saw society economically (financially and numerically) dividing people into three uneasy groups – upper, middle and lower classes – a system that is still adhered to in the UK, numerically adding one more yet seeing them as power centres and seeking a team work to produce a harmonious and progressive society, Hindu Varna system sought the coordination of four social powers – the Varnas.
The Varnas included the Brahmans (teachers), the Kshatriyas (rulers and defenders), the Vaisyas (traders and farmers) and the Sudras (the helping masses). These are not just arbitrary group names, but each has an inherent power (not necessarily economic) attached. For example, Brahman has the power of knowledge, the Kshatriya has of authority, the Vaisya has of wealth (who can forget the influence of Mr. Murdock on UK politics) and the Sudras have the power of the numbers (Who can forget trade unions?).
The caste hierarchy
Consequently, while it makes a healthy body symbolise the society, not forgetting the function and the inherent Varna power, it designates body parts to each Varna Rigvedic Purusha Sukta (RV 10.90.11–12). Thus, head/ brain represents the Brahman, arms the Kshatriya, torso or tummy the Vaisya and the legs as support represent the Sudras.
Varnas on human anatomy
This symbolism, however, says more. Since a body is healthy only when all organs function properly as a team, it denies Varna arrogance as ‘My Varna is greater.’ It rather highlights the necessity and therefore importance of all Varnas. Although a teamwork is seen, and it sounds like a commune working for an ideal, unlike in communism, Dharma dictates here.
It does not stop there; it narrates more rules to bring about, what it calls, an egalitarian society:
The Rules of The Varna System:
1. At birth all are Sudras.
2. Like doctors, lawyers, etc. these Sudras enter into any one of the educated 3 Varnas (Dvija), through aptitude aided training.
It, there was more acceptance than resentment. Even if they thought of a revolt, they were few, far in-between, uneducated and unaroused.
Well, with all that, revolution had no chance, and that is why it lasted so long. The rigidity is such that it is even finding it hard to go away today. Although things are changing now, Dalit Christians have petitioned in the UN against the Pope.
Dalit Christians protesting against the Church
3. Absolute power corrupts absolutely and brings about the arrogance that can’t be good for a healthy society. Since the addition of a 2nd Varna brings additional power, if not incompetence, the addition of the 2nd Varna power is frowned upon. A filthy rich Brahmin usurping two Varna powers, for example, is frowned upon.
4. Almost reminding the justice of some modern judges, it sees no equality in punishment. Tracing ‘uneasy lies the head that wears the crown’ and ‘he should know better’ a Brahmin gets harder punishment than a Sudra.
5. It is not purity based and, therefore, has no untouchability.
The Caste System- A Hindu Sin:
Although the caste system borrows the names – Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Sudra of the Varna system, the borrowing and the similarities with the latter end there.
Arguing unmarried men’s needs in the priests abusing kids, although some accuse Catholicism of enhancing paedophilia, it is not a Catholic teaching. Similarly, the caste system is not Hindu ordained. Instead, the casteism act goes against the Hindu teaching and thus become a Hindu sin.
But then, most Hindus do practice it. And strangely enough, even people of other faiths, including Muslims and Christians in India, practice it. The Catholic Church has even made it official and categorized churches for the untouchables.
In any case, the caste system is a social institution that is based on purity that adds untouchability to the four suggested above. It, therefore, is spoken of as the high caste and the low caste. Being birth based, a person is born into the caste of the father, and that remains unchanged, throughout life.
But then, with social corruption being the rule, even the 5 castes could not remain so. Each caste is divided into sub-castes. There could, for example, be several classes (sub-castes) of Brahmins. In addition, in the absence of the restrictions, a Brahmin could easily plough the field and still retain the caste by his birth i.e. Brahmin – albeit a lesser one. Lower caste marriage or other factors, however, could make one slide down in the caste ladder.
The rigidity not only made the lower caste people suffer, as suggested below but aptitude lead desire for a different caste job didn’t make even the high caste born enthusiast really happy.
In addition, while Sudras did not have access to the Vedas – the highest scriptures -the untouchable were simply not allowed to touch the others. It was not only that the latter’s body was impure to the higher caste people, what he or she touched was impure too. Water, the most important material, touched by them was a no for the rest. Although they were needed for menial and other jobs for the upper castes, being untouchable they had to live separately in a different place and with their own amenities. They and the lower caste people were poor, and violence against them was not uncommon.
Yes, done mostly by the higher caste people, India did have a political revolution and showing empathy for the ageless distress, they did make discrimination and untouchability illegal. They also offered reservation to what Gandhi called, the ‘Harijans’ (God’s children)
But the question, ‘Why there was no social revolution against the higher castes’ still remains. And the answer is surprisingly found in the understanding of the concept of middle-class in the economic class system.
The Middle-class Concept:
The Social five castes system has got nothing to do with the economic middle class, but surprisingly the middle-class concept of the economic three class system better explains it.
This is because, in the upper, middle and lower class tensions, while the upper class gets the joy of getting respect from all and seeing its paucity, the lower class gets used to giving respect to the other two, the middle class is in an odd and uneasy position. It looks like it is at war with itself. Because it has the means to have a comfortable living, it resents ways and the means of the upper class. But then, as a balancing act, it feels comfortable by the honour bestowed by the lower class.
This is why this ‘unstable’ and dangerously educated class is at peace with itself and therefore does not revolt against the upper class. It learns to live with the realities of life and is comfortable with the system. In fact, it takes a huge amount of indoctrination that is incidentally known to the communists, to make it revolt.
The Concept Aided Caste Stability:
This is amazingly applied to explain the caste system’s stability!!
It is simple, however. While the caste system has a hierarchy, sub-castes in each caste has its own hierarchy. Brahmins have it. Sudras are no exception, for they too have a similar hierarchy. Not known to many, even the untouchables have a hierarchical sub-castes!!
This means that almost as middle-class, while the Sudras have the upper three castes and their own caste’s upper sub-caste ones to respect albeit with resentment, they also have the untouchables and the lower Sudras sub-caste ones who had to give them the desired respect. It was the same with the untouchables too. Yes, like the middle-class, the untouchables would definitely resent the ways of the upper four castes, whom they were compelled to respect and not even touch, but they would regard their lower sub-castes e.g. scavengers as untouchables too!!
No Chance For a Social Revolution:
With almost unheard of love marriage not troubling the rigidly arranged marriage into the same sub-caste and the ‘man is what he thinks’ statement being so true, everybody accepted the concept of purity and the resulting ‘logical’ caste system. So, apart from the small groups of the highest sub-caste of Brahmin (who get respect alone) and the lowest untouchables (who had to respect all) all had the middle-class satisfaction and stability. In fact, all enhanced the adherence to it so much that despite it being illegal since independence, it is still practiced by many. Since the purity logic even made the lowest untouchables, who practically received no respect at all, find less reasons to oppose it, there was more acceptance than resentment. Even if they thought of a revolt, they were few, far in-between, uneducated and unaroused.
Well, with all that, revolution had no chance, and that is why it lasted so long. The rigidity is such that it is even finding it hard to go away today. Although things are changing now, Dalit Christians have petitioned in the UN against the Pope.
For more than 3 Years the pile of garbage kept on increasing in Lane No 2 of Jammu’s Kabir Colony. Broken lane and overflowing drains provided made matters worst. Repeated complaints to Jammu Municipality provided no help. The irresponsible officer responsible told the residents to follow-up on the file submitted for repair of lane.
Garbage Pile in Locality
Meanwhile residents continued to dump the garbage in a plot without realising the menace it was creating. Frustrated by inaction of Jammu Municipality, Youth from the locality cleaned the plot with own resources pledging a cleaner locality before Maha Shivratri.
Work by a Local Resident
Residents with no help of garbage collection by municipality started throwing the garbage again on the plot. However, this time things were different. Kids from locality with no playing grounds had decided to keep the plot clean for play. To teach adults the lesson and inspired by Swachh Bharat Kids decided to put up a Sign Board for adults. This sign board with a hope that they are provided a safe & clean environment to play.
Warning for Adults – By Kids
Jammu Municipality meanwhile continue to ignore the problem. With File still moving at a snail’s pace.
To know how India has transformed under Modi government since 2014, people of India need not debate or engage in great research but must visit the villages in remote parts of India to see the transformation in the behaviour of villagers in using toilets and abstain from open defecation practice.
The real transformation is not the rich becoming richer but how the life of the last man in the society has transformed, social status has been elevated, become aspirational, abandoned the old practices, become conscious about the health and hygiene and finally how people have been embroiled into the mission of sab ka vikas.
The reports of National Annual Rural Sanitation Survey (NARSS) has conducted an extensive survey between 2018-2019 and found that for about 93% of houses in rural India have toilet facility which was created by Modi govt. and 96.5% household are using them instead of following open defecation practice due to lack of toilets during UPA period. The data was quite amazing where nearly 93000 household being surveyed over 6136 villages in India.
Ever since PM Modi launched Swachh Bharat Mission, the above mission has not just changed but transformed people and changed their behaviour from grieving and enduring to aspirational and empowered.
The data show that 500 million people have stopped defecating in the open areas ever since PM Modi has launched the programme from the initial number of 550 million people before 2014 (that was during UPA period) and now only very small population remains in the transition stage and would soon move to toilet usage as the access has been created by this govt. Modi government has built 9 crore toilets over 5.5 lakh villages and in 615 districts in various states including union territory.
The above data show how India has transformed under PM Modi and how it was when India was ruled by a family or its syndicates. The transformation of the social status, dignity, privacy, health consciousness, awareness, aspiration, dream to touch higher goals in life and inclusion in banking system are the millstones BJP govt. has achieved for India.
PM Narendra Modi has followed the spirit and essence of what Gandhiji has said that the soul and heart of India lives in villages. Therefore the mission of New India must begin from our villages where every villager must have the basic facilities and infrastructure and only then a New India can be made. The development of India should start from villages where the villagers must have smokeless cooking facility, sanitation and potable drinking water, power, health coverage, better education and banking system. PM Modi has achieved all the above missions for poor people in villages.
Today millions of Indians in rural India operate their finance through banking system, conscious of savings, receiving the benefits of various government schemes directly into their bank account without any kickbacks being given to middlemen.
When PM Modi introduced one of the most ambitious health insurance schemes to poor people, many opposition parties questioned about its implementation part but PM Modi being a great visionary which most of the dynasty practicing politicians have not yet understood. When better living conditions are provided and awareness is increased and people are transformed, naturally the medical expense would decrease was the scientific prudence of the Prime Minister.
What, we the Indians see today is total transformation, behavioural change, aspiration, desire and dream of a better life, a New India and the India where development and sab ka vikas shall be the political and philosophical mission. PM Modi has proved time and again that he is not just focusing only on development and sab ka vikas alone but also will ensure the safety of India from enemies and terrorists.
Narendra Modi will do his best to save India, develop the nation and achieve sab ka vikas but every Indian also has a great responsibility to save India from the divisive, dynastic, corrupt forces.
The corrupt, dynastic forces are working overtime to spread lies, hatred and negativism to divert people from the mission of New India. The dream of New India can be achieved only if the Indians, especially the first time voters pledge their unconditional support to Narendra Modi to save India from the dynastic forces.
Take the transformation index of the average villager in India after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of India and how their life was during 50 years of congress rule. Even the basic sanitation facility (toilet), cooking gas, potable drinking water, health coverage, house to live were denied and neglected by congress government to poor villagers in the last 60 years.
Just in 5 years, Narendra Modi has transformed India and more to be done to make India a global economic power which PM Modi alone can achieve and definitely not the dynast.
