Mahatma Gandhi had succeeded in abolishing the untouchability from India.( ? )
Mahatma Gandhi had succeeded in abolishing the untouchability from India. ( ? )
Dear Ms. Dnyanada,
Greetings from Deepak!!
I really appreciate your continuous kind efforts to aware & sensitise the people by noble writing on value education through GOST DOT COM in Loksatta News Paper.
I have been continuously reading your short stories which gives different aspects everyday.
As usual last Saturday, I read one short story about Mahatma Gandhi & his contribution towards untouchables.
You have mentioned in your short story that Mahatma Gandhi had been always tried to abolish the untouchability from our cast based society.
And in next line, you have mentioned that Mahatma Gandhi had succeeded in abolishing the untouchability from India. ( ? )
I would like to kindly inform you that whatever as per my reading on Mahatma Gandhi & Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar,
Mahatma Gandhi had been always strongly promoted the hierarchical caste system and also supported to Chatur-Varna. On same time, he had delivered many speeches to show the sympathy towards the issues of untouchabilty. That means Mahatma Gandhi had played double standards about the issues of umtouchability. I believe that you must aware that our hierarchical caste system & Chatur-Varna are root cause of untouchability.
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar struggled in his whole life to get political and legal rights to ensure the social and economical upliftment of untouchables. But on the other hand Mahatma Gandhi had been always tried to put obstacles in efforts of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar to ensure the rights of depressed community.
It was very painful to read word “Harijan” in your short story. I think that you have not studied the origin of this word. It’s really unfortunate that after fifty years of independence, still the people like you are using such insulting word with the support of unrealistic philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi towards marginalized communities of India.
I kindly request you that please read carefully any opinion of Mahatma Gandhi prior to publish in such noble newspaper which has biggest circulation in Maharashtra.
Meaning of "Harijan"
“We know the meaning of the word "Harijan". It means bastard.”
Why in our opinion, "Harijan" means bastard? It is necessary to know. In Karnataka, there is a temple of goddess Yelamma. In that temple, the young girls belonging to scheduled castes and some backward castes are presented to the goddess. These girls are called as "Devdasis", means servants of gods. The brahmin priest and pandas indulge in sex with these girls, but they do not owe the responsibility for the same. They leave it to god. When these Devdasis become pregnant and give birth to a child, these children are called "Harijan" means children of God. Infact, they are the children of Priests and Pandas. Why Gandhi called only untouchables as "Harijan”?
If harijans mean children of god, then Gandhi is also a child of god. Then, why Gandhi did not call himself as child of god? Because Gandhi was knowing the real meaning of the word "Harijan". Hence, he did not call himself as Harijan.
Reference:
I hope you will understand my views on your sentences – “Mahatma Gandhi had succeeded in abolishing the untouchability from India”. ( ? )
Your short story can read by large number of population of Maharashtra, so it can easily spread the wrong message among the society.
I look forward to get your kind support to ensure the dissemination of correct information about depressed community.
Thanking you,
Sincerely yours,
Deepak Panzade,
Mumbai.
M- 9224145705
Reply from Indian Writer
--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Dnyanada Naik <dnyanadanaik@hotmail.com>
Date: May 13, 2009 10:18 PM
Subject: RE: Mahatma Gandhi had succeeded in abolishing the untouchability from India. ( ? )
To: deepak.panzade@gmail.com
Dear Mr. Deepak,
Thank you for your letter and for being so kind as to read my column in Loksatta regularly. I honour great leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and do not mean any disrespect to anybody. I would like to appologise if I have unknowingly hurt your sentiments.
Thank you for your unique and different perspective on untouchability in India. You have obviously researched the issue well, and have a great deal of knowledge about it. I have taken due cognizance of your views, and shall strive for historical accuracy if I address this issue again in my future writings.
yours sincerely,
Mrs. Dnyanada Naik
Short Story Writer in Loksatta News paper
Dear Deepak,
Thanks for your e-mail and we need educated persons like you, and we have
them in great numbers in our communities all over the world, who can
challenge false and fabricated presentation of historical facts about us.
Mrs Naik is probably is right in saying that untouchability has been
abolished from India but unfortunately she is giving the credit to the
wrong person. It was Dr Ambedkar who made is possible to theoratically
abolished untouchability by making it unlawful through Indian
Constitution. However, the caste identity and related caste prejudice is
in the DNA of people from Indian sub-continent, irrespective to the
religious faith they may practice.
Caste discrimination is still being practised in India and else where in
the world and authorities in India turn a blind eye to it. As and when our
people would take positions in law making and law enforcement agencies,
the perpetrators would be punished. I am sure that goal seems to be in
sight.
CasteWatchUK is leading an equality campaign in the UK and we are lobbying
the political classes here to make caste discrimination unlawful through
changes in the legislation - Single Equality Bill - which is currently
going through the British Parliament. Younger members of our communities
do not understand why some people who are from same race and same ethnic
background, try to discriminate against them on the grounds of caste.
These young people are educated and have been brought up in British
Society and have absorbed British Values. They are ready to challenge the
monster of Caste in this country. If we are successful in getting the
caste included in the Single Equality Bill, this success would have
implications for our people living in other countries, including India.
Regards
Davinder Prasad
General Secretary
CasteWatchUK
