Our Dream Project !

"Swami Vivekanand  Samaj Vikas Kendra"

This project is the dream project for Kalyan Samiti. Under this project we are going to start various activities which would lead for the sake of development of our society. The first phase of this projecct will be started soon.

We make a call to the people to admire and bind your helping hands with us to make this social dream true. Though it is just the start but it may lead the change in society.

For more details contact: Mr. Bhagyatushar e-mail: btresponse87@gmail.com

(Ref: savarkar.org)

Abolition of caste

Given below is an English translation of Savarkar’s assorted views on abolition of caste

The basic aim of consolidating Hindu society

The Hindu social jurists had based social organization on the principle of distribution of duties sans competition and mutual co-operation as means to attain earthly prosperity on the path to salvation of the soul. The duties of every individual from the shudra to the Brahmin were defined to facilitate societal development. But fighting spirit (kshaatratej) is necessary to fulfill these duties properly and to protect social life. (Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol. 6, p.522)

The practice of caste and consolidation of Hindu society

Firstly, it should not be forgotten that the practice of birth-based caste division must have been responsible for the mighty consolidation and amazing stability of the Hindu society under certain circumstances and conditions. While evaluating its merits and demerits, it will be sheer ingratitude to only point fingers at the latter day ill-effects of the institution of caste.

It must also be admitted that keeping the interests of the Hindu Nation at heart, the Hindus of yesteryears gave birth to or allowed birth- based caste divisions to develop spontaneously with the aim of preserving the purity of blood ties, community life and tradition. (1963, Sahaa soneri pane or Six Glorious Epochs of Indian History; Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol. 4, p. 710)

Birth-based caste system as an experiment in the science of heredity

Considering its sheer magnitude, the amazing diligence and the epochal time-frame over which this inspirational experiment was played out, the human race should be certainly grateful to this great experiment played by birth-based caste system to find out the extent to which natural laws of heredity may possibly benefit the human race. Assuming that the experiment temporarily failed due to its extreme practice or distortion, it is no mean achievement to prove that such an experiment failed in such a form and under such conditions. By thus failing in this great experiment of the caste system, our Hindu race enriched human experience and has thereby succeeded in earning the gratitude of the human race; such was the scientific outlook and thought, sheer guts and amazing diligence at the root of this experiment. (1931, Jatyuchchedak nibandha or essays on abolition of caste, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol. 3, p. 457)

The meaning of ‘chaturvarnya mayaa srishtam’ (‘I have created the chaturvarnya system’)

Chaturvarnya means the four varnas (* the word varna is virtually untranslatable. It denotes the old Hindu idea of a four-tiered society with an intellectual or spiritual class called the Brahmins; the ruling, political or warrior class called the Kshatriyas; the merchant or commercial class called the Vaishyas and the servant or service-oriented class called the Shudras. They represent the four human tendencies of learning, fighting, trading and serving). These four varnas were determined by merit and actions and not by birth… ‘Chaturvarnya mayaa srishtam’ means ‘I have created the chaturvarnya system’. Nowhere in this shloka (by Sri Krishna in the Bhagwad Gita) is any there any suggestion whatsoever, that He gives birth to people on basis of merit and that this perpetuates on basis of birth in a particular family. .. The smritis clearly say, ‘janmanaa jaayate shudraha’ or ‘everyone is a shudra at birth’. It is only after imbibing samskaras that one attains the status of the twice-born (meaning Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya). (1930, Jatyuchchedak nibandha or essays on abolition of caste, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol. 3, p. 444)

….The present-day caste division has arisen from the debris of the chaturvarnya of yore. (1930, Jatyuchchedak nibandha or essays on abolition of caste, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol. 3, p. 449)

I felt like rebelling against the caste system

Just as I felt I should rebel against the foreign rule over Hindusthan, I also felt that I should rebel against the caste system and untouchability in Hindusthan. (1920, Letters from the Andamans, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol. 5, p. 490)

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By Tom O'Neill

Get the whole story in the pages of National Geographic magazine

Discrimination against India's lowest Hindu castes is technically illegal. But try telling that to the 160 million Untouchables, who face violent reprisals if they forget their place.

Get a taste of what awaits you in print from this compelling excerpt. The sins of Girdharilal Maurya are many, his attackers insisted. He has bad karma. Why else would he, like his ancestors, be born an Untouchable, if not to pay for his past lives? Look, he is a leatherworker, and Hindu law says that working with animal skins makes him unclean, someone to avoid and revile. And his unseemly prosperity is a sin. Who does this Untouchable think he is, buying a small plot of land outside the village? Then he dared speak up, to the police and other authorities, demanding to use the new village well. He got what Untouchables deserve. One night, while Maurya was away in a nearby city, eight men from the higher Rajput caste came to his farm. They broke his fences, stole his tractor, beat his wife and daughter, and burned down his house. The message was clear: Stay at the bottom where you belong. * * * * * * To be born a Hindu in India is to enter the caste system, one of the world's longest surviving forms of social stratification. Embedded in Indian culture for the past 1,500 years, the caste system follows a basic precept: All men are created unequal. The ranks in Hindu society come from a legend in which the main groupings, or varnas, emerge from a primordial being. From the mouth come the Brahmans—the priests and teachers. From the arms come the Kshatriyas—the rulers and soldiers. From the thighs come the Vaisyas—merchants and traders. From the feet come the Sudras—laborers. Each varna in turn contains hundreds of hereditary castes and subcastes with their own pecking orders. A fifth group describes the people who are achuta, or untouchable. The primordial being does not claim them. Untouchables are outcasts—people considered too impure, too polluted, to rank as worthy beings. Prejudice defines their lives, particularly in the rural areas, where nearly three-quarters of India's people live. Untouchables are shunned, insulted, banned from temples and higher caste homes, made to eat and drink from separate utensils in public places, and, in extreme but not uncommon cases, are raped, burned, lynched, and gunned down.

(Ref: savarkar.org)

Questions and Answers (Regarding Savarkar’s Thinks)

This section deals with various aspects of Savarkar’s life, thought, actions and relevance in a question and answer format. Questions are raised regarding Savarkar and his place in Indian history. Some of these questions stem from genuine curiosity and willingness to understand. Some questions take the form of accusations born out of outright ignorance or sheer malice. This section aims to address some of these questions.

What were Savarkar’s guiding principles?

What were Savarkar’s views on scriptures? 

What were Savarkar’s views on Manusmriti?

What were Savarkar’s guiding principles?

Humanism, rationalism, utility and pragmatism were the guiding principles of Savarkar. According to him, the ultimate aim of all politics was formation of a world state.  Nationalism, according to him should be consistent with humanism.  “The Hindus will become free and will liberate the world for the protection of equality, kindness and the righteous people’’ wrote Savarkar, in “aika bhavishyala”, his last poem.  For Savarkar, humanity included Hindus too. He used to flay the Congress leaders who shed tears for Abyssinia but did not have even a word for the Hindus suffering Muslim atrocities. To him, service of man was service of God.

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What were Savarkar’s views on scriptures?

Savarkar held that all scriptures are man made and not God sent and one should look at them not in a literal but historical sense. All were made in a particular stage to promote human welfare. We should look not only at them but even at notions of very primitive tribes like the Andamanese with a similar view.

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What were Savarkar’s views on Manusmriti?

Savarkar has listed his thoughts on Manusmriti during 1933 to 1935 and then again in 1956.

In 1933, during the festivities of Ganeshotsav and Navratri, he delivered lectures on the Manusmriti for nine days. "Women in Manusmriti" was the title of four articles that Savarkar wrote in 1933. These were published in the progressive Marathi monthly "Kirloskar". Savarkar's article titled, "Excess of religious simple-mindedness" was published in February 1937 issue of 'Kirloskar'. There is also an article by Savarkar entitled "Which is the true Sanatana Dharma?" In short, Savarkar says, "It is impossible to live acording to Manusmriti today because times have changed and the rules in the book are not applicable for all times...Manusmriti, just like any other religious text, contains many contradictions. If we regard Manusmriti as divine, we cannot explain the contradictions. However, if we regard it as a historical document, we can easily explain the contradictions. Savarkar openly differs with several things recommended in the Manusmriti. For example, Manu says that one should not marry girls who are named after constellations, trees, rivers, mountains, serpents, servants or monsters. Savarkar comments that "our conservative friends would now realize how impossible it is to abide by the rules of Manu and regard his commands as valid for all times. He further says that it is absurd to impose greatness on such texts. That attempt is laughable and prohibits progress.

In his article, "Women in Manusmriti", Savarkar says, "We may find many passages in Manusmriti which can provide valuable guidance to today's problems. but we should accept them because they are beneficial today, not because they were found in an ancient text and certainly not because manu's orders are not to be transgressed. Whatever we find in Manusmriti to be harmful or ridiculous today should not be followed, but that does not make Manusmriti harmful or ridiculous. On the contrary, when compares Manusmriti with codes of other societies such as Babylon, Egypt, Hebrews, Greece and Roman, Manusmriti stands high above the rest. It deserves our respect for that"

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