Caste-Aways: Hinduism and Social Discrimination

August 30, 2011 by Patton Dodd

Continued from Page 2

The movement to help the erstwhile "untouchables" has been joined in the last few decades by many Christian organizations, with financing from Western nations. HAF commends those that are solely providing material assistance to the needy, but finds unethical, fraudulent, and morally reprehensible the motives of those that provide humanitarian aid as a means to the end of religious conversion. While HAF insists that addressing caste-based discrimination is the urgent collective responsibility of Hindus and the Indian Government, it is in no way meant to condone Christian missionaries who falsely claim that such discrimination is inseparable from Hinduism and propound that argument as a pretext to "harvesting souls." Tellingly, despite conversions to Christianity, "untouchables" continue to suffer discrimination at the hands of "forward" caste Christians. In remote areas, concerted conversion efforts have led to inter-religious strife because such efforts are usually accompanied by the open denigration of Hinduism and its religious practices.

Missionaries have also supported attempts to pass resolutions and legislation on caste-based discrimination in international forums, including the U.S. Congress, the United Nations, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. These efforts should be firmly rejected as they are often lobbied for by the same organizations that seek to carry out aggressive conversion campaigns. These efforts are also misguided as they equate caste-based discrimination with South Africa's racial apartheid. Not only have modern genetic studies shown conclusively that caste is not the same as race, but caste-based discrimination is certainly not the policy of the GoI as racial discrimination was in apartheid South Africa. Indeed, the GoI, an avowedly secular institution comprised predominantly of Hindus, has instituted one of the most extensive and far-reaching systems of affirmative action quotas anywhere in the world. Interference by any external agency in the internal affairs of the sovereign state of India, a vibrant democracy, is unacceptable and unwarranted.

HAF is asking Christian missionaries to (i) cease the denigration of Hinduism as part of evangelization efforts; (ii) desist from engaging in predatory proselytization, where humanitarian work is only a means to the real goal of conversions. Humanitarian aid should be unconditional, just as it is when provided by Hindu or secular organizations; and (iii) cease attempting to influence international bodies to pass laws interfering in India's internal affairs

How has this report been received?

The first version of our report was released in December 2010, with the same message but with somewhat lesser detail on areas such as the terminology of varna and jāti, details of Hindu scriptures, and modern social reformers and reform movements. The initial report was meant to serve as an introductory advocacy document coming from a human rights organization. But after its release, the report was met with massive outpourings of support, suggestions, and critiques from around the world, highlighting the truly international scope of the report, and the burden we carried, as a prominent voice, to tackle a subject as complex, yet urgently relevant.

Our revised report released in July 2011 not only incorporates more details in the areas mentioned above; it was also reviewed by over three dozen additional experts representing a broad swath of Hindu communities in India, Europe, and the Americas, including religious leaders, academics, social workers and prominent community leaders. The revised report has been warmly welcomed as a resource for HAF's interactions with media, interfaith forums, policymakers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the American public at large. Importantly, it allows HAF to provide a Hindu voice in the debate on caste in international forums currently dominated by non-Hindu or anti-Hindu spokespersons, who often identify as Leftists, Socialists, or Marxists, or are invested in the multi-billion industry of predatory proselytization. Several interfaith leaders and academics have already written to us promising to use the report as their reference on caste in classes or discussions on Hinduism.

What else is HAF doing to work on these concerns?

Advocacy is the primary purpose of this report, as it seeks to educate HAF's target audience in the U.S. about the history and modern realities of the caste system. However, the report also has an important, introspective focus. HAF believes that it is the collective responsibility of all Hindus to end this sad chapter in history and asks Hindus to recognize the importance of the issue, encourage more Hindus to actively voice opposition to caste-based discrimination and inspire new and re-doubled efforts to end such discrimination.

HAF seeks to improve awareness among Hindus of the Diaspora, and some even in the urban areas of India, who may be unaware of the complexity and depth of the problem as it exists today, or who appear overwhelmed by it. To this end, HAF has sponsored a series of talks in various parts of the U.S. by Mr. Bhagwati Charan Bhatpare, a community leader belonging to the erstwhile "untouchable" Satnami caste from the Indian state of Chattisgarh. Mr. Bhatpare, whose article "Why I am a Hindu" appears in an Appendix to our report, speaks about how most "untouchables" remain committed Hindus and only want the end of discrimination. At the same time, he also highlights the need for the Hindu community to come together to support their emancipation and is raising funds for his Sahayog Foundation, which provides health and human services for his community.

HAF has also instituted the Narayana Guru award for social reform, named after a famous Hindu spiritual leader and social reformer, which would provide recognition and direct financial support to an individual or institution working towards the elimination of caste-based discrimination.

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Hindu

Caste

Hindu American Foundation

Hinduism

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About Patton Dodd

Patton Dodd's writing on religion and culture has appeared in a wide range of publications, including Newsweek , Slate , the Financial Times , Christianity Today , Cineaste , Books & Culture , The Shambhala Sun , and The Revealer. Patton has also...

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