From: ssankara@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Sornam Sankara)
Subject: Finally, a few words...
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 21:54:16 GMT


Following are my final comments on the caste thread:
======================================================
(This is partly to answer RJ and KS)


     Not only Brahmins, all the other communities are  minorities if you
consider the population individually.  But all the communities are doing the
same mistake and try to influence the party in power.  Brahmins and other upper
castes like Pillai, Chettiyar, Mudaliyar etc were earlier doing without any
organisation but they now seemed to think about organisations because of other
community organisations' loud voice (noise).


    For example, during British period there was a tussle between the Brahmins
and the rest of the upper castes over influencing the British govt.

    During congress period only Brahmins were politically powerful and when
Kamaraj came to power, the Nadar community started thinking about its
developement in an organised way.

    After the DMK started its rule, it was Pillai, Mudali, Chetty etc with a
very fast developement of Nadar, Gounder etc in the non-political level
due to reservaions and the awareness created by Periyar movement.

    Then  MGR came to power all the upper castes slowly started losing hold
and the newer castes like Nadar, Gounder etc became politically powerful.

    Then all the upper castes including Brahmins sat back and
regrouped together to influence the media etc in a more intelligent way in
order to portray the Dravidian movements as the only culprits for every bad
thing.   They failed the first time and let DMK reelected whereas in the last
elections they very much succeeded in bringing Jeya back to power.

    Now it has become the turn for the most backward classes like Vanniyar
to fight for their rights.  I am almost sure that PMK will come to power very
soon, thanks also to Jeya.   At the end, I am not sure about this, the SCs
have to come to the political scene.


    (Note:  Periyar does not fit into this because he was never behind money
or vote or power.  He was simply a social reformer who supposed to have fought
the caste system but restricted his attack against brahmins because Brahmins
were very powerful in his time.  He did not live longer to fight against the
other castes now.  I credit him only for his unselfish and tireless hardwork
which definitely yielded some good results.  I do not agree with the basis he
worked on.  Even he may not have understood that when he started it.
      After he died, DK was plainly a political party though it did not contest
elections.  They were blindly anti-brahmin and helped the non-Brahmin rich to
swindle all the poor people economically)


     I am not supporting any of the caste/party above.  The ultimate loser is
the economically deprived in all communities.  But my only point is that every
caste is trying to fight for the political power but the upper castes have some
advantage over the other because of the govt machinery (judiciary, executive
and the press because they control them more) and also the religion.  In my
previous subject header I was trying to say that Brahminism is not yet dead as
some people claim.  Moreover there are new 'isms' for each caste like 
Pillayism, Chettiyism, Nadarism etc.


     Similarly reservations have not eradicated caste system or not achieved
equality as expected.  No doubt, it is being partly misused by the affluent
section in the middle castes.  But there are really deserving people who
benefitted due to reservations who otherwise would not have had any education.
Moreover, the caste distribution in education is much better in the south 
because of the reservation whereas in North India it is still in the hands of 
upper caste and hence we can see a large scale protest for Mandalisation.


     The question is how to eradicate the caste system in toto without
reservations.  That can be achieved only in a true socialist state. I know it
will cause allergy to many people.  If we prefer only a capitalist system then
caste based reservation is the only capitalist reform which is better than any
other reform.  An additional creterion like parent education  within each
category of reserved quota will prevent the affluent to enjoy the benefit
again.


(Here, I have to tell a truth because it causes me much embarassment from some
prejudiced mails.  I am shameful to say that I am also from one of the
above forward communities and enjoyed no reservations. My viewpoint is nothing
to do with which caste I belong.)

     Simply blaming caste based reservation for the existing caste problem
lacks any understanding.  Reservations and the certificates came into existence
only  during the British rule.  BUT THE REAL CULPRIT IS OUR MARRIAGE SYSTEM.  I
AM ASKING FOR A CHALLENGE, HOW MANY OF US ARE READY TO FIGHT AGAINST IT.

     I think the discussions do not come to an end unless we have a open mind.
So I plan to wind up from this thread.


S. Sankarapandi