Buddha’s Challenge to Caste and Inequality of Different Denominations
Buddha’s Challenge to Caste and Inequality of
Different Denominations
Dr.Shubhangi Dinesh Rathi
Asso. Prof. &
Head of Political Science Deptt.
Smt. P.K. Kotecha
Mahila College, Bhusawal
Caste in Indian
society refers to a social group where membership is largely decided by birth.
Each such local group avoids entering into marital relationship with outsiders.
Originally, this group was associated with a specific profession. The mutual
relationship of one caste with the other is established on the principle of
lineage and the resultant purity of blood, making the relationship between on
and another caste distant. Caste becomes important
in politics because politics is highly competitive. Its purpose is to gain
power for certain ends. It, therefore, exploits all kinds of loyalties in the
society to in the above process of politics in our country. Caste is one
such organization with which the people are associated. The linkage
between politics and caste is thus important and in the gain and consolidate
certain political positions; organization and articulation of support are
important process. Both interact so closely that they are transformed. Party
programmes also cut across caste loyalties and members of one caste may be
divided on the basis of ideological affiliations. Caste being in important
issue is responsible to bring about in inequality in the social structure.
Therefore in this paper, it is my humble attempt to focus on Buddhist
philosophy to deal with such sensitive problem in the society.
Objectives:
·
To study the thought of Buddhism
·
To Know the Ambedkar’s thought on Caste
·
To create equality for establishment of fully democracy
·
To study the present situation of caste & inequality
·
To know The protection of Civil Rights Act &
implementation
Research Methodology:
For this research paper primary &
secondary source is used for study of Buddhism philosophy. Historical,
analytical & constitutional methods are used. Importance of caste in Indian
society and politics is interpreted by observation method. Government data show
that in the present situation so many Schedule cast related cases are pending
in the court. This data do not match with Buddhist Philosophy and Dr.
Ambedkar’s Thought on Caste & Inequality.
Ambedkar’s
thought on Buddhism:
Ambedkar studied Buddhism all his
life, and around 1950s, Ambedkar turned his attention fully to Buddhism and
travelled to Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) to attend a convention of Buddhist
scholars and monks. While
dedicating a new Buddhist vihara near Pune, Ambedkar announced that he was writing a book on Buddhism
and that as soon as it was finished, he planned to make a formal conversion
back to Buddhism. Ambedkar twice
visited Burma in 1954; the second time in order to attend the third conference
of the World Fellowship of Buddhists in Rangoon. In 1955, he founded the Bharatiya Bauddha Mahasabha, or
the Buddhist Society of
India. He completed his final work, The Buddha and His Dhamma, in
1956. It was published posthumously.
After meetings with the Sri Lankan
Buddhist monk Hammalawa
Saddhatissa, Ambedkar organised a formal public ceremony for himself and
his supporters in Nagpur on 14 October 1956. Accepting the Three Refuges and Five
Precepts from a Buddhist monk in the traditional manner, Ambedkar completed his own
conversion. He then proceeded to convert a large number (some 500,000) of his
supporters who were gathered around him.He prescribed the 22 Vows for these converts, after the Three Jewels and Five
Precepts. He then traveled to Kathmandu in Nepal to attend the Fourth World Buddhist Conference.
Caste Problem & Philosophy of Buddha:
Caste, which was a matter of vital
importance to the brahmins of India, was one of utter indifference to the
Buddha, who strongly condemned the debasing caste system. In his Order of Monks
all castes unite as do the rivers in the sea. They lose their former names,
castes, and clans, and become known as members of one community,the Sangha.
Speaking of the equal recognition of
all members of the Sangha the Buddha says:
"Just as, O monks, the great
rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Aciravati, Sarabhu, and Mahi, on reaching the ocean, lose
their earlier name and identity and come to be reckoned as the great ocean,
similarly, O monks, people of the four castes (vannas).... who leave the
household and become homeless recluses under the Doctrine and Discipline
declared by the Tathâgata, lose their previous names and identities and are
reckoned as recluses who are sons of Sakya" (Udana 55).
The Buddhist position regarding
racism and racial discrimination made explicit at such an early age is one
reflected in the moral and scientific standpoint adopted by UNESCO in the
present century.
To Sundarika Bharadvaja, the brahmin
who inquired about his lineage, the Buddha answered:
“No Brahmin I, no prince, no farmer,or
aught else. All worldly ranks I know, But knowing go my way as simply nobody:
Homeless, in pilgrim garb,with shaven crown, I go my way alone, serene. To ask
my birth is vain."
He then delivered a whole sermon, the
Vasala Sutta, explaining to the brahmin in detail the characteristics of one
who is really an outcast (vasala). Convinced, the haughty brahmin took
refuge in the Buddha.
The Buddha freely admitted into
the Order people from all castes and classes when he knew that they were fit to
live the holy life, and some of them later distinguished themselves in the
Order. The Buddha was the only contemporary teacher who endeavored to blend in
mutual tolerance and concord those who hitherto had been rent asunder by differences
of caste and class.
Dr.Ambedkar and
Gandhi on Caste:
Dr. Ambedkar in His book "Annihilation
of Caste" reproduces his major difference with the Mahatma Gandhi. While
he was for abolition of the caste system, prescribed by hindu sage Manu, Gandhi
was for giving up caste prejudice, and for reform of the system, so that the
stigma of Untouchability may be removed, but function of various castes
remains.
As Dr. Ambedkar could not abolish the
caste system, when Mahatma Gandhi asked for dedication on the shared cause of
struggle for freedom, he asked for separate electorates for the so-called
"outcastes" whom the Mahatma called "Harijan"- sons of the
'God'
Dr. Ambedkar turned on Gandhi too: The Dalits leaders converted to
Buddhism perhaps the least dogmatic or hierarchic of world religions. Dr.
Ambedkar's response to Gandhi was that he wanted to treat the symptom, not the
cause of the disease- you can't abolish Untouchability without addressing the
Caste and the Dharma system, which is at the root of it.
" Gandhiji, felt that the high
castes should change their hearts: Dr. Ambedkar said that we' ve been suffering
for over 2000 years, many hindu saints have come and gone; but nothing has
changed, so he legally empowered to challenge it." Article 17, of the
Constitution that abolished "Untouchability" The problem is if you
implement it, half of India would be in Jail."
There have been many Mahatmas in India whose sole object was to remove
Untouchability and to elevate and absorb the depressed Classes, but every one
of them has failed in his mission. Mahatmas have come, Mahatmas have gone. But
the Untouchables have remained as Untouchables.
Buddhists of India need the friendship,
understanding and cooperation for uplifting themselves and for strengthening
the hands of those who are striving for peace, equality and justice. Let the
scent of the Dhamma spread in all directions and illumine the minds of those
who put much faith in steel and fire but ignore the value of peace, loving
kindness and compassion.
Observation
about Cast:
We can observed that Dr.
Ambedkar’s thought on cast are following-
·
Caste is not just a division of labour, it is a
division of labourers
·
Caste cannot preserve a nonexistent "racial
purity"
·
Caste prevents Hindus from forming a real society or
nation
·
The worst feature of the Caste System is an
anti-social spirit
·
Caste prevents the uplift and incorporation of the
aboriginal tribes
·
The higher castes have conspired to keep the lower
castes etc…
Impact of Caste:
Caste, a uniquely Indian social
institution has been a central influence on the lives of Indians and their
communities for millennia. A complex, heterogenous system of community
relations (or non-relations) with obscure origins, it
has dogged the Republican Indian state and modern Indian society in one way or
another. Interactions with people have allowed me to develop some understanding
of the role caste plays in India today & how caste enters into the life of
modern Indians.
I note that impacts of caste are exploitation
of lower caste, nequality in the society, violence of moral values among us, creation
of power politics issue, reservation policies in education, employment & politics
etc.
Civil Rights Act:
The Protection
of Civil Rights Act, 1955(PCR Act), prescribes punishment for practice
of untouchability. The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes
(Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989,(PoA Act), is an Act ,
inter-alia, to prevent the commission of offences against members of Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes, to provide for special courts for trial of such
offences and relief and rehabilitation of victims of such offences.
Nevertheless, this Ministry does not administer any statute in regard to
development of Scheduled Castes.
As per the
data of National Crime Records Bureau, Ministry of Home
Affairs, number of Scheduled Castes related cases registered by
police, under the PCR and PoA Acts, percentage of cases
ending in conviction, acquittal and pendency thereof, during
2008-2010, is indicated in the table:-
|
Year
|
Number of cases
registered under:
|
% of cases disposed of
by courts, ending in:-
|
% of cases
pending in courts under:
|
|||||
|
Conviction under:
|
Acquittal under:
|
|||||||
|
PCR Act
|
PoA Act
|
PCR Act
|
PoA Act
|
PCR Act
|
PoA Act
|
PCR Act
|
PoA Act
|
|
|
2008
|
248
|
33367
|
12.8
|
32.0
|
87.2
|
68.0
|
79.3
|
76.8
|
|
2009
|
168
|
33426
|
16.7
|
29.7
|
83.3
|
70.3
|
80.4
|
81.6
|
|
2010
|
143
|
32569
|
21.7
|
35.2
|
78.3
|
64.8
|
78.7
|
81.9
|
(Source: The
Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri D. Napoleon in a
written reply to a question in Lok Sabha 2011)
It is seen from the
above table that whereas the number of such cases registered during 2010 under
the two Acts declined vis-à-vis cases registered during 2009, the percentage of
disposal of cases, ending in conviction, increased during the corresponding
period.
Role of Caste:
Lastly we can conclude that caste played following role
in the society.
·
First, we should recognize caste as a label,
an indicator of lineage or membership of a community.
·
The second role is caste as an indicator of
access to resources.
·
The third most important role is caste as a
determinant of social relationships and human behaviour.
Of course, there are many other
societies on our planet that display similar social arrangements, and have
absolutely nothing to do with caste. But understanding these manifestations of
caste helps us see the roots of caste-based political mobilization and
identifying behaviours that need to be corrected if we are to truly banish the
negative aspects of caste from Indian society as envisaged in the Constitution.
It’s duty of every citizen to abolish the caste in their mind for establishment
fully democracy. Dr. Ambedkar quote,
“Let us remember the man
Who showed us the path of equity?
And led us to the
Destination of Brotherhood.”
I hope, may the idea of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar forever inspire us.
References:
1. Dr. Babasaheb
Ambedkar: Writings and Speeches, Vol. 11 (Bombay: Education Department, Government of
Maharashtra, 1992).
2.
Vasant Moon :Vol. 11 Supplement: Pali
and Other Sources of The Buddha & His Dhamma with an Index, :Siddharth
College Publications, Bombay, 1957.
3.
Indian constitution: Govt. of India
4. http://www.dalitindia.com/guest/ambed_nishi.htm
5.
http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00litlinks/lit_colonial.html#ambedkar
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