Chapter One - Introduction
Surveys on social issues are very good to find out the
state of affairs and modify them, for the improvement of social life or to distort
and demolish the basic structure of the society. On November 29, 2014, The
Indian Express published the results of a survey, which indicated that caste
and untouchability is still practiced in our “Good old bhAratham”. (1) For many people, it may be difficult to comprehend
what goes on before, after and during the survey and what they do with the
documents & documentaries they bring out, as byproducts of such surveys?
What role media play in all these?
Surveys are also used to inform, misinform, denigrate and
with that manipulate people for selfish gains and establish a power base.
Business entities and Missionary organizations are two major groups who use these
surveys for their own gains a lot. The advertisements are nothing but
propaganda materials crafted based on surveys, straight out lies and partial
truths. Partial truths are only lies. They are created taking the habits,
urges, mental weakness & strengths, anxiety, and vulnerability of people in
to consideration. By the use of publicity, the distributers and manufacturers
of the products and services try to create a feeling of need in the targeted
population. What we hear and see as advertisements are created taking in to
account and based on the information gained through such surveys and is
intended to change the way of thinking of the audience. This is what is done by
the use of advertisement and other publicity materials. Businesses and Missionary
establishments are the main users of this. Human mind is bound to start
believing even the fabricated stories repeatedly seen and heard on the media
can make people believe them to be true.
“Caste discrimination” is a factor, negatively, still;
there is no question about it. Even though not harsh as it used to be, it is
still there. Deliberate misleading and misunderstanding lead to misuse and
misuse of “Caste” and that is the reason for all the ills of it. “Caste” is a
factor even in faraway places where people has been immigrated to; not as harsh
as it is in the home land. Caste atrocities are spread across the religions
also. But, still the caste discriminations and atrocities of the so-called
“Hindus” only get publicity. This is the biggest single help we provide for
Proselytization of our people.
It should also be noted that some kind of division which
are the creation of the misuse; are the cause of all discrimination and such
divisions can be seen everywhere irrespective of country or continent. But
discrimination biased on “caste” alone has been propagated as the most
dangerous cause of discrimination. However, the discrimination based on the other
divisions can be seen everywhere including in the “caste less religions” and
countries. The caste less Christians in our “Good old bhAratham” also does
practice this discrimination as reported by BBC. (2)
As per some historians, caste had very positive effects
on the people and society. And it was not part of braHMavidya, but
purely a social practice of “division of labor”, until few centuries ago. (3) But, in
the last few centuries, it becomes very disastrous. Even though it made some
positive changes in the later part of the nineteenth century and after, it
needs lot more improvements. Because of that need for improvement, “Caste” is a
very convenient tool and something very much used by the Missionaries for their
recruitment of people into their religion. Fabricated incidents by others are sometimes
blamed on “Hindus” and propagated that way. A clear example was the destruction
of Church property at Mangalore in which the miscreants left Saffron flag at
the location. However it turned out that all the seven arrested turned out to
be Christians. (4) (The word “Missionary”
is used in this article to indicate people who are engaged in recruiting others
into their own religion, all of them).
Let us see some modes operandi of the Missionaries in our
own land and elsewhere to understand how they operate.
(Will continue; Copyright © Udayabhanu Panickar)
Bibliography
1.
‘Indian Express’,
article published on November 29, 2014. Http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/one-in-four-indians-admit-to-practising-untouchability-biggest-caste-survey/
2.
“Indian Dalits find no refuge from caste in Christianity”;
article written By Swaminathan Natarajan of BBC Tamil; posted at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-11229170#story_continues_1
(This was seen on their website on March 1, 2010.)
3.
(i) ‘Caste of
Mind by Nicholas’ By B Dirks, Page 19 to 21; (ii) ‘The Indian caste system and
the British’ by Kevin Hobson, Page 4; (iii) ‘The Caste System and Its
Implications’, Louis Dumont, translated
by Mark Sainsbury. University of Chicago Press, 1980; Page 347; (iv) ‘The Book
of Durante Barhosa’, An Account of the Countries Bordering on the Indian Ocean
and Their Inhabitants, Written by Duarte Barhosa, and Completed about the Year
1518 A.D. Translated and annotated by M.L. Dames, Printed for the Hakluyt
Society, 1918, Pages 212-213, 217; And (v) "Notes on the History of the
Study of Indian Society and Culture," in All Anthropologist among the
Historians and Other Essays, By Bernard S. Cohn, Oxford University Press 1987,
Page 140.
4.
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore; Posted on Thursday, March 19,
2009 10:20:53 AM (IST) and seen on Monday, Mar 30, 2015; http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=57924
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