RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat said the concepts of ‘Varna’ and ‘Jaati’ must be discarded. He was speaking at the release function of the book “Vajrasuchi Tunk” on Friday at Nagpur.
Bhagwat added that if someone asked about the institutions of Varna and Jaati today, the answer has to be, “It is past. Let’s forget it.” He also reiterated that we should do away with anything discriminatory.
Further, acknowledging that these are errors of the past, the RSS chief stated, “There should not be any problem accepting those mistakes. And if you think that by accepting that our ancestors made mistakes they will become inferior, that won’t happen because everybody’s ancestors made mistakes.”
First of all, what Mohan Bhagwat said is a welcome thought. It is high time ‘Varna and Jaati’ are acknowledged as mistakes fostered by our ancestors. But is this acknowledgment too little to heal the wounds of the past? And can just making a statement erase these malignant institutions from our society? Above all, will every section of Hindu society be ready to do away with Varna and Jaati?
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s intent while asking people to discard them as past and forget it, doesn’t fully acknowledge the slavery, abuse, and alienation people have faced over centuries. He might stand out from a crowd of Hindu religious leaders by seeking something many have failed. However, from the perspective of Bhagwat and many Sangh Parivar leaders, India is at crossroads today, in an opportune moment to reclaim its lost glory, not just economically but spiritually also.
So he wants Hindus to unite to vote the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power until India becomes a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ — In theory, a harmonious nation that will treat “All Hindus” and other religious minorities equally. However, the question is, are caste Hindus ready to trash Varna and Jaati and embrace other Hindu communities as ‘equals’ and share their privileges with them? Doubtful.
Well, it’s highly appreciable that the RSS chief has spoken on the issue of Varna and Jaati. He has addressed the victims of the system. But to take on the issue, he must address the perpetrators of discrimination, who are using ‘Varna and Jaati’ to date. He must tell them that they mustn’t repeat the same mistakes their ancestors did. And it is not going to be easy, as it calls for a complete reformation of the Hindu society.
Photo credit: Suraj Singh Bisht, The Print