Brahmins have faced challenges from other religions such as christianity, muslim,buddhism,jainism, sikhism.
With their superior intellect, they have managed to absorb buddhists, jains in their fold by making them avathars of hindu gods.Even sikhs have faced challenges from
nirankaris.The abrahmic religion were able to absorb only those castes considered very low in social scale thru brute force . The converts carried their caste also into the
new religion they adopted. Dravidian movement has tried to take on brahminism but it has not been able to defeat the brahminical order.Brahmins are a privileged class and
will continue to be so.They with their intellect will defeat any attempt to devalue them and get access to power through education and bonding and making peace with those in power.
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S Narayanaswamy Iyer
Let us not forget that today's anti-Brahminists are well represented in this forum. Just look at some of their demeaning and derisive posts.
S Narayanaswamy Iyer
Dear Sri Iyer,
I have also noticed this. I am aware of the fact that we are individuals with different views. But ridiculing our traditions and practices is not correct. We should not forget that what ever status we enjoy today is not for the wealth or possessions, but for the traditions, knowledge and character. Our forefathers were respected and looked after by other communities, for the erudition and guidance.
This forum has given a wonderful opportunity to express our views on many subjects and no one should misuse this. We should express our views only on the subjects that we discuss , not to ridicule other's views. Strong words do not strengthen ones views.
Personally as I grew older I have liberated myself from the blinkers I had put in the name of Caste, Community and religious prejudices and developed only Compassion and companionship.
Brahmanyan
Bangalore.
Dear Sri Brahmanyan
"Our forefathers were respected and looked after by other communities, for the erudition and guidance."
Our forefathers, to my knowledge, also looked after other communities physically. By housing and sheltering them, by feeding them and their families, by giving them gainful employment, by providing communal facilities and amenities, by promoting their total well-being, by giving them work-skills and education, by ensuring their health, multiplication and survival.
Especially in rural Kerala where I grew up.
Blinded by anti-Brahminism and caste hatred, particularly hatred of upper castes, it is easy to overlook the fact and reality of history. As in the challenge in another thread: "What have the Brahmins done for the Dalits?"
S Narayanaswamy Iyer
Mr. Iyer,
I do not know the exact reason for your ancestral land being lost.
[FONT=q_serif]Zamindari system is practically monarchy. After independence, states started abolishing the system [land is a state subject] starting from UP and then Madras and so on. While legally abolished in 1950s.
[/FONT][FONT=q_serif]If somebody other than than the Zamindars family had land, they used to forcefully acquire from them. Basically all the ownership rights were with Zamindar and ipso facto everyone had to be our tenants or peasants.[/FONT]
[FONT=q_serif]Zamindar never involved hemselvest in cultivation ([/FONT]Absentee landlords) , it was always just about collecting the tax.
So it was abolished, may be some old lady lost her income.
I am sorry but social changes have consequences.
But that was not-anti-Brahmanism, it was anti tyranny.:focus:
Abolition of Zamindari system was projected as anti-tyranny. I do not know the real reason.I though you meant tyranny...The Communists did this in Kerala!!
Dear Mr Prasad1
You keep muddying the waters.
Ours was NOT a Zamindar family. We tyrannised no-one. Far from that, my grandfather being an aayurvedam expert treated all who came to him, Brahmins and other patients, free of charge. My grandmother used to supply fresh cows' milk free to neighbours, after our small family's needs were fulfilled. I used to be the barefoot courier.
Also, please do not sneer heartlessly and cynically at the mass deaths of tens if not hundreds of thousands of Brahmins through starvation, malnutrition and disease after the fields and plantations they depended on for food was forcibly confiscated. Not only our land, but all land in other Brahmin villages were confiscated in the programme (pogrom?) of New Independent India.
Don't say nastily, derisively and dissmissively "may be some old lady lost her income." Tens if not hundreds of thousands of innocent villagers LOST THEIR PRECIOUS LIVES before my very eyes. This is NOT HEARSAY, but first-hand eye-witnessed truth.
Face today's reality, if you can, Sir.
Sure, you don't know why the New Independent India Government confiscated the land of all Brahmin farm-owners in Kerala. Did you read that it was for political reasons -- to slice up the land into uncultivable strips without essential independent water sources and to award the strips to farm labourers, etc?
Sure you don't know about Bhagavaan Sree Mahaa-Vishnu escorting and accompanying ex-Emperor Mahaa-bali from Rishi-lokam Paataalam to Earth on Ohnam Day. Even K Gopalan didn't.
Let's not talk again about plentiful and ustinted moru-neer dhaanam to vazhipokkans during venakkaalam in my native village in Kerala.
Namaskaarams d best regards.
S Narayanaswamy Iyer
Truth behind Makarajyothi
The Makarajyothi is an artificial fire clandestinely lit by the officials of Sabarimala temple, the Travancore Devaswom Board and Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) in connivance with some of the forest and police officials. It is created by burning a large quantity of camphorcubes kept in a silver platter. Several correspondents have visited the hill station where the camphor-fire is lit is claimed to be in the control of the forest department of the Government of Kerala.