Tamil Brahmans and Politics

[Jamadagneya]

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The marginalization and disenfranchisement of modern Tamil Brahmans is due to their having zero political currency. It is easy to flog a goat, but a tiger? The few Brahmans in politics are those that have washed away their Brahman heritage. They don't count. The salvation of Tamil and all other Brahmans lies only in active participation in politics and creating a powerful Brahman front. Almost every large caste based party has picked up some currency in TN- e.g. PMK and Dalit Panthers. But, the really persecuted Brahmans have nothing. Even their social organization, *******, is a joke, unable to work for their social alleviation. And unmindful of this sorry lot, Tamil Brahmans stay a disunited bunch, thriving on individual enterprise, which allows a fraction to prosper, but the majority to disappear. Consider UP, where Brahmans are a force to reckon with politically, where they had the muscle to bring Mayawati, albeit wrongheadedly, to power. Only when Tamil Brahmans are a socio-political force, will they thrive. Otherwise, all they face is a slow extermination.

 

[RVR]

UP cannot be compared with TN. UP has 13% Brahmin poplulation where as we have just 3% in TN. As a community, we cannot have a caste based approach. However individually let our people join political party of their choice.

 

[Jamadagneya]

UP cannot be compared with TN. UP has 13% Brahmin poplulation where as we have just 3% in TN. As a community, we cannot have a caste based approach. However individually let our people join political party of their choice.

You are missing the forest for the trees. UP has 13% Brahmans, but they are spread over the state, with few "Brahman dominated" constituencies, unlike the Moslems have. In a parliamentary system 13% spread around with no guaranteed seats and 3% work to be the same.

Parties exist with much smaller % of the population, yet with greater voice and force than the Brahman population. Even, the 3% is a pre-independence figure. The number is less by now. Don't forget that this 2% consists mostly of well educated and articulate people, not just illiterate vote banks. Even with this number, a very vocal and vigorous Brahman party, can make a difference. Khammas are one-fourth of the Kapu number in AP. Yet, a Khamma has been CM in AP for 35% of its existence. Never a Kapu CM in the last few decades. Why? Khammas organize better and control key sectors needed for a political machine. Numbers can always be overcome with realpolitik. A Brahman party can still have non-Brahman friendly plank and members in its machine and become politically powerful. Note that you only need to be vocal and visible to get some currency- you don't necessarily need to sit in the gaddi. We want justice for Brahmans and equal opportunity, not Red Fort or Ft. St. George.

 

[RVR]

Thanks Sri Jamadagneya ji,

It is an open secret that Dalits, Brahmins and few other communities united and made Mayavathi CM. Credit for bringing the Dalit-Brahmin unity goes to Sathish Chandra Mishra, an eminent lawyer, who defended Mayavathi in some court cases. Mayavathi not only stopped Brahmin bashing but also implemented 10% reservation for poor among forward communities which is a great achievement. The credit for such an achievement goes to Sri Sathish Chandra Misra ji. One thing the 13% vote bank got consolidated under Mishra is a great thing which none of the politcal parties can ignore. Eventhough he got ministership initially, he didn't take it up seriesly, as his objective was Brahmin upliftment rather then the ministership post.

If some of our brahmin politicians in TN play a strategic card like the above, it will be a great service to our community.

 

[Jamadagneya]

Mayawati's election and the Satish Mishra story are well known to me- mark my words- it never did and never will do any good for the common UP Brahman. I envision a political presence that will benefit the community at large.

You know you spoke of Brahmans being 3%. I don't think we need 50 MPs and 150 MLAs to get benefits. Consider one really remarkable "liberal" step that the DMK government has taken- ration cards and college seats and govt jobs for the transgendered- they are such a small and invisible group in the fringes of society. How many of us has seen a real life transgendered person? Yet, being vocal, they got some benefits. Isn't that an example?

Activism to get equal opportunity is based on strenuous, sustained, vocal and visible agitation. A united political voice for Brahmans will be the first step.

All I say to any Tamil Brahman who expresses concern at this sorry plight is this: "Get off your armchair and take to the streets".

 

[krishav]

Mayawati's election and the Satish Mishra story are well known to me- mark my words- it never did and never will do any good for the common UP Brahman. I envision a political presence that will benefit the community at large.

You know you spoke of Brahmans being 3%. I don't think we need 50 MPs and 150 MLAs to get benefits. Consider one really remarkable "liberal" step that the DMK government has taken- ration cards and college seats and govt jobs for the transgendered- they are such a small and invisible group in the fringes of society. How many of us has seen a real life transgendered person? Yet, being vocal, they got some benefits. Isn't that an example?

Activism to get equal opportunity is based on strenuous, sustained, vocal and visible agitation. A united political voice for Brahmans will be the first step.

All I say to any Tamil Brahman who expresses concern at this sorry plight is this: "Get off your armchair and take to the streets".

They get carried away soon in UP. I dont think in TN we have time to get carried away.

 

[Singleliner]

UP cannot be compared with TN. UP has 13% Brahmin poplulation where as we have just 3% in TN. As a community, we cannot have a caste based approach. .

Chettiars,Muslims,Christians,Dk atheists,mudaliars,vellalars etc in T.N also have this much 3% or even lesser percentage,but still they enjoy a better pie,so lets find out where the missing hole is?

 

[[email protected]]

to All: we are most calculative persons for each and every thing,our TB's dont want apply a single day leave for a common cause. If TB.COM organise a meeting hardly few will attend and no one wanted to take the responssibility. Only to give suggusions and put counter reply etc.Mainly we are divied in to two groups, one is saivates and vaishnavates. Fllowing different type of customs and tradeations. The way of lifestyle also changed. More over vaishnavate never agree with the saivates in so many things thats why we are not united and the Madams also having limited activitee to unite the Brahmin community. So first a broad outlook required and all the Brahmins are same like thought is required in this time. s.r.k.

 

[KRS]

Dear Sri esarkey Ji,

I noticed in some of your postings, including the one above you place the onus on brahmin unity squarely on the laps of Vaishnavites. So, do Saivaites (as opposed to Smarthas) agree that Vishno is the supreme Lord? So, from your posting, I gather that Saivites agree that both Shiva and Vishnu are equals? They do not then have a story where they portray a competition between Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma where Shivan won the supremacy?

Please, pray tell me, what are you talking about?

Regards,
KRS

 

[hariharan1972]

Chettiars,Muslims,Christians,Dk atheists,mudaliars,vellalars etc in T.N also have this much 3% or even lesser percentage,but still they enjoy a better pie,so lets find out where the missing hole is?

Good point.

Chettiars, Mudaliars and Vellalars have powerful political patronage. Also they have the benefit of coming under one umbrella of OBCs.

They have also, in my opinion, cleverly isolated brahmins as the sole oppressors while the real fact is that a Dalit of today suffers oppression solely due to these neo-brahmins.

DK has a miniscule support in TN and enjoys the "silent support" of the majority. If a DK activist today for example would venture to cut the tuft of a brahmin priest, the OBCs while not enjoying the predicament of the brahmin, would not, however come to his rescue. It is so typical of India as a whole ; we are not sadists by heart to enjoy the suffering of another, but our silence emboldens the perpetrators. In this regard, unfortunately, Indians are more eloquent with their silence.

Christians and Muslims are simple to explain. They come under the age old indian political principle of tokenism. If you have a 30 member cabinet for example, you need to have a muslim & a christian as ministers.

If a Hindu is VP then we should have a Muslim as President. A simple way to banish a Muslim leader from political prominence is to make him a Governor of some state and push him to obscurity.

Brahmins dont come under any of the above categories and no wonder they are badly represented. But having said that i dont actually resent the lack of brahmin representation in politics or in PSUs. What is of concern to me is the blocking of educational opportunities for the brahmin.

Survival is in the gene of the brahmin and we are good enough to disprove Darwin. We survive not because we are fit but because we are flexible.

 

[RVR]

Survival is in the gene of the brahmin and we are good enough to disprove Darwin. We survive not because we are fit but because we are flexible.

Rightly said Sri Hariharan 1972 ji. Let us not talk about any theory. Personally I have faced both class struggle and caste struggle. I have survived both and come out successfully. Since we are basically non-violent and highly flexible, we are bound to succeed.

Let us join together and lift other members of our community who require support

 

[tbs]

Good point.

Chettiars, Mudaliars and Vellalars have powerful political patronage. Also they have the benefit of coming under one umbrella of OBCs.

They have also, in my opinion, cleverly isolated brahmins as the sole oppressors while the real fact is that a Dalit of today suffers oppression solely due to these neo-brahmins.

DK has a miniscule support in TN and enjoys the "silent support" of the majority. If a DK activist today for example would venture to cut the tuft of a brahmin priest, the OBCs while not enjoying the predicament of the brahmin, would not, however come to his rescue. It is so typical of India as a whole ; we are not sadists by heart to enjoy the suffering of another, but our silence emboldens the perpetrators. In this regard, unfortunately, Indians are more eloquent with their silence.

Christians and Muslims are simple to explain. They come under the age old indian political principle of tokenism. If you have a 30 member cabinet for example, you need to have a muslim & a christian as ministers.

If a Hindu is VP then we should have a Muslim as President. A simple way to banish a Muslim leader from political prominence is to make him a Governor of some state and push him to obscurity.

Brahmins dont come under any of the above categories and no wonder they are badly represented. But having said that i dont actually resent the lack of brahmin representation in politics or in PSUs. What is of concern to me is the blocking of educational opportunities for the brahmin.

Survival is in the gene of the brahmin and we are good enough to disprove Darwin. We survive not because we are fit but because we are flexible.

hi hari sir
.....yes you are right...still we survive anywhere in
the world...yes we can...we are flexible...even all the struggles
in reservation policy....i heard many professors are from
brahmins in IITs/IIMs....

 

[Singleliner]

If one claims be of highly flexible and adoptive in nature,then he should also be flexible/smart enough to get the grip of the recent political set up than staying away like the Sour grape adage.We are supposed to be the Kings Ministers,and whatever pride one take on 'flexiblity', its true we lost all the ministerial forte.After all and these job reservation & educational denials are all achieved, only by the same political set up.

 

[[email protected]]

to Krs ji, My reply related only the Vaishnavafollowers are regid in their faith and even today so many Vaishnavates never take any thing from even Smartha Brahmin. Thatswhy they themselves wanted a separate Identity,one of the Big reason that The ******* was failed in achiving its originol goal. Some members refer and object it may notbe in Foreign countries,but still in Tamilnadu. In our comlplex there are Vaishnavates they never cooperate with any one.It is muliti cast living. As for as I understand Brahma, Vishnu,Sivan are only servents to us and they live with in our Body.The Suddha Sivam is the Highest understanding and it require careful reading and understanding the Tamil scriptures. I mean Hariyum sivanum onu ariyathavan vaiyul mannu. I am just quote If it is not correct Pl delet my reply. with regards. S.r.k.

 

[[email protected]]

to RV sir, The flexible some time Break or crack. We must live like cane. s.r.k.

 

[RVR]

to Krs ji, My reply related only the Vaishnavafollowers are regid in their faith and even today so many Vaishnavates never take any thing from even Smartha Brahmin. Thatswhy they themselves wanted a separate Identity,one of the Big reason that The ******* was failed in achiving its originol goal. Some members refer and object it may notbe in Foreign countries,but still in Tamilnadu. In our comlplex there are Vaishnavates they never cooperate with any one.It is muliti cast living. As for as I understand Brahma, Vishnu,Sivan are only servents to us and they live with in our Body.The Suddha Sivam is the Highest understanding and it require careful reading and understanding the Tamil scriptures. I mean Hariyum sivanum onu ariyathavan vaiyul mannu. I am just quote If it is not correct Pl delet my reply. with regards. S.r.k.

I request the honourable member not to raise above controversies. TB as a community is very small and if we divide it further, we may have further problems.

There may be one or two people in either sub sect with strong views about their faith but majority on both sides have broad mentality. Let the majority opinion prevail in our forum