by: Arjun Singh Ottawa Canada
Punjab, Kashmir, and other trouble spots (Assam, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh, etc.) in the Indian subcontinent are a symptom of the extremely oppressive, corrupt, and unaccountable, governance which has taken root in “independent” India since 1947 under the cloak of “secular democracy.” The power vacuum left by the British was filled by the Brahmanical orthodox castes of Hindu society who comprise less than 8% of all Hindus but hold over 90% of the executive and decision-making posts in Indian polity, government, judiciary, police, army, and media. ‘The caste orthodoxy who in the late 19th century discovered themselves to be “Aryans’’ after reading British historical works dogmatically believe that they are superior to the so-called “lower castes” and “untouchables” who collectively form the overwhelming majority of Hindus (92%). Their attitude to other religious minorities in India such as Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs is marked by open intolerance bordering on hatred.
History reveals that the Brahmanlcad orthodoxy has risen to direct political power after a period of nearly 2300 years when in the 3rd century B.C. the peoples of the subcontinent first rejected the regressive Brahmanical caste creed and become Buddhist. Buddhist philosophy rejected the caste system, the pantheon of Brahmanical gods, and espoused the University of the Human Soul. Buddhism successfully survived and absorbed many invading and colonizing groups such as the Scythian and Kushans from whom many traditionally agricultural tribes of the North are derived cg. Jats, Ghakkars, Awans. In the 7th century, however, Shankracharya convinced the rulers of the time (recent Hun invaders Rajputs) to eradicate Buddhism in India and impose Brahmanical Hinduism on the people.
‘Today, through the politics of promise and betrayal and divide and rule, the caste orthodoxy has consolidated its hold over India. Under the disguise of a “paper democracy,” it has been steadily carrying out its elitist, selfish, and chauvinistic agenda of “Hindu Rashtra”which is in reality a Caste racy ruled by the Aryans” of India. Like Nazi Europe, the consequences and becoming increasingly transparent: corruption on a horrendous and unparalleled scale of the country’s administrative system, judiciary, and law and order machinery, eniminalization of the political process (many M.P.shave criminal backgrounds, most have criminal connections); hostile relations with all neighboring countries; development of a nuclear arsenal; systematic violations of the human and constitutional rights of minorities and the majority “lower castes”; repression of traditionally the most patriotic Sikh community in India, and incitement of communal tensions and violence as a political and genocidal tool (of the hundreds of thousands of peoples who have perished in these “riots” against Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians since 1947, only a handful of criminal cases have been prosecuted). Unbridled corruption and nepotism has evaporated the legitimacy of the country’s political and administrative institutions and has enabled the caste establishment to convert the country into a giant “milking cow” for their self-enrichment. Secessionist movements throughout the subcontinent ire a direct result of the second class treatment of minorities and disempowered castes (who together form over 90% of the population) in “secular and democratic” India.
Since 1947, promises and demands for justice and fair treatment under the law have gone ignored and legitimate expressions of grievance and protest have been suppressed with state terror. The dismal record of persistent and unwarranted denial of the basic human and constitutional rights of minorities is becoming increasingly supplemented by coercive designs encompassing outright physical genocide, especially of their youth. The resulting insecurity and victimization has fostered a desire in the collective psyche of many geographically compact and ethnically well-defined groups (eg. Sikhs, Kashminis, Assamese, etc. to exercise their right of self-determination and take back control over their destiny from a State which has become destructive to their political, economic, religious, and cultural wellbeing and aspirations.
The international media should begin to accurately report events occurring in India and intelligently investigate the political dynamics behind them. In the past, it has been too willing to parrot the views and propaganda of official elites and the caste establishment (who run the state-owned television/radio and dominate the mainstream Press) to their audience in the West. Western governments and politicians should wakeup to the nature of the elitist and repressive Indian Castecracy and demand that it behave as a modem, civilized and democratic state and meet the legitimate demands of its peoples and nations.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 7, 1994
