DEBATE ON “BUDHISM”
The decision of Dalit Christians to come out of suffocation is a correct stand. But their next step should be a more correct path in the interest of future generation. (DV Dec. 16, 2001 p.8: “Dejected Dalit Christians rushing to Budhism?“).
The suffocation started from the day India got “independence”.
I am not a Christian because my parents never got converted. But I was born in a London Mission Hospital and started education in a London Mission School at Chikballapur town, Kolar dt., Karnataka.
However, my immediate cousins are Christians. They also got Christian husbands and wives. Their children got good education in Christian schools and led a respectable life, i also got merticulated at the London Mission School, Bangalore.
A church, school and hospital were built a hundred years ago in my birth place. Later, the school building was allowed to perish. The government put up a new building and started running the school.
The church is in dilapidated condition. Many priests converted from different castes presided over the church. One converted from Lingayat caste was also our master.
Who is enjoying church: Later came a cunning pastor and got a new church built far from the Dalit locality. He shifted himself along with few upper caste Christians leaving the old church to Dalits. Dalit Christians were not allowed into the new church. This is the story of 30 years. This may be the same story all over India.
Education and health care institutions of Christians are all run by upper caste Christians and manuwadi vaidik converts and for their benefits.
Dalit Christians neither have reservations in services nor a respectable treatment in church and their own. Christian institutions. (V.T. Rajshekar: Christians & Dalit Liberation, DSA-2000).
Great Disaster: Under these circumstances the Dalits have to find an alternative avenue. If the choice is Budhism it may be a greater disaster.
Dalit Christians must study Indian Budhism which has a Hindu odour. All Budhist centres and Budhist organisations are headed by manuwadi converts and infiltrators.
Bodh Gaya, an important centre of Budha, is even now managed by a group of vaidik monks. You call it Hindu imperialism or oneness of Hindu and Budhism. Both means the same.
Mahabodhi Society at Bangalore: Dr. Ambedkar took Budha as his master. This prompted me to go to the Mahabodhi Society at Bangalore. The then bhikku had good contacts with politicians, officers and money- bags. Grand functions were held periodically when these people were invited to speak. None of them were followers of Budha. This bhikku never went to any Dalit locality. Being a regular visitor, I became close to the bhikku. He started revealing his life to me. One day, he said that his grandfather became a Budhist. He said he belonged to a Brahmin family from Assam.
It was a good warning to me to get out. Never did I enter any Budhist centre in my life. Sweet bluff: Bhikku Dharma Ratna of Saranath, Varanasi, wrote as early as 1969 that: “Shankaracharya had the greatest respect for Budha in his book. This sweet bluff needs deep research.
Bhikku Karuna Sastry wrote in 1999 an article titled “Oneness of Budhism and Hinduism”.
A vaidik President of India, Dr. Radhakrishnan, took pride in saying “Budha is a greatest Hindu”. He did not know that the word “Hindu” was brought from Arabia.
Monks never visited Dalits: Coming to neo-Budhists, they want to beg for reservation-a greatest insult to self-respect.
No Budhist monk visited Dalit colony nor expressed concern to the problem of Dalits at any time. Atrocities on Dalits and human rights of the oppressed are not their concern.
Muslim support to Dr. Ambedkar: But Prince Agha Khan advised the Viceroy to enumerate Untouchables separately in the census. The population stood at 5 crores. As a result of this under Govt. of India Act of 1919, the Untouchables got political representation. in the legislature.
Dr. Ambedkar came to political scene later. During the Round Table Conference in 1932, it was the same Agha Khan and the Muslim League leader Jinnah who stood with Dr. Ambedkar.
Dr. Ambedkar wrote the Constitution. But how did he enter the Constituent Assembly? Jogendranath Mondal was a minister in the interim cabinet representing the Muslim League. He took Dr. Ambedkar to Bengal. Supported by Mahamed Ali, Jinnah and the Muslim League, Dr. Ambedkar entered the Parliament House. These three cases are not only significant to prove the Muslim support to Dalits but also lays the basic foundation for the progress of Dalits laid by our Muslim brothers.
The rule of Khusro and Razia Begum in Delhi, leading of the first war of independence in 1857 by Begum Hazarath Mahal who were all Dalits and got those opportunity being converted Muslims is part of history.
The other alternative religion available in India is Sikhism. The guru who founded it belonged to a Backward Caste. Vaidik infiltration brought it down to a level where Dalit converts are not allowed in langars. Dalit converts to Sikhism are thinking on the same lines as our Christian brothers are thinking. Ambedkarites can remain as loyal followers but can never be guides. Better to repeat the words of Dr. Ambedkar said in 1927:
“Do not leap into fire because I tell you to do so. Do It, if you are fully convinced”.
Think and then act. Know your enemy and your friends first and then only strike
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