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In
the past, though people were divided on the basis of caste, they
were free from hared and ill-will. It is now that we see ill-will
and hatred everywhere in the country. One state is at loggerheads
with another; one state has dispute with another over the sharing
of river waters; and again one state has a quarrel with another
on the question of boundaries. In the past, Cettiars[of the South]
built dharmasalas[free boarding and lodging houses] for pilgrims
from Kasi. Correspondingly, the Sethjis constructed dharmasalas
for pilgrims going to Kasi and Badrinath. People then were united
as devotees of the Lord. Everything has gone awry today because
of increased political activity and empty talk. So, as a medicine
for our ills, as a sovereign remedy, we must pray that people
become more devoted to the Lord.
The
incessant cry that "Caste must go" has resulted in an
aggravation of hatred between one jati and another. Though the
propaganda against caste has been going on for 30 or 40 years,
the caste factor comes to the fore even today during elections.
Caste feelings run so high that violent clashes between
communities are not infrequent. Here it is not hatred between
Brahmins and non-Brahmins. Fortunately, the Brahmin has been made
to distance himself from politics. It is a matter for some comfort that, even though
they have not quit politics on their own, others have pushed them
out of it. So the present quarrels are between other castes. In
the Andhra Pradesh the Khammas and the Reddis are quarrelling
between themselves; in Karnataka the Lingayats are at war with
some other community. Ironically enough, it is in these days when
the cry of equality is the loudest that we witness so many caste
wars. This phenomenon is something unknown to the sastric
tradition. Here [in Tamil Nadu] candidates are chosen for
elections on the basis of jatis. Padayacis in one district,
Gaundars in another, Tevars in a third, Mukkulattars in a fourth,
and so on. Elections are fought not on the basis of ideology but
on that of caste.
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"Hindu Dharma" is a book
which contains English translation of certain invaluable and
engrossing speeches of Sri Sri Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi MahaSwamiji (at
various times during the years 1884 to 1994).
For a general background, please see here
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