Indian secularism and census
Dr suvarna Nalapat
India is considered to be a secular country,after Independence.But is it really so? The
Indian Parliament ,it is told ,all the political party members of it,opted for Caste being
recorded in the census.Already it is being recorded in schools .
NarayanaGuru has asked us “Not to think,ask or say caste “and we have to add not to
record caste in any records too.But,if it is not recorded the political leaders cannot make
vote banks out of it,and play power games .They need a separatist strategy for
survival.What else is the reason for such a decision from all political leaders of
parliament about the recording of caste in the census?
What we need?
1 All our children should get primary and secondary education,freely in our villages and
towns irrespective of caste,creed,religion,gender or religion.
2.All our villages should achieve food self-sufficiency so that each adult and child gets
nutritious calorie-rich food and free of anemia ,leukemia and malnutrition,so that each
can put the best of his/her efficiency in learning and in building of the nation.
3.The surplus agricultural products from villages should reach urban centers,and in return
the villages should get the help from urban centers by way of higher education and
employment facilities.
4.The recording of census should be for giving extrafacilities for the economically and
otherwise backward communities and providing them help to come up in life.
The recording of castes during census was a mistake committed by the British officials
and some of them had pointed out the mistake .But,unfortunately the warning was not
taken into account by those who implemented it,and now after Independence,boasting
that we are a Secular Republic,the leaders vote contrary to the secular nature of
constitution. There is a saying :The public are donkeys.Yes .We are donkeys.And we,the
donkeys have elected greater donkeys from amongst us to attend parliament,so that such
things happen.A nation of donkeys deserve only a donkey as a leader. So are we all
donkeys?The rulers,and those who are being ruled-Think for a while.What do we
want?Separatisms forever on caste,creed,gender and language ?Or a United Indian
subcontinent on the basis of equality for all?
Kerala had a very brilliant British Collector Sir William Logan.I would just quote what
he thought of census of India on a professional basis.This,if it opens the eyes of all
concerned , we will be saved from further deepening of class and caste.A classless and
casteless society cant be created if people are always being separated on these basis.
Castes according to Logan:-
William Logan’s Malabar Manual quotes some observations in Madras census 1871
report of Surgeon general Cornish which is very important for us to understand .The great
division of labor into professional,personal,commercial,agricultural,industrial and non-
productive services has been noted. And rightly observes that the people of India
originated from a common parent stem and due to division of labour,and regional
languages were divided into several tribes and castes. If it were necessary to sum up the
law of the country as it stood before the Mohammedan invasion(1766AD)and British
occupation(1792 AD)that word would undoubtedly be the word custom(not caste),Logan
says. In Malayalam it would be Maryada.margam,aachaaram all signifying established
custom .There is no indigenous word either in Malayalam or in any other Dravidian
languages to denote caste.Jathi ,in Sanskrit is from janma or birth and that law which is
natural custom to each birth .(For example manushyajaathi,mrigajaathi,pakshijaathi etc
).The Tamil and Malayalam word for it is Peru, as in nir-atti-peru(right from water
deed)and is equivalent to janmam.It does not define caste .Kaaraalar,kaaranmai is a trust
and a co-operative duty ,which is entrusted to certain citizens according to a deed ,and
they are supposed to fulfill that duty in a body politic. The nayars were the protectors of
the country ,crystallized readily into this duty with several branches of them. Their
function of supervision(kaanam)remained unimpaired down to the time of British
occupation. Logan observes that due to the ignorance of the British courts of justice ,the
term has quite lost its proper signification.(pp 111 vol 1 Malabar Manual))The nayars
were also the vellalars (irrigators).They had to respect the kon,or perumal,and was a
protector of the interests of guilds of the nation and all such rights were given to Jews,
Christians and later to Islamic people with sanction to make their own palli (educational
and religious center for such guilds ) which shows the tolerant view of the Administration
.The system of sharing has survived in agricultural industry alone at present. Logan notes
that it extends to all classes of community ,no matter how humble they are. Logan feels
that question of caste and occupation has to be addressed together. He says:-It is
unfortunate that such an essentially European classification of occupation has been
adopted in the census returns ,for it is only confusing .What ought to have been done was
to have adopted the four great divisions into which the Hindus themselves say they were
originally divided:
1.The sacrificers ,men of learning(Teachers by Profession of different subjects)
2.The protectors and governing classes (Law and order,administration,defence)
3.the traders and agriculturists
4 the service classes. To this a fifth is added
5.mechanics and handicrafts men.
6.Those who does not fall into such groups should have been grouped as a miscellaneous
group.
Logan attempted such a classification (see page 114 -115 vol 1)as follows:-
Division 1.The sacrificers (God-compellers)and learned (Teachers) .
Brahmins .Malayali and foreign 47683
Division 2 protectors and governing classes
Maravan (watchers/temple sweeper/musicianTamil 136
Mutratcha (watchers)Tamil 6
Nairs(militia) 321674
Rajputhra 362
Total 322178
Division 3
A.Traders
Balija (telugu) 1466
Komati (tamil) 1096
Shetty(tamil) 20945
Vaniyan and gandlu 42781
Vanniyan(tamil) 1259
Total 67547
B.Agriculturalists.
Agamudayan (tamil) 184
Golla(Idayar)herdsmen 2889
Gouda(herdsmen) 1062
Kurumbar(shepherds, jungle men) 2062
Kuruba golla (herdsmen) 16
Padayachi(tamil) 1008
Reddi(telugu) 119
Chanan,idiga,thiyyan,ilavan(planters) 559,717
Telugalu (vadugar)North countrymen 7811
Vellalan(irrigators) 7525
Yadavulu(telugu) 24
Total 582417
Division 4 service classes
Palli(ploughmen)or pallichaan 40809
Parayan ( labourer/leather worker ) 93612
Ambattan(barber) 8347
Odder(east coast tank diggers) 1682
Upparavan (same) 1
Vannan (washerman) 37556
Total 182,007
Division 5 Mechanics and handicraftsmen
Devangulu(telugu) 10
Kaikalar(weavers) 20465
Kammalar(asari,moosari,karuvan,thattan,kollan) 51553
Kummara(kusava)potter 11770
Madiga (leather worker) 181614
Saleeya(weaver) 21589
Seniyan (Tamil weaver) 486
Total 287487
Division 6 Miscellaneous
Ambalakkaran(Tamil chief of the Kallars) 27
Valayan /besta(fishermen) 16024
Lingadhari 71
Kallan (Tamil .Chora/chola robber in hilly areas ) 47
Shembadavan(fishmonger) 167
Others 162175
Not stated 1441
Total 179952
Grand total 1,669,271
If this was adopted many of the present confusions would have been avoided regarding
the caste system which was created unnecessarily to divide the nation .Page 117 gives a
table of occupation of the census 1881 .It is interesting that the women participation in it
as house wife is only very minimal.(The number of Brahmins and Kshathriya are
minimal .Kottayam and Parappanad are called Porainaat adigal and Logan thinks that it is
because they are foreigners.Actually,Porai means hill ,and they are kings of the hills
(Betta raja or veda kings )and the Parappanad family provides consorts to all other royal
families of kerala.Thalappalli was part of this but since one of the kakkad kaaranavars
murdered a perumal,according to the wish of the naattukoottam,he was downgraded from
his sooryakshthra/Brahmakshathra status to a Nambidi and after that they ceased to have
intermarriage with Travancore and perumpadappu ,their cousins.The downgrading came
,not because of birth,but because
of a dishonest act and Killing(Himsa)is significant.
Occupation census 1881:-(Table)
Occupation Male Female Total
1.professional
Government
Defense
Learning, literature etc
Total
7206
2274
27657
37137
57
-
14588
14645
7263
2274
42245
51782
2 Domestic
Wives
Personal offices
Total
-
5793
5793
866
6001
6867
866
11794
12660
3.Commercial
Money,house,goods,dealings
Carrying goods
Total
16968
32299
49267
2304
2133
4437
19272
34432
53704
4.Agricultural
Occupancy of land and agriculture
Care of animals
Total
346868
13082
359950
228631
3948
232579
575499
17030
592529
5.industrial
Art &mechanics
Textile fabrics, dress
Food ,drinks
Animal substances
Vegetable substances
Mineral substances
Total
19673
30097
72632
705
27830
65708
216645
417
61973
52998
1599
14030
6742
137759
20090
92070
125630
2304
41860
72450
354404
6.indefinite & nonproductive
Labor(specified)
Rank and property(swastham)
No specified occupation
Total
GRAND TOTAL
29066
31
476385
505482
1174274
18081
30
776336
794474
1190761
47147
61
1252721
1299956
2365035Census during the Mourya period as told by Koutilya:-
(prakarana 54 55 ,Ch 35 of Arthasasthra):-
Janapada is first divided into 4 equal parts. Each of these 4 parts have villages which are
classified as Uthama,madhyama and kanishta.Also divided as pariharakam(without
tax),Ayudheeyam(which give honest soldiers as tax),Dhanyaprathikaram(which gives
grain as tax),pasuprathikaram(that give cattle as tax),Hiranyaprathikaram(that give gold a
tax),Kupyaprathikaram(that give objects of kupya as tax),Vishtiprathikaram(that give
service or labor as tax).These are recorded in a nibandhapusthaka and kept.
Gopan is the accountant of a smallest unit of 5 to 10 villages employed by the
Samahartha ,for this purpose. Each Gopa takes a survey of the area of the 5 to 10 grama
under him and give the details to the Samahartha to be entered into his nibandhapusthaka
for further reference. What he surveys are given below:-
1.The pramaana of graama with its limits or boundaries.
2.The total area under cultivation in village( Krishtam)
3.Total area not under cultivation(Akrishtam).
4,Fields(kedaram)
5 Sthalam (Land which is not a field but is garden land for fruit trees)
6.Araamam( Upavanam)
7.Shandam (Plantain and such cultivations )
8.Vaadam(sugarcane and such cultivations)
9.Vanam(forest )
10.Vaasthu (where people live with their houses/constructions
11.Chaithyam
12.Devalayam
13.Sethubandham(Bundh for irrigations)
14.Smasaanam(funeral ground)
15.Sathram and feeding places for public
16.Prapa(thanneer panthal for travelers)
17.Punyasthaana
18.Viveetham
19.Vetttuvazhi (paths)
20.Kshethragram(Bhooparimaanam or measurement of the land)
21.Maryada or avadhi(boundary)of each depending upon the Bhooparinmaanam
22.Aranyam forests of natural type
23.Vazhi or transport facility
24.Pramaanam or area big or small
25.Sampradaanam or details of previous deeds and daana or gifts to Brahmins, Temples
Etc
26.Vikrayam .sales deeds if any
27.Anugraham
28.Parihaaram
29.Houses which are karada(taxpaying) and not(akarada),the distance between each .
30.A census of how many people belonging to the each varna .
How many does agriculture and of what crops
How many does goraksha
How many are Vaidehaka(Merchant class)
How many are kaaru(artisans)
How many are karmakara (service class)
How many are daasa (servants)
How many dwipada(human beings)
How many chathushpada ( cattle with 4 limbs)
How much hiranya,vishti,sulka and danda(army)is given per year to the king from each
of these .
How many women and how many men and children are in each house
How many are old and weak
What is the job of each of the member of the house
What is their aachaara or history /origin /from where did they come originally
What is their ajeeva(gain or aayam)
What is their vyaya (expenditure)
These are provided by Gopa to a Sthanika (The one who looks after 1/4th of the
janapada.).Sthaanika gives all details to the samahartha,the officer of all the four
divisions of the janapada.In the territory of the gopa and sthanika ,the samahartha has to
employ pradeshta(who does tests or experiments )karyakarana(to punish corrupt
pradeshta),and if needed people to forcibly extract bali/tax. (balipragraha).
Thaapasavyanjana are goodapurush of the king to check the functions of the
Karshaka,Gorakshaka,Vaidehaka,Grihapathy etc and thus exert a check on adharma by
all class of people. It is important to note that Koutalya says that the disciples of the
Thaapasa who are the main aids of the Kings were the puraanachoravyanjana (The oldest
community of thiefs )and they know all chaithya(the junction of four paths of
transport),soonyapadam(places where no one lives or enters as hiding places),udapaanam
(places where water resources exist),origin of rivers,nipaanam(lakes),theerthasthana (old
sacred waters),asrama in forest,aranya or deep natural forests,sailagahana or caves in
mountains,vanagahana or deep forests and can travel in all these areas alike .Thus they
are the best aides for the king and the thapasa to find out the secret ways of enemies ,of
thiefs ,their place of hide outs,their travels ,and cause of their arrival etc and are the best
intelligentia and best allies for protection of country. Thus the Puraanachoravynjana
were given a most venerable place for their service and honesty and were the best army
and police and intelligent service during Koutalya period. These are the oldest forest and
mountain dwellers of the Indian subcontinent as they are called the
Puraanachoravyanjana and it was from this race that all the Indian dynasties
originated . The race is now called Piramal kallar and its gene is about 70000 years old as
shown by genetic study. The rule of perumal in Kerala from this chora /Chera lineage of
Tamil population (They existed all over South India and concentrated in Konguchera,and
in Malayamnadu which is present kerala) and enjoyed the rank of most honest tribe
which they proved during PazassiRaja period .Pazassi (old tribal king) and Payanghat
Raja(as the old Arcot was called in pre-British period) have the same lineage and same
ancestry. And Indian subcontinent has same ancestry. The word kallar or chora does not
designate them as thiefs ,but as old race which occupied a wandering and cave dwelling
forest life as Adivasis of the land and loved it as dearly as their own jeeva and it was
from them the Kshathriya,Brahmakshathra and the vaisya class were born .Therefore it is
the most ancient Aranyaka class and most veneered (Pithru or ancestral status).
The Gopa in an urban set up has to think of 10 kula or families ,or 20 kula(families)or 40
kula (families)as the case may be. He has to record the names, the colour,the signs and
birthmarks, the functions, gender ,gothra,ancestral origins,etc and keep a
Jamghaagra(Janasamkhya or census) maintainance.All their functions, gains and losses
should be recorded by the urban Gopa.Similarly in a town 1/4th of the town is taken for
care by a sthaneeka.The authorities of dharmasaala should inform the gopa and the
sthaneeya if a pashandi or a unfamiliar person come there .They have to first test them
personally and if there is a doubt the information passed on to higher authorities.
Similarly the kaaru and silpi and thapaswin grihastha etc test people who come to their
house for learning or for trade ,commerce etc and keep them in their place as guest only
after testing.Vaidehaka also has to do this with travelers for safety of villages and towns.
In greeshma in the 3rd and 4th part of daytime no one should light up a fire .If someone
wants to cook food at that time do it outside the house so that the house does not get a
fire. In these times ,for 5 khatika time each house should have kumbham(water
pots),droni(water baths),nisreni(ladder),parasu(axe),soorpam(woven
muram),ankusam(thotty),kachagrahani(to pull hay from housetop),druthy(bladder with
skin to fill water) should be ready at hand because these are times when one can get a fire
and each house should have a at hand fire extinguishing devise like this.
In greeshma season the houses with thatch of grass should be removed. The people like
ironsmith ,goldsmiths etc who use fire for job should live together in a
neighbourhood.The head of each family should be available at home in night in case of
any emergency. In pathways, in junctions, in doors of towns etc and in palaces(big
houses) 1000 kumbha should be kept ready with water to quench a fire in emergency.
For one who burns a house killing by burning is the punishment. If one puts dirt or
rubbish in pathways/roads 1/8 panam and if with dirty water ¼ panam is fine .If the road
is a royal road for public transport fine is doubled.
If one do excretion in temple premises, in premises of water (river.tank,lake,well)etc
from 1 panam to depending upon the extant of pollution increasing fines should be
given. If the dead body of an animal or of a human being is disposed in the town
premises there is fine depending upon the animal.
Cat,dog,serpent,mongoose etc carcass disposal in town/village premises:- 3 panam fine.
Ass,camel,mule,cow etc 6 panam fine
Human carcass 50 panam fine
People have to take the dead body through the gate meant for corpse to the burial
ground. They should not dispose dead body anywhere except the burial ground decided
for them.(And people for disposal of such wastes therefore should be located near burial ground in each grama /urban city at the periphery .).The place at that boundary is called a Cherikkal (chery or sery means the side or belonging to that particular kings service ).
9th chapter says that any place except Brahmaranya,Somaranya,Devalaya,Yajnasthana,punyasthana, can be converted into
fields for growing grains.Because food sufficiency was important for agroeconomy.
About irrigation rules this chapter gives some guidance.:-
Suppose there is a lake in the heights (uparithataaka) from which a land is irrigated and a lower lake is newly made in the lower plane(Adharathataka).One should not use water
from the new lower down lake for cultivation in the upper field that is being already irrigated by the existing lake. Similarly if a lower lake exists already and is in use ,and a new upper lake is constructed for storage and irrigation, by that newly available water source one should not obstruct the already available water source below. Any one who dries up the entire lake should be given proper punishment.
Suppose for three years the lake could not be used for irrigation of a field for agriculture, in that case the first two laws mentioned need not be considered valid. If a water source is not used for 5 years by someone(except in exceptional cases of calamities and disease etc) the ownership on that sethubandha and water source is lost for the owner.
When a new lake or canal is built for irrigation ,for the first five years a pariharam(tax free)is to be allowed. When an old lake is being made use of by reconstruction, a
pariharam for 4 yrs is given. If a water source is lost by growth of grass and it is being reclaimed ,then tax-free state is for 3 years. If the ownership changed due to sale or another reason, then the time required for the new person to reclaim and start production is two years as tax free.
Lands are irrigated by various methods which include artificial
Vaathapravrithimam(Windmill driven irrigation) ,Nandyayathanam(with oxen from
canals, large ponds ,wells etc),Nibandhayathanam(by a sethubandha or a Bund as we call now) and directly from lake( Thataakam).Depending upon such methods and the produce and effort taken by the person who does agriculture ,the part of the produce has to be given and the tax to be fixed. If a lake or a sethubandha become in a repair state ,the people who sell or leave the land irrigated by them etc should be made responsible for the repair cost, tax etc .Those who enjoy the benefits without paying tax or share also are liable to give a share for repair either by money, things or by service. It is a combined responsibility of all to produce food and be self-sufficient in food production.
Their motto was:-All citizens should co-operate in having food sufficiency and in the welfare of village/urban centers and the numbering of humans,cattle,other domestic animals,different types of grain etc was to ensure the food production is sufficient for all its living things.The morphological character and origin of each species,whether it is a hybrid or a pure race was also recorded,but no religious tag was placed on it.The practical equal society planners of the Vedic and Prevedic India were concerned about the townplanning,its disposal of wastes,population control,food sufficiency and co-operative Republican behaviour of society .
We need not go back to prehistoric times.But we should at least be able to think what is good and what is bad for our Nation ,for our coming generations .For the entire world .
Do we want to be separated on several grounds like
language,caste,creed,religion,gender,money,power and our egocentric inferiority and
superiority complexes ? Or do we really want to be a united Nation which can see entire humanity and entire living organisms (even nonliving things)under the Unified Theory of Advaitha? The choice is ours to make.United ,we Stand. And divided……?.
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