NOTION THAT UNTOUCHABLE CASTES CREATED BY BRAHMINS

NOTION THAT UNTOUCHABLE CASTES CREATED BY BRAHMINS

30-MARCH-ENG 3

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

BHABHUA-----------------------------The notion that untouchable castes were created by Brahmins is a fabrication; power-hungry political parties—along with their affiliate organizations—engage in the deliberate act of spreading animosity by concocting baseless narratives.

Regarding the claim that untouchable castes were created by Brahmins: a reward will be offered to anyone—including the RSS Chief—who can provide concrete evidence to substantiate this assertion.

Across the nation, the narrative that "untouchable castes were created by Brahmins" is actively propagated by power-hungry political parties, their affiliate organizations, and various beneficiaries. It is pertinent to note that within the country—specifically by power-hungry, so-called "key leaders," elected representatives, and political candidates—this claim is frequently aired on open platforms, at election rallies, and through print, electronic, and social media interviews. By doing so, they are deliberately misleading the nation; consequently, the country's youth have become ensnared in a web of confusion, which is fueling the spread of animosity. Driven by animosity and petty greed—and divided along lines of religion, caste, gender, and region—people are becoming bloodthirsty toward one another, a trend that is deeply alarming.

The actions of power-hungry leaders—driven by a casteist mindset—who utilize caste-based laws to grant privileges to specific groups while simultaneously depriving other groups of government benefits on the basis of caste, thereby inciting casteist frenzy within the nation, are in no way conducive to the national interest. Furthermore, leveling accusations such as "Brahmins created castes to render us inferior," "Kshatriyas oppressed us through the arrogance of their physical strength," "Kayasthas struck us down with the power of their pen," or "Baniyas exploited us through their business practices," is—by any standard—completely unjustifiable.

You all likely know and recognize this face: it belongs to the RSS Chief, Mohan Bhagwat.

In February 2023, during an event held in Mumbai to mark the occasion of Sant Ravidas Jayanti, he stated that untouchable castes were not created by God, but rather by Brahmins.

Does anyone—including RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat or any other scholar on the ground—possess any concrete evidence to substantiate this claim, drawn from Vedic, Puranic, or scriptural sources? I challenge the intellectual class—including the RSS—to provide documented evidence proving the existence of the "Chamar" caste (considered untouchable) prior to 1489; the "Dusadh" caste (considered untouchable) prior to 1658; the "Bhangi" caste (considered untouchable) prior to the invasions by Islamic marauders; or the "Musahar" (Bhuiya) caste (considered untouchable) prior to 1871. If such evidence can be produced, accompanied by verifiable proof, a reward will be given.

Regarding the allegation that the Kshatriyas oppressed these groups: prior to the reign of Sikandar Lodi II, references to the so-called "untouchable" caste (Chamar) actually point to the *Chawar-vanshi Kshatriyas*—a lineage that was *not* considered untouchable and from which numerous rulers emerged. Similarly, prior to the reign of Aurangzeb, references to the so-called "untouchable" castes (Dusadh, Pasi) actually point to the *Gohilit-vanshi Kshatriyas*—a lineage that was *not* considered untouchable, whose members continue to hold the status of Kshatriyas in several states even today, and from which numerous rulers also emerged. Furthermore, prior to the British colonial era (specifically before 1871), the so-called "untouchable" castes (Musahar, Bhuiya)—who are indigenous to the Chota Nagpur Plateau (primarily located in the state of Jharkhand, a major plateau region of Eastern India)—regarded themselves as descendants of *Maa Shabari* and were *not* considered untouchable castes. Given that the current Constitution—which is often criticized as being "riddled with loopholes"—is now in force: *When* exactly did the Brahmins create these untouchable castes, and *whom* did the Kshatriyas oppress, and *when* did they do so?

And if no such evidence exists, why should we not conclude that those who fabricate stories to sow discord among the people—including the RSS Chief and others who give such interviews—are either completely ignorant of history, the Vedas, and the Shastras; or that they are deliberately deceiving the public and spreading animosity merely to serve their own political agenda? Such actions are not only fragmenting the social fabric of society but also acting as a significant impediment to the progress and advancement of the nation.