Religion & human dignity.iapt.july2015ppt

Religion and Human Religion and Human Dignity Dignity

an Inter-Faith Praxis against Caste Discrimination

IAPT Biannual Conference, Pretoria

16-20 July

Outline

1. Brief History of Caste System

2. Conversion as a Thirst for Dignity

2.b Ghar-Wapsi – Drama of Re-conversion

3. Inter- and Intra-Religious Practices for Human Dignity

Caste System : Caste System : varnasaramavarnasarama theory theory

The Brahman was his mouth, of both his arms was the Rājanya made. His thighs became the Vaiśya, from his feet the Śūdra was produced.

- Hymn of Purusha Sukta, V. 12, Rig Veda, tr. by Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1896]

Laws of Manu on CasteLaws of Manu on Caste 87. But in order to protect this universe He, the

most resplendent one, assigned separate (duties and) occupations to those who sprang from his mouth, arms, thighs, and feet.

88. To Brahmanas he assigned teaching and studying (the Veda), sacrificing for their own benefit and for others, giving and accepting (of alms).

89. The Kshatriya he commanded to protect the people, to bestow gifts, to offer sacrifices, to study (the Veda), and to abstain from attaching himself to sensual pleasures;

90. The Vaisya to tend cattle, to bestow gifts, to offer sacrifices, to study (the Veda), to trade, to lend money, and to cultivate land.

91. One occupation only the lord prescribed to the Sudra, to serve meekly even these (other) three castes.

Constitutional Provisions Constitutional Provisions in Defence of the in Defence of the

MarginalisedMarginalised Article No. 15(4): Prohibition of

discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex and place of birth.

Article No. 16(4): Equality of opportunity in mattes of employment.

Article No. 17 Abolition of untouchability. Article Nos. 320(4)/355: Ascertaining

appointments in the functions of Public Service Commission.

Article Nos.330, 332, 334: Reservation of seats in the Parliament, State Legislative Assembly.

Article No. 46 Directive Principles of State Policy to promote the educational and economic interests of the weaker section.

Gandhi & Harijans!Gandhi & Harijans!All that Gandhi has said is that caste is an anachronism. He does not say it is an evil. He does not say it is anathema. Mr. Gandhi does not say that he is against Varna system. And what is Mr. Gandhi’s Varna system? It is simply a new name for the caste system… The declaration of Mr. Gandhi cannot be taken to mean any fundamental change in Gandhism… The Untouchables will still have ground to say: “Good God! Is this man Gandhi our Savour?

Ambedkar, B.R.,1946.

““Hinduism is a veritable chamber Hinduism is a veritable chamber of horrors. The sanctity and of horrors. The sanctity and infallibility of the Vedas, Smritis infallibility of the Vedas, Smritis and Shastras, the iron law of and Shastras, the iron law of caste, the heartless law of karma caste, the heartless law of karma and the senseless law of status by and the senseless law of status by birth are to the Untouchables birth are to the Untouchables veritable instruments of torture veritable instruments of torture which Hinduism has forged against which Hinduism has forged against the Untouchables. These very the Untouchables. These very instruments which have mutilated, instruments which have mutilated, blasted and blighted the life of the blasted and blighted the life of the Untouchables are to be found Untouchables are to be found intact and untarnished in the intact and untarnished in the bosom of Gandhism”bosom of Gandhism”. .

Gabbilam Gabbilam (the (the bat)bat)

Crying I told her of the incident,Hugging me to her breast and kissing meShe said, ‘Son, this is an awful country,But don’t complain of caste

discrimination;You’ll lose your food, as a Panchama

(Untouchable)You have no claim to human rights or

your life.These gods here won’t grant their

favoursThey will not accept a Panchama’s

worshipThe Lord Jesus Christ is your refuge,Adore Him, He’ll be merciful”. Jashuva Kavi.

Conversion as a Thirst for Conversion as a Thirst for DignityDignity

INCREASE IN INDIAN CHRISTIAN POPULATION INCREASE IN INDIAN CHRISTIAN POPULATION 1872-19311872-1931

Year ChristiansIncrease % General Population18721,246,28818811,520,471 (est.) 22.0 23.218912,036,60033.9 13.219012,664,31330.8 2.519113,574,77034.2 7.119214,464,39624.9 1.219316,020,887 (est.) 34.9 10.6

Cry for Dignity & Justice….Cry for Dignity & Justice….The Depressed Classes of India are

desperately poor. But their chief economic need is not financial; it is an antidote to the poisonous ideas that have made them in capable of struggling successfully with their environment… It is, then, a true instinct that makes the Depressed Classes respond more eagerly to the social and economic ills. The concepts, which the Christian Gospel gives them of themselves and of God in relation to their sufferings and sins are worth in comparably more to them than any direct social and economic service the Church could render.

W. J. Pickett, Christ’s Way to India’s Heart, Lucknow, 1938,

Ghar-Wapsi Ghar-Wapsi – Drama of – Drama of Reconversion Reconversion

“While the English term ‘homecoming’ seems to be the literal translation of the expression, ghar wapsi is — and means - in the hands and minds of its originators, the ghar is the Hindu umbrella, which they conveniently call ‘Sanatana Dharma’. 

Wapsi is even more dangerous, for it characterises certain people as lost, strayed, misled, stolen or captured.

Is Christianity Is Christianity

a Home a Home for the for the

Marginalized!Marginalized!??

Survey on Religion & Human Survey on Religion & Human Dignity in the context of Dignity in the context of

Ghar wapsi!Ghar wapsi!Religion and Caste are interwoven

in Indian society and Christianity though has offered asylum to the people of lower strata of the society, seems to be helpless vis-à-vis caste hegemony. Christians from the marginalized communities continue to struggle for dignity and justice that had been denied to them for ages.

Moreover, their very freedom of religion is insulted and they their religious identity is humiliated with the hyped and orchestrated shows of ‘ghar wapsi’ as if that they were led by their nose by the missionaries. Their religious experience is being undermined and their conversion is adjudged as betrayal of patriotism. There are many studies in the recent past dealing with the plight of the marginalized people and their skirmishes with religions.

But now at the wake of ‘ghar wapsi shows’ there is an urgent need to study the religious commitment and experience of the marginalized people and the contribution of Christian faith in upholding or diminishing their dignity and self-esteem. Hence, to collect the empirical data on Christian faith and practice in reference to caste discrimination, the motive behind religious conversion, the experience of dignity and equality within the religious community and the response to ghar wapsi calls, a survey was conducted in the four districts of Northern Tamil Nadu. Total Respondents: 1000+

Demographical SketchDemographical Sketch

Education LevelEducation Level

Communal IdentityCommunal Identity

OC: Other Castes (FC: Forward Castes), BC: Backward Castes, MBC: Most Backward Castes, SC: Scheduled Castes (Dalits) and ST: Scheduled Tribes (Adivasis)

Time of Embracing Christian Time of Embracing Christian FaithFaith

Explosion of Violence on Explosion of Violence on MinoritiesMinorities

Since the electoral victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014 in which religious minorities, such as Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, are being targeted by Hindu ultra-nationalist organisations that have the tacit support from some in the central government in India. According to an interim report the first 300 days of the Modi’s government have been marked by 43 deaths among 600 documented cases of violence against Christians and Muslims. The threat that religious minorities face in India is not just a fear of violence against their physical bodies and religious institutions, but the fear that their very existence is at risk in a country dominated by a Hindu majority that is increasingly taking on a fundamentalist hue.

Practical Practical Theology of Theology of

Inter-Religious Inter-Religious Dialogue? Dialogue? What for??What for??

How???How???

Future Trajectories of Future Trajectories of Practical TheologyPractical Theology

Prophetic DialoguePlurality of Religious

TraditionsEducation for Interfaith

Dialogue Dialogue for the reign of

God Reshaping the Habitus  Deconstruction of Meta-

narratives Dialogue for ReconciliationDialogical Dialogue – not

Dialectical Dialogue…...……. Conclusion

Religious Belief as Religious Belief as HabitusHabitusReligious belief as habitus - a

characteristic trait of the individual, and is ‘a cognitive disposition and orientation of the soul” (Edward Farley)

Habitus – is ‘embodied history, internalised as a second nature and so forgotten as history – is active presence of the whole past of which it is the product’.

(Pierre Bourdieu)  

Dialogical DialogueDialogical DialogueDialogical dialogue involves the entire person, not just our rational dimension, and it treats others as “another self (alter) who is a source of self-understanding as well as a source of understanding not necessarily reducible to my own” (R. Panikkar).

Unsere HoffnungUnsere Hoffnung„Die Welt braucht keine

Verdopplung ihrer Hoffnungslosigkeit durch Religion: sie braucht und sucht (wenn überhaupt) das Gegengewicht, die Sprengkraft gelebter Hoffnung auszugleichen. In diesem Sinn ist schließlich die Frage nach unserer Gegenwartsverantwortung und Gegenwartsbedeutung die gleiche wie jene nach unserer christlichen Identität: Sind wir, was wir im Zeugnis unserer Hoffnung bekennen“.

(Beschlußwort der Gemeinsamer Synode der Bistümer in BRD, 1975) Offizielle Gesamtausgabe I, Freiburg, 19

Thank You! Thank You! Pax et BonumPax et Bonum

Dr. Theo. & Dr.habil. Roy Lazar ADept. of Christian Studies,University of Madras,Chennai Co-Researcher Dr. S. Innasimuthu M.A., Ph.DDept. of Visual CommunicationHindu College, AvadiChennai