Untouchability and Sex

Glad to see this on FP.

`Boo` by Saadat Hasan manto.

First things first.

`Brahmin Landlord` is an oxymoron in AP.

Shantanu,

I got no sense about what you are trying to do with this article.

Is this a review of that short story by Vinodini?
- If so, there is no commentary on the writing style of the author or any other related thing

Is this about the Caste discrimination practiced on Dalits in India?
- If so, an applaudable goal but a shoddy way of highlighting it. There are no relevant facts, statistics here.

Is this about the discrimination of Dalit Christian Women in AP?
- Again it will be foolish for anyone to deny it. But you interpreted this from a short story?? What`s the relevance of a case in Rajasthan to AP? Where are the relevant figures for female discrimination in AP compared to other states? What are the sources (A dalit christian web site, C`mon atleast name it)? Why only `Dalit Christian` women? Why not all Dalit women?

If you have an agenda, atleast be transparent about it,

Thanks,
Avkrishna

Shantanu,

It`s true abt the last punchline.

However, as observed by AV Krishna, there are no Brahmin landlords in AP. Their only strength is their hardwork and education. It`s not Telegu but Telugu,btw.

There are many literateurs in Telugu who`re either with Arasam or Virasam (Progressive Writers Association or Revolutionary Writers Association).

As for sexual exploitation, it`s part of the ol Indian malaise which is part of the male-dominated thinking in this world. If u remember it was women who bore the brunt during partition and during all communal riots. Woman is linked to man`s honour.

We have a lot of awreness but villages are unchanged since the times of Asoka. Varnasrama system made way to Caste system.

Exploitation is the inert spirit of human beings.

We speak a lot abt balcks discminated by non-blacks but when I read that negros too annihilated pygmies in Africa, it points out to the innate nature of human beings i.e exploitation. Therefore primitive instincts such as graded-system of human beings got to be done away with in toto. Paradoxically in India, caste is the basis in all electoral activities - from village to national parliament. Legally it`s a crime to discminate (illegal like dowry system) in the name of caste but like in dowry system, it`s practiced by every one.

Caste evil is cyclic.

Shantanu,
I lived in AP for 4 years during my undergrad. As AVK points out, Brahmin landlords are an oxymoron. This is a useless and unsubstantiated brahmin bashing. The only landlord communities that I know of in AP are : Kamma and Kaapu. Of them Kaapu`s (Reddy`s) are fast becoming Christians and are usually filthy rich people.
For most part Brahmins are being wrongly accused of casteism as the landlords who usually commit such crimes are Thakurs, Jaats and their equivalnets in all the states of India. Brahmins are merely the scapegoats on which everyone lays blame for all the ills of the society.
I fail to understand, if the story and you in turn are trying to imply that this happened due to her being dalit christian. If so what happened to the focus on law enforcement? I think the prejudices of people can only be controlled by efective enforcement of laws.

Incidentally, I wish all the dalits converting to christianity were to read the bible before doing so. At least they`ll convert knowing fully well that christianity is no solution either. For instance:

``When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. If she does not please the man who bought her, he may allow her to be bought back again. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her. And if the slave girl`s owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave girl, but he must treat her as his daughter. If he himself marries her and then takes another wife, he may not reduce her food or clothing or fail to sleep with her as his wife. If he fails in any of these three ways, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment. (Exodus 21:7-11 NLT)

At least Mariya`s dad did not sell her for sex slavery, at worst he remained apathetic.

These trashy articles of dalit discrimination lay the blame on Brahmins w/o ever considering
that no city dwelling well off dalit will be treated like this. And this is only due to awareness of rights, literacy and enforcement of law. The christian missionaries are merely happy harvesting the souls (and once that is done, the convert realizes that the clutches of caste are still holding him). He`s had a double whammy, one due to casteism and the second due to christian missionaries.
Hopefully, complete literacy and awareness of fundamental rights can remove discrmination and exploitation of such nature. Otherwise such articles are just stereotyping the existing ignorant worldviews.
Adios

Avikrishna poses sensible questions.

As far as I can make out this article is an attempt to wind 3 things together.

1) A story from the Telugu collection of stories ``That man on the road``
2) The Bhanwari devi incident
3) A Dalit christian website`s claims.

Samz why are you glad to see it here ? Please tell me.

I am not sure but when i was growing up `christian` girlls were supposed to be `loose` and `easy`......there wa this movie called `Julie `in which a christian girl was bethroned by a hindu heroe but if the role was reversed i am sure it would be censored....

This guy is yet another bengali riff-raff with his holier-than-thou attitude laced with communist ideology targeting upper caste hindus. There is a mental disease among bengalis to make ad hominem attacks against hindus and anything associated with development in India.

Sometimes I wish a 1971 had happened to India also rather than just Pakistan. Then these idiot bengalis will realize the value of their religion as the Bangaladeshis would have extended a typical islamic welcome to them - by forcibly converting them!!

Ranjit,

Which state are u from??

#9
More so for AngloIndians than anyone else ...the Anglo Indians really faced extreme hardship and they were squeezed out of India thanks to Patel and othr ``nationalistic`` leaders including Congress who rfused to give them there pension and compensation due for employment under the Raj......

To blame one state over others is forgetting Indians are from one country and not seprate statecountries...

Re: # 6

there are brahmin landlords in AP - they were vastly outnumbered by Reddy`s

---

Re: # 8 by ranjit on January 11, 2007 3:45pm PT

This guy is yet another bengali riff-raff with his holier-than-thou attitude laced with communist ideology targeting upper caste hindus.

---

Same kind of ideology is used by Bihari riff-raff in Pakistan too. May be we should have had a fourth country called BihariDesh.

Re: # 7
Rubbish. I knew a lot of Anglo-Indians growing up. Some of them emigrated to Canada or Australia and I know some who are in India doing quite well professionally. First time I have heard that people went after Anglo Indians just for being Anglo-Indians. Where did you pull out this rabbit from?

That powerful people sexually exploit people of lower class is well-known in India and perhaps in other countries as well. Negro slaves were raped by their master, including a former President.

However, avkrishna has raised some legitimate questions. I hope that you respond to them.

Re: # 11

Babu,

There may a very few Brahmin landlorfs but the domination in villages is not their forte. The Agrahaaram villages were what they got as gifts from erstwhile rajas. They never behave like domineering landlords nor agriculture was their strength. I dont know why the story here pictures Brahmin landlords as rapists.

In reality it`s the earstwhile shudras who are the epitomes of casteism in villages. Intermediate castes are more castiest than brahmins.

Good article Dutta...

I was wondering what my friends like Inquirer (a physicist turned pseudo commentator), Jay, Mohar etc. would be talking about?

Is this also a fault of the partition and Pakistan?

Well, with brains like yours, I wouldnt be surprised if you would say so...Inquirer, Jay, Mohar etc... I wouldnt be surprised!