BÁBÁ
Delhi Prout’s flawed way
(On the evils of casteism, racism and religionism)
Namaskár,
Human society has been divided into many parts. The basis for the division has varied between caste, race, and religion, but the end effect is persecution and exploitation of one group at the hand of another group. This persecution has led to many social problems as well as wars, the records of which can be found in the annals of present day human civilization. Political parties and social reformer groups alike have initiated movements to solve this massive problem from time-to-time. Such social movements exhort people to fight against the higher caste, the superior race or the dominant religion. The logic of such movements is that the exploiter group is the cause of the plight of the exploited group. The image below portrays the problem pictorially. The red ladder shown below represents the caste, race, or the religion hierarchy.
One group is kicking the other group
In India, the so-called Brahmin caste is considered superior to the Vaeshya caste, which is in turn superior to the Kshatriya, while the Kshatriya caste is considered superior to the Shudras. Likewise, in the United States, the Caucasian race is considered to be a superior race compared to Hispanics, blacks, natives etc. In some countries people belonging to one religion dominate the people belonging to the other religion. The fact is that whatever may be the basis, one group is trying to kick the other group. In the above picture, group A is kicking group B but group B, in turn, is kicking group C. The act of kicking in this example is a metaphor for exploitation and persecution.
If group C cries that group A is the exploiter and the problem will be solved if all fight against A and topple them, even then that will definitely not solve the problem. This is because group C are themselves kicking group D. This chain of exploitation is very deep and fighting against one group cannot solve the problem. If one exploiter group is removed another will take its place.
The whole hierarchy is imposed and based on falseness. When as offspring of Parama Purusa all living beings are brothers and sisters, then it is a foolish notion to think that just based on caste/race/religion one person is superior or inferior compared to the other. Such a thinking leads to the psychic diseases of superiority and inferiority complex. Such diseases stifle human progress in the physical, psychic as well as spiritual realms.
Hence, the problem remains unsolved.
Proutist solution-1
The very notion of division based on caste/race/religion is objectionable and is itself the cause of all the conflicts. In the caste based hierarchy, one considers others who belong to a lower so-called caste as inferior to oneself while at the same time suffering exploitation at the hands of the so-called superior castes. Thus, caste is a system for perpetuating exploitation in all the quarters of the society. The exploitation, in turn, causes a rift in the society as people think that their interests are jeopardized due to the other people who are of so-called higher caste. Each group blames another group of a so-called higher caste, of exploitation. The fact of the matter is that everyone’s interests are jeopardized due to the existence of the caste system. According to Prout, people should acknowledge that the very notion of division based on caste/race/religion is the root cause of their plight. Thus, fight against such falsely imposed hierarchies rather than fighting with the people belonging to the helm of the hierarchy, is the real solution.
Delhi Prout’s flawed approach: blame caste for ruining the society
The philosophy of Neohumanism guides us, "In Hindu society you will notice that there are many divisions of caste, high and low. You will hear many people saying lightly, “It is the Brahmans who are responsible for all this!” But the same person who holds the Brahmans responsible, will refuse to touch the people of a caste slightly lower than his or her own, so as not to pollute oneself by their contact. Still others hold two or three castes responsible, but they themselves also refuse to touch lower-caste people. A person of the low Tentule Bagdi caste says, “Dule Bagdi caste people are lower than me – so I will not touch them!” But the same Tentule Bagdi caste person complains, “We are ruined by the Brahmans!” In fact these are all expressions of the mental disease I referred to. One who is confined within a certain circle condemns other groups. You should never hold any particular caste or community responsible for the ruin of the society – this is completely false. You yourself are responsible for it." (1)
In the above teaching, Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar is citing the example of a caste Tentule Bagdi who themselves are a so-called low caste in the Indian society. The high caste Brahmins consider the people belonging to Tentule Bagdi caste untouchable. Shrii Sarkar is telling that the notion that the Brahmins are responsible for the plight of people is incorrect. There exists a further lower caste called Dule Bagdi which is even lower than Tentule Bagdi. Tentule Bagdi people consider Dule Bagdi to be untouchables. Thus, the injustice perpetuates itself. The PROUT propounder is teaching that to address the injustice the whole caste system has to be abolished. This teaching applies to the general problem of division based on any flimsy basis like caste, race, religion, etc.
Proutist solution-2
To eradicate caste, race, and religion-based exploitation, the guideline of PROUT is as follows.
- Revolutionary marriages
- Removing the titles based on caste/race/religion.
- Not documenting any information related to caste/race/religion
Not documenting any information related to caste/race/religion means there should be no such information included in the government census, in the election process, on drivers license and other identification. All traces of such divisive markers should be abolished.
Dividing humans based on caste/race/religion has been a long standing problem like a termite making a piece of wooden furniture hollow from the inside. If we ignore this problem any more then the whole society will crumble very soon. Many feel that the people belonging to the so-called high-caste, superior race, or dominant religion are responsible for the plight of the people belonging to the so-called low-caste, inferior race, or religious minority-- and that a war against the higher group must be waged. Prout philosophy however, points out the root cause: The very basis of division based on casteism, racism or religionism - is itself the cause.
Prout philosophy points out that it is not just the so-called upper-caste people or the religious majority who are to blame for the plight of the minorities. The passive acceptance by the so-called minorities of the false social hierarchy has to be equally blamed. Thus the solution is to break the divisions based on caste system, race, and religion.
Delhi prout editors: defective thinking
The philosophy of Neohumanism guides us, “The cause of this untouchability is the caste system. Because of the caste system, discriminations have emerged between high and low, touchable and untouchable, one caste and another. So let us first of all break the bondage of caste!” (2)
Delhi Prout is fraught with many problems due to defective thinking about the socio-economic issues, and so is not able to deliver on the task of propagating Proutist ideals in the society. The duty of Proutists is to make people aware of exploitation in the economic sphere. Proutists should not highlight the caste differences. Rather, they should highlight the specific economic problem and provide the solution. If they highlight so-called caste differences, the problem will only be further exacerbated. That’s why the Prout propounder Shrii P.R. Sarkar, does not appreciate caste-based reservations.
Conclusion
Casteism is a system for perpetuating exploitation in all the quarters of the society. The propounder of PROUT teaches us that to solve the problems of social injustice, the whole caste system has to be abolished.
On page 28 of the December 2016 issue of English Prout magazine an article titled “Bangladesh Dalit Lives of Degradation” has been published that talks about caste based oppression. Discussing “caste” based oppression is to give credence to the caste system itself which is against the teachings of Prout. Thus, the very act of publishing and documenting “caste” based oppression is misguided. Publishing articles in the Prout magazine that recognize caste differences, is an ideological blunder of the Delhi prout editors.
At His Lotus Feet,
Bhakti
About Delhi Prout
You know, Delhi Prout is a very old Prout magazine, and is the mouthpiece of various PROUT organizations. It is supposed to be dedicated for publishing Prout philosophy. But unfortunately, the editors are doing just the opposite. The magazine publishes in English, from Delhi.
There are many names listed on the Publisher’s page, but the wrongdoer is Tarak Ghista. His polluted mind is the cause of the degradation of the Prout magazine. When Dada Santoshananda was running the magazine, in those days it was proper. But now his name is printed on the Publisher's page just for show.
All kinds of names have been listed, but mostly due to laziness they don’t write anything. Rather, the main wrongdoer Tarak copies left wing type articles from the internet, and prints them in the Delhi Prout magazine. In this way, he deceives the magazine’s readers. Because, outwardly he never writes that it has been copied from the internet, and nor does he provide the link to the articles online. So here in this current letter, Delhi Prout means the editors of Delhi Prout magazine-- i.e Tarak Ghista (the main problem creator on the staff of the Prout Magazine).
Main culprits
Ácárya Acyutánanda Avadhuta
Ácárya Santosánanda Avadhuta
Ácárya Vedaprajinananda Avadhuta
Sohail Inayatullah
Note 1
Request to Márgiis:
Request to Márgiis: In order to make our AM magazines pristine, please forward this posting to the editor (editor@proutjournal.org) of Prout English Magazine. As well as to the magazine’s Editorial Board members:
Ácárya Acyutánanda Avadhuta <acyutananda1@gmail.com>
Ácárya Vedaprajinananda Avadhuta <dadaveda@ru.org>, <dadaveda@gmail.com>
Ácárya Santosánanda Avadhuta <bhaktasamaja@gmail.com>, <prout.am@gmail.com>
Sohail Inayatullah <s.inayatullah@qut.edu.au>; <sinayatullah@hotmail.com>; <sohail@bigpond.net.au>; <sohail@mail.tku.edu.tw>, <sohail@metafuture.org>; <sinayatullah@gmail.com>
Note 2
The editorial members of Prout (English edition) are listed below.
Editor: Ácárya Santosánanda Avadhuta
Editorial Board: Ácárya Acyutánanda Avadhuta, Ácárya Vedaprajinananda Avadhuta, Sohail Inayatullah
Correspondents: Kanhu Charan Behura, Rajesh Singh, Ravindra Singh
Layout & Design: Suman Jha, Nishant Jha
Head Office: Prout Bhawan, JC-48, Khirki Extension Main Road, Malviya Nagar, New Delhi - 110017 ; Mobile No. : 09212199658; Email : prout.am@gmail.com
General Manager: Pranav Koul; Circulation Manager: R N Prasad; Assistant Circulation Manager: Sukhdeo
References
(1) Exploitation and Pseudo-Culture (Discourse 7), The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism
(2) Exploitation and Pseudo-Culture (Discourse 7), The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism
The name of Ácárya Santosánanda Avadhuta can be spelt in various ways as listed here - Dádá Santośánanda, Dádá Santoshananda, Santosánanda Dada, Santoshananda Dada. Ácárya Acyutánanda Avadhuta, Acyutánand, Acyutananda, Acyutananda Dada, Dada, Acyutananda, Ácárya Vedaprajinananda Avadhuta, Vedaprajinanand, Vedaprajiṋánanda, Vedaprajiṋánand, Tarak, Taraka, Tárak, Táraka, Ta’rak.
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