Part 4: Jati: a practical weapon to split society

Waman Meshram, National President, Bharat Mukti Morcha

Reason for creation of Jati system

Brahmin declared all the Mulnivasis Shudras. There was only one identity of Shudra and that’s why it was easy to unite. Brahmin noticed this danger after revolution. That’s why Brahmin made 6,000 pieces of Shudras. Brahmins divided single identity into 6000 identities. 6,000 pieces were made. Brahmins were not satisfied by breaking Shudras into 6,000 pieces; they not only split Shudras into 6,000 pieces and into 6,000 identities but also created graded inequality. One jati is above second jati, second jati is above third jati, in this way graded inequality was founded. In USA person earning Rs 2000/- and the person earning Rs 2/- are believed to be equal to each other.

In India if Brahmin earns Rs 2,000/-, Kurmi earns Rs 2,000/-, Adivasi earns Rs 2,000/-; all earn equal amount but all of them are not equal amongst them. If Varna system is imposed on the World then in the World affairs America is a brahmin and when India’s Brahmin goes to America he becomes Harijan. India’s brahmin calls Kurmi from here Shudra, but same Brahmin when he goes to USA he becomes Harijan; meaning even below Shudra. That’s why Brahmins in USA formed an organization and complained that there is discrimination against Eurasian people in USA. Brahmins formed an organization named ‘Eurasian group’ in USA. Person’s identity creates various types of problems.

After counter revolution 6,000 identities were created against single Shudra identity. They did not stop by creating these separate identities; they placed one jati against another. There created graded inequality. There should have been equality amongst least unequal people but no. Unequal people are not equal amongst themselves. First of all they are divided in pieces of jati. This was enough but Brhamins were not satisfied. They thought that 200% perfect system must be created.

These people must be never be ready for revolution again. Brahmins had faced the assault of revolution. They learned from this experience and after counter revolution they made 6,000 pieces of jatis. They were not satisfied with this much. They prepared a system in which there will be continues fight, everyday struggle amongst the 6,000 jatis that they created. These 6,000 jatis that are fighting amongst themselves, in these fights so much of their energy gets exhausted that even if 10% of it had to be applied in fight against Brahmins then Brahmins would be completely destroyed. This 10% energy itself would be highly valuable in order to bring about revolution in the country, but due to graded inequality this energy is wasted.

Brahmins did not satisfy themselves only with this; they created system even more degrading than this. They declared all the people who were not accepting Brahmin domination and following Buddha -all these Buddhists people – as Untouchables. Those who were Shudra earlier divided into 6,000 pieces. Even in these pieces they discriminated into two. In the pieces of jatis people who did not compromised with Brahmins were labeled as ‘Mahari’ it means great foe. ‘Mahari’ word got changed over the years, and changed into ‘Mahar’. Mahari people’s nagvanshi identity was ended and Brahmins gave them new identity as ‘Mahar’.

If you veiw it from the point of view of example when Krishna takes birth his father puts him in a weaved basket and takes him from one place to another. In film it is told that when Vasudev was taking Krishna from one place to another in a weaved basket then it begin to rain from top of basket, that time snake protects him from upper end of the basket. This was a totem system amongst adivasis. It was a practice of adivasis living in their respective settlements to have their own identity. The Nagvanshi people were of combat variety that’s why they made snake their ancestral identity. If viewed at from this perspective then in Maharashtra’s Auragabad city there are Buddhists caves, in these caves there are names carved of those who gave donations to make Buddhists caves. The names like Haknak, Sidhnak are excavated, carved on Bhima Koregaon’s Vijaystamb. These names are also degraded versions of the word ‘nag’. This example is given here because it is related to identity.