The article entitled ?The Curse of Casteism? written by Baljinder Jarma and published in l?express of 6 June 15, 2005, was very interesting. However the article also contained lots of horrible fallacies and deformation of history that the second rejoinder will try to correct.

■ The British scapegoat

According to the article of Baljinder Jarma, ?many scholars believe that the caste system was developed and refined by the British rulers of India?, and that ?the so-called occupational castes were largely manufactured and almost entirely preserved as separate castes by the British government?. Furthermore, the same article says that ?notwithstanding the differences in guna and karma, the Vedas treat the entire humanity with respect and do not sanction any birth based caste system?. These statements are not backed by any reference. It would be interesting to know who are these ?scholars? who think so and on what ground they blame the British rulers entirely for the curse of casteism. Blaming the British or other ?foreign forces? for every problem is quite a common method of finding a convenient scapegoat and to avoid a deep and sincere introspection. The fact is that the curse of casteism is buried very deep in the psyche and origins of Hindus. The origin of the caste system is an enigma that has interested very few Indian ?high caste? scholars for obvious reasons. The first reason being that the truth is horrible.

■ The vedic origin of castes

The caste system is described in the ninetieth Hymn of the Tenth Mandala of the Rig Veda, the Purusha Sukta. The Apastamba Dharma Sutra says ?there are four castes, Brahmas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas & Shudras. And each preceding caste is superior by birth to the one following.? According to the Brihaspati Smriti (Chapter XII, Verse 12), ?a Shudra teaching the precepts of religion or uttering the words of the Veda shall be punished by cutting out his tongue?. According to the Guatama Dharma Sutra (Chapter XX, Sutras 4-6), ?If a Shudra listens intentionally to the Veda, his ears shall be filled with molten tin or lac?. According to the Manu Smriti ?A Brahmin?s name is auspicious, a Kshatriya?s full of power, a Vaishya?s mean wealth and a Shudra?s however is contemptible?. The ancient Hindu scriptures have a long list of such abject treatments reserved to the Shudras. Many of them have not been repeated out of mere good taste for the readers. None of these scriptures were written by the British and during the Bristish rule! And it is not the British who invented the concept of untouchability, the ultimate sophistication of the caste system, (my dear Watson!). It seems that certain people have just discovered America. Fortunately since a long time some worthy sons of India have tried to free the Hindu society from the caste system that has degraded, segregated and devitalized it so much so that it became easy prey for all kinds of invaders (from Greeks, Moguls, Portuguese, Chinese, French and finally British, that is, almost every other race!). Five hundred years ago Bhudha rocked the caste system and initiated the untouchables into his religion. In the eleventh (11th) century Ramanuja threw open monastries and temples to the ?low-caste? Hindus. More recently, the most vital role was played by Mahatma Phooley who started in Poona, in 1852, the first school in India for the untouchables. The Prince Shri Sayajirao Gaekwad of Baroda started other such schools in 1883.

■ Casteism during British rule

The cruel irony is that in 1821 when the British Government opened a Sanskrit school in Poona, the so-called ?Brahmin? teachers tendered their resignations. However, more schools for ?lower caste? Hindus were opened by the British Government and it may be said that these hitherto marginalized Hindus advanced gradually in education and in Government service as never before in India.

It would be interesting to note that as recently as in the year 1923 some Indians were not deemed fit by other Indians to drink water from the Mahad municipal tank. And when the Bombay Legislative Council moved a resolution to open the tank to all Indians, the ?high caste? Hindus opposed the opening of the tank. The so-called ?untouchables? were able to drink water from that tank only in 1924 after an epic struggle led by Dr Ambedkar. And during that same period ?low caste? Hindus were not allowed entry into most temples controlled by priests, the so-called ?Brahmins?, the most ?learned and educated? Hindus. Even for getting entry to the temples, Dr Ambedkar had to launch another struggle in Nasik in March 1930, struggle which was neglected by the Congressmen.

■ Political system based on racism

And how this stupidity is still prevailing today? If we examine the caste system closely we will soon realize that it is in fact a political system. All political system are designed to give power to certain people for a certain period of time. In Europe, political power resided in Monarchs until the French revolution. Afterwards till today political power shifts from one political party to another based on the acceptance by the public of political programs and ideas such as more or less Tax, more or less Immigration, and choices such as war or peace, etc. Similarly, in the USA political power shifts from the Republicans and the Democrats alternatively based on socio-economic programs and ideas. However the caste system in India was a political system designed to perpetuate the domination of a minority of people and the servitude of a majority of people. There have been many other domination systems in world history, for example, the African Slavery. Horrible as it was, African Slavery was based on some concrete differences between the masters and the slaves: skin colour and race. But the caste system is a domination system based on a perceived difference due to birth. In the modern history, the closest thing to the ancient caste system we have is Nazism or Anti-Semitism. But even these systems were based on some concrete differences: it was racism applied to other races or people coming from other lands and having other religions and cultures (Jews are recognized as being a distinctive culture). But the caste system is unique in the sense that it is a form of racism based on nothing concrete. It is a political system that uses a special kind of racism to justify its existence. This unique racism is directed not against foreigners but against people that belong to the same race, religion and land. And in this political system there is no place for any socio-economic programmes or ideas except for one principle: the permanent supremacy of a minority of people based on caste, a great Indian invention but a horrible stupidity.

■ Basic facts about vedic racism

How such a horrible stupidity came to be accepted by so many people for such a long time? The readers and Baljinder Jarma are referred to the article ?Basic Facts About Vedic Racism? published in l?express of 3rd December 2003 which explores the most plausible and factual answers. Some of the main themes would be summarized below.

A ? Those in favour of the caste mentality find support in the widespread theory of the Aryan Racial Theory (ART) proposed by Max Muller in 1853 and in the Aryan Invasion Theory (AIT) proposed by Sir George Cox in 1870.

B ? In 1888 Max Muller himself refuted his own theory.

C ? The AIT had its origin not in any Indian records but in European politics and German nationalism (Nazism).

D ? Even ancient texts like Vedas, Vishnu Puranas & Mahabaratas do not support the AIT

E ? There is direct evidence from these same texts that Tenth Mandala of the Rig Veda, the Purusha Sukta, was in fact tampered with to institutionalize and sanctify a principle of (racial) discrimination against the Shudra clans forming a large part of the Indian population.

F ? There is direct evidence to show that this may have happened as a result of violent feuds that opposed the Kshatriya and the Shudra clans. For example there is detailed description of a violent conflict beween the Shudra King, Sudas, a Kshatriya himself and his priest Vishvamitra against Vashista, a Brahmin Rishi.