Last week Delhi-based Swaraj group organised a mass-Upanayan ceremony. Over two hundred boys from Valmiki community took part in it. The community's traditional profession is cleaning and scavenging. They are at the bottom in the caste hierarchy, but through the Upnayan, (also called Munj or Mouji-Bandhan), Swaraj group wants to elevate them. Upnayan is a rite unique to Brahmins. Idea is to give them Brahmin-hood, instantly.
Organisers hope that converting them to Brahmin caste will make them touchable, give them dignity. It may seem like an attempt to turn the clock back on the caste-system.
Most likely it won't work. The experience is that caste doesn't go; even after conversion to another religion. Islam, Christianity or Sikhism themselves do not recognise caste, but converts from Hindu low castes could not leave their low status behind when they converted. Caste identity survived.
Read the Indian Express story here.
My Friend the Fanatic
3 days ago
1 comments:
I think they also want to entangle these children into bogus rituals like Upanayan, when it is not related to today's world.
In fact, they are pushing them backward.
There are many things can be done like giving education, food, cloths to these children to bring them to upper classes.
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