Eradication of untouchability

Hindutva belongs equally to caste Hindus and untouchables

…Asking suicidal questions such as “Tell us if Hinduism belongs to us or not” and then giving shameless answers such as “or else we shall forsake Hindutva” is destructive both in principle and practice.  It is shameful even to use this threat as a ploy.   It is as shameful as threatening your wicked brother that you will disown your father even if that threat happens to be only an empty one.  To spit at the age-old Hindu tradition followed by your ancestors merely to threaten the caste Hindus is condemnable and insulting to the sanctity of your soul. 
Pledge that you shall become a caste Hindu while remaining a Hindu. Hindu dharma, Hindu sanskriti (culture) and Hindutva are not the monopoly of caste Hindus.  It is the common heritage of both caste Hindus and untouchables.  Why are you asking the caste Hindus if you should forsake it?  Are they its owners and you mere upstarts?  And those sinful and stone-hearted caste Hindus who refuse to eradicate untouchability even when you convert in your thousands are hardly likely to have a change of heart if a few thousand of you leave (the Hindu fold).  I fervently appeal to my untouchable brethren not to commit the sin of entertaining this ill-conceived notion (of conversion) as it is not only shameful to them but also self-defeating in the long run.  (1927, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol.3, p.490)

You shower abuses on Hinduism but do you have the guts to point out defects in Christianity and Islam?

Possessed by hatred for Hinduism, Dr. Ambedkar has been selectively showering abuses on Hinduism day in and day out.  He claims that Buddhism is rational, free of defects and superior to other religions.  While condemning what he terms as superstitions and evil practices in Hinduism, he should be equally forthright in condemning similar practices in the followers of Christianity and Islam.  For example, the exponents of both these religions have given sanction in their religious scriptures to the practice of slavery and condemning slaves to a status worse than animals.  But his (* Ambedkar’s) pen or tongue generally dare not express a murmur of criticism against Christianity and Islam for these heinous practices.  There it suddenly gets paralyzed.  The reason is obvious - fear (*of physical assault)!  (1956, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol.3, p.685)

Buddhist religious practice has also become replete with superstitions and hypocrisy

Ambedkarites mock at Hindus by quoting the myth that Karna was born of Kunti’s ear.  But why do they hide the fact that the Buddhist texts give the following account of the Buddha’s birth?  “The Buddha’s mother conceived at the age of forty-five without male contact, delivered without labour pains and the numerous miracles associated with his birth”…such superstitious tales are taken to be true by Buddhists too.  Will the Ambedkarites characterize Buddhism as one big fable?...if the Muslim atrocity -yes, I call it an atrocity- of burning Buddhist texts is not a pious act to be glorified, then Ambedkar’s action of burning the Manusmriti (*code of Manu, the Hindu law-giver) is no pious act either; he will have to admit that he committed an atrocity.

…Ambedkar tells our Mahar brethren that they should embrace Buddhism because there is no place for God, soul, reincarnation and the like in Buddhism.  But fact is that millions and millions of Mahayanist Buddhists from Manchuria to Indo-China not only believe in gods but have elevated the Buddha to the status of a God.  They believe in the Hindu gods such as Indra, Varuna, Lakshmi, Saraswati as well as yakshas and kinnars (*yakshas and kinnars are supposed to be celestial beings) with the Buddha as the presiding deity of all of them.  Today the Buddhist world is engaged in daily worship of the Buddha.  Why are Ambedkarites suppressing this truth?

…The Buddha himself believed in reincarnation.  This is evident from the fact that he has himself spoken of his previous births not only in human but also in animal and bird forms.

…the Buddha himself preached that no one should indulge in animal slaughter.  But if some one else kills fish, fowl and animals and offers their cooked meat it is alright not only for a lay Buddhist but also for a monk to partake of the same!

…The contention of the Ambedkarites that under the influence of the Buddha’s teachings, no large-scale yagnas (*ritual animal sacrifices) took place after his death is pure falsehood…It is a historical fact that for around 1000 years after the Buddha right up to the seventh century, several Kshatriya heroes such as Yashovarman who defeated the Huns used to perform Ashvamedha (horse-sacrifice) and several such yagnas. 

…Whilst criticizing the practice of giving alms to the Brahmins, (let it not be forgotten that) the burden imposed by the Buddhists on society through sustenance of thousands of good-for-nothing and beggarly monks and the resultant deceit of society was a hundred times more. 

…You (Buddhists) mock at the Hindus for doing tree-worship but what about your reverence for the Bodhi tree (* the tree under which Siddhartha Gautam attained enlightenment and became the Buddha)?  (1956, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol.3, p.687-692)

Buddhism and untouchability

Even in the days of the Buddhist emperor Harsha, the Buddhists used to consider the Chandalas as untouchables.  They had to live outside the village boundary and they were obliged to announce their arrival in the village with bells and walk on the sides of the road taking care not to touch any one else.  Even today, Buddhists in a Buddhist country like Ceylon (*now Sri Lanka) practise untouchability in some form or the other in the villages.   (1956, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol.3, p.809)

Dr. Ambedkar who contends that Buddhism is the best religion was about to embrace Christianity and Islam!

Nowadays, Dr. Ambedkar is constantly saying in his newspapers and speeches that Buddhism is the best amongst all the world religions.  But was it not the same gentleman who not long ago praised Islam and announced his firm intention of embracing that ‘great religion’?  Did he not once announce with fanfare that he was going to embrace ‘the great religion of Christianity’?  After that, had he not raised dust by saying that he was going to embrace Sikhism?  At that time, Dr. Ambedkar was not an immature school boy.  Then too, he was flaunting a doctorate.  Did he not realize then that Buddhism is the best amongst all the world religions?  And if he had not realized this at that time, is it not obvious that his slogans in those days were not due to any deep study of different religions but a result of either immature intellect or simple deception?   (1956, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol.3, p.804)

Would the untouchables benefit from conversion?

If you truly believe that you will achieve your welfare by going to another religion, by all means go.  But I am convinced that your welfare lies in staying on (in the same religion).  Discard the notion that you are doing a favour to caste Hindus by remaining in Hinduism.  Remain in Hinduism with the feeling that this is for your own welfare.  Many are the Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Mahars who converted before you.  But they do not seem to have benefited.  At the most, they might have filled their individual bellies but has their conversion been useful in raising the status of their castes?   (1937, Hindu Mahasabha parva or the phase of the Hindu Mahasabha, p. 32)

The acceptance of Buddhism by some untouchables is not a change of religion but a change of sect

So long as Ambedkar remains an Indian Buddhist, his fatherland and holyland inevitably remain Bharat that extends from the Sindhu (* Indus river) to the seas and as such he will be inevitably included in the ambit of Hindutva.  At least so long as Ambedkar remains a Buddhist, it is not possible for him to violate the borders of Hindutva…All that has happened due to Ambedkar’s embracing of Buddhism is that he renounced the Vedic sect of Hinduism and entered a non-Vedic sect or religion (if that is what you want to call it) within the ambit of Hindutva.  (1956, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol.3, p.808)

Do not praise Ambedkar’s conversion blindly

Had not the Congress initially embraced Barrister Jinnah as a nationalist Muslim?  When the Pakistan Plan was first mooted, was it not Nehru who termed it ‘fantastic nonsense.’  From the beginning, we should be alert about any separatist movement such as this conversion so that we may not repeat the same naïve and blind mistakes.  We should but oppose it as a potential calamity.  Especially when some foreign statesmen come here and dig out the Buddha’s remains and raise Ambedkar on a pedestal, we need to analyze this increasing glorification of the Buddha from the religious and national angle.  We need to re-read and understand the history of the Buddhist period that they themselves have opened up before us.  We need to remember that right from the days of the Yavan (*Greek), Shaka, Kushana, Hun and other foreign aggressors to the time of the Muslim invasions, treacherous individuals like Jaychand or Indian Buddhists as a group have allied with those alien forces not for personal gain but as a matter of collective religious duty.  By consolidating these alien rulers in Bharat, they (Indian Buddhists) performed this betrayal to the Hindu state and the Hindu nation time and again.  It was these sins that ignited Indian fury and claimed the glorification of the Buddha as its victim in the past.  Buddhism was once eclipsed from this country as a result. 
Though it does not seem definitely probable that history will repeat itself, it is better to be eternally vigilant against this Buddhist revolt by those working against the interests of the Hindu nation.  Rather than test this poison, it is better not to swallow it in the first place!  (1956, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol.3, p.810)  (*when Muhammad bin Qasim invaded Sind in 712 CE, Buddhists welcomed him with open arms. They rejoiced at his victory over the Hindu king Dahir. Of course, as they were still infidels in the eyes of Muhammad bin Qasim, he mercilessly massacred them.)

The Constituent Assembly’s decision to eradicate untouchability

The people’s representatives of independent Bharat have announced this decision independently, voluntarily and unanimously.  This is not a reluctant surrender but a spontaneous penance on the part of caste Hindus!  (1950, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol.3, p.656)

…The caste Hindu member representatives of the Constituent Assembly were drawn from all the four varnas, different sub-castes and all provinces.

…At least in this announcement of the demise of untouchability, the so-called caste Hindu representatives had the nationwide support of enlightened, prominent and distinguished caste Hindus.

Like the caste Hindus, the untouchable Hindus also spontaneously undertook penance for their sins!...Their sin being that those castes who were styled as ‘untouchable’ by the caste Hindus, believed themselves to be superior to other ‘lower’ castes and considered them ‘untouchable’ !  (1950, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol.3, p.657-658)

This social revolution is greater compared to those in other countries

This social revolution is much greater compared to those in other countries.  No civil war was fought.  No blood was shed.  Even an apparently developed country like America had to fight a civil war to eradicate slavery.  (1950, Krantighosh or bugle of revolution, p. 30)

When will untouchability eradication become a reality?

The true majesty of this announcement (of eradication of untouchability by the Constituent Assembly) lies in its implementation.  This slogan will become meaningful only when untouchability is uprooted completely from the length and breadth of this vast Bharatiya nation within the coming ten years.  All wise, learned and nationalist minded workers drawn from both caste Hindus and untouchables alike should resolve and draw up a consensual programme appealing to the humanism, good intentions and nationalism present in every heart not to observe birth-based untouchability, creating a moral force in every individual and in society at large but if adamant prejudice persists, they should not occasionally hesitate to get the judiciary or the executive to enforce this law.  (1950, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol.3, p.666-667)

Privileges to untouchables

I have no quarrel with the granting of reservations to untouchables for a limited period due to unavoidable circumstances.  But I am opposed to this casteist principle.  Due to grant of extra privileges, it may be said, nay insisted in future that untouchability should be allowed to continue for another ten years.  I fear that due to this, untouchability and birth-based caste distinctions will remain rather than go!  (1950, Krantighosh or bugle of revolution, p. 30)

We should eradicate untouchability with such urgency that our ex-untouchable brethren should be filled with self-confidence regarding their ability to raise themselves.  Filled with this self-confidence, they should themselves take the initiative and declare that we refuse the extra privileges and rights that the Constitution has granted to us for at least ten years; every privilege granted to us because we are ‘untouchables’ is a certificate of our backwardness; every special right given to us because we are ‘untouchables’ is a reminder that keeps alive the feeling that we are handicapped!  We are not ready to wear the badge of special rights that hangs from our chests for it insults our dignity, we can progress as caste Hindus without these crutches like our other brethren!  I am saying this not in anger but out of national interest!  (1950, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol.3, p.679)

Do not entertain false hopes

…It will be naïve to believe that feelings of mutual hatred will vanish the moment you wash your hands after an inter-dining ceremony.

…Our enemies try to pour new political fuel into the fire of caste hatred which I am exerting to douse with the cool showers of religious and social equality.  That is why we should redouble our efforts to bury untouchability.  (1936, Samagra Savarkar vangmaya, Vol.3, p.640)

I shall again wage war against untouchability and caste distinctions

I frequently feel that if I ever recoup my health and gain enough strength to get involved in public life, I should do the work of eradicating untouchability and scripture-based caste distinctions for at least one-two years and wage another countrywide war against this pernicious tradition.  Such, I feel, is the importance of this work, not only from the point of Hindu but also of human consolidation!  (1947, Akhand Hindusthan ladhaa parva or the phase of the battle for Akhand Hindusthan, p. 369)

My wish

I am confident that I shall see the eradication of untouchability before my own eyes.  It is my sincere desire that after I die, my dead body should be lifted by the Dhend and the Dom together with the Brahmin and Bania and that they should together cremate me.  Only then will my soul be satisfied.  (1924, Hindu samaj sanrakshak Savarkar or Savarkar, the defender of Hindu society, p 67)