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RSS Parivar is currently advancing ‘Beef Politics’ as the most important issue in the country now. The Indian government has enacted laws banning the slaughter of cows for meat and protests are taking place all across the country.

This article was written while in jail during the period of Dadri Murder and lorry driver murder in Jammu. Although this article does not elaborate on the overall program of RSS, it is considered appropriate to publish it in today’s context.

RSS has been running butcher shop politics with beef as its capital. They are using Gomatha (Cow) as dice in spreading hatred against Muslim and Dalits resulting in Dadri murder and murder of truck drivers transporting cows in Jammu.

They are spreading hatred against Muslims and Dalits by propagating that slaughtering cows hurts Hindu sentiments and are against traditions of ‘Bharat’.

Is it true that Brahminical powers held in high esteem by RSS are against beef from ancient time? Do their sacred Texts- Vedas forbid eating beef? The clear answer is “No”. Yes, according to history, that is the truth.

Vedic Yagnas and Beef

Aryans (Creators of the Vedas) who came to India as herdsmen loved eating meat, including the cow. There are numerous examples in the Vedas of many Brahmin “Rishis” boasting of eating beef.

Vedic Brahmanism is based on yagnas. The ritualistic burning of animals and then sharing it as food by tribal later became a ritual in which the Brahmin priests received their share of animals and other foodstuffs in the name of Yagna. Yagna’s became a means of exploiting the surplus of tribal. Brahmins burnt cows, goats and horses in yagna fire and ate them, claiming that they are sacrificing the same to gods.

There are many hymns in the Vedas that glorify the taste of beef. RSS is hiding those historical facts and is running fake politics in the name of Gomatha. They also intimidate many north Indian historians who have published these facts available in Vedas

Jainist – Buddhist Religions that opposed the Vedic religion

It was only Jainism and Buddhism which staunchly opposed yagnas of Vedic Brahmins and Varnasrama dharma that oppressed the Shudras by Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vysyas. Jainism and Buddhism contributed to the development of the agrarian community by opposing the killing of animals which formed an essential link in agricultural production in the valleys. These two religions spoke of vegetarianism in their own way with some differences.

Vegetarianism, prohibition and renunciation were practised by the Jains and Buddhist monks, and they were called as noble virtues by people. Buddhism and Jainism, which opposed the Vedic Brahminism, became the dominant religion in major parts of India for a few centuries.

They became very influential among the people. At the same time, they were supported by ruling kings. Vedic religion and Brahminism were relegated to the lower stature. The Mauryan empire from the days of Famous Ashoka and empire of Harshar were pro-Buddhist. Jainism was the dominant religion from the Sangam period till the period of bhakti movement in southern India.

On the whole, Vedic Brahmanism was only secondary during this period.

The Ascent of Neo-Brahminism in Feudal Society

New Brahmanism which called itself as a continuation of Vedic Hinduism became a dominant religion only on the development of caste-based feudal society. It had taken on a new form during that time, much different from the ritual based old Vedic Hindu religion.

This New Hindu religion practised new varnasrama philosophy which justified the caste system by pushing oppressed people as untouchables in the bottom-most strata and positioned Brahmins in the top with other majority sutra caste in between.

Northern India had a considerable non-Brahmin population of other two varnas – Kshatriya’s and Vaisya’s of Dvija system (Twice born). South had very little non-Brahmin Dvija’s and so major population except brahmins and untouchables were considered sutras.

Brahminism which organised caste on the basis of occupation at the village level was the basis of the feudal system in India. The Saiva – Vaisnava religions which claimed to have adopted- Vedas and Upanishads overthrew the Jain – Buddhist religions through violence. Impalement and debates to death had wiped out even traces Jain-Buddhism in Tamilnadu.

The Bhakti movement acted as a tool to implement these changes. Brahminism made cow as a holy animal only during this period. It was in line with the present agrarian system. They now gave divine status to cows that were earlier burnt during yagna. On the other hand, they stole the vegetarian concept from Jain-Buddhist monks and sanctified themselves

They used Vegetarianism concept of Jain – Buddhism, which was considered to be a human virtue till then and used it as an attribute to strengthen that brahmins were superior at birth itself. The cow was made a sacred animal, and those who ate beef were made the most inferior people at the lowest caste. Those who ate the meat of other animals were made belonging to intermediate castes.

Eating beef was considered to be unclean and unhygienic, according to Brahminism. An ideological hierarchy of vegetarians, meat eater and beef-eater was developed in Hinduism.

Ahimsa to all lives was considered a moral virtue in the Jainism. It was trivialised by modern Brahminism, and it metamorphosed into inhumane caste system which divided people by birth.

Killing a cow was considered a heinous crime by the Brahmin law- Manu sutra. A religion which considered it as usual to kill the majority of people- the sutras & downtrodden and also women in the society, considered killing cow a crime. This reveals its theoretical flaw.

If it is compared with Jain doctrine which preached no life should be killed, Fraudulent nature of Brahminic non-violence can be understood which was there only to strengthen and maintain the caste order. It is neither humane, nor it propagated love for all living beings.

As a result of the caste system in Feudal society for a long period, it is deeply ingrained in the minds of Vgjiya and Sutras that eating beef is degrading. On the other hand, the majority of the people who have been pushed down by the caste system, including some tribes continue to adopt beef as their main food. Muslims and Christians also consume it as their food, beef is the staple food for the majority of urban people in today’s world.

Some Literary Proofs for Beef-Eating by Vedic People:

We do not need to flip through the ancient scriptures to prove that the Vedic Brahmins ate beef. Ancient Tamil literature has a lot of instances which bears witness to the beef meeting. We will go through a few scenes in it.

Neelakesi, a small Jain epic questions the Vedic seers as following.

“வசுக்கள் உருத்திரர் பிதிரரொடு
இவர் முதலாப் பலர்க்கும்
பசுக்களோட எருமைகள் குதிரைகள்
புலியொடு நாய் முதலா
இசு கழிந்தன பல கொலைகளும்
இரங்கலிர் கொன்று அவரை
அசிப்பவர் போன்ற நீர் ஆயினும்
அருவினையா நுமக்கே”

Meaning of this:

You kill animals like cows, buffaloes, horses and tigers without mercy, saying that they are killed only for the sake of gods, Devas and ancestors. Then You eat them yourself pretending to feed gods. So you only have to bear the sins caused by it.

Above confirms that Vedic seers killed and ate animals including cow in the name of yagna even in south India similar to the north.

Same Neelakesi questions yagna and sacrifice as follows.

“நண்பரை நுதலியும் பகைவரை
நுதலியும் அமிர்தோடு நஞ்சு
உண்பார்க்கு அல்லது அவர்களுக்கு
ஆம் என உரைக்குநர் யார்
பண்பிலி தேவரை நுதலிய
கொலையினில் பல் வினைதான்
உண்பல வகையினின் அடைந்தலை
விளையுங்கள் உன் நுமக்கு என்றாள்”

Someone drank nectar to wish his friend a long life. Some others drank poison wishing his enemy to perish. Effects or Benefit of both will go to only who ate them and not to their friends or enemies.

Neelakesi adds that even though it was said that the murders were done for gods, you will get the effects of sins. Neelakesi exposes that yagnas are only diversion/ deception and they are just means for getting the meat food for Vedic seers.

In another place, Neelakesi attacks the Vedas as

“கொலை மண்ணும் மருவுதலின்
ஐயம் இல் தீக்கதி செலுத்துவது”

Here Neelakesi rightly exposes the Vedic Brahmanism by saying that killing and eating meats are the main objectives of yagnas.

Manimegalai, a Buddhist epic exposes the Vedic Brahmin love for beef food through the story of Aputhiran.

Apanchigan, a brahmin lived in Varanasi. His wife name is Saali. She was not truthful to her husband, and so she came to Kanyakumari to bathe and purify herself. She gave birth to a boy baby on her way back. She leaves that baby in a secluded place. The baby cried due to hunger. A cow saved by giving milk to the baby.

A Brahmin named Elampoothi who comes with his wife on that way see that baby and adopts him. He names him Aputhiran (son of a cow). He grows up in Elampoothi’s house and becomes well versed in Vedic scriptures even before his upanayana.

One day that boy goes to another Brahmin’s house. Manimegalai describes the scene he saw there.

“ஆங்கு புலைசூழ் வேள்வியில்
குரூரத் தொடை மாலை கோட்டிடைச் சுற்றி
வெரூஉப் பகை அஞ்சிவெய் துயிர்த்து புலம்பிக்
கொலை நவில் வேட்டுவர் கொடுமரம் அஞ்சி
வலையிடைப் பட்ட மானே போன்று அங்கு
அஞ்சி நின்று அழைக்கும் ஆ துயர் கண்டு
நெஞ்சு நடுக்குற்று நெடுங்கண் நீர் உடுத்து”

We will refer the explanation given by Mr. Somasundaran for the above verse.

“Brahmins had planned to kill and eat a cow in the name of yagna next day. That cow with its horn covered by coloured flowers tied in a pillar near yagna place was frightened and terrified of the cruel Brahmins had fled like the deer from the bows of a cruel hunter but only to get caught in his net, was crying “Ma! Ma!” pitiably with tears welled up in her eyes.

So, at that time, even Brahmins from the south also killed Cows during yagna. It is clear that cows were killed only for their meat. Buddhism register their voice of protest against this inhuman act. Satanar literalises his opposition through the act of that boy Aputhiran.

That night, Aputhiran untie that cow and leaves from that place. Brahmins on knowing the same, chases and surrounds him and the cow. They beat the boy who saved that cow with sticks and call him the son of an animal. Even after getting beaten, Aputhiran, with satisfaction that he is able to save that cow advises Brahmins not to harm any living being. They get angry, and they complain that he had desecrated their holy scripture by questioning their yagna and had also defamed their Vedas.

From the above, we are able to conclude that Brahmins used to kill animals, including Vedas in south India also. To tell in short, Brahminism had killed and ate animals, including cow in the name of yagna.

This yagnas are supposed to be the essence of Vedic rituals and prayer. Many scenes in ancient Tamil literature had captured this.

When the truth is this, what is the purpose of RSS which pretends to be guardians of Vedic scriptures, propagating this hate politics with beef? Their aim is to incite sectarianism against minority Muslims by sanctifying the cow and using the same on its killing of meat. In this way, they are trying to root their Hindu fascist ideology in a large number of people.

We must take into account here that the ruling classes, who want to impose the burden of the global economic crisis on the working people, want to establish a blatant fascist regime and spread Hindu fascist ideologies to build a strong broad-based foundation for it. On the other hand, they try to further strengthen the Brahminic ideology by portraying oppressed people and tribes as inferior by means of vegetarianism.

In the same way, they Degrade meat-eating Sudras with Brahminic hegemony in the states ruled by them by banning the sale of meat on festival holidays.

Hindu fascism and Brahminism are inseparable. Their politics of stigma, which starts with beef and extends to meat, is just a fascist attempt to subjugate the majority of the people ideologically. The slogans like “sacred, “Indian Culture” and “Gomatha” are nothing but scams to deceive the people.

***

Written by Vivek

Translated by Selva Muthukumar

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