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“Caste cannot go, Caste as it is, is good. We need only wash out the dirty portion of it. It existed even when India reached its highest zenith of civilisation,” says our revered Malaviya of All Indian reputation. No doubt he is a great learned man amongst Hindus. He is noted for his proficiency in the Vedas and Shastras of Hinduism. He is known to be a “Sanatana Hindu” who believes in Vedic culture and a rigid Varnashramite. He unhesitatingly says even in these days of enlightenment that Brahmins are face-born and “Sudras” are born from the feet of Brahma. We can easily understand why and what for Pandit Malaviya pleads for caste system as long as he maintains the above idea of Brahmins and “Sudras.” It simply means Brahmin Malaviya does not want caste system to go. He wishes us to believe that caste system is good in itself and to admit that he and his community people are born superior and the rest of us lowly born to serve them. About this dear wish of his, he makes speeches wherever he goes about. I do not see any other motive in all his South Indian lecturers than that he wants caste to be perpetuated. Truly no student of the Vedas can go against caste based on birth.

Says Mr. Malaviya, “It is futile to work against caste. It is mere waste of time and energy; for nobody has succeeded in doing away with caste.” Is this an argument for the necessity of caste, I wonder? Well, none has put up an earnest and sincere fight to kill the caste demon is the answer for it. Lately, of course, several socio-religious movements have sprung up to work against caste as a side issue, and they too have succeeded to a certain extent in that sphere. Up to this, no movement has been begun with the only intention of doing away caste from India in all its spheres. Because those millions of masses who are being exploited and oppressed in the “sacred” name of Hindu religion and caste are yet left uneducated and hence quite helpless.

The religion of “Rama Raj” has come to a close when “Sudras” were forbidden by law from receiving education. Fortunately, British Raj has set in with education for all. The huge masses of India who were tyrannized for centuries in the name of the caste system have now begun to open their eyes in the light of British Raj’s Education and see for themselves things happening around them. They are slowly waking up from their age-long slumber caused by the mesmerism of Hindu religion, and are realizing their deplorable condition in society.

They have begun to think about their liberties and rights in the country and are becoming conscious of their great might and wonderful possibilities which lie hidden in them. These are all healthy symptoms to show that there is life in them. On the day when they wake up to their full consciousness, caste system and every other rotten systems and customs are bound to perish. Besides this, those communities which vigourously plead for the upkeep of the caste system, will be nowhere in the near future.

It has been proved beyond doubt that caste system is a satanic institution founded upon a number of slokas just to allow the Brahmin to exploit mercilessly the dumb millions of the country. One thing is certain, that henceforth it will not be desirous of Malaviya and his caste people to pass their days quite easily with the least bodily exertion and labour, chanting their blessed manthrams, making others at the same time work day in and day out. All these “golden days” have come to a close.

They need not be dreaming that caste would stand on since it has survived many obstacles. That is just like the old man’s hope to live even when he gasps for his last breath. A good number of institutions which had long lives, have perished. “Slave trade cannot be abolished” argued its Malaviyas. Yet it was abolished when the people seriously wished for its abolition. “Autocracy cannot be replaced by democracy”, pleaded its Malaviyas and yet how many states remain to be ruled by autocratic kings? “Prohibition is an impossibility” said it’s Malaviyas too and America has made it a complete possibility. Likewise there are so many instances in the world history to be quoted, when worldwide vices had been demolished root and branch. Yet our Malaviyas have not the broadmindedness and foresight to learn a lesson from the above facts. They blissfully connive at them and have the wonderful audacity to prophecy that caste system is peculiar to Indian soil and hence caste cannot go. What a Himalayan hoax!

When foreign Malaviyas come and say “You Indians are not yet to be given Swaraj” how vigorously and fluently our real Malaviyas are out to argue with them and try to vindicate their abilities to rule for themselves. The very same Malaviyas cannot see eye to eye with us, when we say caste would go and should go for the salvation of India. Then they pose themselves to be ignorant of all past histories and experiences of men simply out of their selfish unwillingness to get out of their cosy wells and to view humanity with a broader outlook.

In fact, our Malaviyas have come to understand really that caste is being destroyed. It is only out of their anxiety and fear that they babble now that caste cannot go and should be maintained. Every listful ear and willing eye can distinctly hear and see the death knell of the passing caste demon.

Ten years ago, the very word “Inter-dining” was poison to the Ezhava mentality at large. Only very recently they showed at Kottayam that they cannot even patiently hear Mr. Malaviya saying, “Caste is a necessity.”What a rapid change! Does that indicate that caste is to survive or to perish! Again Mr. Malavya said that Ezhavas of Malabar alone cannot blot out caste from India. There are cores of people throughout India who are suffering like Ezhavas of Malabar. They are all jointly going against caste. All wake up and unitedly march against the caste demon hand in hand and then the few caste people and the couple of Malaviyas who now want to safeguard caste would be hissed away like a dried leaf in their exhaling wind. The majority of the Hindu population who form the backbone of the Indian nation is treacherously oppressed and suppressed by the caste devil. They have fully realized their wonderful possibilities and power latent in them. And the time has come to bid adieu to the caste system and with it the Malaviyas!

- Revolt, 29 May 1929

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