The refrain I often hear when talking about Varna/Brahminism among irate Brahmins is “we are not guilty for past wrongs” or “it is preposterous and absurdly foolish to demand Brahmins of today to collectively apologize”, or “Brahmins are powerless, it is the dominant non-Brahmin castes who perpetrate caste atrocities”, and many more such defensive missives.
These protestations do have a veneer of truth. Brahmins do not wield significant political power in Tamil Nadu any more. It is indeed absurd to hold the present day Brahmins collectively guilty for the past offenses and punish them. But, underneath this veneer there are some serious issues crying out for some critical reflection.
First, it is a straw-man fallacy to suggest that I am arguing for the Brahmin community to collectively rise up and accept guilt and apologize for it. That is an absurd suggestion. My argument is that those who identify themselves as Brahmins have an individual responsibility to think critically as to what that identity means. My argument is they have an individual responsibility to acknowledge the wrongs that were committed in the past on the basis of Varna/Jati. My argument is they have an individual responsibility to identify any vestiges of the past discriminatory and offensive practices within their own community and work diligently to eradicate them.
This is what I am arguing for. It is actually absurdly foolish to suggest that I am demanding the Brahmins of today to collectively apologize for past wrongdoings. How would that happen anyway? There is no central Brahminical authority to offer such an apology. Even if there was one, and they do offer such an apology, it would be scoffed at as hypocritical given the reverence with which Dharmashashthras are held by Brahminical Acharyas seen as gods in flesh and blood by all Brahmins.
Now, let me give an example of what I am arguing for. We all know about the unrest that took place in Paramakkudi last year. One Dalit youth was murdered and six Dalits died as a result of police firing. For a detailed accounting of what happened visit this link. This is a clear case of dominant Thevar caste ruthlessly suppressing Dalits. Brahmins cannot be held responsible for this atrocity, that much is clear. But what did they do about it?
A more interesting question is what can they about it? No Brahminical Matham can condemn such jAti based atrocity with a straight face as they themselves practice jAti based discrimination till this very day. To be able to credibly stand up against the crimes of Thevars against Dalits Brahmins must first repudiate Dharmashashthras and openly end religious support for Varna system. That is just the start. Then, they must actively work towards openness and equality within their own ranks, slowly building trust and respect from all fellow Tamils. Then, a day will surely come when the Brahmins can stand shoulder to shoulder with their Dalit brothers and fight bigotry and injustice as equals and not get laughed off. This is what I am arguing for, not for today’s Brahmins to be held guilty for past crimes or to force some silly useless apology from them.
So, let me repeat, I am not arguing for Brahmins to stand up and accept guilt or offer up a collective apology. It is up to the Brahmins to stop offering up defensive arguments and try to live up to an universal standard of moral justice and compassion.
