Born untouchable....

I was born an untouchable to start with; hence was a casteless, so called Hindu. Later on I became a Sudhra and currently am a Brahman. I was full of filth and had to be cleansed and washed by a midwife before my parents could even attempt to cling on me; and am still full of filth, guilt, angst, sins, hypocrisy, jealousy and etc. Ever needing a wishful mental, and physical cleansing as well as a detox; here you go, I was born untouchable and physically nowhere 50 years ago and now I am everywhere!

The imaginary hierarchy of Varnashram and casteism in Indian and Hindu /Non Hindu psyche in the Indian subcontinent came with the so called Aryan migration around 3500 years ago, along with Vedic civilisation and eventually spread everywhere across the sub-continent, and to the south 1500 years later.

Homo sapiens first migrated to the subcontinent 60,000 years ago from Africa; may have from Southern Africa too, via the now submerged, discovered  land mass in Indian ocean; second migration to sub-continent happened around 10,000 years ago, with the advent of Agriculture,  likely from Sumerian region, who on mixing with the already established locals( who had migrated 50,000 years prior), created Indus valley civilisation in the North western terrains of the sub-continent, ( between 5000 and 3500 years ago),  a proto-Dravidian , non –Vedic ,  speaking a proto-Dravidian language, akin to Tamil, non-Sanskrit;  and the third of the game changing migration this time stepped in from Steppes, around 3500 years ago,

( Indus civilisation came to an end by this time, 1500 years BC ) bringing in apart from Chariots and Horses,  both Sanskrit and Varna based classification, the first,  never a commoner’s language ( Pali and Prakrit were the lingua franca during Vedic and subsequent period, whilst Sanskrit remaining elitist)  and the other, Varna theory or dharma, which has  metamorphosed to become a necessary inerasable imaginary hierarchy  subsequently in Indian sub-continent’s psyche.

Well, all these facts are, needless to mention, based on up-to-date, current DNA, genetic, Vedic, epigraphical, archaeological, linguistic (Tamil, Sanskrit, Buddhist and other studies) and other validated evidences currently in extant.

The earliest available Tamil Sangam literature dating back to 500 years BC, (2500 years ago), mentions no Vedic rituals or Varna based divisions in Tamil land, however the early available Sanskrit literatures, the Vedas,( Rig Veda being the oldest available Vedic literature, 1500 years BC) by this time have already started to divide the then human race into different Varna’s, (four) which subdivided itself to become castes or jatis (3000), initially in northern gangetic India and later the whole of sub-continent, post Vedic period.

What began apparently as a system to give a structure to the then Vedic society based on Individual qualities, not based on one’s birth right, is what it had subsequently developed into, much to the chagrin of non- power wielders!. The post Vedic times metamorphosis of Varna into jati system, or the sub -castes within each Varna became into what, that gives sense of identity to each member of a specific Varna, eventually also caught up in Tamil land too, like a wild fire, as evidenced in later Tamil literature written around 1500 years ago and also in South Asia, wherever the Tamil Kings and mercenaries went.

Thus the Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Shudras came into existence with the introduction of Vedic rites and culture; alas, “the untouchables” or modern day Dalits, who were not mentioned nor lest recognised during Vedic times, were also created, off records;  may belong to no Varna; hence, remain casteless! It’s imperative also to mention that the words Hindu, Hinduism or Hindu dharma were not thought about or even mentioned anywhere, during Vedic neither period nor immediate post Vedic period.

Well, I, as an untouchable born to Sudhra parents, would I be an untouchable (remain a colony typical) or a Sudhra, forever? Couldn’t I progress up in the most imagined hierarchy Hindu order and become a Brahman and attain my self-fulfillment as a Hindu?  

The answer is, Yes you can; like sage Vishwamitra (Kshatriya), who went up in hierarchy after a long struggle (!) by creating and chanting Gayathri mandram and also by fighting Brahman sages (!). 

I as a born Untouchable, who didn’t exist anywhere; now as a self-proclaimed Brahman, I am everywhere and within! Well, Gods, created by humans, though already have gone back again into human psyche ages ago, the modern day sapiens are still searching for him or her, outside, rather than within!  Damn it, morons.

Anbe Sivam and “Aham Brahamasmi” .