[IMC-Editorial] [India Thinkers Net] 76th Anniversary of burning Manusmriti by Dr Ambedkar.

Wed Dec 17 15:38:12 PST 2003

Dear friends,

On 25th December, some people are celebrating 76 th
anniversary of 'burning of Manusmriti' by Dr Ambedkar
(please see the announcement below). I think the best
way to celebrate it would be for people to renounce
Hinduism (Brahminism) and officially declare oneself
to be an atheist or the follower of another religion.
Aside from rejection of Manusmriti & Hinduism, the act
of leaving Hinduism, and perhaps even leaving other
religions, would amount to rejection of totally
unconstitutional law prohibiting conversion in total
disregard of UN sanctioned human right of freedom to
choose a religion. Effort needs to be made to
challenge this uncivilized and uncouth assault on the
fundamental human right to choose our religion, or no
religion. 

Even if one does not believe in any religion, one
should change from whatever one’s parents or ancestors
might have been, to something else, then to something
else, and so on, and back to atheism or whatever.
Occasions like Ambedkar’s, Periar’s and Phule’s
birthdays and their death anniversaries, respectively,
and anniversary of the burning of Manusmriti, the
Republic and Independence days, etc., may be the most
auspicious days to throw these challenges to pigheaded
errant authorities. Didn’t Periar organize burning of
Ramayana? That should be included among the said
occasions as well. May be some times they should
organize week-long or month-long Yagya of burning of
various scriptures in bonfires. In fact some atheists
should perhaps burn scriptures of all religions.
Burning a book is a symbolic gesture of free-speech.
Possibly it may lead to some violence, from the
government as well as from other fundamentalist
outfits. But all rights and freedoms are faced with
violent oppositions at various times. Unless we are
able and willing to make some sacrifices, one by one
all of our rights and freedoms may be robbed away from
us.

Regards,
Satinath

=========================
Date: 17 Dec 2003 10:16:38 -0000 
From: "anjali sinha" <subhanjali at rediffmail.com> 
To: "Satinath Choudhary" <satichou at yahoo.com> 
Subject:  76 th anniversary of 'burning of manusmriti'
by dr ambedkar  

Dear Sati
Please help circulate the news about the programe to a
wider audience.
anjali sinha

LET US REINVIGORATE THE DREAMS OF 25 TH DECEMBER 
Join Us To Celebrate the 
76 th ANNIVERSARY OF 
'BURNING OF MANUSMRITI' 
BY BABASAHEB DR BHIMRAO AMBEDKAR
THURSDAY, 25 TH DECEMBER 2003

Friends, 
You are quite aware that it was on this day 76 years
ago that thousands of people came together under the
leadership of one of the greatest sons of the
Oppressed and Exploited Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar to
consign to flames Manusmriti the 'sacred' book which
epitomised and legitimised the subhuman existence of
the socially and culturally downtrodden in the Indian
society, especially the dalits and the women.
As things stand today officially the Manusmriti might
have been replaced by the more egalitarian Indian
Constitution more than fifty years ago but at an
informal level it continues to hold sway over the
thinking and actions of a vast majority of the Indian
people. Dalits, women and a broad section of the other
socially oppressed strata are still condemned to live
under the oppressive structures and institutions
sanctified by Manusmriti. 
The subtle and the not so subtle ways in which
Manusmriti continues to operate at various levels in
Indian society and polity is a fact which even the
government itself ackowledges. Every annual report by
the SC and ST commission reiterates the existence of
untouchability in various states of the Indian union,
a fact which has been placed before the parliament
umpteen times. It is not for nothing that while the
quota of fourth class jobs in government / public
sector undertaking services meant for the dalits gets
filled by 'suitable candidates' but when the question
of first class jobs comes all of a sudden one notices
non availability of suitable candidates. The problem
of non dalits getting jobs in the SC-ST quota by
providing false certificates is also alarming. Ranging
from the judiciary to the day to day affairs of the
family one notices the blind toeing of the dictats of
Manusmriti. While the judge in the Bhanwari devi rape
case acquitts the accused on the spacious excuse that
being a dalit woman one cannot expect the higher caste
men to engage in such a thing, parents themselves are
found to be engaged in killing  their own sons and
daughters for marrying outside their caste and
community.
It is also a fact that the assumption to power by the
Hindutva Brigade led by the RSS and its front
organisations has unleashed a process of
legitimisation of Manusmriti in a sophisticated
manner. It was only last year that the leading light
of the VHP Giriraj Kishore unashamedly justified the
killings of dalits at Jhajjar by propounding a thesis
that ' the Puranas consider Cow to be more auspicious
than men'. One was also witness to the opening of
Brahmin schools in different parts of India by the
government in the beginning of this year with the help
of the UNESCO supposedly to 'protect ancient
culture'.It is the same BJP whose then state
government in Rajasthan led by Mr Shekhawat had
installed a statue of Manu in front of the High Court
of Jaipur.
To underline the fact of the societal violence which
continues unabated till date and the need for a wider
social cultural movement against all such inhuman
practices and institutions we have decided to
celebrate the day when Manusmriti was burnt in a big
way. As part of this celebrations we have decided to
hold a seminar, cultural programme and a rally to
focus everyone's attention on age old patriarchal-
Brahminical traditions and institutions.Many leading
activists and writers have not only agreed to
participate in the programmes but also have warmly
accepted our appeal to spare some time for such
activities in future also.We will be very happy if you
can join us for this  event.
HOLD HIGH THE BANNER OF STRUGGLE AGAINST BRAHMINISM
AND PATRIARCHY

ORGANISERS :
WOMEN’S RIGHTS ORGANISATION (STREE ADHIKAR SANGATHAN)
/ 

PROGRAMME : 25 TH DECEMBER, THURSDAY

DELHI
3P.M.
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU 
UNIVERSITY (JNU) DELHI

ALLAHABAD          
2 P.M., 
UNION HALL
ALLAHABAD UNIVERSITY, ALLAHABAD

__________________________________

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