The kind of blatant attacks on the AAP politicians by the central government run by Hindutvites reminds me of Brahmin and Kshatriya supremacy disputes that led to the creation of Buddhism and Jinaism by the Kshatriya intellectuals. At the time, Brahmins with the help of the caste system, other Kshatriyas and the Sudras who became the rulers but remained subservient could prevail upon the religions which didn't have anything for the married people.
The present-day Hindutva movement, even though termed as Brahmin-Bania, is basically brahmanical in its ethos. But the merchant castes are its strongest backers including the Jains who are now only next to Brahmins in casteism.
Mr Kejirwal's party can attract many from the merchant castes in its fold if it grows in strength and the BJP dreads that scenario. So, we now see unprecedented attacks on the AAP members as if the Hindutva party's existence depends upon its decimation.
It's interesting while the Kshatriya religions, talked about 'ahimsa'(non-violence) when that Varna itself was the main perpetrator of the physical violence in the society. It's a different matter altogether that with the infuse of merchants and Brahmins, who weren't directly responsible for the physical violence, ahimsa focussed on non-human violence. A while ago, I made a comment that for merchants, true ahimsa meant they would cease to practice corrupt practices as that would lead to misery in the society. For Brahmin converts, it should have been the violence that they inflicted in the society in the form of the caste system. But if you see present-day Jains, then both corruption and casteism have become part-parcel of the religion making the mockery of its founders.
With this background, it's interesting to note that Mr Kejriwal's movement was against corruption which, just as Kshatriyas, is against the dominant practice of the Varna he was born. But it can get corrupted and ideology-less, self-preserving brahmanical Hindutva party can still prevail in the end.
The present-day Hindutva movement, even though termed as Brahmin-Bania, is basically brahmanical in its ethos. But the merchant castes are its strongest backers including the Jains who are now only next to Brahmins in casteism.
Mr Kejirwal's party can attract many from the merchant castes in its fold if it grows in strength and the BJP dreads that scenario. So, we now see unprecedented attacks on the AAP members as if the Hindutva party's existence depends upon its decimation.
It's interesting while the Kshatriya religions, talked about 'ahimsa'(non-violence) when that Varna itself was the main perpetrator of the physical violence in the society. It's a different matter altogether that with the infuse of merchants and Brahmins, who weren't directly responsible for the physical violence, ahimsa focussed on non-human violence. A while ago, I made a comment that for merchants, true ahimsa meant they would cease to practice corrupt practices as that would lead to misery in the society. For Brahmin converts, it should have been the violence that they inflicted in the society in the form of the caste system. But if you see present-day Jains, then both corruption and casteism have become part-parcel of the religion making the mockery of its founders.
With this background, it's interesting to note that Mr Kejriwal's movement was against corruption which, just as Kshatriyas, is against the dominant practice of the Varna he was born. But it can get corrupted and ideology-less, self-preserving brahmanical Hindutva party can still prevail in the end.
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