opinions differ! or dhotis and temples!!

Yesterday azhagu sir forwarded me a msg in whatsapp; that msg talked about the dresscode made mandatory by highcourt at temples of TN.

Since it was a private discussion I expressed my gut-feelings readily, without any reservation. Yet I was a bit reluctant for speaking out my thoughts on that issue and apologized; apologized, “if my opinions made him feel uncomfortable.”

For, I was (AND AM) very much conscious of my opinions on religions in general, and hinduism in particular. Since my ideas are a little radical, I had to be always careful about where and how and when and among who I express them. Given this indian society’s backward, reactionary, orthodox majority, I have to be always very mindful of my expressions.

In contrast to my expectation of his disappointment, azhagu sir encouraged me saying, “opinions differ”.

Indeed it was a happy-surprise for me; utterly UNBELIEVABLE response from an individual, born and brought up in india!

Such a magnanimous reply can be rarely expected from fellow indians.

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Well. The subject matter was- entry into temples is allowed only for dhotis and halfsarees. It seemed to link two elements.

Dhotis and temples!

But why?

Dhotis and halfsarees are considered traditional dresses of southerners, esp tamils. Those dresses are a cultural identity of tamils.

On one side that court decree seemed to ACCORD dhotis that well-deserving traditional attires status. That’s something really great. I always feel happy and proud to wear dhotis.

But….IN TEMPLES? Why tie-up dhotis with temples?

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To many, temples are places of worship; abodes of their gods. But….,

For me…., temples are symbols of slavery, either to gods or to some-humans or to both! Slavery (casteism) of indian society placed some people closest to gods, made them favorites; but it kept some others very much away from gods, made them subservient to those gods and  to those high-born favorites.

got doubt? Then…just go thro’ the story of nandanar! Religious teaching sanctioned inequality; and gave caste system an air of approval; provided base,foundation to the casteist-superstructure; ordinary men may have their perpectives, views warped because of various limitations of their faculties; gods cannot. Generally in front of fair gods/religions everyone will be treated equally, but hindu-gods replicated the social prejudices even more vehemently. Nandan was made to burn himself up in his idiotic attempt to purify himself, because he considered himself a lowborn.

See this….even a saint, was made to think he was lowborn; no amount of religiosity could make him pure but only fire? In that attempt to enter chidambaram temple, he was killed. You say none forced him, only he chose? Yes…..that……and THATTTTTT is what hegemony is! Voluntary submission made thro warped philosophies and teachings. If I follow your gods, philosophies and religious teachings, im your slave forever; there is no salvation for me ever. Doubt? Read the works of these bas****s manu’s smriti, chanakyas ardhashastra. They teach you how to exploit me religiously! They teach me how to submit myself to you RELIGIOUSLY!! Odious devils!

that was the treatment for all my forefathers, and that’s an ENOUGH reason I come to hate prejudiced hindu-gods. And I consider now…that those very temples may pollute my foot if I step into them bare footed. I am farrrrrrrr more consecrated/holier than those gods and their favorites; I would never submit myself unto those gods begging for anything; never fold my hands yearning for blessings; never bow my head in submission. I would NEVER have my life at the mercy of those dishonorable, easily-polluted gods.

If those gods were really so strong in their virtues and purity , no amount of touches of an ordinary man can pollute them; if they get so easily polluted by just a slight touch, then…….f*** them and their sanctity. Just a touch is enough to pollute those f*****g gods? are those touches far more powerful to reduce their purity to nothing?

such was the dignity attributed to many in this religion!

Temples epitomized those vicious social practices CONSPICUOUSLY. And hence…I hate temples!

I can never relish this idea of linking dhotis and temples.

To me….dhotis represent a cultural identity; but temples represent the vice of inequality.

Casteism has lived thro millennia just because of the support/approval given by the gods themselves; only very few finds those practice wrong! Rather the majority feels casteism is something to be protected even at the cost of murdering innocents! Even now!

Doubtful? What about that ilavarasan-divya case? Why religion failed to make those murderers saints?

Inundated in age-old dogmas and morbid practices SINCE BIRTH, surrounded by a society strictly-stratified into multiple layers, representing multiple levels/degrees of slavery in the name of castes, almost alllllllllllllllllllll Indians get their sense of dignity and humanity numbed and desensitized.

Rather than preserving individualism, people lose it to conform to this denigrated social standard, to gain acceptance into the wide majority. Poverty of social education and limited knowledge discourages from exploring, analyzing, criticizing various social phenomena. Everyone seems to think what’s practiced contemporarily IS RIGHT!!! and carefully but blindly follow those practices.

Rarely few break away from this herd mentality; and the initiation comes from their own bitter experiences, and/or exposure to better, well-developed societies and their philosophies.

From the very moment of birth, all through their childhood and forming years, and thro’ their adulthood …..till their death, even after death( thro separate burial grounds and crematoriums), what people see here in india is……..a society classified into inferiors, intermediates and superiors of various degrees and levels; built-in RELATIVE slavery in every walks of life in this society. One rarely considers others as his equals; he is moulded to see strangers and others ONLY as either superiors…..or inferiors to himself; yes, sometimes as his equals if they are from same caste. esprit de corps is felt only among his own casteists; never with all fellow countrymen.

Considering allllllll these…..

It was an unexpected response to receive: “ opinions differ !” from a person born into such a society. that gave me freedom to express my differing opinion! and that freedom raised my respects for him a lot more.

Somehow it immediately made me think of this voltaire’s quote, wrongly-attributed but precise, “ I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to my death your right to say it”. 

indeed, azhagu sir 'may not agree with what i say, but he gave me the right to say that!'

It seemed to speak for maturity, for freedom of opinions and ideas, for tolerance of differing philosophies, practices and ideologies.

These are the rays of hope that all is not lost. These are examples that show that men can live with a lot of differences among us, in equal brotherhood, but without inequality.