Delegitimization
of Lokavidya:
The
basis of the demand for reservations/special assistance
Based on available historical evidence, we know that during the vedic
age (pre 300 BC) relatively free access to knowledge by all castes
and study of Vedas was encouraged irrespective of caste/avocation.
Sometime thereafter(between 300BC and about 600AD) acquisition of
vedic knowledge by castes other than the Brahmins, was discouraged.
During this period there were great movements (Buddha, Jaina) that
questioned many 'beliefs' associated with vedic thought and
caste-hierarchy. The subsequent 'reformation' saw the idea of
inter-caste equality becoming prevalent , though the basis of
equality was seen more in a philosophical and moral sense rather than
on other 'tangible' facts. Subsequent history tells us that the
struggle against caste-hierarchy was continuous and had many ups and
downs. Most of such(Bhakti) movements sought to preach an equality
among different castes (including dalits); but all of them were based
on some idea of universal equality 'in the eyes of God'. The
knowledge-basis of the caste-system was almost never alluded to in
any practically demonstrable form; so the concept of equality did not
cover the realm of knowledge, that definitively
characterised(identified) the various castes and sub-castes
comprising society.
The requirement of knowledge, 'outside' the knowledge concerning
productive & service processes, was largely about
'uncontrollable' natural processes that affect, often very adversely,
the activity of the producing & service sections of society. Such
'acts of nature' eg flood, drought, epidemics, pest attacks etc, were
not understood or predictable. Special knowledge was needed to either
predict , mitigate or prevent such 'acts of nature'. The study of
astronomy(astrology), medicine, weather/ climate etc was probably
greatly encouraged by this need. The classes which had the time and
inclination to such study, developed these diciplines and, over a
period of time, acquired a pre-eminent position in society because of
their possessing this specialised knowledge. This was largely the
caste of Brahmins- who were generally given to the study of Vedic
literature as a whole-time occupation. The ability to predict and/or
control/mitigate such adverse 'acts of nature' thus gave an
'awe-inspiring' position to possessors of such knowledge(much like
present-day scientists- especially doctors). [In the west too,
Astrology was developed by early astronomers such as
Ptolemy,Copernicus,Kepler etc as a 'science' of predicting natural
events that could have a bearing on human activities. Most of these
men were from the Clergy i.e those who had chosen a 'profession' of
study of religious texts].
The
apportioning of such 'commanding heights' to this 'specialised'
knowledge resulted in others, especially the productive and service
classes, acceeding that their knowledge as relatively 'inferior' .
This incidence of heirarchy in knowledge, however, did not affect
the activity of these productive classes ,they continued their
avocations and made inventions to suit their needs.There is no
evidence that this hierarchy was life or livelihood threatening. In
course of time an operatively hierarchical
caste-system came into being. The challenge to the Vedic-knowledge
based world-view began about 600 AD with alternate world-views, such
as Islam, Christianity etc., gaining currency. This led to large
scale conversions of 'lower' jatis
and panchamas
(outcastes). However, Lokavidya
and Lokavidya-based
activity did not get adversely affected in the entire period upto
about the 18th century.There is also no evidence that inter-caste
rivalry/conflict (during this period) was ever life or livelihood
threatening.
The advent of direct British rule (around the turn of the 18th
century) saw changes brought about in various aspects of governance,
education, market, trade, communication etc. The concept of
Government jobs/employment, as an assured means of livelihood, took
shape. The basis of this 'employment' was the acquisition of
knowledge that would facilitate and sustain suck work- viz education
in British established/promoted schools/colleges and the acquisition
of degrees/diplomas from such institutions. The castes that took,
almost immediate, advantage of this 'new livelihood opening', were
the brahmins- who just shifted their whole-time study activity from
vedic literature, astrology, mathematics etc to English-based
knowledge pertaining to governance, jurisprudence, science etc. A new
concept of 'employment' took currency in society and these
upper-caste sections could secure ' permanent' jobs and an assured
source of income in this newly fashioned livelihood!
With the economic ascendency of such sections of the upper castes,
Lokavidya Samaj began to see itself in a disadvantaged
position and began to regard Lokavidya as 'inferior' to the
knowledge acquired, largely by the upper castes, in the newly
established schools and colleges. The British government's preference
for a system of education that promoted economic, social and cultural
activity, directly linked to Imperial interests(governance, market,
industry etc), led to the delegitimization of Lokavidya,
especially in the ranks of the Samaj.
In
course of time the concept of 'forward' and (relatively) 'backward
classes' came into being in public discourse and very large sections
of Lokavidya Samaj
saw themselves( and were seen to be) 'backward' relative to the
'educated' classes, most of whom were Brahmins. From about the late
19th century, demands for reservations in government employment
and/or special assistance to these 'backward classes', began to be a
rallying point for the 'dispossessed' sections of Lokavidya
Samaj.
The Imperialist power saw two advantages of supporting the demand for
reservations. Firstly, it served to formalise a new(increasingly
antagonistic) division in Indian society, especially among the
Hindus(who constituted a very large section of the population); and
secondly, it warded off any united challenge to the hegemony of
modern(school-college based) education. The concomitant processes of
delegitimization of Lokavidya and antagonistic caste-based
division of society, soon took
firm root in the minds of the people and gave birth to a new trend in
politics i.e caste-based political movements.
The anti-British freedom movement was, by and large, led by men and
women from the upper(forward) castes, who strove to maintain an
united front of people of all religions and castes, in the struggle
for independence. The process of delegitimization of Lokavidya,
that had gained momentum with the advent of direct British rule
,however, brought about , in addition to religious antagonisms, new
fissures in the unity of the Indian peoples' struggle for
independence. The division along religious lines was secured
effectively with the partition of the country -first in Bengal and
then with the creation of Pakistan. The caste antagonism led to
movements for reservations/special assistance and even for separate
constituencies for dalits/tribals. The fight against inequality,
exploitation and poverty was diverted into a fight for and against
reservations! It continues today and dominates public discourse
during elections, at the workplace, in the trade- union movement and
even in the (modern) farmers' movement.[Dryland farmers are seen to
be 'inferior' to irrigated-area farmers; even though their
knowledge-base(of sustainable organic/natural farming, pest resistant
seeds etc) is far superior in terms of drought and pest resistance
practices and in terms of harmony with natural environment].
The path
to liberation from knowledge hierarchy
The
solution to this impasse cannot be found through providing
reservations to all sections of Lokavidya
Samaj. Rather it should
be based on the recoginition of equality between every aspect of
Lokavidya-based
activity and (all of them) with modern-knowledge-based activity. The
heirarchy of knowledge should be done away with.
How is this to be done? One starting point would be the
re-legitimization of Lokavidya both within Lokavidya
Samaj and in society as a whole. The local market is the arena
where there is economic and social interaction between various
sections of the Samaj. Commodities and services are exchanged.
The value of a commodity is largely determined by its 'market' value
rather than by the labour content and certainly not on the knowledge
content. If the emphasis on value of a product/service is shifted
from market-determined terms to (inherent) knowledge-based terms,
then a transformation in 'terms of trade' will begin to take place
and with it a movement toward a more equal social order bereft of
inter-caste rivalry and acrimony.
The demand for 'equal wages for all work/labour on par with
government employment' will kick-start a movement for the removal of
inequality between univeristy-based knowledge and Lokavidya
and the concomitant rural-urban, Bharat-India divide.
The 'development' and 'backwardness' debate will also be recast in an
altogether (more humane) mould and a true contemporary concept of
equality and harmony with nature will take shape.
Krishnarajulu
2nd October 2015
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