The Hindu : National : President’s remark on ‘Manusmriti’ irks Dalits

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 22, 2007
ePaper

National

National

President’s remark on ‘Manusmriti’ irks Dalits

Special Correspondent

He had said by accepting gifts, the divine light in a person gets extinguished
PUCL president says Kalam’s reference is “shocking and strange”

JAIPUR: Dalit activists here have taken strong exception to President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam making a reference to “Manusmriti” while extolling the virtue of not accepting gifts that come with a purpose, saying his citation from the ancient Hindu treatise was “unwarranted” and had “hurt the sentiments of Dalits” by according respectability to Manu’s pronouncements.

Mr. Kalam, addressing a function at the India Islamic Cultural Centre in New Delhi on Thursday, had remarked while quoting from “Manusmriti” that by accepting gifts, the divine light in the person gets extinguished.

Centre for Dalit Rights (CDR) chairperson P. L. Mimroth said the outgoing President need not have quoted from the archaic Hindu code of law that had created the Varna system under which the higher castes for centuries denied all basic human rights and dignity to Dalits. “For us, Manu only symbolises the unjust social order imposed on Dalits from time immemorial.”

Mr. Mimroth said Mr. Kalam, shortly demitting the highest constitutional office in the country, should not have made the “unwarranted reference” to an antiquated treatise which was squarely responsible for discrimination against Dalits and flew in the face of the constitutional ideal of a casteless society.

“Quoting from Manusmriti amounts to paying homage to a figure who represents all that is unjust in the Indian society,” said Mr. Mimroth. He added that Mr. Kalam could have mentioned any of the hundreds of literary, spiritual or religious figures – such as the acclaimed Tamil poet Sumbramanya Bharathi – to emphasise his point.

The Rajasthan convener of the National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) and PUCL State president, Than Singh, said Mr. Kalam’s reference to Manusmriti was “shocking and strange” in view of the known fact that the unabated oppression of Dalits was because of the edicts prescribed in the treatise. “The President’s remarks have without doubt injured the emotions of Dalits who looked up to him for upholding constitutional values all these years,” he added.

Dalit activist Satish Kumar pointed out that Dalits in the State had been fighting since 1989 against the installation of a statue of Manu on the High Court premises in Jaipur.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National

News Update

Stories in this Section