PERCEPTIONS ABOUT PHILOSOPHY OF GOD AND RELIGION – II

nvestigating the philosophy of god really means to expose all matters to god in full and in detail. We have to conduct research to find out the naked truths about god. The fundamental for conducting any research is to find out first what it is. Then find out why it is and then see how it is and then ask where it is and finally decide when it came into being. We will have to put these queries and ascertain the convincing replies. We need not hesitate to question. We must study things without any restraint in an unbiased way. Probing into philosophy means arguing matters. Both are correlative for our purpose. So to establish beyond doubt that there is a god, which is really omnipotent and omniscient, it is not enough if these six or seven questions are put. It is essential to test by any number of operations.

A blind believer in god may ignore this aspect. He may think it unnecessary and unwarranted. But for a researcher of philosophy it is a must. God should not exist out of blind belief. He should not be recognized as god by mere ignorance. Moreover for rational human beings, particularly to the researcher; god should not exist by mere hearsay or ignorance or blind belief.

What for god?

Why god?

Which is god?

One who conducts a research about the philosophy of god must know the answer for such queries and that too in detail and in a manner quite convincing.

Every human being is rational - Man is endowed with reason to think deeply. It is for ascertaining the truth in its proper perspective. As such a man should not degrade himself as a mere animal, he should eschew blind beliefs. Man has involved himself into a number of difficulties by misusing his rationalism. He has created gods to find relief from his vexing problems.

What for a ruler and the ruled?

Why a rich man and a poor man?

Why high low castes?

What for a toiling worker and a lazy fellow?

What for a slave and a master?

What for a beggar and a lord?

Now you think over all these. What for god? Don’t you think that god is created only to protect all these? Apart from this what has god done to man? Did god do anything good to the humanity so far? Do we need such a god to protect the evils only?

Who is responsible for the absence of peace, love and satisfaction or contentment in the society? Who is responsible if men endowed with rationalism die in disgust and worries? Is it not due to the belief in god?

If we attribute foolishness as the basic reason for all these, what for a man is gifted with rationalism? Could it be said that man is endowed with rationalism to act foolishly, to believe foolishly and behave foolishly?

Man is said to have rationalism; yet all the bad qualities are in him, all the worries he faces, all the defects and drawbacks in him, his hatred towards others, his betrayals are not found in the case of other beings, which are considered to be devoid of rationalism.

Why should a rational man display bad qualities, which are not seen even in wild animals? Is it because of the creation of a god? Is it because he believes in a god? Is it because he has misconceived great powers in god? If we are not able to study and find out what exactly is the reason for this state of affairs and suggest a solution; what else is the purpose of rationalism?

What for a god? Was god recognised by man in a natural way? Did others make man recognize and believe him? If god was not created by others, how is it that he is not seeable for all? Even to those who profess to have recognized him, he appears in many ways and in different forms. Why should gods’s functions, powers and behaviours too differ in many ways?

If god was a created thing, why was he created? For what reason was he created? Did the creators of god succeed in their attempts? Did god solve the problem or fulfill the reason for his creation?

Whether he came into being or was created by others; how is it the people are able to do against his wishes and dictations?

God is said to be all powerful. He is said to be everywhere. He is said to be controlling anything and everything in the world. If all these are true, tell me anything that god has done so far in the name of god, it is the man who does everything. Not only that, man is able to disrespect and ignore god and yet do many things. Things which are not useful and helpful to society are also taking place! We are not able to see everything done perfectly, to the satisfaction of one and all. There is nothing that takes place without the efforts of man. There is nothing in our life to be proud of god. Is it the hard work of the man that is able to do laudable things? If the world is safe and humanity is sound it is on account of the efforts taken by men. Everything is protected and safeguarded by the efforts of man only. We could say that even gods are safe because of the efforts of man.

(From the book: Collected Works of Periyar E.V.R. - Translation of a speech in Tamil delivered by Periyar E.V.Ramasami at Salem Arts College in 1949)

Thanthai Periyar - The Destroyer of BRAHMINISM in the Dravidan Land

However, Periyar throughout his life fully exposed the hypocrisy of the Congress, Gandhi and Rajagopalachri and justified Dr. Ambedkar’s claim.



First Self-respect Movement Conference


After leaving the Congress Party, Periyar launched the Self-Respect Movement in 1925. The first conference of Self-Respect Movement was held at Chengalpet in February 1929, in which the following resolutions were adopted:


1. Abolition of untouchability.
2. Equal rights to all people.
3. Removal of Varnashram Dharma.
4. People should not wear caste marks on their body or forehead.
5. Abolition of Purohit system.
6. No wastage of money in temple worship.
7. People should drop their caste names.
8. Use of public fund for educational and employment purposes and not for building mutts (temples).

Though Periyar’s self-respect movement (1925-39) and the Justice Party movement had a common goal of dethroning the Brahmins in Madras presidency, their strategies were completely different. Some of the highly religious-minded Justice Party members were allergic to Periyar’s methodology. The self-respect movement, popularly known as the SRM, was primarily responsible for the socio-political and cultural awakening among the non-Brahmins in the presidency. This movement was basically a cultural revolt against the caste system, the Brahmin supremacy, concept of god, religion, superstitions, and the all-pervading casteism. Its another key objective was to make the Dravidian society rational in outlook.


The SRM movement was based on five main principles:


1. There is no god.
2. Religion must be abolished.
3. Destruction of the Congress Party.
4. Abolition of Gandhism; and
5. Uprooting Brahmanism.


Journals published by the movement

On May 2, 1925 Periyar began to edit and publish a Tamil weekly titled, ‘Kudi Arasu’ (Republic) to spread the principles of self-respect movement and for awakening the Dravidian race against the Brahmanical oppression. Kudi Arasu was banned by the Britishers in the year 1933 but Periyar started another magazine ‘Puratchi’ (Revolution). In 1934 he brought out the Tamil weekly ‘Pagutharivu’, that is ‘Rationalism’.-

Ambedkar pointed out reasons for the defeat of Justice Party in 1937 elections


Periyar’s attack on Brahminism - Hinduism, god, priestly class, unscientific and inhuman customs and practices in the name of religion was unchallengeable in the modern history of the country. Self Respect Movement provided a solid non-political foundation for successfully carrying out the political activities of the Justice Party under Periyar’s leadership. Though from 1921 to 1937, the party achieved the desired success, it was humbled at the 1937 elections as it lost the power to the Congress. Outlining the reasons for the debacle of the Justice Party, Dr.Ambedkar, in a speech in Madras on September 23, 1944 said, “there were mainly two reasons for this unprecedented and unexpected drubbing. In the first place, the Justice Party followers failed to understand clearly the doctrinal differences between their party and the opposition party; and secondly, it became the party of job hunters and forgot that 90 percent of non-Brahmins lived in the villages.”


Justice Party renamed as Dravidar Kazhagam


The electoral drubbing in 1937 aggravated the need for some inspiring leadership in the Justice Party, and 1938 became the turning point in the history of this political outfit. In 1938, at its three day 14th convention in Madras, the party elected Periyar as its president, even as he was in the prison. And under Periyar’s leadership, the party’s name was changed to ‘Dravidar Kazhagam’ at the provincial conference held in Salem on 27th August, 1944.


In 1953. Congress Chief Minister, Mr.C.Rajagopalachari introduced the programme called ‘Kula Kalvi Thittam’ that is ‘Communal Educational Programme’ under which children were made to learn their family profession and traditions. This was another and an indirect method of keeping caste system alive. Periyar rightly sensed it and opposed it with by all means. As a consequence Mr.C.Rajagopalachari had to step down and Nadar-ex-untouchable community man, Mr. Kamaraj became the Chief Minister, who introduced the liberal-caste free educational policy. For this the total credit goes to Periyar.


Periyar insisted abolition of Hinduism

In 1927, there was a dialogue between Gandhi and Periyar. Periyar at that meeting clearly told Gandhi about the urgent need for abolishing Hinduism because there was no religion called Hinduism. Periyar warned Gandhi that, “having Hinduism in vogue, you cannot effect any permanent changes. Brahmins won’t allow anybody to go so far. If they find that your ideas go against their interests, immediately they will begin to oppose you. So far no great person has made any kind of change. If any person tries to do it now, Brahmins will not allow him to have a free-hand. He also made clear to Gandhi that he had no faith in a single-Brahmin in the country including Rajaji. That meeting between Gandhi and Periyar was nothing but similar to the thunderous episodes that marked the relationship between Gandhi and Ambedkar.


Independence is nothing but transfer of power to Brahmin - Bania combine


Again, Periyar had altogether a different concept of Swaraj or independence from Gandhi’s or other Congress leaders’. Therefore he described the dawn of independence, as merely a transfer of power to the Brahmins and the Baniyas envisaging their socio-cultural domination and power to exploit non-Brahmins.


Both, Periyar and Ambedkar kept on challenging and attacking the institutions of god, Brahmanical religion, the Shastras, temples and priest-craft and described them as the root cause of the exploitation and suffering of the Shudras and Ati-Shudras. Both of them were anti-Congressmen and opposed the policy of Gandhi and Congress. Periyar used to tell people that there was no god and if he was in the stone let him speak out, else throw the stone into the dung-heap.

 (To be continued) -- The Modern Rationalist (May 2010)

"Save our youth movement" A timely action needed

A resolution passed at the Awakening Conference of the Students’ wing of the revolutionary socio - cultural movement of Dravidar Kazhagam in Chennai on 16th April expresses concern about the deteriorating trend of the personal and public morality. The students are under the wrong spell of alluring Cinema and T.V.shows, and IPL cricket matches. The modern electronic gadgets like mobile phones and internet browsing are put to flippant and even dubious uses by the youth. Being spoiled by such wasteful practices, they ultimately become frustrated and disappointed, ending in some cases in violent activities.

The apprehension voiced in the resolution is born out by a news published in the front page of a popular English daily published from Chennai on 21st April: A 17-year-old school dropout killed a 60-year-old Rama Janaki in rural Theni near Madurai in Tamil Nadu on 16th April, furious that she refused to part with the Rs. 700 he wanted. He used to do odd chores for the elderly women, his relative, and her husband, for which he was paid Rs. 100 or Rs.200. On April 16, he asked for Rs. 700 to go to Chennai or Bangalore to watch an IPL match. On her refusal he attacked her with an emergency lamp and strangled her when she fell down. Then the teenager removed her jewels. By the time he was nabbed by the police, the boy had pawned the jewels for Rs. 54,000.

Such tragic incidents are increasing in number in various parts of the country in rural as well as in urban areas due to the encouragement given to the consumerist culture and cheap entertainment by the market driven unrestrained liberalism.

The Cricket match played under Indian Premier League (IPL) has lost the status of a game of skill and has assumed the character of gambling, with the addition of slick advertising campaign, attractive and exciting dances in between and lavish parties. There are allegations of match fixing, illegal betting, money laundering, underworld wheeling-dealing. Tickets are being sold for several thousands of rupees, and at certain stages the amount exceeds even more than a lakh and fifty thousand rupees. These things happen in a country where more than 20 percent of the people live below poverty line (BPL). Do we guide our youth in proper direction? They are our hope, they need better attention, and deserve healthy atmosphere in all walks of public life.

It is sad to know that many among even promising youngsters have begun to think that making of a fast buck is the only goal in life. Such a view of life will impel the irresponsible and ill-informed youth to resort to reckless violence. All these are the natural consequences of unplanned, uncoordinated and lopsided material progress.

In a capital-intensive high tech scenario growth with stability is not possible in the absence of planned production and distribution.

Development that does not solve the unemployment problem will not promote the welfare of the people. Distribution is not keeping people on the dole. Nor is it merely providing unproductive employment paying subsistance wages. It may keep away the people from really productive jobs and, as a result, lead to general rise in price, further spoiling the atmosphere of the economy.

The performance of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) should be assessed from this point of view and find out the direct and indirect impact on the double digit rise in the price of consumer goods. We stress that the employment provided under this scheme be productive to ward off inflationary potential.

Another resolution of the Students’ Conference demands that besides education employment should also be made a fundamental right. Full employment is a prerequisite to ensure proper distribution of National Domestic Production and steady growth. Eduction should be value-based and employment oriented: It should shape the students to think freely and take independent decisions keeping in mind civic responsibilities. It should also prepare them for socially beneficial employment. They should be able to add to the resources of the country either as employees or as self-employed professionals or as entrepreneurs.

Addiction of any kindis very dangerous infectious disease. Hence we will have to wage a relentless war against these kinds of ignorance and idocy.

Schools and colleges are not enough to “educate” them; only rationalist platforms can achieve it!

--- The modern rationlist (May 2010)