Kancha Ilaiah
Kancha Ilaiah is a prominent anti-Brahmin activist and author. He was born into Kuruma family on October 5 1952 and was brought up in a small south Indian village. His family's main profession was sheep farming. He got his doctorate degree in political science from Osmania University in Hyderabad, India. His Ph.D thesis was based on Gautama Buddha's Political Philosophy.
Dr. Kancha Ilaiah is currently Professor and Chairman of Political Science, Osmania University.
He is an outspoken activist in the Dalit-Bahujan (Scheduled and Backwards Castes) movement. A polemical critic of the Hindu religion, he criticized the practices of caste and untouchability. Recently he testified before the U.S. Congress against the practice of untouchability and urged the US Government to work with the Indian government to end alleged persecution of Muslims,Christians, and all other "oppressed" people groups in India[citation needed].
He joined hands in this campaign with the All India Christian Council, headed by Dr. Joseph D'Souza and other "activists" of India [1]. Ilaiah and D'Souza are also associated with the USA based Dalit Freedom Network, an Christian organization that claims to "work for the rights of India's poorest and most oppressed people", the Dalits . This organization actively participated in the Californian Hindu textbook controversy to oppose edits proposed by Brahminical Hindu groups.
According to Joseph D'souza, Kancha Ilaiah has served as the "influential ideologue" for the "Quit Hinduism" movement leading to a mass rally on Dec 6th, 2002 [2].
He is the author of several books written in English, including
- Why I Am Not a Hindu: A Sudra critique of Hindutva philosophy, culture and political economy
- God as Political Philosopher--Buddha's Challenge to Brahminism
- Democracy in India --- A Hollow Shell (edited by Arthur Bonner)
- Buffalo Nationalism--A critique of spiritual fascism
His book, Why I Am Not A Hindu is regarded as "highly controversial"[3]. It was widely read in India. It has also drawn severe condemnations from many Hindus.
The book basically explains the life-experience of the Dalits and Other Backward Castes and how their poverty-ridden experience holds little connection to the Brahmin religious experience. By explaining this dichotomy from his own personal experience as an OBC, he advocates the "Dalitization" of Indian culture. As Ilaiah explains it, the Dalit philosophy prizes productivity over personal pleasure and values the graciousness of community over the elevation of Brahmin men at the expense of women and Dalits/OBCs. Ilaiah asserts that this shift in societal thinking will enable India to become a more prosperous and egalitarian society.
Ilaiah has often been criticised for what some call anti-Brahmin rhetoric . However, others who support his rejection of Brahmin oppression appreciate what they consider to be bold sarcasm as a much needed force against the dichotemy of caste.
Kancha Ilaiah's attacks on Brahminism: Quotes
- "Shout that we hate Hinduism, we hate Brahmanism. Capture the Hindu temples by expelling the Brahmins from them".[4]
- "Brahmins don't have right to call themselves Indian".
- "Nearly 90 per cent of Brahmin students in the country are in English medium convent schools. They are sending their children to Christian schools and at the same time attacking Christian missionaries."
- "I am a product of the post-Independence rural caste whom Brahminical forces wanted to destroy. So I will continue to agitate against Hinduism," he says.
- "Hinduism is a religion of violence". [6]
- "For Hinduism, for Hindu dharma, resolving of a conflict is only by killing".[7]
- "If a Dalitist state and society is established I think we will see a very bright future for the whole country."[8]
- "Hinduism has destroyed all positive elements that normally exist in a human being" [9]
External links
- Interview-1
- Interview-2
- Interview-3
- Kancha Illiah-4
- A Critical Review by Shri M. V. R. Sastry-5
- Interview-6
- Ilaiah's article on reservations-7
- David Frawley-8
See also
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