Having failed to find a common factor to define Untouchables and how to expalin the phenomena of the down trodden and the ostracized( I will deal with Ostracism when I discuss how the so-called Caste system and intermarriages, Taboos and criminality), the apologists tried to locate a factor.
They found,nay seemingly found, what they were searching for..
Meat eating and Beef eating,!
Ambedkar, who is reputed to have written the Constitutions of India single handedly- forget about the facts below,
“On the 14 August 1947 meeting of the Assembly, a proposal for forming various committees was presented.[9] Such committees included a Committee on Fundamental Rights, the Union Powers Committee and Union Constitution Committee. On 29 August 1947, the Drafting Committee was appointed, with Dr B. R. Ambedkar as the Chairman along with six other members assisted by a constitutional advisor. These members were Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi (K M Munshi, Ex- Home Minister, Bombay), Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer (Ex- Advocate General, Madras State),N Gopalaswami Ayengar (Ex-Prime Minister, J&K and later member of Nehru Cabinet), B L Mitter (Ex-Advocate General, India), Md. Saadullah (Ex- Chief Minister of Assam, Muslim League member) and D P Khaitan (Scion of Khaitan Business family and a renowned lawyer). The constitutional advisor was Sir Benegal Narsing Rau (who became First Indian Judge in International Court of Justice, 1950–54). Later B L Mitter resigned and was replaced by Madhav Rao (Legal Advisor of Maharaja of Vadodara). Owing to death of D P Khaitan, T T Krishnamachari was chosen to be included in the drafting committee. A Draft Constitution was prepared by the committee and submitted to the Assembly on 4 November 1947. Draft constitution was debated and over 2000 amendments were moved over a period of two years. Finally on 26 Nov. 1949, the process was completed and Constituent assembly adopted the constitution. 284 members signed the document and the process of constitution making was complete'(wiki)
had hunted texts to find Meat eating/Beef eating as the criteria and his findings are as under…
“In the first place, we have the fact that the Untouchables or the main communities which compose them eat the dead cow and those who eat the dead cow are tainted with untouchability and no others..”
”
There is really no necessity to enter upon any speculation as to whether beef-eating was or was not the principal reason for the rise of Untouchability. This new theory receives support from the Hindu Shastras. The Veda Vyas Smriti contains the following verse which specifies the communities which are included in the category of Antyajas and the reasons why they were so included
L.12-13 “The Charmakars (Cobbler), the Bhatta (Soldier), the Bhilla, the Rajaka (washerman), the Puskara, the Nata (actor), the Vrata, the Meda, the Chandala, the Dasa, the Svapaka, and the Kolika- these are known as Antyajas as well as others who eat cow’s flesh.”
This statement is correct but does not prove that untouchability originated because of this- a wrong conclusion.
Eating of Cow meat and beef eating is mentioned in the Rig Veda .
Eating Cow’s Meat is prohibited in the Rig Veda,
”
There is really no necessity to enter upon any speculation as to whether beef-eating was or was not the principal reason for the rise of Untouchability. This new theory receives support from the Hindu Shastras. The Veda Vyas Smriti contains the following verse which specifies the communities which are included in the category of Antyajas and the reasons why they were so included
L.12-13 “The Charmakars (Cobbler), the Bhatta (Soldier), the Bhilla, the Rajaka (washerman), the Puskara, the Nata (actor), the Vrata, the Meda, the Chandala, the Dasa, the Svapaka, and the Kolika- these are known as Antyajas as well as others who eat cow’s flesh.”
But Satapatha Brahmana says otherwise..
To give only one instance. Among the Kamyashtis set forth in the Taittiriya Bramhana, not only the sacrifice of oxen and cows are laid down, but we are even told what kind and description of oxen and cows are to be offered to what deities. Thus, a dwarf ox is to be chosen for sacrifice to Vishnu; a drooping horned bull with a blaze on the forehead to Indra as the destroyer of Vritra; a black cow to Pushan; a red cow to Rudra; and so on. The Taittiriya Bramhana notes another sacrifice called Panchasaradiya-seva, the most important element of which was the immolation of seventeen five-year old humpless, dwraf-bulls, and as many dwarf heifers under three year-old.….
…The killing of cow for the guest had grown to such an extent that the guest came to be called ‘Go-ghna’ which means the killer of the cow. To avoid this slaughter of the cows the Ashvateyana Grahya Sutra (1.24.25) suggests that the cow should be let loose when the guest comes so as to escape the rule of etiquette….
There fore, the eating of Cow’s meat and prohibition against eating, both were in place.
Hence there seems to have been no reason for both the groups to practice untouchability as both had their adherents already and there was no need to classify on group anew as such.
Notwithstanding this Logic, Ambedkar goes on to build a case as to why Brahmins gave up eating meat, how Kshatriyas followed suit.
Another hilarious fact is that Brahmins gave up meat-eating because they watned to regain Supremacy from the Buddha Bhiksus”
‘That the object of the Brahmins in giving up beef-eating was to snatch away from the Buddhist Bhikshus the supremacy they had acquired is evidenced by the adoption of vegetarianism by Brahmins. Why did the Brahmins become vegetarian? The answer is that without becoming vegetarian the Brahmins could not have recovered the ground they had lost to their rival namely Buddhism. In this connection it must be remembered that there was one aspect in which Brahmanism suffered in public esteem as compared to Buddhism. That was the practice of animal sacrifice which was the essence of Brahmanism and to which Buddhism was deadly opposed. That in an agricultural population there should be respect for Buddhism and revulsion against Brahmanism which involved slaughter of animals including cows and bullocks is only natural. What could the Brahmins do to recover the lost ground? To go one better than the Buddhist Bhikshus not only to give up meat-eating but to become vegetarians- which they did. That this was the object of the Brahmins in becoming vegetarians can be proved in various ways.”
Ambedkar got the facts wrong.
When was Buddhism Founded and who was Siddhartha?
The Kshtriya Prince was later known as The Buddha, having renounced his family, Kingdom and attaining Nirvana.
I believe this was later to Krishna, let alone Vyasa, Rama and the Vedas
Lord Rama, being a Kshatriya ate Meat,
In the Sundara Kanda, the 36th sarga, the 41st sloka describes how Hanuman tells Sita, ” When you were away, Sri Rama refrained from eating deer meat.”
”
If a man wishes that a son should be born to him who will be a famous scholar, frequenting assemblies and speaking delightful words, a student of all the Vedas and an enjoyer of the full term of life, he should have rice cooked with the meat of a young bull or of one more advanced in years and he and his wife should eat it with clarified butter. Then they should be able to beget such a son. -Brhadaranyaka Upanishad 6.4.18″
Surely God is above a Brahmin?
Sage Agasthya ate not only meat but even digested Vatapi , an Asura and exclaimed ‘Vatapi, Jeerno Bhava”
Vasishta ate meat and in fact Saptha Rishis from Kasyapa ate Meat.
They were not ostracized, they are worshiped.
Meat eating by humans has been in existence and none can deny the fact.
But those who are wanted to evolve spiritually or the Spiritually evolved, found that Meat eating is a hindrance to self-realization in terms of disturbing concentration and Dispositions.
So, they gave up and propagated the idea of shunning Meat and especially Cow; Meat as they used Cow’s products for their livelihood.
In fact the Chamaka Prasna specifically prays Lord Rudra for Cows!
So they gave up meat-eating and beef eating later.
The argument that Caste/Untouchability sprang from Meat”Beef eating is erroneous.
How did it come into being then?
Sources.
http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?217660
http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/spiritual-discussions/28150-did-rama-eat-meat.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_India#Drafting
Related Articles
- Untouchability Reservations Gandhi’s Muddle (ramanan50.wordpress.com)
- Caste Untouchability Myths (ramanan50.wordpress.com)
* The Excerpts are from The Book
VOLUME 7 OF DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
BY
B.R. AMBEDKAR
GOVERNMENT OF MAHARASHTRA
The book is not available with Amazon.com.Try out in Cupnation.
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