Narayana Guru challenged Brahmins & launched Kerala social revolution

Revolution begins when a set of people who are socially, politically and economically oppressed and exploited get themselves enlightened for their own emancipation. Such a movement should be able to change the existing social order and create a new world. Fundamental social changes always come from the decision of the oppressed. Such a change came from Kerala under the leadership of Ezhavas. The Ezhavas along with other communities shared the same cultural identity until the emergence of Brahminism around the 8th century AD. This was facilitated by Budhism that prevailed in Kerala for about 1,200 years. The extermination of Budhism by the Brahmins under the leadership of Adi Sankara ushered in a new era of tyrannical rule and Kerala became a “lunatic asylum” (as called by Vivekananda). The historical background of the Brahminical revival under Sankara’s leadership was that of inhuman cultural torture of the Budhists. In Sudraka’s Mrichakhadiva, we get the description of treating the Budhists as bullocks by passing a nose string through their noses and yoking them to the cart. The Keralopathi documents the extermination of Budhists by Sankara. Vivekananda says:

“And such was the heart of Sankara that he burnt to death lots of Budhist monks by defeating them in argument. What can you call such an action on Sankara’s part except fanaticism?”

NAIRS AS BRAHMIN STOOGES

The story of Parasuram’s axe and Sankara’s Digvijaya were the root cause of the extirpation of Budhism from Kerala. Those kings and their associates who identified themselves with the Brahmins became Kshatriyas and Nairs. Those who refused became outcasts. Among these groups Ezhavas held a unique position. Unlike the other outcastes, they were a land-holding group and they held the highest social status among the outcastes. Historically, the Ezhavas held to the Budhist traditions such as learning Sanskrit, practising Ayur Vidya medicine, taking tolerant attitude towards other ethnic groups, and rational thinking. The establishment of Brahminism brought structural changes in the economic system, mainly affecting land tenure and management of temples. The land was divided into Brahmaswams and Dewaswams and thus brought under the Brahmin-Nair ownership. The Ezhavas were the worst affected as their chief occupation was farming. They were largely left to tend the coconuts on the land, and even then, a large number of them became tenants of the upper castes. When access to land became more difficult, some Ezhavas turned to toddy-tapping and handicrafts for survival. The position of the Ezhavas as a deprived class, their Budhist heritage, their numerical strength and their position between the upper and lower stratas of the society made them the vanguards of social revolution under Sree Narayana Guru, the revolutionary saint.

The politics of the revolution envisaged by the Guru was unique and significant. While the spiritual leadership of Sankara was based on anti-human thoughts, Narayana Guru invoked his own spiritual philosophy to counter it. Sankara wanted to encourage and enforce Brahmin hegemony purely on caste-based exploitation of the masses, which Narayana Guru with his silent revolutionary methods fought and succeeded.

The Guru used spirituality to fight spirituality.

SEX LITERATURE

The part played by the medieval feudal literary works to streamline obeisance to Brahminism was decisive. The duty of literature to society was to carry out this objective and nothing else. Ezhuthachan’s Adhyatma Ramayanam, Cherussery’s Krishnagadha and the sensual literature of scholars like the Venmony poets are examples in this respect. Whereas what we see in Narayana Guru’s literary works is just the opposite of the above feudal literature.

In fact, progressive movements in Malayalam literature originated from Narayana Guru which also reflected in poet Kumaran Asan’s clear-cut admonitions of the society.

The Guru’s social revolution includes literature to counter literature just like spirituality to fight spirituality.

S.N.D.P. YOGAM

The medieval feudal society in Kerala was caste centered. Human beings were divided into upper castes and lower castes and they were ruled on the basis of religious belief and submission to the Brahmins. Elementary human rights were denied to the lower caste people. Such was the politics of the Brahminical social order of the day. It was to fight this political tyranny that the Guru advocated the downtrodden masses to be free through education and be strong through organisation. This was achieved through the establishment of the SNDP Yogam (Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam). The historic social reform movements and the political agitations led by the Yogam paved the way for a new political order which enabled the depressed classes to share power with the ruling class.

Ezhava leaders like Dr. Palpu, Kumaran Asan, T.K. Madhavan, C. Kesavan, Sahodharan Ayyappan, C.V. Kunjuraman, and the leaders of other communities like Ayyankali and Pandit Karuppan were the stalwarts of these political agitations.

The liberation movement of Narayana Guru started in the year 1888 at Aruvippuram, near Thiruvananthapupram, with the revolutionary act of consecrating a Sivalingam (the phallus). A non-Brahmin, a so-called Untouchable, consecrating the Sivalingam was a bold revolutionary deed. This premeditated challenge to the Brahmin privilege produced far-reaching consequences. Till then, the Brahmin priests were claimed to be direct representatives of gods on earth.

DESTROY BRAHMIN HEGEMONY

He built several temples and caused many existing ones to be remodelled. In one temple, a lighted lamp was installed. In another, the mirror was the idol. All his idol installations were against the Brahminical rules and vedic rituals. Being an Advaitavadi, his idol installations were a bold step to break the idols. In other words, the icons he installed made him an iconoclast. No doubt he destroyed the icons of many an old belief and rotten tradition.

The Guru correctly understood that the Brahmin hegemony should be destroyed along with the caste system and then only could the actual revolution be realised in the Indian context. He believed that the caste system was pure human rights violation. Basic amenities like food, clothes, housing, and education were all denied to a vast majority of the masses on account of caste inhibitions. Even decent words of the language were not allowed to be pronounced by the low caste people. He also realised that the caste rules had a theoretical base sanctioned by Hindu “holy scriptures”. Hence his attacks on the caste system aimed at two things. (1) On the one hand, his aim was to blow up the theoretical basis of the caste system, and on the other (2) to organise a people’s war against the existing socio-political order.

DANGER SIGNALS TO HINDUS

The first he accomplished through his literary works and the consecration of the idol, and the second through education and enlightenment. The Guru’s famous dictum, “Ask not, say not, think not of caste” was a direct ultimatum to the custodians of casteism. The declaration as well as his message, “One caste, one religion and one god for man”, were danger signals for the Hindu orthodoxy and the Brahminical Social Order. Thus he denounced the theory of the caste system heralded by the Bhaghavad Gita and propounded by Sankara.

He advised the people to build educational institutions adjacent to the temples. It is significant to note that in due course, he discouraged the construction of more and more temples and the consecration of idols.

To him temples and idols were tools for bringing together the down-trodden masses, leading them to the path of liberation. He even went to the extent of asking, “What is the use of these temples which are filled with darkness and the foul smell of bats?” Such was the rational thinking he discharged and propagated through his disciples. As a great humanist, he proclaimed”. “To help neighbourhood to thrive, the wise man strives hard”. Such messages enlightened the masses and made them strive for bettering themselves.

BLEND OF SPLIRITUALISM & MATERIALISM

Not only literacy and enlightenement but agriculture, commerce, industrial training, science and technology, were on the agenda of the Guru’s scheme of education. He insisted on people to reorganise the traditional trade and commerce on a scientific basis. He preached economic discipline and warned against wasteful expenditure. Thus we see in the Guru a Sanyasin tradition based on a harmonious blending of spiritualism with enlightened materialism, a coexistence of Dharma of the Orient with the science and humanism of the Occident.

The crux of his philosophy was the evolvement of the social potency of the self. Non-dualism (Advaita) conceives of the ultimate identification of the Jeevatma with the Paramatma. The Guru also accepted Advaita but he bestowed more thought on the Atma or self. Its full-blown efflorescence admits of two vital possibilities. One is the perfection of the individual self. The other is the impact this perfection is capable of causing in others, in the society at large. This is, in short, the social potency of the self. In other words, the social implication of an individual’s being and becoming. In Hinduism, under the Brahminical Social Order, a calculated attempt was made to keep spiritual and material goals apart. To the priestly class, it was a lucrative source of economic exploitation.

The Guru bridged this gap. By holding together the twin capabilities of the self, he proved the complementary nature of man’s individual and social urges. This philosophy of the Guru may be termed Atmadarsanam. The Guru’s famous philosophical poem, “Atmopadesa Satakam” (one hundred verses of self-instruction), clearly elucidates his Atmadarsnam. Another poem, Darsanamala (garland of vision), covers the same aspect from a different angle. The two together form his philosophic edifice.

PULAYAS PRODUCED AYYANKALI

The revolutionary spirit instilled by the Guru, in the first instance electrified the Ezhava community, the community which produced the great Guru. Gradually, it attracted other communities and brought about a total revolution. Following his footsteps, every community started purging the foul customs and practices. When the spark kindled fell upon other communities, it produced reformers, revolutionaries and institutions.

SILVER STAR

In the Pulaya (Untouchable) community, it appeared in the form of Ayyankali and his Sadhujana Paripalana Yogam while in the Araya community it came into being through Pandit Karuppan and his Araya Vamsodharani Sabha. In the Nair community, through Mannath Padmanabham and his Nair Service Society, and in the Namboothiri community through V.T. Bhattathiripad and Yogakshema Sabha.

Nowhere in India so vast and great a revolution has occurred. That is why Sri Narayana Guru remains as he silver star of the Indian revolution.

That this revolutionary movement was confined within the bounds of Kerala on account of the special and peculiar needs of this State, made it almost an indoor affair.

But judging from the impact it produced on the people, this great historical process has revolutionised the life of a large number of people than the combined forces of Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, Prathana Samaj and other organsiations could effect on the people all over India.

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THE GOD’S OWN COUNTRY MADE DEVIL’S DUNGEON

Kerala, called the “god’s own country”, has become the devil’s dungeon despite the red-hot marxist rule. In our article, “How to liberate Kerala from upper caste imperialism?” (DV Feb.1, 2007 p.8), we said Kerala is today ruled by a micro-minority of three small communities — Brahmin, Nair and Syrian Christian — comprising a mere 17% of the state population.

We also said these three communities were made rulers of the state by a counter-revolution led by a great Brahmin leader, E.M.S. Namboodiripad, against the powerful revolution led by Sree Narayana Guru.

In this article, the author, Kerala’s top-most Ezhava (to which Sree Narayana belonged) intellectual speaks of the real revolution. In the next article he will write on the EMS counter-revolution — EDITOR.

DV silver jubilee function in Delhi on April 8

We have booked Gandhi Peace Foundation hall for April 8, 2007 (Sunday) for the historic Dalit Voice silver jubilee celebrations in Delhi. The hall is very centrally located connecting New Delhi with Old Delhi. Sister Rajni Tilak and myself are taking care of the whole function. We will form a committee for the purpose. It will be a whole day event.

(vbrawat@gmail.com)

Suicide of Sikhism: Dalits & Jat Sikhs rush to Hinduism in Punjab

Though born a Sikh, I must say that I am an Untouchable first and then a Sikh. I have given great attention to Sikh religious thoughts and even proved that Sikhism was a second socio-religious revolution after Budha’s. Sikhism is a rebirth of Budhism under different circumstances.

Secondly, I have also proved it a religion founded and established by Dalit (Untouchable) saints followed by Khatri gurus as written in the Guru Granth. I have written three books on this subject.

Our people who did not like to embrace Islam took to Sikhism to get liberated from Brahminism. But after Banda Singh Bahadar’s death and during Untouchable Sansi Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Brahminic rule, Dalit and BC Sikhs became Untouchables and victims of Brahminic imperialism.

No place for Brahmin in Punjab: In the whole of India it is only in Punjab, the Brahmin is never accepted as religious guide. He has no existence at all in Punjab. But it is the Brahminical Khatri and Jat Sikhs who discriminated against us.

Babu Mangu Ram Mungowalia of Ad-Dharam social movement was a follower of Dr. Ambedkar. He fought against the Jat-Khatri persecution of Dalits.

Secondly, the decision of dividing Punjab on the basis of language. This big state was divided into three parts: (1) Himachal to be ruled by Brahmins, Ranas and Rajputs , (2) Haryana by Hindu Jats, Vishnoes and Brahmin-Bania lot and (3) Punjab ruled by Jat and Khatri Sikhs.

The Panjabi Suba fight was a clash between Hindus and Sikhs. SC/ST/BC people, who comprise over 50% of population, had nothing to do with the Panjabi Suba.

The existing Akali Jat-Khatri Sikh ruling class is bent upon hinduising Sikhs and destroying Sikhism. But a few Sikhs are still fighting against this but not to achieve human equality, brotherhood, liberty and love which are the real aims of Sikh religion.

As a result SC and OBC Sikhs are rushing towards Hindu Deras established by Brahminical people in Punjab to destroy Sikh revolution. These SC/BCs are hypnotised by Atma, Parmatma.

On the other hand, 90% Ambedkarites have lost their socio-religious identity. They have lost their guts to fight Brahminism.

Truth about Muslims: In December, we attended a Bamcef conference at Lucknow. Some educated Muslims addressed the conference.

This was the first time I heard Muslims declaring that originally they too were Dalits (SC/OBCs) before becoming Muslims. Like Dalits, they too were the original inhabitants. They went over to Islam to get liberation from Brahminism.

We know the Muslim population of India is more than that of savarna Hindus (15%). They are killed by Hindu terrorists because they do not like to join hands with their real blood brothers (SC/ST/BCs).

Once the Muslims realise this stark truth and start joining us, the Hindu terrorists dare not touch the Muslims.

This is the case with all religious minorities which consist of two separate groups. One of upper castes and other (70 to 80%) SC ST OBC low castes. The upper caste minorities (Muslims/Christian/Sikhs) always stand by the upper castes to fight the SC/ST/BC majority. They hate and oppress low caste people in their own religions as the savarnas do in SC/ST/BCs are slaves in every religion. Religious minorities are not a single section but divided into upper and lower caste sections. Don’t forget this truth.

From Marxism to Ambedkarism

It was a surprise phone call by the late Dr. M.M. Thomas, then Director of the CISRS, that perhaps brought about a turning point in my life and also made me plunge into the Dalit movement wholesale. Until the 70s, I was fully immersed in Marxism though I was gradually getting disappointed with its leadership’s stubborn adherence to “class struggle” ignoring the fact of caste in India. I tried my best to persuade the upper caste Marxist leadership to take note of the “caste’ but it was not willing. “Class” is nothing but caste in India. India’s Marxist leadership used Marxism to deceive the vast Dalits and Backward Castes to maintain the upper caste hegemony on the party. I was slowly getting disappointed with the Marxists and taking interest in Dr. Ambedkar, independent India’s leader of the oppressed masses.

I was then in the Indian Express, Bangalore, as its Deputy Chief Reporter. Indian Express in those days was the country’s largest circulated English daily. In its Aug.15, 1975 edition, it carried my article, “Dalit movement in Karnataka”, on its prestigious edit page.

SLAVES OF HINDU INDIA

Next day I got a call from Dr. Thomas asking me if I could develop the article and write a book itself which the CISRS would publish. I jumped at the idea because that would give me an opportunity to write my first book. Next day I went to CISRS office on Millers Road in Bangalore and met Dr. Thomas whom I found an extraordinary person.

Dalits are Hindu India’s slaves — not only neglected and forgotten but the worst persecuted lot despite the fact they comprise the country’s single largest segment (20%), I was wondering how the head of a big Christian organisation spared a thought for the forgotten “Wretched of the earth”?

Dr. M.M. Thomas later rose to great heights in the World Council of Churches and then became Governor of Nagaland after retirement from the WCC. I had occasion to visit his home in Thiruvalla, Kerala, after his death. His whole house was converted into a memorial for this great man who lived a simple life and gave a Dalit thrust to the Christian theology. Like a true Christian, Dr. M.M. Thomas tried to bend his Christian Institute (CISRS) towards Dalits, realising the Christian duty towards the country’s worst persecuted segment of the society.

SANCTIFIED RACISM

By commissioning me to write the book, CISRS helped me travel all over Karnataka and observe for myself the inhuman exploitation of a set of people who are strangely called Hindu by the Hindu rulers of India.

It is true that certain sections of population are persecuted in different parts of the world. But in the case of India the persecution of Dalits has also the religious sanction under Hinduism. It is this sanctified racism that is the speciality of Hinduism. And Dr. M.M. Thomas was deeply worried about this and on several occasions he opened up his heart to me.

Today, after a gap of 22 years I can say that it is this book (Dalit Movement in Karnataka, 1978, pp.150, CISRS) which the CISRS helped me to write not only made me jump into Dalit movement but also launch in 1981 the Dalit Voice, English fortnightly, which later turned out be the country’s oldest and the largest circulated organ of the persecuted nationalities denied human rights. To that extent I have to acknowledge my gratefulness to Dr. M.M. Thomas and Prof. Saral Chatterji who succeeded him.

I am therefore grateful to CISRS for opening a new chapter in my life.

ROLE OF CHURCH IN DALIT LIBERATION

The Christian Institute until the publication of my book was concerned mainly with Christian issues. But my book brought good deal of discussions within the CISRS and the Christian circle outside. I participated in many such discussions in different parts of India. Just as the book gradually changed my very career, am I right in saying that it also helped the CISRS to think of the Dalits for the first time?

Even before Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar came on the scene and launched the Dalit movement — which is today a major force — the first to think of liberating the Dalits was the Christian church particularly the Protestant church.

That Christianity is a liberating religion is an acknowledged fact. And it helped liberate the oppressed Dalits who were caught suffocating in the dungeon of Hinduism.

My association with CISRS got further strengthened after I was dismissed from the Indian Express (1981) and became unemployed. I was offered a fellowship and encouraged to start the Dalit Voice which gained instant popularity being the first publication of its kind in the country. That is how I cam closer to Christians and particularly the Dalit and Backward Caste Christians. It was during my discussion with such Christian leaders and tour of the country I could find out the domination of the upper caste Christians within the church. Comparatively the Protestant church is better than the Roman Catholics.

But even the Protestant church and the CISRS in particular is not doing enough in this direction to take the liberating message of Christ closer to Dalits and Dalit Christians in particular.

Christian theology needs to be suitably amended to make Dalit liberation as its principal goal. When about 80% of the Christians in India are Dalits it can be safely said that the Indian church itself is Dalit church. CISRS, as the intellectual leader of the deprived Dalits, can do a lot to establish such a Dalit church in India.

During discussions with CISRS authorities I had made a suggestion to fulfill the dreams of Dr. Ambedkar by implementing the “Three Commandments” of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, namely “Educate, Agitate, Organise” (Dalit Sahitya Akademy, 2005). This is a must because the country’s upper caste political leadership, under the impact of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation (LPG) is gradually forgetting the “Wretched of the earth” being more interested in promoting the interests of the urban-dwelling upper castes (15%).

Under the first Commandment, “Educate”, CISRS can start translating the revolutionary works of Dalit writers in different languages into English. Right now such works being in the local languages are lost to the country and the world outside. Its English translation will bring such revolutionary writers to limelight and help spread their message and thereby promote the movement.

DALIT CHRISTIAN ESERVATION

The second Commandment, “Agitate”, can be promoted by bringing the Dalit Christian activists closer to leaders of Dalit movement. A great gulf exists today between the two sections of the Dalit brothers. They need to be united.

The Govt. of India is consistently ignoring the claims of Dalit Christians for reservation because they are a micro-minority but once the Dalit Christians join hands with the powerful Dalit movement, they turn out to be a big force which no government can ignore. Such a work of uniting the two blood brothers can begin from the South India where the Dalit Christian population is big. Right now the Dalit leaders are not taking any interest in the Dalit Christian struggle having been influenced by the Hindu nazi propaganda that Dalit Christians are well advanced and if they get reservations in jobs, they will take away the little space available for Dalit aspirants. This is a false propaganda which can be corrected easily. As the Dalit reservations itself is dying under the onslaught of the higher judiciary, the efforts to unite Dalit Christians and Dalits will quickly catch up.

The Third Commandment is “Organise”. Under the powerful and well-funded Hindu nazi RSS-BJP drive, fully supported by the country’s Brahminical media, the country’s 20% Dalits and 10% Adivasis are fast getting hinduised, meaning enslaved. The principal objective of the Hindutva movement is to hinduise (enslave) the SC/ST/BCs and then instigate them against Muslims and Christians. BJP came to power in Delhi by instigating bloody riots against Muslims. The “Gujarat Genocide-2002” is the most glaring example of such a hinduisation drive. The killing of the Australian missionary Stains is yet another. RSS-BJP is coming in the way of religious conversion which is granted by the Constitution of India itself.

CISRS can help save the country and the Dalits from Hindu nazis if it implements the Dr. Ambedkar third Commandment of “Organise”.

Such a liberating mission will help CISRS gain the goodwill of all the right thinking people inside India and also support from the church outside. We are here to assist the CISRS in this noble endeavour by its new Director, Dr. Godwin Shiri.

Film on liberating Bodh Gaya from Brahmin control

Producer-director Himalaya Tehsin, presently based at 53-Vidhayak Nivas, Lucknow, is noted for short films and documentaries. His father, Rajanikant Verma, a noted Buddhist, is the author of the book, Lumbini to Kushinara. Some ideas of the book are incorporated in the VCD.

The present production, which deals with the most valuable work of Anagarika Dhammapala from Sinhala, gives his early history. To mother Mallika and father Don Corolis, a son, Don David Hewavitarne, was born on Sept.17, 1864 in a noted nobleman family of Hewavitarne in furniture business in Lanka. Though the names were European due to foreign rule, their heart was purely Budhist. Having experienced humiliating treatment to Budhist processions, David was removed by his father from Mission School. He joined Theosophical Society, in 1884, and got busy editing their journals. He was brought to Adyar in South India by Madame Blavatsky and here he learned Pali language. He was ultimately converted to Budhism. In 1885, at the age of 21, he expressed his desire to be Anagarika Celibate and Homeless guardian of Dhamma and was renamed Dharmapala. He visited Northern India in 1891 with a Japanese monk and was distressed to see unpreserved and vandalized ruins at Sarnath. He visited Bodh Gaya and was further grieved to see the place of Enlightenment of the Budha in conditions humiliating the Budhist tenets by Pinda-daana etc. by the Brahmin priests. There he decided to devote his life for revival of glory of Bodh Gaya and made his residence there, and gave a call “Bodh Gaya for the Budhists”.

He formed in 1891, “Bodh Gaya Maha Bodhi Society” at Colombo and started a struggle to liberate Bodh Gaya from Brahmins, brought in four Bhikkus to reside at Bodh Gaya, started a school and a publication of a journal, opened office of Maha Bodhi Society in Calcutta in 1892 and convened an international conference in 1893. These activities were not liked by the Brahmins and their men attacked the Bhikkus in 1893.

His work in 1893 was remarkable. He attended the Parliament of World Religions at Chicago, and let the world know about the Budha — the “Light of Asia”. Actually, it was he, who motivated Swami Vivekananda to attend the Chicago Conference and gave time to Vivekananda to speak from within the time allotted to him. Unfortunately, nobody mentions this fact and even this is not mentioned in the VCD also.

After his return from America, he installed a Japanese idol at Bodh Gaya temple in 1895. Brahmin agents attacked and threw away the idol, and Anagarika and Col. Olcott had to fight a legal battle up to the Calcutta High Court, in the famous ‘Bodh Gaya Temple Case”. Anagarika was supported by people like Rabindranath Tagore, and Vivekanand and in spite of opposition by Brahmins and by the British Commissioner of Patna, Anagarika did not leave Bodh Gaya. After six years of toil, Anagarika succeeded in touching Vajrasana, by fighting the Brahminical Social Order, by establishing that it was the place of enlightenment of the Budha, by establishing that the teachings of the Budha were opposed to Brahminism, and by liberating temple of Bodh Gaya, by including Budhists in the Management of the Bodh Gaya Temple. But he had to forgo the claim of footsteps and other archeological remains of the Budha, which are still neglected under the custody of the Brahmins.

Even the Maha Bodhi Society, established by Anagarika, admitted Brahmins and at one time Hindu terrorists like Shyama Prasad Mukherji were at the helm of affairs. And even now it is under the custody of Brahmins. It is mentioned that it is out of fear of Hindutvawadis. The fear is real, as Mahant Sudarshan Giri threatens, on camera, to convert the issue like that of Ayodhya.

In spite of such Brahmin opposition, Anagarika, the non-violent warrior of Budha, Dhamma and Sangha, worked hard to establish vihars and temples, and start publications, start organizations even in London, and established trusts donating his own inheritance. He took the issue of Bodh Gaya temple even to Gandhi and Congress but without success. Organizations of Anagarika have flourished all around the world and carrying on excellent benevolent activities mostly in the fields of education.

But in spite of all efforts by present-day Budhists, the Bodh Gaya Temple could not be completely freed from the Brahmin control. This is a challenge to the present-day Budhists.

Only deficiency: Along with the history of Budha’s Dhamma Chakka Pavattana at Sarnath, the film deals with His attainment of Sambodhi at Bodh Gaya. The film has been beautifully pictured, with live scenes of various Budhists sites, with high grade photography and music with Sri Lankan choir of prayer singing. The important part of the film is the interviews of various dignitaries, including even of the Brahmin priests threatening.

As the film is mainly about Sinhalese contribution to revival of Buddhism in India, one need not expect it to mention Dr. Ambedkar’s work in the field, but it is rather unfortunate that it omits the work done by Ayothee Thass and P. Laxmi Narasu.

The film stresses that Anagarika never wished the temple be controlled by Brahmins and wished the Budhists to be the custodians of Bodh Gaya Temple and Brahminic activities therein must stop. Film also stresses the cause of maha-abhi-nishkraman (renouncing the family life) by Siddhartha was on a dispute on water sharing of River Rohini as proclaimed by Dr. Ambedkar, and not seeing an old man, diseased man, funeral and a mendicant, as mentioned in traditional accounts.

On the whole, this film is a piece of treasure for every Budhist to have, and cherish as a valuable fortune.

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A documentary film written, directed and produced by Himalaya Tehsin,
with narration in English.

103-Panchwati, Udaipur-313 004 (Rajasthan).

Available in VCD format on single disc.
Price not marked.

A 16-page booklet in English supplied with disk