Introductory - Global Sikh Studies

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shake of completely even upto now. In this way, under the grab of
Hindu nationalism, social reaction became superimposed on the
Brahmanical Complex.
This further complicated the Gordianknot, which the passage
of time has found difficult to unravel. For, even till today, the link-up
with the ancient culture, which is attempted, is not directed merely
towards deriving national strength, which is given by pride in one’s
glorious past, but towards strengthening bonds with the orthodox
heritage. Only an extraneous attention is paid to Buddhism and its
achievements, even though the Buddhist contribution is in no way
less Indian and profound than the Orthodox one. The fact was the
Hindu nationalism had not been able to disentangle itself from the
Brahmanical complex, and, more often than not, it looked towards it
for inspiration. Under this spell, even what was palatably unjust was
sought to be justified, Here is a modern instance of a sophisticated
attempt to justify caste: “Caste resolved function into a purpose, into
something like an ethical principle, almost a religious conception, and
exhaled the group to the detriment of individual values. This is one of
the reasons why Hindu political theory speaks frequently of the duties,
but rarely of the rights of the individual. In society, individuality derives
its worth and significance from its contribution of service to the
universal whole. Personality is thus taught to transcend itself by giving
its attention to something beyond itself.” 8
It is an acknowledged fact that the caste downgraded and
degraded socially an overwhelming section of the society in which it
operated in a manner and on a scale which is really without a parallel.
Where was that ‘universal whole’ when this ‘ethical principle’ and
‘almost a religious concept’ was supposed to serve, and to what noble
‘purpose’? and, why was the personality of the Sudra specially sighed
out to bear the main burden of ‘transcending itself’? Was it because,
of all others, he was the one who had been more suitably prepared for
the ethical exercise by denying to him the right of even hearing the
Vedas? It is also not understood why the ‘purpose’, the ‘ethical
principle’ or the ‘religious conception’ of the higher castes never include
din its transcended ideal if ‘service to the universal whole’ the service
of the downgraded Sudra ?