Ninety-five years after B.R. Ambedkar burnt Manumsriti (Laws of Manu) to reject untouchability and caste discrimination, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) founder Thol. Thirumavalavan on Sunday launched a campaign by distributing booklets on Manusmriti to create awareness, among people, of its views on non-Brahmins and women.
He distributed the 32-page booklets containing Tamil translation of verses from Manusmriti to the commuters at the Koyambedu bus terminus. The VCK cadre also distributed the booklets, compiled by scholar Gauthama Sanna, in public places across the State for free.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Thirumavalavan said the ideology of Manusmriti underpinned the fundamentals of the social structure of Hindu society.
“The Hindu society continues to operate on the basis of Manusmriti. Despite the Constitution coming into force in 1950, Manusmriti’s total influence can be seen in the social and cultural aspects of society,” he said.
“Manusmriti considers women, who may belong to any of the four varnas, as sudras. Therefore, we want to create awareness of it. Manusmriti is the political ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Sangh Parivar. They want to strengthen the varna system prescribed in Manusmriti once again,” he said, adding that while Dr. Ambedkar had burnt the book, the VCK wanted people to read it.
He asked why the RSS wanted to carry out route marches in Tamil Nadu when its political arm, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was active in the State.
“The RSS continues to exist without giving its members formal identity/registration cards,” he said.
“The Madras High Court has shown that it [the RSS] operates as an unregistered organisation. In fact, they are operating as an underground fascist organisation. They are unable to show Aadhaar cards and the RSS identity cards of those participating in the marches. They are also unwilling to share the details of the RSS office-bearers at district and block-level. We want to protect the interests of Hindus by creating awareness about Manusmriti,” he said.
In an introduction to the book, Mr. Thirumavalavan has written that the ideology of Manusmriti permeates the Hindu society and operates on its basis.
Compiled excerpts
The excerpts from the booklet has been compiled by comparing books – Manudharma Sasthiram by Ramanujachariyar, Manuneedhi Enum Dharma Sasthiram by Annai Sri Ananda Nachiyaramma, Manudharma Sasthiram by Triloka Seetharam and Sthreegalukuriya Padhathi, compiled by Sri Thiryambagaramagi and published by S.R. Krishnamurthy Iyer in 1957 – which are works of Brahmins who translated Manusmriti from Sanskrit to Tamil, he wrote.
