New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Tuesday drew criticism from the opposition parties over his social media post, quoting a Bhagavad Gita verse, on the Varna system.
Sarma, who attended the International Gita Mahotsav in Haryana’s Kurushetra last Saturday, posted a verse of the Hindu scripture that deals with the duties of those who possess the qualities of Vaishyas and Shudras, which, along with Brahmins and Kshatriyas, make up the Varna system in Hinduism.
“Lord Shri Krishna himself described the natural duties of the Vaishyas and Shudras,” Sarma posted in Assamese on social media X, attaching a video clip on verse 44 contained in Chapter 18 of the Gita.
স্বয়ং ভগৱান শ্ৰীকৃষ্ণই বৰ্ণনা কৰিছে বৈশ্য আৰু শূদ্ৰৰ স্বাভাৱিক কৰ্মৰ প্ৰকাৰ
भगवान श्रीकृष्ण स्वयं वैश्यों और शूद्रों के स्वाभाविक कर्मों का वर्णन करते हैं pic.twitter.com/fg65sNFkUW
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) December 26, 2023
The English translation of the verse is that “farming, cow rearing, and commerce are natural duties of the vaishya and serving the Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas is the natural duty of the Shudras.”
“Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita are the basis on which the Indian Constitution was written,” Sarma had told the Gita Mahotsav.
Incidentally, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat had in October 2022 spoken out against the varna system, saying it needs to be discarded along with the concept of jaati (caste).
At a book launch in Nagpur, Bhagwat had said in Marathi that the “caste system has no relevance now and was a matter of the past. Everything that causes discrimination should go out lock, stock and barrel”.
Responding to Sarma’s post, the CPI(M) said in a statement, “We strongly denounce Assam CM Himanta Biswas’ tweet claiming that “Shudras are to serve Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas”. “BJPs Manuvadi ideology in full play.”
RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha told ThePrint that Sarma’s statement exemplified “regressive” politics.
“Standing in 2023, what should be the priority of this great civilisation? And what are we chasing instead? This is regressive politics at its best. An aspirational nation cannot remain comfortable with such things. I have a larger question for the Assam CM — how would he read the ‘Annihilation of Caste’ together with this?” Jha asked.
The Annihilation of Caste is B.R. Ambedkar’s seminal treatise, which is essentially an undelivered speech, dealing with the inequalities and discrimination perpetuated by the caste system in India over centuries.
Congress leader Udit Raj alleged Sarma’s post was a reflection of the “RSS mentality”. “They (BJP) want to perpetuate the belief and the practice that the lower caste people are meant to do menial jobs only,” Raj told ThePrint.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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