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TULSI-PRAJŠA
cow worship and avoidance of alcoholic liquors are the essentials of Vaişņavism. So if one intends to blame the creed of non-violence, Vaisnavism is the most likely candidate.
But the Vaişpavas came to the foreground not before the ninth
tury A.C. Untouchability was a well-known institution long before that. Though the northern part of India was deeply influcoced by the Vaişpava Bhakti movement from the south, the Vaisnavas were never able to sweep South clean of the Shaivite influence. Vaisnavism reached Bengal in the sixteenth century and even then it had to remain satisfied with a position second to the cult of the goddesses, Durgā and Kalı. As a matter of fact, never did Bengal accept the creed of non-violence fully. Vaisnavism was thus weak in South India and Bengal and it is precisely in these regions that untouchability was seen in its worst form to the end of the nineteenth century.
Jainism, Buddhism and Vaişpavism thus did not lead to untouchability which appeared earlier. We can, therefore, logically conclude that untouchability was in no way associated with the growth of the creeds of non-violence. One may or may not subscribe to such a creed, but no body can blame the creed of non-violence for the origin of untouchability without resorting to falsehood. Non-Aryan Influence
Dr. Ambedkar has rejected the theory of racial differences as the root of untouchability with fine arguments. Attempts have however, been, made to establish the theory in a different way. Weakness of the mechanical theory of Rice is easy to grasp and refute, while the other theory is deceptive.
'That is based on the extreme form of Untouchability practised in South India. Quite remarkable in this respeot is the following information given by a distinguished writer :
"The Nair in south must stay at a distance of 12 steps from Tiyan. The Pulayans cannot even move near them. The Brāhmaņas etc cannot bathe in the reserviours within the boundary of a Shūdra's house. Ilavans or Shanars must stay at 24 paces. A Brāhmaṇa has to bathe with clothes on his body if a Pulayan touches him...
The prejudice is too sharp in lower castes to be described. If a Pulayan is touched by a Paria, he bathes five times and bleeds his finger to get rid of polution. Even more rigorous is the provision for purification if a Kurichchan is touched by a person of some other low caste. Every where we find it is much more rigorous in case of lower castes than in the casc of higher castes.
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