[Buddha-l] India: dalits and tribals in thousandsheadto Mumbaifor conversion to Buddhism

[curt]

If any American Buddhists are serious about promoting conversion to 
Buddhism as a way of overcoming oppression, then I suggest you focus on 
converting African Americans away from Christianity - rather than 
fixating on "dalits" in India. The enslavement of Africans was carried 
out by Christians and in the name of Christianity. The slave system in 
the US was supported by the vast majority of American churches. Jim Crow 
was supported by Christians throughout the South - and the opposition to 
the Civil Rights movement was lead by Christians.

Of course not all Christians are racists - just as not all "Hindus" 
support oppression of people on the basis of caste. And just as the 
"caste system" is clearly linked with a certain interpretation of 
"Hinduism", just so is white supremacy closely associated with a certain 
interpretation of Christianity.

- Curt

Gad Horowitz wrote:
> What reasons did Gandhi give for "supporting the caste system"?
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "jkirk" <jkirk at spro.net>
> To: "'Buddhist discussion forum'" <buddha-l at mailman.swcp.com>
> Sent: Monday, May 28, 2007 7:58 AM
> Subject: RE: [Buddha-l] India: dalits and tribals in thousandsheadto
> Mumbaifor conversion to Buddhism
>
>
>   
>> Gandhi was too much trying to be a good Hindu and a good Indian. Being an
>> excellent actor he got more credit then he deserved. In South-India
>>     
> Periyar
>   
>> (Ramaswami Naiker) was the one who stood up for the Dalits against the
>> Brahmins and that was something Gandhi never dared to do.
>> And that again made Gandhi more popular.
>> Naming someone a child of God, a Harijan, is a good way of belitteling
>>     
> him,
>   
>> of repressive toleration.
>> Erik
>>
>> ===========
>> Gandhi can be "read" a few different ways. I never said he was perfect.
>> IMO he wasn't working on being a good Hindu or a "good Indian." He got
>> involved in the nationalist movement in India from the start, basedon his
>> earlier experiences in South Africa. He was bestowed the mantle of a
>> spiritual leader by thousands of avid followers and sympathizers, and took
>> this role to heart, but his spiritual beliefs were concoted from different
>> directions. He read Cristian and Muslim texts as well as the Gita. He kept
>> trying to unify the masses away from their various social and religious
>> divisions, and failed, partly because he became wedded to the Congress
>> Party. As for standing up "for the dalits against the brahmins," Gandhi
>>     
> was
>   
>> a man of north India and was a Gujarati as well, both characteristics of
>> someone who supported the caste system, which he did. Periyar came from
>>     
> the
>   
>> south,  where anti-Brahmin movements got started early on, and they
>>     
> weren't
>   
>> led only by people who were standing up for dalits.
>>
>> Joanna
>>
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>>
>>
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>
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