2012/9/28 William Robert Da Silva <wrdsilva@ wrote
I have a copy of the Sanskrit text, sahyadri khanda of skandapurana, which is attached spuriously to SP, but does not belong there. This text is a legitimacy discourse of Brahmana in the west coast, next being gramapaddhati in Kanara and Keralotpatti in Kerala. Here 'long donated life' to Parashurama until he 'creates' the land for his brahmana is no better or worse than the use of the Bible, acquisition of holy land, by American settlers. The story is ditto wherever people migrate, colonise the land, and the people settled before them, and dominate over the processes of subjugation, power exercise and domination that is lording it over them. This is known as left and right settlements in south India. And so on, and so on. > >---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Thanks to Augusto Pinto for this input. > >An interesting newspaper article written by a prominent Saraswat >merchant (Datta Damodar Naik is the Monginis confectionery franchise >holder in Goa) >http://www.navhindtimes.in/panorama/gomant-vidya-niketan-fountainhead-progressive-movements > >Gomant Vidya Niketan Fountainhead of Progressive Movements >Published on: March 24, 2012 > >By Datta Damodar Naik > >Gomant Vidya Niketan, Goa’s premier socio-cultural institution is >celebrating its Centenary this year. The original name of the >Institute was Saraswat Brahman Samaj, which seems to be a caste-based >name if one forgets the context of progressive social movement >witnessed in Goa’s social history in year 1910 and 1911. > >Gaud Saraswat Brahmins have seven sub castes which include Vaishnavas >(also known as Sashtikars) Bardeskars, Smarths, Kudaldeskars, >Pednekars, Bhalavalikars and Chitrapur. These sub castes apparently >had internal animosity which included ban on Roti-Beti (ban on eating >together and inter sub-caste marriages). In the first decade of the >20th century, there were efforts in Mumbai and Mangalore to bring two >of above sub castes: Vaishnavas and Smarths closer and start a social >interaction of Roti-Beti among them. > >These efforts yielded positive dividends. Inspired by this success >there was a proposal to bring together all sub castes of Gaud Saraswat >Brahmins. In the year 1910, in Belgaum, Sanyukta Gaud Saraswat Brahmin >Parishad was held. Its echo was heard in the social corridors of the >Goan Saraswat community. However, the community was vertically divided >in rival camps with one camp advocating Eki (unity amongst all sub >castes) and the other Beki (separate identity). > >The Beki camp felt that bringing together Vaishnavas and Smarths is >enough and no further attempts should be made to integrate other sub >castes. There were conferences in Kavalem of the Beki group followed >by conference in Mapusa organised by the Eki group. Ultimately the Eki >group, which stood for unity amongst sub castes, won and the Beki >group acceded to the demand of integration of all sub castes of Gaud >Saraswat Brahmins. > >The year 1910 was equally important in Portugal’s history. On October >5, 1910 revolutionaries marched to the palace of King Manuel. The King >had to run away and revolutionaries took over the reins. The monarchy >in Portugal ended and Portugal was declared a republic pledging its >support to principles of liberty, equality and fraternity. The >Republican State liberalised many rigid restrictions on Goans. > >In Margao, ten young men: Yashwant Suryaji Sardesai, Bhikaji >Purshottam Pai Bhale, Kashinath Damodar Naik, Keshav Anant Naik, >Sadashiv Vasudev Kenkre, Govind Sakharam Pai Panandikar, Ramchandra >Vyankatesh Naik, Ramkrishna Narayan Bale, Keshav Krishna Naik and >Atchut Naik, who were in age group of 17-18, came together to >establish the Saraswat Brahman Samaj on Gudi Padava, which happened to >be March 19, 1912. All founders were staunch supporters of the Eki >(Unity) group and hence the name ‘Saraswat Brahman Samaj’ was the >obvious choice with its progressive connotation given the context of >victory of the Eki group in the just concluded Eki-Beki controversy. >Nevertheless, the founders never nursed a castiest outlook..." ... > >I'd like to make some surmises here. Datta D Naik suggests that they >become one caste after 1910. > >Could it be that prior to this they may have effectively been a number >of different small 'Castes' (rather than just 'sub-castes' which >presumes the reality of one Master Caste like the Saraswat) performing >a variety of functions sometimes merchants sometimes agriculturists >sometimes coconut-plantation owners and so on prior to 1910? > >Could it be that these mainly coastal communities were only related by >the fact that they had certain common habits like eating fish? > >And could it be that they had to make common cause and unite on >account of the British censuses in order to improve their statuses >within the conceptual framework of the four-fold varna system, the >framework that the British Orientalists used in order to view Indians, >by becoming Brahmins? > >And that this could only be done by Roti-Beti? > >If answers to the questions above are in the affirmative would this >not confirm Sanjay Subrahmanyam's suspicions about the indeterminate >caste status of the Saraswats? > >The fact that by now they have managed to consolidate and turn the >myth into a reality, even manufacturing their own priests in the >Partagali Mutt, whereas there may be no record of this group of castes >performing priestly functions prior to the 18th century, a powerful >example of how it is possible to create a caste? Would this be >correct? > > >__._,_.___ Recent Activity: Visit Your Group «Research» is not bias-free, but we can try to make it emotion-free! [Moderator] Switch to: Text-Only, Daily Digest • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use . __,_._,___