Monday, March 7, 2011

Anti-Brahminism and racism amongst Tamilians in USA.

A Tamil blogger used to write screeds about Sri Lankan issue. An unabashed Prabakaran worshipper he became distraught in the final days of the civil war in 2009. For once he dropped his posturing and wrote a blog critical of how Prabakaran caused untold misery to his fellow people and how his supporters turned a blind eye to it. The truce lasted few days. Once the war came to its gruesome end he again blogged and spewed venom. He railed against what he called "Brahmin-Bania" dominated media for saying that Prabakaran was dead. Like any good Dravidian ideologue his scapegoat was “Brahmin-bania” combo. It did not matter to him that Dinathanthi, Dinakaran, Sun TV the leading news media in Tamil Nadu are all non-Brahmin owned and they were all beaming pictures of Prabakaran's corpse. His favorite scuttlebutt is N.Ram, editor of Hindu. No reference of Ram would start without referring to his birth. I've never seen eye to eye with N.Ram on his strident anti-Americansism or his left wing ideals but never would I ascribe his ideas to his caste. What is ironical is N.Ram is a staunch supporter of Mandal and affirmative action. To add to the irony Ram was on the verge of being arrested by Jaya, a fellow Brahmin and Ram has appeared on DMK stages in the past. However the only area where he parts ways is on Sri Lanka and the ready made weapon to counter him is his birth. If this is not racism I need to be tutored.

Recently a DMK supporter was trying to highlight to me how Jaya enacted anti-conversion laws because she was Iyengar. It did not matter to him that the same Jaya arrested Sankaracharya and invited the wrath of hundreds of Brahmins. I asked him “would you think its possible she did it to please her then ally the BJP?”. Only silence was the reply. He later added “did she not announce in the Assembly that she is an ‘iyengar’?”. It did not matter to him that Karunanidhi repeats endlessly that he is a “shudra”, of course he would also then whine “if only I was a Brahmin then I would be appreciated”, “If only Stalin had been born to a Brahmin father”. It does not matter to MK or his idolaters that he was repeatedly elected CM and that his son is in line to the chief ministership. When DMK shamelessly aligns with BJP its strategy if Jaya aligns with BJP its "Brahminical" affinity. DMK fanatics would set a record in talking from both ends of their mouth with a poker face.

Even moving beyond the abstract to the immediate and personal I find a distasteful poisonous attitude. Another person tried to illustrate what he called "Brahminical" attitude. Citing a mutual acquaintance that person said “what he/she did was selfish and only smacks of what is typical of a Brahmin”. I was flabbergasted at the casteism. I cited incidents of similar nature amongst my extended family. Being selfish and petty is not the preserve of any particular caste but he would have none of it. Yet another time I got a bone chilling diktat “I don’t personally dislike them except that I want them to keep within their limits”. I was just stupefied at such a blatant threat that is practically fascist.

Recently Naganathan, Planning commission member and friend of MK, wrote a diatribe on the eve of Diwali spinning a yarn about how Diwali is an “Aryan” conspiracy and how it is designed to defraud Tamilians of millions of rupees in the name of Diwali purchases. Again I reached to my good friend and the reply “yes he is right and I support him”. It did not for a minute register with him that the thousands who spend money do so in shops owned by hundreds of ethnically diverse owners (of whom Brahmins are just a fraction). What is worse is that a government employee heading a commission freely writes such casteist propaganda did not even strike as unconstitutional and blatant discrimination. The person I asked is a US resident for 12 years and would be ready to attribute to 'racial discrimination' any imagined slight from Americans. Yet to his own fellow Tamils he gladly gives the 'middle finger'.

Tamil Sangams are the worst offenders in this regard. The invitees, prominent people from Tamil Nadu, often are unabashed Brahmin haters. They often peddle their shopworn ideologies of racial pride, Tamil identity etc here. Suba.Veerapandian, a DK leader, when he spoke at a Tamilian gathering, in Virginia, repeated his usual racial canard. He grandiosely suggested “even if you and your progeny live for hundreds of years in USA you will still be Tamils and NOT Americans”. It’s a stupidity that even an American would dare not say. But then this is from a guy whose organization firmly believes and propagates that a Brahmin, a Tamil speaking one at that and who might have lived in Tamil Nadu for generations, is not a Tamilian. Suba.Vi is known to manhandle his opponents when he can get away with it, unfortunately he could not do it in USA.

Once Seeman was the invitee at a FeTNA annual celebration. I had the misfortune of watching a YouTube clipping of his speech delivered in Tamil Nadu. He had just been released from jail (arrested by a non-brahmin CM). With his legs spread, his eyes blood shot with hatred, his voice rising and nerves visible he growled “if Brahmin owned Dinamalar writes that my speech was inflammatory will you arrest me” (of course his choice of casteist slur was far more crude). The camera then panned to the audience. A section seated on chairs and well dressed, apparently educated, clapped hands enthusiastically. Nobody winced at such caste hatred, that too without any grounds. I was reminded of Alfred Dreyfus affair. This is the sort of person that FeTNA chooses to invite.

A group of Tamils recently wrote a letter to Barack Obama cautioning him not to appoint Indians who might have ties to BJP/RSS/VHP because they might not be ‘secularists’. One of the signatories is a strong supporter of E.V.Ramasamy Naicker. EVR is a rabid Brahmin hater whose remarks would certainly rank as “hate speech”. What is worse EVR’s organization prohibits Brahmins from becoming members. I chuckled to myself thinking if this is not a case of “pot calling the kettle black” what else could be? Past invitees of FeTNA have included card carrying members of DK. If one goes through web postings of DK one would shudder to think that but for the restraining hand of law and order in India they would gleefully enact a holocaust. Also, it’s not co-incidental that most of these people are pro-Palestinian (in reality anti-Semites who disguise it as pro-Palestinians). I’d be very surprised if they could point to Israel on a map or know anything of its history.

This hatred cuts across educational levels and longevity in USA. A resident of USA for many years would celebrate EVR birthday wearing a black shirt and pose for photographs. Interestingly DK people wear black shirts much like the SS brown shirts of Hitler’s Germany or the Mussolini’s Brown shirts. DK is an organization whose venom would make a rattle snake bite look like a gentle caress. It is my firm belief that DK and RSS are two sides of the same coin, racial hatred. This is the same organization that had proclaimed an agitation to way lay Brahmins and to cut their sacred thread. This agitation was indeed carried out in Tanjore and I do know the affected person. A DK official recently blogged “Brahmin’s were lucky that Narendra Modi is not Brahmin else for the pogrom he unleashed in Gujarat the Brahmin in Kanyakumari would have had to pay with his life”. Chilling words those are. It is this organization that the good professor supports and attends meetings. 

When the Tamil Unicode controversy started the Tamil community in US worked itself into a lather and as self-appointed custodians of Tamil literature (most lack any diverse knowledge of any literature) let loose a volcanic rage against, what else, 'Brahminical Conspiracy'. It does not matter that but for U.V.Swaminatha Iyer many ancient Tamil literature scripts would have vanished. It does not matter that many Brahmin authors have richly contributed to Tamil literature. These are the people who think by writing "Washington" as "வாசிங்டன்" they are protecting Tamil.

A US resident Tamilian posts a comment calling Jaya as anti-Tamil. No guesses for whom he considers as the archangel of Tamilians and Tamil. A group of Tamilians, not incidentally everyone was DMK/ DK affiliated. Not a single one batted an eyelid that MK was splurging 1000 crores while Tamil University (established by, as MK never tires of saying, a Malayalee) could not even pay salaries to its staff and its buildings were dilapidated. So what makes Jaya anti-Tamil? She arrested Vaiko. Oh that Vaiko who cries hoarse about their beloved Eelam cause. Oh Jaya said Prabakaran (a proclaimed offender by Indian Government for murdering Rajiv) should be arrested. Who cares what MK said about Prabakaran. When every fig leaf is torn off the ugly head of racism rears its head, Jaya is Brahmin and Brahmins are not Tamilians ipso facto Jaya is anti-Tamil. 

Living in a multi-cultural society, enjoying the protections of freedoms enshrined in the US constitution, being educated, working at pretty well paid jobs, expecting fair treatment as human beings from Americans, expecting fair treatment at work, expecting respect and fairness in all walks of life these same people refuse to address their own innate racism. So one wonders what, if at all, can help them see? Or are we paying the price for not stemming the venom that has vitiated Tamil society for 50 years? 


windwheel said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
naanjil said...

Your opinion about FeTNA is totally wrong and misguiding. Kamal Hasan, Sudha Ragunathan, Nithiyashree, Guru Ravi Sankar, Actor Bharath are also invited by FeTNA. FeTNA is a secular organization.

VAMANAN said...

I don't understand how you equate RSS with the DK. The RSS is not based on one-point policy of hatred towards anyone.

Anonymous said...

you have expressed your thoughts well...

Anonymous said...

Southwest are liars and snakes.

Kannan said...

Agreed What Seeman said was racist. But do you deny the way Brahmin community suppressed and oppressed all people of other communities for thousands and thousands of years? And also, your opinion of FeTNA is absolutely wrong!

Anonymous said...

I think that the Tamils in US must move away from their past and become American. Coming here and saying that we will always be Tamils is unnecessary. Give the kids two generations, they will probably forget the language.

Anonymous said...

Shameful blog... I am a pure North Indian.. Was one time hating South Indians but now I feel tamilians are the most dignified people who live a simple life than any other state people. I love tamilians ...

Thamizhan said...

Feel sorry for the author.Brahminism is still alive as the article pours venom on Periyar.A great Humanist,if he had ordered the brahmin identity would have been wiped out.He was totally non violent and fought for the non brahmins and succeeded in education and employment that was totally dominated by 3% brahmins.Periyar's women's right has indeed helped brahmin women and they are thankful.FeTNA is a secular Tamil organization and the lies will not go well.If the author becomes a little Human and looks with equality he might regret his resentments.

Anonymous said...

Huh...such a rant, and every word makes me wonder why the author is so anti-Tamil in the first place. Now whats wrong in saying that, this is all the brahmin superiority showing again word by word, sentence by sentence. Its this superiority which a majority put up with, for thousands of years, which lead to whatever has been discussed by the author through the entire post.

And the way you call EVR "rabid" shows your true colours.

Prakash said...

A very good article. People who live in US must embrace the culture here and move away from the rabid hate culture in India. If they cannot, no point being here. Hopefully most people are not this way. Well, most Tamilians would not know about Alfred Dreyfus or the details of the Holocaust.

TeachBI BI said...

fantastic article. very well written. shame on seemaan and your useless friend.

TeachBI BI said...

the one thing that all tamilians agree and are happy about is anti-brahminism. If you happen to be a nri and from tamilnadu and a Brahmin and if you have an opportunity to get the citizenship of that country, please do it. India has become a land of Brahmin-haters. If you don't do it, you are doing a disservice to your future generations. Just one fact shows the stature of the non-Brahmins. Till the Brahmins were occupying the top posts in the government there were hardly any scandals. And once these reservations came and all the quota guys started occupying those posts all that they do is corruption and that is why India is how it is now.

Anonymous said...

Well, anti-brahmanism is or was a reformative action and anti-brahmin rant is or was its unexpected outcome.

Anonymous said...

Hey Author,

Do you have any sense at all? You jumped to just attack suba vi and other dmk/dk leaders. Reply with your point of views instead of talking nonsense like suba vi manhandles etc...

Brahminism is all about human descrimination....what is the sacred thread? don't you feel ashamed to wear one as that is the root of all discrimination?

You fools don;t have any rights to criticize people who attack your stupid ideologies.

smitha said...


U are a typical EVR supporter. If water does not come from the tap in Ur house, brahmins are to blame.

All the eveil is in this world is caused by brahmins.

Anonymous said...

Sir is it only the brahmins who suppressed and oppressed??? Indeed it was sheer atrocity that happened in the past. But blaming it on one particular community is not fair at all.

Anonymous said...

Lets forget about what Brahmins did in the past (only for a little moment), lets talk about now.
Are you ready to let a Dalit perform pooja in your Sivan Temple and get prasadh from a Dalith person ???

Lets start with the basics.

Anonymous said...

Some one above talks about sacred thread. What some one wears or does not wear is their religious right. If this individual feels someones sacred thread makes him feel inferior its his inferiority complex and nothing else. If this individual wants to wear a sacred thread and that is going to make him feel better no one is going to stop him.

What is said in this article is totally true.
This guy Suba Vee seems to be an uncultured fellow, who does not even have a courtesy to address the chief minister Ms. JJ with respect(in one of the you tube video interview with Pandey). This guy addresses her as some one will address an animal.

Anonymous said...

Finally there is an article who addresses this issue! Iv seen same problem with non and anti-brahmin tamilians in my office and was shocked to death to see their hatred. If you cannot change being in USA, you have no right to expect that a caste should change its way even after many people righteous in it. India is ruled by Dalits and its in the most corrupted and pathetic state now. India was way better with Brahmin rulers who thought about their duty and country first. So just shut the fuck up and start accepting facts. All the Brahmins should leave India n India will becum land of fools n stupids who just want money n power.

Anonymous said...

Brahmins did dominate Madras presidency and in 1919 Brahmins occupied over 80% of the high level posts in government, judiciary and in education through they were only 3% of the population in Madras Presidency .Justice Party in 1919 introduced caste based reservation and gradually Brahmin preponderance came down.Congress party was dominated by Brahmins and it was only in 1954 when Rajaji quit over the Kula Kalvi Thittam and Kamaraj became the CM in Madras State.Sadly the Caste system or varna system and untouchablelty existed for example until the 1950 and non brahmins in particular Dalits could not even enter Agraharams of brahmins gradually it has changed.Today anyone can even buy a house in an Agraharam.

Now Jayalaitha a Brahmin is an all powerful CM with the support of all castes.Just as in USA Obama a Black became the President ,Please he did receive majority White votes .Please note Jaya cannot became the CM and even win 10 seats even if 100% Brahmins voted for her
Dalits are 22% of Tamil Nadu's population the largest single vote bank but one cannot dream of a Dalit CM.Several Dalits have killed Caste violence ,houses burnt and 2 tumbler system still in vogue.Most Dalit ministers are Yes men.

Anonymous said...

Most D(M)K and now NTK fellows are like this. Their most venomous rabid propaganda has no limits at all, but they expect others to be decent and rational when questioning them. And please, read history as it was, not how evrp said it. Brahmins dominated british administrative service after the revolt of 1857. It was then that the british started segregating locals into 'martial' and 'non martial races'.

Amit Pandit said...

How does the wearing of sacred thread of Brahmans, who follow the Vedic religion, discriminate against non-Brahmans who follow islam, christianity and other native traditions?
Every religion has its own norms, just as the Vedic religion and it's different sects. Try and get this, if you can, Brahmanism or the Vedic religion is an ethno-religious tradition that doesn't believe in proselytzation.
Its sad that you come up with such Nazi propaganda inorder to justify your dravidanist Nazi ideology against a poor and disempowered community.
Is this your secularism?

Anonymous said...

Im sorry. A lot of you morons carry this notion. That if periyar wished, he could have wiped out the brahmins in one stroke. Im sorry my friend. To use a common phrase "mayira kooda pudungiruka mudiyadhy". Its a lot more complicated than what you think, in tamilnadu. This is because of the presence of lot of kannadigas and goltis and also bcos of the british.

samir sardana said...

And this is how the Brahmins doomed Shiva

It is all the evil of the Brahmins !

These scum cursed and abused Shiva as he was black skinned and violated the Vedas !

If they did not spare Shiva – what would be the worth of the Dalts

“The Brahmins will not sacrifice to you along with the other gods, for Siva has defiled the path followed by good men; he is impure, an abolisher of rites and demolisher of barriers,[who gives] the word of the Vedas to a Sudra. He wanders like a madman, naked, laughing, the lord of ghosts, evil-hearted. Let Siva, the lowest of the gods, obtain no share with Indra and Visnu at the sacrifice; let all the followers of Siva be heretics, opponents of the true scriptures, following the heresy whose god is the king of ghosts.” – Brahma Purana 2:13:70-73; Garuda Purana 6:19; Bhagavata Purana 4:2:10-32.

Wait – there is more !

भवव्रतधरा ये च ये च तान् समनुव्रताः

पाखंडिनस्ते भवन्तु सच्छास्त्रपरिपन्थि

मुमुक्षवो घोररूपान् हित्वा भूतपतीनथ ,

नारायणकलाः शान्ताः भजन्तीत्यनसूयवः

One who takes a vow to satisfy Shiva or who follows such principles will “certainly become an atheist and be diverted from transcendental scriptural injunctions”.
Those who vow to worship Shiva are “so foolish that they imitate him by keeping long hair on their heads”
When initiated into worship of Lord Śiva, they “prefer to live on wine, flesh and other such things.” [Bhagvatapuran 4/2/28-29]

तस्माद् विष्णोः प्रसादो वै सेवितव्यो द्विजन्मना,

इतरेषां देवानां निमल्यिं गर्हितं भवेत् .

सकृदेव हि योsश्नाति ब्राह्मणो ज्ञानदुर्बलः

निर्मल्यिं शंकरा दीनां स चांडालो भवेद ध्रुवं

Dwijas (Brahmin, Khatriya, Vaishya) should only eat the Prasad offered to Vishnu, not of any other deity. If “any foolish Brahmin, even once, will consume the prasad of Shiva”, it is “certain that he will be born as a Chandal (outcaste)”

samir sardana said...

The evil,greed and avarice of the Brahmin scum is recorded in the Vedas and Dindoo scriptures

What does Krishna say of the Brahmin scum ?

Krishna refers to the “Vedas and the Brahmins”, as under :

O son of Prithâ! who are strongly attached to (worldly) pleasures and power, and whose minds are drawn away by “that flowery talk which is full of (ordinances of) specific acts”, for the “attainment of (those) pleasures and (that) power”, and which promises birth, as the “fruit of acts (that flowery talk)” which those unwise ones utter, who are “enamoured of Vedic words”, who say there is nothing else, who are full of desires..

Sample the “Evil and Greed of the Panwari Brahmin Madarchods”, from the “RigVeda and the AtharaVeda”

असुन्वन्तं समं जहि दूणाशं यो न ते मयः |
अस्मभ्यमस्य वेदनं दद्धि सूरिश्चिदोहते ||

“Slay everyone who pours no gift, who, hard to reach, delights you not. Bestow on us what wealth he has: this even the worshipper awaits.” [Rigveda 1:176:4]

अकर्मा दस्युरभि नो अमन्तुरन्यव्रतो अमानुषः |
तवन्तस्यामित्रहन वधर्दासस्य दम्भय ||

“Around us is the Dasyu, practicing no religious rites, not knowing us thoroughly, inhuman, following other laws. Baffle, you Slayer of the foe, the strength of this Daasa.” [Rigveda 10/22/8]

बृहत् ते जालं बृहत इन्द्र शूर सहस्रार्धस्य शत्वीर्यस्य |
तेन शतं सहस्रमयुतं नयर्बुदं जधान शको दस्युनाममिधाय सेनया ||

Great is your net, brave Indra, the mighty match for a thousand, Lord of Hundred Powers! Holding them, with his host, therewith has Indra slaughtered Dasyus a hundred, thousand, myriad, hundred millions (Atharvaveda 8/8/7)

इन्द्रः समत्सु यजमानमार्यं परावद विश्वेषु शतमूतिराजिषु सवर्मीळ्हेष्वाजिषु | मनवे शासदव्रतान तवचं कर्ष्णामरन्धयत

The Dasyus have been described at several places in the Vedas as anyavratam अन्यव्रतम (followers of another religion or creed), amaanusham अमानुषम (not human), ayajvaanam अयज्वानम (not performing Yajna) [Rigveda 8/70/11]

किं ते कर्ण्वन्ति कीकटेषु गावो नाशिरं दुह्रे न तपन्तिघर्मम |
आ नो भर परमगन्दस्य वेदो नैचाशाखं मघवन्रन्धयानः ||

“O Indra, what do the cows make for you among the Kikatas? They neither yield milk for your offerings, nor do they warm the vessel of libation. Bring to us these cows; bring to us also the wealth of Parmagand (their King). O Brave one, grant us the possessions of the people of low status.” [Rigveda 3:53:14]