KERALA POLITICS

KERALA POLITICS

2010 September 16 - 30

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KERALA POLITICS An English Fortnightly on People & Politics Kochi Media, P B No. 1856, Kaloor, Kochi-682 017, Kerala

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KERALA POLITICS

2010 September 16 - 30

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E D I T O R I A L

With immense joy and pride we publish

KERALA POLITICS P B No. 1856, Kaloor Kochi-682 017, Kerala, India Phone : 0484-2102976 Mob : 098470 53700 E-mail : kochimedia@yahoo.com

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our fortnightly magazine "KERALA POLITICS" once again from september16 th 2010.

'KERALA POLITICS' stands for investigative journalism without fear or favour.

Media whether print or visual gives you a variety of news, reports and vivid informations. We have numerous news papers and magazines in malayalam and in english, but no one seriously include investigative, exclusive featured articles about people, politics and current affairs.

We keralites face a grave danger mullapperiyar, that will destroy central kerala and 50,00,000 human lives. we must be vigilant about the seriousness of the dam which will destroy entire kerala and tamil nadu partially.Our cover story about union carbide tragedy shows the untold negligence by the central and state rulers.

"KOCHI MEDIA" publishers of 'Kerala Politics" brings you a Malayalam Fortnightly Magazine called "NAGARAM" and it will be available on news stands from 1st october 2010.

We hope Indians especially "malayalees" render all possible helps to bring you the best in print media. We kindly request you again to share your thoughts, political-cultural or even financial views with us and consider our magazine as a platform to express your strong belief, opinion among the public.

K.O. JOHNEY EDITOR & PUBLISHER E-mail : johneyonline@yahoo.com 2010 September 16 - 30

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UNION CARBIDE—NO BAR FOR A TRIAL OF THE CORPORATION AND CHAIRMAN WARREN ANDERSON — TO SAY NO IS NOTORIOUS AND OUTRAGE JURIDPRUDENCE

JUSTICE.V.R.KRISNA IYER KERALA POLITICS

The Bhopal mega-crime trial is over. The barbarity has ended in a light sentence, although the conviction is one where the victims are countless cadavers and injured persons and animals of over 5 lacs. The judge has given the maximum but the Supreme Court in a bizarre misuse of authority pared down the offense charged for homicide not amounting to murder to one of culpable negligence not amounting to murder—a perverse mutation. The great corporate culprit and Anderson its Chairman is not in the trialpicture.The poignant omission is set out here as the gloomy beginning: Under the settlement, Union Carbide agreed to pay US$ 470 million to the Indian Government on behalf of all 2010 September 16 - 30

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criminals were of Everest eminence. One was the Union

the Bhopal victims in full and final settlement of all arising

Carbide, a c o r p o r a t e

from Bhopal disaster.

The entire amount has to be paid before 31st May, 1989. In addition to facilitate the settlement the SC exercised its extraordinary jurisdiction and terminated all the civil, criminal and contempt of court proceedings that had arisen out of the Bhopal disaster and were pending in subordinate Indian Courts.

The Himalayan tragedy of Bhopal has cost Bharat a loss of around 20000 lives.

The right to life is a fundamental right in India.

So this terrible macromurder, the worst industrial carnage in history is a huge flood of bloom caused by a leakage of gas by Union Carbide an MNC of the USA. The corporate criminal is a Multi National Corporation of U.S. An untested gas manufactory was installed in India with no experiments no examine of potential danger as if it were soda factory. The installation of such horrendous dimension is itself a crime. But India is a brown colony of White American which committed the heinous Hiroshima bombing with huge casualties none to challenge,

KERALA POLITICS

criminal and the other was Warren Anderson, its Managing Director. A corporate criminal and body of Directors do not

with none to account to, since the U.S—the greatest nuclear power on earth and Japanese lives are of no value to truants America.

International law is vanishing point of punitive jurisprudence vis a vis USA. In Bhopal a similar catastrophe occurred early in December 1984. the oceanic blood, toil, sweat and tears was too bi for Indian Courts although shamefully a Chief Justices of India and a great lawyer of the Indian Bar opined that the Indian judicature would take several life times to try such a megalo crime had better be tried in the American courts. Two 2010 September 16 - 30

physically commit crimes under their mighty instrumentality and functional operation. Crimes are committed without their knowledge but with the broad connivance and vicarious awareness.

Nevertheless culpability exists in a higher dimension of punitive jurisprudence.

This is the basis of corporate crimes and imperial offences. To plead that Union Carbide or Anderson did not physically switch on or commit or omit an act which cause the leakage is no argument of innocence.

Sans the installation of such a colossal lethal gas manufactory in an operational State the gasassination with 20000 cadavers would not have taken place. E very motor accident which kills a child running in the street is guilty although he did not intend a crime. If the accident took place because of a poultry manufacture the 5

manufacturer is also guilty.

If a nuclear centre were set up which exploded and wiped out a thousand persons those who set up and operated the nuclear plant are vicariously guilty not by mensria but morally and legally. In this larger sense the Carbide and Anderson had much to explain to get away with their innocence. But they were in a dollar colony of India and so no prosecution against Anderson nor Union Carbide was tried and their prosecution remain to be launched.

The whole question is will the Government of India dare to demand repatriation of Anderson and care to prosecute Carbide? Is there a Bar on the score that a trial against lesser officials for a lesser offence prolonged for 25 years and receiving huge money by the Government by way of amoral settlement? No, principle of jurisprudence permits a huge crime to be settled by the Government without the knowledge of the victims under the pretense parent partriae. If the State can corruptly take huge cash and eliminate murder of its citizens our jurisprudence deserves to be disobeyed and goes contra to ancient dharma or modern principles of values which consider life shaken beyond negotiation. Indian

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life is not so cheap as to be bartered away by diplomatic deals. In 2010 judgment has been delivered in the Bhopal disaster case where eight officials of Carbide have suffered conviction and sentence for two years RI. But the grave great mega-criminals namely, the Union Carbide and Warren Anderson have not stood a trial, charge with 304 IPC which is the real crime involved and there is massive agitation that Fiat Justicia has failed. When disasters of huge dimensions occur as a result of the vicarious action of corporate persons and other individuals in power who have not faced a trial a disaster liability law exists which I would call in this case Bhoposhima Bhopal tragedy like Hiroshima disaster. No room of immunity or previous trial can exculpate their guilt. When small criminals commit terrorist act big noises are made to prosecute them. But when monstrous crimes are committed by mighty individuals through lethal instruments should they be let off. That makes law immoral, inhuman and violative of justice. ‘The law locks up both man and woman Who steals the goose from off the common, But lets the greater felon loose Who steals the common from the goose.’ No human principle of law can empower a State except perhaps a Hitlarite dictatorship to write off the lives of its citizens receiving money from the killer. Such an atrocious rule will warrant invasion, occupation and elimination of lives of citizens of another country and no war or litigation but negotiation and settlement by payment of Himalayan sums to the State of the killer country. True, some such payment under shady lead shames appearto have been made in the Bhopal case and all prosecutions the State 2010 September 16 - 30

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undertook will not be allowed. No written text of the law in India or elsewhere exists by which if A were murdered

by B, we, the State A was a citizen can compromise prosecutions and claims by receipt of sums. In an overpopulated country like India whenever a murder take place the State can make up its deficit by receiving monstrous money in settlement of the monstrous claim.

Buddha and Gandhi were born in vain if this were the law.

Over the countless cadavers of the Bhopal tragedy a wicked principle of jurisprudence is being presented of crime without punishment, however grave the crime. In a satanic crime where ten thousands of lives were lost by a Himalayan homicidal gas leakage and the Government without any sense of humanism settles this crime guided by barbarity. Sans a trace of humanity receive money in a bloody bargain and use that money to construct a Five Star hospital where the poor have no access.

Ralph Nadir in an introduction said: ‘The Carbide terrorism and the Bhopal tragedy with victims of gassasination and grievous chemical inhalation dead or alive asking for compensation, testify to the failure, why, betrayal of justice through the judicial process and the flaws of the laws when confronted by corporate crime.

Ralph Nader in a powerful introduction to a book titled America Inc. wrote about the insensitivity and incompetence of jurisprudence when challenged by the corporate juggernaut.’ “In no clearer fashion has the corporation held the law at bay than in the latter’s paralysis toward the corporate crime wave. Crime statistics almost wholly ignore corporate or business crime; there is no list of the ten most wanted corporations; the law affords no means of regularly collecting data on corporate crime; and much corporate criminal behaviour (such as pollution) has not been made a crime because of corporate opposition. For example, willful and knowing violations of auto, tire, radiation, and gas pipeline safety standards are not considered crimes under the relevant statutes even if lives are lost as a result.” The best that has been said on the subject is by Winston Churchill: ‘The dark ages may return—the stone age may return on the gleaming wings of science; and what might now shower immeasurable material blessings upon mankind may even bring about its total destruction. Beware I say! Time may be short.”

This horror is becoming a reality in India through Bhopal tragedy. Buddha is against it. So too Gandhi. But they are dead or shot. We must resist this new homicidal

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2010 September 16 - 30

jurisprudence and try by a fresh prosecution the Union Carbide and Anderson.

Alas! Our Union of India has much to answer for this slaughter in Bhopal. Fiat Justicia Ruat Caleum. Law must have a conscience. omega The shock of Bhopal is the collapse of sound and humanist jurisprudence as observed in the Third World Tomorrow (P-350): Mankind has reached a point where it is not enough to develop material wealth. It must now learn how to distribute that wealth fairly, and how to develop all humans to their full physical and psychological potential, in harmony with nature.

West, East and South should be engaged in a process of learning from each other the concrete ways of achieving this.

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The grand lottery loot K erala

now has the highest per capita income as well as expenditure in India.

High-rise buildings and bustling shopping centres strewn all over the state are visible symbols of its prosperity Official figures never reflected the state’s financial health fully and correctly. Academics were able to inject a measure of realism in statistics relating to income. However, there is no proper understanding of where

KERALA POLITICS

the money goes.

After a long period of hand-to-mouth existence, the state’s fortunes turned as jobseekers started migrating in droves to the Gulf States in the wake of the oil boom of the 1970s.

The savings they sent home boosted the state’s economy.

Since money flowing into banks from abroad did not figure in the government’s books, the state remained below the national average 2010 September 16 - 30

in income tables. Scholars at the Centre for Development S t u d i e s , Thiruvananthapuram, helped correct the picture by working Gulf remittances into the tables.

In the net state domestic product (NSDP) table Kerala is still at the ninth place among 22 states. In the per capita table, it ranks higher — at the sixth place. The NSDP includes income of nonprofit institutions too. The Consumer Pyramid constructed by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), which presents a realistic picture of family income, placed the state first with a per capita household income of Rs63,000 in 2009, way ahead of Delhi (Rs55,000) and Punjab (Rs42,000), the other big earners Gulf remittances, which were around Rs3 billion a year in the late 1970s, have now grown to about Rs300 billion a year. Banking statistics indicate that domestic savings add up to almost as high a figure as non-resident deposits.

How much of the money that flows in from outside and is generated locally goes into construction and

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conspicuous consumption?

There is no ready answer to this question.

The Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad, which conducted a survey a few years ago to find out how Kerala lives, estimated that each year the people of the state spent about Rs68 billion on marriages and Rs28 billion on medical treatment. The figures it rolled out leave a wide gap between income and expenditure.

There is no reliable estimate of consumer spending in the state. Each year the government conducts a Grand Kerala Shopping Festival with the active cooperation of commercial interests.

It claims the festival is a great success but does not divulge any sales figures Jewellers are among the government’s major partners in the shopping festival. India, with a sales turnover of 900 tonnes, is the biggest consumer of gold in the world. Kerala, which accounts for less than four per cent of the country’s population, accounts for 25 per cent of the gold sales.

The huge turnover of the jewellers, unofficially estimated at hundreds of billions of rupees, is not

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reflected in the sales tax figures. Last year the government managed to push up sales tax revenue from Rs1.5 billion to Rs1.8 billion.

Kerala tops in per capita liquor consumption. The Kerala State Beverages Corporation, which has a monopoly over sale of Indian-made foreign liquor, reported a record turnover of Rs55.39 billion in 200910. This was 20% more than the previous year’s figure.

The biggest beneficiary of the spurt in liquor sales was the state government. The KSBC contributed Rs42.60 billion to the exchequer by way of sales tax, excise duties, licence fees and other levies last year.

Kerala also tops in the consumption of tobacco. According to the National Sample Survey Organisation, per capita monthly expenditure on tobacco products in the state was Rs.14.50 in the villages and Rs18.50 in the urban areas. The national average for both urban and rural areas was only Rs9.90.

The expenditure story will not be complete until we look at the loot by the lotteries

2010 September 16 - 30

Kerala pioneered the system of state lotteries. In 1967, the first year of operation, the state Lotteries department sold tickets worth Rs2 million and made a profit of Rs1.4 million. Over the past four decades, sales have risen to Rs4.84 billion and profit to Rs1.04 billion.

The state Lottery department has now been put in the shade by lotteries operated by private agencies under licences issued by the Sikkim state and the neighbouring country of Bhutan. They take away much more money than the state government.

Based on data relating to tickets printed and sold in the state by private lottery agencies, Mathrubhumi, a leading newspaper, reported last week that they are siphoning off about Rs157 billion from the state each year. Apparently a large number of poor people in the state today pin their hopes for a better future not on the state government but on the governments of Sikkim and Bhutan whose agents have lured them with schemes that provide for several draws each day.

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‘Dabangg’ Who’s Fearless???

The audience!

‘Dabangg’ - Big ‘Bangg’ for your buck? ‘badnaam’. The director S alman Khan’s Eid SHOBHA DE

offering may create history for shattering box office records, raking it in by the truckloads, and breaking the astounding collections of ‘3 Idiots’. But for me, the one scene that really and truly created history and will go down as an astonishing cinematic moment is the one of Salman Khan’s shirt tearing, popping and flying off his back… all by itself!

The shirt deserves a special award for performing this remarkable feat – perhaps, it marks a first in world cinema! Imagine –a shirt with a will and mind of its own!

A shirt that understands dramatic timing perfectly and helpfully strips itself off the wearer’s body.

Wow! Whosoever thought of this stunt wins a permanent place in the Movie Hall of Fame. The shirt definitely stole the show and in a way, summed up the movie. Rarely does a script in our films work as subversively or slyly as this

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one. Salman as Chulbul Robinhood Pandey, the corrupt cop with a golden heart, parodies himself brilliantly! It is such a clever take on all that Sallubhai stands for ( mad genius, bad boy, man with the best lines in town), and that he succeeds in sending up his own persona so brilliantly, is a killer plan in itself. Those looking for a plot, be warned – it is flimsier than Munni’s ( Malaika in a sizzling item number that out-beedis Bipasha’s) barely there costumes.

Both are 2010 September 16 - 30

claims he went back to the 70’s formula ( half brothers, wicked step father ) to come up with ‘Dabangg’. If so, he should have milked the genre still more and thrown in a wicked thakur and a tonga race. Instead, there is Sonu Sood as a wily goon of the local neta. Not a bad plan, given Sood’s intelligent performance and rippling abs ( unfortunately, his kurta is less talented than Salman’s shirt). The other surprising performance that competes with the Magical Shirt comes from Arbaz Khan playing Chulbul’s dumb brother. That leaves ‘Dhano’ … sorry, Rajjo, an impoverished potter played by newbie Sonakshi in sexy designer gear and perfectly applied MAC makeup , her hair cut and layered to salon perfection. If one can overlook the absurdity of it all - especially a Dubai honeymoon sequence , featuring Salman in Sheikh gear, complete with a photogenic falcon as a prop 10

– Sonakshi is a thousand times more talented star-kid than some of the overrated stick insects crawling around.

Let’s call this a vadapav Western which would curdle Clint Eastwood’s blood were he to watch it.

It is dangerous in the extreme when a big ticket movie’s box office fate revolves around just one factor – the hero’s star power. And nothing else.

Going by that yardstick the makers of ‘Dabangg’ which means ‘fearless’ in ‘Khari Boli’ , are just that. It takes guts and supreme confidence to place all your bets on a single individual – Salman Khan. Clearly, the gamble has paid off big time, going by the buzz. There is hardly a single scene which does not feature Chulbul.

Since much is being made of his new look and ‘moochch’, surely SRK had sported it earlier in ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ ? None of this matters when the movie is

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a hit. … the music has clicked ( two really catchy numbers, including a boozy ode to getting hammered called ‘Peeni Hai’ and the mandatory Sufi inspired number to appeal to Salman’s core constituency in the Middle East). Oh – there is also the much appreciated Buckle Trick – Salman’s hot new dance move during a hectic number in which he fiddles provocatively with the buckle

of his belt.

Let’s hand it to the main man – he has pulled it off – the stunts and pelvic thrusts are pure Salman.

Nothing new there. But it is the naughty selfparodying, which is so camp, so out there, which delivers the biggest punch. What’s left for this guy now – all he needs is a cape. And he can call himself Superman.

Officially.

Khamoooosssshhh!!

ssek≥kv th≠ Fb¿ ]ntÃmƒ Fb¿ ssd^nƒkv kuØv C¥y-bnse G‰hpw henb hnev]\ ime sIm®n≥ Fb¿ K¨kv It®-cn-∏S- n, Nn‰q¿tdmUv (kp-[o{μ tlmkv]n-‰e- n\p kao-]w) Fd-Wm-Ipfw, t^m¨ ˛ 0484 -: 3228069 tÃm°nÃv : sIm®n≥ B¿adn tjWm-bokv PwKvj≥, \mc-IØ - d tdmUv, sIm®n ˛ 35 t^m¨ 0484 ˛ 2371598, 2353589, 2383962 2010 September 16 - 30

11

A.S. Jayasankar

Buddhism in Kerala: A wide view T he

Buddha idols of Mavelikara and Karumadi in south Kerala are now well known all over the world.

Today we see plenty of relics and ravages related to Buddhism and the Sramana tradition in Kerala scattered all over the state.

Architectural and sculptural

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reminiscences are numerous apart from the vital linguistic and cultural imprints like the abundance of Pali (the ancient Buddhist Bahujan language) words in the present south Indian regional languages The state is also known for the educational 2010 September 16 - 30

and health care achievements apart from its universal literacy. All these human development indicators are not just the product of 20th century evangelical Christian missionary activities and state welfare schemes but the lasting legacy of 12

Buddhism, the democratic, egalitarian and inclusive way of living that shaped the cultural contours of Kerala from B C 3rd century to A D 13th century.

Kerala is also known for its progressive left and democratic policics. This grass root level democracy and collective struggles of subaltern people are also a reminiscence of Buddhism that was the first missionary yet peaceful religion that welcomed women and outcastes to the mainstream community. The people or Bahujans who were defiant to Hindu Brahmanism after the destruction of Buddhism by Brahmanism were condemned as untouchable Chandals as outside the Brahmanic Hindu Chatur Varnayam after the devastation of Sramana tradition in Kerala. These Chandals or untouchable Buhujan masses were and still are the agents of Kerala social revolution or renaissance under the aegis of various radical social rebellions like the Narayana Guru movement, Ayyankali movement, Sahodara movement and various other progressive left and democratic processes in Kerala.

According to researchers, historians and thinkers like P C Alexander, P K Gopalakrishnan,

KERALA POLITICS

Pavanan, Puthussery Ramachandran, Aju Narayanan etc. Buddhism was introduced in Kerala in the B C third century itself by the missionaries of emperor Asoka on their way down south to Sri Lanka which still is a Buddhist country. Jainism and Ajivaka philosophy also co-existed with Buddhism creating the great Sramana civilization of the South that has given birth to cultural classics like The Thirukural, Silapatikaram, Manimekhala and the whole canon of Sangham writing. The Buddhist, Jain and Ajivaka seers introduced the Brahmi script and the art of writing in South India. All the early inscriptions now available are written in Brahmi script in Tamil language. The ancient Tamilakam or Tamil country was a treasure house of Sramana heritage.

Almost all the current Savarna Hindu temples in Kerala now are modified Buddhist or Jain temples by coveted Brahmanism and its Padaja (Sudra or subservient Varna) forces.

The brutal persecution of Buddhist monks/nuns and conversion of temples happened in seventh and eight centuries under the leadership of Sankara the furious advocate of Brahmanical propaganda and violence. He argued with other religious scholars, 2010 September 16 - 30

defeated them verbally and annihilated them and their religion forever. His brutal followers and henchmen also converted the seat of the defeated to that of Hindu Brahmanical temples with extended support from ruling classes.

He is also called Prachanna (pseudo) Buddha as he modified and disguised Buddha’s Sunyavada (rational theory) into the empire of the Brahmanic self, the Advaita ‘theory’ that reiterated and enforced caste division and hierarchy with a peripheral and cunning shroud of unity that cheated the masses.

Thirumulla Varam, Thottappally, Podiyil Mala, Sabarimala, Kodungallur, Thrissur, Kottakkal, Madappally and Bekal were world renowned Buddhist shrines of worship, learning, health care and nature conservation. In places like Mathilakam and Kiliroor there were even Buddhist and Jian universities and Research centres in Kerala in the early centuries of the first millennium that attracted intellectuals and students from all over the world.

Pally is still the most popular affix used along with place, plot and family names in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra. The Pali word Pally means a non Hindu/ Brahmanic place of worship. In the ancient 13

times it denoted a Jain or Buddhist shrine. Buddhism guided culture and society in the south for more than a millennium. It was erased from Kerala through the barbaric and coveted Brahmanic invasion that happened from the fifth to eighth centuries under cruel and reckless royal patronage and usurpation with power.

Images and records of Buddhist persecution by the Brahmanic barbarians are still available in Kerala in the form of stone carved images, local subaltern orature and secret lore (Valath).

The Hindu Brahmanic colonists burned the Pali canon and the sacred texts and knowledge systems of Buddhism in Kerala. These nomadic Aryans from the Vedic and Sanskritic clans of West and Central Asia introduced Sanskrit and Hindu religion in the South Indian Kingdoms. They found leverage in royal patronage through cunning usurpation and cheat. The legend of Onam and Maha Bali still articulates the historic deceit of Buddhist Bahujan culture by the Brahman dwarfs.

Poets like Sahodaran Ayyappan has extensively written about the internal imperialism of Hindu Brahmanism in Kerala.

The Brahmans created the notorious sexual

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colonies among the Sudra women and used their male counterparts as foot soldiers who ensured the caste and Varna system, the practice of untoucahbility and pollution.

The Sudras in return were given land and titles (as Nayar, Panikar, Thampy, Unni, Kaimal, Kurup, Menon etc.)with which they suppressed the local defiant untoucahable people having Buddhist lineage with bloody hands and weapons.

These foot soldiers and menial hands of Brahmansim were absorbed to the Chatur Varnyam (fourfold Varna stratification of Brahmanical imagiNation comprising of Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Sudra) as the fourth and last Varna, the Sudra. The vast majority of people, the Dalit Bahujans were outside the cultural geography of Brahmanism as Chandals and Mlechas, as they are the former Buddhist and Jain population.

The Nayar dominance in Kerala history began in the middle ages with large scale Brahman settlements and militarization and still holds sway though they also want to be declared as a backward community now, as they still relish absolute power! According to state commission reports this power elites and historically 2010 September 16 - 30

advantageous group having less than 15 percent of Kerala’s population enjoy more than 32 percent share in government jobs. In higher education and universities it is more than 48 and in private owned print media and visual media it is almost 90 percent.

Imagine the extent of Savarna Nayar hegemony in Kerala even today!

These henchmen of Brahmanism who cheated and killed their Buddhist, Ajivaka and Jain brethren to enforce Brahmanic caste and did the work of pimps by fetching their own women for the Brahmanic high priests with all the shameless pride of getting an elite alliance; are now hailed as the Samurais of Kerala by some fascist spokesmen of elitism who thrive in popular cinema and culture. This historical mediating middllemen are still the advocates of Gita classes, Veda and Vedantic obscurantism in Kerala and outside! They are the orchestrators of Hindu hegemonic discourses and the power heads of the Parivar forces all over the country allying with the Neo Kshatriya aspirants. They are also Hinduizing the Bahujan masses who are attracted to power and chauvinist social status!

They need the numbers of 14

Hinduized Bahujans for their pseudo majoritarian and fascist politics. It is an absurdity of history that some of them even today boast about their Brahmanical wedlock which was stopped just a few decades ago.

This Brahman – Sudra alliance or infamous Sambandham gave birth to the Manipravalam literature, the new Malayam-Tamil and later Malayalam and the Savarna elite culture of Kerala in the dark and dubious middle ages that Sanskritized and Hinduized Kerala elites and a lot of people.

Even Syrian Christians boast about their Brahmanical connections more than 2000 (?!) years after conversion! Actually there were no Brahmins in the south in the A D first

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century! Then how could St. Thomas convert those absent Brahmans to Christianity? The coveted Brahmans came to Kerala only in the 4th or 5th century or later.

The power of Brahmanism and Hindu hegemonic discourse is that much tangible and an everyday reality in Kerala and India. This hidden Savarna elitism is the real culprit behind all the fascist pogroms and genocides in post Independent India. All the minority religions in Inida and Kerala like Jews, Muslisms and Christians still use the Pali word Pally to refer to their place of worship along with Jains and Buddhists in the south.

Buddhism is making a second coming as an ethical philosophy and eco-spiritual 2010 September 16 - 30

alternative way of life all over the world and in India and Kerala in particular.

The historic affiliation to Buddhism in the philosophy and praxis of Narayana Guru the seer of Kerala modernity, his disciples and intellectuals like C V Kunhiraman, Asan, Sahodaran Ayyappan and now the new Ambedkarite Dalit movement in Kerala are significant. Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s illuminating subaltern hermeneutics of Buddhism in his masterpiece Bddha and his Dharma are also instrumental in the second rebellion of Buddhism against caste Brahmanism and social exclusion. Plenty of radical scholars and organic intellectuals in India and Kerala are now working on Buddhism like Gail Omvedt herself. It could be well assumed that Buddhism is emerging as the cultural and ethical alternative of the present and future all over the world and particularly in Kerala. The Bahujans in Kerala who lost their true Sramana legacy in the onslaught of Hindu Brahmanic internal imperialism are now recovering from the calamity of Brahmanism and its burden and looking forward to alternative paradigms and new ways of living.

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