Wider Ecumenism as Prophetic Witness from

Dalit Perspective in Tamilnadu

Rev. J. Prem Samuel

Three Bulls and a Lion

Culture and Religions in Asian Context

“Humanity will collapse if we do not gather all the fragments of the scattered cultures and religions”. – Raimundo Panikkar

• religion is a part of culture, and no religious belief is without implications for culture

Problems regarding Culture

• Ethnocentricism Our culture becomes normative for all others. We look at other cultures as uncivilized or in the earlier stages of development. They need to be improved and catch up with our culture. Eg: Hindutva culture

Problems regarding Culture

• Cultural Assimilation

A minority culture taken over by the dominant culture, thereby losing its uniqueness

Eg: Ghar Vapsi

• Colonialism

Decolonizing religion and culture has to be the important goal of any theologian.

Eg: Indian Christian Theology

Suggested Solutions Regarding Problems in Culture

• Denouncing the normative western dominance

• Mutual Co-existence of Religions in Culture

• Respecting but still not have to be accepting

(Dr. Wesley Ariarajah)

• supporting the culture of the minority

• Inculturisation of Jesus and Worship

• Justice and peace as starting point of culture

(Reignocentric Approach – Bishop Daniel Thiagarajah)

• Human dignity and Life in Abundance

Hindu Nationalism or Culture

In a state like Tamilnadu where culture is being politicized and used as a tool for oppression, we need to liberate culture from the ideology named as “Hindu Nationalism” or Hindutva. The intrinsic purpose of this obnoxious nationalism is to make India Hindu in the primordial way. The Hindu nationalism to state simply and clearly is about one nation(Ram Rajya), one culture(Hindu culture) and one language(Sanskrit).

Roberson S. “Politics and Religion in India: An Analysis”. The Asia Journal of Theology.

Vol.23, No.2, Oct 2009. P.236

Dialogue towards Wider Ecumenism

• Love as the Language for Dialogue

(Pra Maha Boonchuay Doojai)

• The Knowledge of the “other”

• Sensitive towards the suffering of the other

• Having Justice and Peace as the common point to meet and greet each other

• Ability to ensure human dignity and life in abundance for all as goal for the dialogue

Who is a Dalit ? An Outcast!

Who is a Dalit ? An Outcast!

The word "Dalit" comes from Sanskrit. The meaning - distressed, crushed and downtrodden people. Various people have given various names to Dalits. For example, Mahatma Gandhi named them "Harijans". Britishers called them "Scheduled Caste". In Vedas, they are described as "Panjamar", "Sandalan" and "Avvarna". But these most unfortunate people who were called by various names have named themselves as "Dalits

History of Dalits

Dalits are the ancient people. Dalits are the Adhivasis of India. The Indus Valley Civilization and Mesapotomia Civilization are in fact the civilization of Dalits. Only after the Dalits the Aryans and Dravidians settled in India. But today the Dalits are landless laborers. Their oppression dates 2000 years longer which is older than any other community’s oppression.

Dalitness

• Not allowed to walk in caste peoples streets

• They have to tie a bell to sound their arrival

• Pot around their neck

• Leaves on their back, to clean the road when they walk

• Separate glasses for them in shops

• Not allowed to take water from public pond or well

• Manual scavenging

• Honour killing

• Sati (abolished)

Dalit Woman Experience

… compromise is her yardstick In her writings, her thoughts. Embrace all views, never say that which hurts. After all she is a woman! But after all, for how long? A heart stoned by experience Will spit fire when struck! That spreads everywhere The smoking smouldering fire! From under the Earth, it will erupt, like a Volcano… Takbhoware, Susheela. The Silent Volcano. Ed. Vimal Thorat. NFDW: New Delhi, 2002. P.18.

Being a Dalit

Dalit is not a caste. Dalit is a symbol of change and revolution. The Dalit believes in humanism. He rejects the existence of God, rebirth, soul, sacred books that teach discrimination, fate and heaven, because these have made him a slave. He represents the exploited man in his country.

Pantawane, Dr. Gangadhar: ‘Evolving a New Identity: The Development of Dalit Culture’, in Untouchable! Voice of the Liberation Movement, edited by Barbara Joshi, New Delhi, 1986, p.79

Dalit Culture

• Community Life with people and Nature

• Common Meal (One Pot), Beef

• Their belief is simple

• Temple Entry (Dalit Priest)

• Retaliation and Righteous Anger

Periyar on Brahmanic Hinduism

He was of the view that, all the inequalities and oppressions found in the society were brought by religion. For him society is the starting point. He thought that in order to create a just and egalitarian society, religions should be reviewed from the perspective of human life. Therefore any religion or religious practice that hinders human life should be thrown away. His idea was secular humanism which has self-respect with individual freedom and dignity. Robertson S. “Approaching Religion in a Pluralistic Context”. The Asian Journal of Theology. P.323-324

Dalit Theology

Arvind P. Nirmal was the one who proposed Dalit Theology. The Sanskrit word “Dal” means broken, wounded, torn asunder, crushed, impoverished and made dry and thin. The Dalits are being called as “untouchables”.

Nirmal Arvind P. Towards A Common Dalit Ideology. Gurukul Lutheran Theological College: Madras, 1989.p. 54.

Dalit Christology

Dalit Christology presents the Jesus of Nazareth as a Dalit. This might be surprising for us. But the sufferings of the Dalits can be easily equated with the sufferings of Christ himself. The way he hung on the Cross denotes the same broken, wounded, left alone, torn asunder Dalitness.

Dalit Christology

• Broken • Torn Asunder • Left alone • Striped almost

naked • Wounds and

bruises • Blamed for others

Being Prophetic in doing Wider Ecumenism

• Human Dignity as the basis

• Not inter-religious relationship alone

• Justice and peace as goals

• Karur Great Famine 1877 – Karur Children Home

• Education as tool to end oppression

(Bishop Heber College – Ranked 3rd Nationalwide)

• Accepting that Church is caste-ridden

• I Cor 15 – we are one in Christ’s body

• Gal 3:28

• Inter-caste marriages