The so-called Dalits (Untouchables) are the most pitiable victims of the evil and detestable system of caste discrimination. Manu has little to say about them. He affirms that the members of three castes, the Brahman, the Kshatriya, and the Vashya, are twice-born; the fourth, the Sudra, once-born; there is no fifth.’ All others are outcastes. The common name Dasyas (slaves) is applied to them all.
The treatment accorded to the Dalit is simply inhuman. According to Manu Smriti, ‘Outcasted persons have no share in inheritance. ‘The orthodox Brahmins still believe, if the shadow of a Dalit falls on them, they are polluted and will have to purify them by sprinkling over themselves water from the holy river, the Ganges. There are still a lot of places in India where, a Dalit can NOT enter his own village in mornings and evenings. GUESS WHAT! It is because, the morning sun and the evening sun produce a long shadow. Which means, the shadow of a Dalit will fall on the houses of the upper castes, making them impure. Whereas the afternoon sun does produces a short shadow, a Dalit may however enter the village in those times. Further, there are still a lot of villages in India where a Dalit is supposed to enter his own village with his FOOTWEAR IN HIS HANDS! And there is a lot more to narrate.
‘You may breed cows and dogs in your house,’ wrote Mr. M.C. Raja. ‘You may drink the urine of cows and swallow cow dung to expiate your sins, but you shall not approach an Adi Dravida. These people are still denied the use of public wells and tanks and at the same time stigmatized as unclean. They are still kept out of schools and colleges maintained by public funds and at the same time despised as ignorant and illiterate. They are still shut out from temples, and yet branded as ungodly and unfit to associate with. For access to public roads and even for spaces to bury the dead, they have to depend much on the capricious benevolence of their caste-Hindu neighbours.
Superstitions:
The Hindus believe that the celestial bodies are also gods. They also have wives and children. They some times marry HUMAN BEINGS ALSO! The details are as follows:
Surya (SUN): Father’s name: Kasyapa Prajapathi, supposed to be a man/ one of the originators of mankind. Mother: Aditi. Wives: Sanjnya, Chaya (literally, shadow) the daughters of Viswakarma, the architect of the gods.
Chandra(MOON): Father’s name : Saint Atri; Mother: Saint Anasuya (she is considered to be a woman worth worshipping by all women due to her extraordinary commitment towards her husband); Wives: Asvinyadi (daughter of Daksha Prajapati , one of the ancestors of the mankind) and guess what? STARS!!! All the stars are the wives of the moon!
Angaraka (MERCURY): Begotten son of Vishnu and guess what? The one and only, mother earth! It is mentioned in ‘Padma Purana’ that he was originally a man but became a planet through a very committed devotion towards Brahma.
Budha(MARS): (Not to confuse with Buddha!) Father: Moon! Mother: Tara (literally, star) Wife: Ila the daughter of Vivasvata Manu (one of the seven Manus)
Brihaspathi(VENUS): Father: TWO FATHERS! Brahma (not physical but mental father!) and Angirasa (one of the most popular saints). Wife: Tara (literally, star)He is popular for his wisdom.
Sukra(?): Father: Bhrig (a popular saint who is himself a MENTAL son of Brahma) Wife: Urjavvani (daughter of Priya Vrata)
Sani(SATURN): Father: SUN!, Mother: Chaya, Elder Brother: Yama (the god who is the in charge of hell and is responsible to give death!)
Rahu(?): Father : Viprachitti Mother: Simhika (supposed to be demons). He is believed to be responsible for Solar Eclipse! Every year, he swallows sun resulting in disappearance of sun for a while. Sun reappears after he vomits him back.
Ketu(?):Father : Viprachitti Mother: Simhika (supposed to be demons). He is believed to be responsible for Lunar Eclipse! Every year, he swallows the moon resulting in disappearance of moon for a while. Moon reappears after he vomits him back.
