Gandhi's harijana movement
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
Conversations and Morning Walks
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Every father loves his son. Therefore this is contradictory. He is blind, but he has called... (microphone rattling)
Indian: He has no locana.
Prabhupāda: And he has called Padma-locana. Similarly, this harijana movement is a farce because they remain the Cāmāra and Bhangis, and still they are called harijana. The same thing. No locana, but padma-locana. Everyone has got right. You can become the most advanced devotee. There is no hindrance. But they must be trained up as harijana. Not that artificially you simply rubberstamp harijana. Therefore that movement is failure.1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Bhakti-caru: Photo?
Prabhupāda: Which photograph is it?
Bhakti-caru: That Amritsar. The "One Hundred Million Harijanas Pick a New Messiaḥ."
Prabhupāda: Read that whole thing.
Bhakti-caru: "As the nation observes this week the death anniversary of Dr. Amritsar, it behooves our news research to face a challenge 'for the plight of this downtrodden community.' " [break] "The story of the vast quantity of harijana in this ancient and illustrious land is a miserable story of shame and sorrow. Harassment and humiliation, operation and separation, poverty and pity. The harijana problems is not merely a social or religious or economic or political one. It is a complex problem involving many factors. It is, however, the most baffling national problem, posing a great challenge to the leaders, rulers and people of India."
Prabhupāda: On the whole—you read this article—why not say that "We can lead you to the highest perfection of cultural, social, religion." It will be...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You want us to write a letter to the editor?
Prabhupāda: Not editor. The person who is the leader. Means the harijana movement. They are feeling frustration. Now we can give them the light.
Bhakti-caru: Actually it was written by one professor, K.H.A. Parthan.
Prabhupāda: So write to him. On the basis of
- māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
- ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
- striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
- te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim
- [Bg. 9.32]
"According to Bhagavad-gītā, we can lead you and make your life successful."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One problem I see... Of course, I haven't read the article in any detail, but generally they very much oppose—of course, unrightly so—they very much oppose the delineation of "śūdra." They are śūdras, these harijanas. But...
Prabhupāda: But it doesn't matter. We shall elevate them to go back to home, back to Godhead. Whatever he may be. Striyo vaiśyas tathā śūdrāḥ [Bg. 9.32]. Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣayaḥ [Bg. 9.33]. Simply by denying that "I am not śūdra," that will not help. But they must be elevated to the standard of brāhmaṇa. That we will talk later on. But we have to convince that "This world movement is going on to make the human society to the highest perfection of life. If you join, we can help you." To the perfection of life. On the basis of Bhagavad-gītā. There is no difficulty. That we can do.Prabhupāda: Well, address him, that Dr. ... We are actually doing all over the world. Why not here?
Bhakti-caru: But the thing is Dr. Amritsar is dead now. He was the leader of the harijanas.
Prabhupāda: Whoever may be, but they could not do anything. Neither they can do. They do not know how to elevate them. We know that. We can help. And we are actually doing it. The idea is they are feeling frustration for want of leader. We are prepared to guide them. To the highest perfection of life. (pause) The defect was Gandhi started this harijana movement, keeping them where they are, and at the same time, changing by rubber-stamp, "harijana." That must be failure.Prabhupāda: If we do not take mathematics as it is, and if we interpret "Two plus two equal to three," that is rascaldom. "Two plus two equal to four," that is everywhere.
Mr. Rajda: Quite right. Everything is right. Now only put some concrete proposals, how do we want to proceed in this...
Prabhupāda: The proposal is there. Here it is already done. The same principle, the four things, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru, mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ [Bg. 18.65]. These four principles, what is the difficulty? But if you are determined, "No, we shall not follow," then who can educate you? There is no loss. And if there is some gain, why not take it? We have to educate so many young men. So I think that harijana movement... You can bring that... That one gentleman, Dr. Parmar(?), you know him?
Mr. Rajda: Dr. Faramar?
Prabhupāda: Yes?
Mr. Rajda: Faramar, I have... Yeah.
Prabhupāda: He has regretted that "Government has spent so much money and we have tried, but we could not improve our position."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This gentleman that Śrīla Prabhupāda was mentioning is named Professor Parmar. He's written one article.
Prabhupāda: Profess... Professor.
Mr. Rajda: Professor Parmar. Ah, ha, that is...
Prabhupāda: He is the same man?
Mr. Rajda: No, that's a different.
Prabhupāda: So they are hankering after for improving. Everyone is hankering. So let there be a demi-official, a regular institute to teach people the principles of Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Bas. Don't distort it. Don't amend it. As it is. What is the objection?Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
Page Title: | Gandhi's harijana movement |
Compiler: | Labangalatika |
Created: | 30 of Jan, 2009 |
Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=1, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=4, Let=2 |
No. of Quotes: | 7 |