MUMBAI (Reuters) - Indian teachers sprinkled cow urine on low-caste students to purify them and drive away evil, reports said on Saturday, in a country where millions of people remain oppressed at the bottom of the ancient Hindu caste system. Upper-caste headteacher Sharad Kaithade ordered the ritual after taking over from a lower-caste predecessor at a school in a remote village in the western state of Maharashtra earlier this month, the Times of India reported. He told an upper-caste colleague to spray cow urine in a cleansing ceremony as the students were taking an examination, wetting their faces and their answer sheets, the newspaper said. "She said you'll study well after getting purified," student Rajat Washnik was quoted as saying by the CNN-IBN news channel. Students said they felt humiliated. Hinduism reveres the cow, and its dung is used in the countryside as both a disinfectant and as fuel. In 2001, Hindu nationalists promoted cow's urine as a cure for ailments ranging from liver disease to obesity and even cancer. The newspaper said the two teachers were arrested after angry parents complained to police. They have been released on bail. India's secular constitution bans caste discrimination, but Dalits -- those at the bottom of the caste system -- are still commonly beaten or killed for using a well or worshipping at a temple reserved for upper castes, especially in rural areas. Dalits, once known as "untouchables," make up around 160 million
RE:Teachers
by Anand Iyer on Jun 12, 2007 01:48 PM Permalink
These things r holding back India from become a true superpower. The upper castes take these things very casually.
These attrocities must forthwith stop. India will suffer serious econmic consequences if Dalits r discriminated. If Dalits r given equal opportunity, India GDP will grow not at 9.4% but at 20% per annum.
RE:RE:Teachers
by Well Wisher on Jun 12, 2007 01:55 PM Permalink
Dear Anand, that was really a good observation. But i say, not only Dalits, but the people of other religions also should be treated equally, there should not be any discrimination based on castes or religions. Myself is a hindu girl married to a muslim guy. I don't have any regrets, my in-laws treat me as their daughter, i am treated equally like other family members. They don't discriminate me because of my religion. This discrimination is there only in Hinduism. I am proud that i am a daughter in law of a Muslim family.
RE:Teachers
by venkat on Jun 14, 2007 08:52 PM Permalink
Suppose your family is Shia and you want to be a sunni muslim, will your in laws allow that? Will they allow your children be grown up as hindus?
RE:Teachers
by Anand Iyer on Jun 12, 2007 02:32 PM Permalink
Yeah! Provided people of other religions behave. See www.faithfreedom.org/www.towelianism.wordpress.com/www.jesusneverexisted.com.
RE:Teachers
by Tinda on Jun 12, 2007 07:38 PM Permalink
Jaya jee: You will get a taste of their discrimination when you try to be bring up your children as HIndus.
RE:RE:Teachers
by Tinda on Jun 12, 2007 07:39 PM Permalink
Ask your inlaws if they are ready to give any girl from their family in marriage to a Muslim. You will get a taste of their secularism.
RE:Teachers
by Sarath Chandra on Jun 13, 2007 07:27 AM Permalink
Also when you make generalized statements like "hindu girls are attracted to muslims", you should be able to offer some kind of proof/sources. You are making the same kind of mistake like when people say "all muslims are bad".
As for your in-laws (or their relatives) not abusing you, I think 99.999% of human beings don't abuse anybody for anybody's religion and it's not really surprising (even the restrictions part). They would have been little tested in case you chose to raise your kids as hindus; but you didn't do that. Also I am not so sure you can claim it is such a free choice doing that to their wish. Raising your kids as hindus would prove you are free; as muslims doesn't prove anything.
I am not saying muslims are bad. I am saying over 90% of muslims are good (same as any other religion). My only contention is that none of your points lead to your conclusions, not strongly atleast.
RE:Teachers
by Well Wisher on Jun 12, 2007 08:26 PM Permalink
Why you people never accept when some good things are said about Muslims or any other religion. Regarding raising my children, I already have two kids and i am raising them as Muslims. My in laws did not push me for this, it's completely my Choice. This is the only true religion on earth. Yeah, there are some who are doing wrong in the name of religion, but good and bad people are present in every religion. We cannot blame the entire community for the wrong doings of some people. Not only me, some of my other friends also happily married to muslim guys. Why do you think the Hindu girls are getting attracted towards Muslims? Before raising the fingers at other religions first look at our own religion. So far i have not come acrossed any one in my family (in-laws) who abuse me for my religion. I am free to do whatever i want, i can go to mandir also there are no restrictions from anyone. Most of us have very wrong image of Muslims, even i too used to beleive that muslims are not good based on the their image projected by the media, specially BBC & CNN. When i got married in a muslim family, to my surprise i found them very loving and caring. What i heard and read about them is absolutely wrong.
RE:Teachers
by Sarath Chandra on Jun 13, 2007 12:15 AM Permalink
Jaya, you said many things (most of which I agree). In the middle somewhere you interjected phrases like "this is the only true religion in the world".
You are basing your observations on a muslim-by-birth family. But when you want to defend a religion, you must base it on its principal book. The families you experienced may not be following the quran by letter.
All that is hogwash. But I think when you say "This is the only true religion on earth", you must give much more justification than you and your friends being happy with muslim families and guys. I am happy with all my hindu friends and families and also christian friends and families, could I say "so and so is the only true religion on earth"?
RE:Teachers
by Sarath Chandra on Jun 12, 2007 05:17 PM Permalink
I think discrimination is a much more major issue in hinduism than other cultures. Other cultures seem to have it too, but not as much part of living systems as we do.
RE:Teachers
by Anand Iyer on Jun 13, 2007 12:06 PM Permalink
Jaya, Yours is an exception case.Thefamily in which u married a nice people no doubt. These r Exceptions prove the rule. Visit www.faithfreedom.org, www.towelianism.org and understand facts. Dont jump to conclusions. Understand the real problems with Islam and secure the future of your kids. U surely dont want them to get indoctrinated by Jehadis. Do u? The modus operandi of Jehadis r to convince muslim boys that Quran preaches Violence.
In fact, let your kids grow up as rationalists than as part of any religion. I am going to do just that.
RE:Teachers
by Sarath Chandra on Jun 13, 2007 04:35 PM Permalink
Yeah, some of the verses in quran scare me too. It surely seems to have more terrorist leader's rantings than religious teachings. I am surely saying muslims are bad. I am only saying that if you follow quran to the letter, you have to be violent without a choice. In this way, I am little less scared about christianism as, though bible's target is to spread the word of god, it doesn't preach violence (I may have missed a few things here and there, but surely not as prominently as quran). Hinduism doesn't even talk about trying to bring other people into hinduism (so this issue does not exist here).
RE:RE:Teachers
by Sarath Chandra on Jun 13, 2007 04:37 PM Permalink
correction, the 3rd sentence should read "I am surely NOT saying muslims are bad".
And Anand, I am not sure exceptions prove the rule. But if people are good, they are good, it doesn't prove that their religion is not good. For example, if sachin tendulkar is rich, it doesn't mean all mumbaikars, or all hindus, or all "kars", or whatever else, are rich.
RE:RE:Teachers
by Anand Iyer on Jun 13, 2007 12:08 PM Permalink
It should read www.towelianism.wordpress.com. Nice rationalist website.Another rationalist site is www.mukto-mona.com. Regards
