Padma Shri recipient Garikapati Narasimha Rao, who is popular for his Hindu discourses in the Telugu states, claimed that Hinduism never advocated casteism and untouchability. He was speaking at a meeting organised by the Samajika Samarasata Vedika in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam on Sunday, June 25. The meeting was aimed at promoting unity among communities.
According to The Hindu, Garikapati, who was the chief guest at the event, said that “many sages were born in the so-called downtrodden communities.” He reportedly went on to say that unity among people would be strengthened when people of all professions were respected. He also released the book Nannu Chekkina Shilapalu, written by Hanumanthu Lajapathi Rai, former Vice Chancellor of Dr BR Ambedkar University. The book advocates for a casteless society.
But Garikapati’s own views are contradictory to his claims. He is known for propagating Brahminical ideology and defending the caste system and the Manusmriti, a Hindu doctrine that divides people on the basis of caste. In the past, Garikapati had termed the varnas “a golden system”, which ensured there was no “unemployment” in society. He went to the extent of calling caste a result of karma from the previous birth, and also criticised identity politics for attempting to destroy the caste system.
Yamini Krishna, an academician who critically examined his discourses, writes, “Garikapati’s strategy of camouflaging upper caste ideology as ‘logic’ and ‘common sense’ can be understood using what sociologist Satish Deshpande terms as the castelessness discourse of the upper castes. The upper castes riding on their privilege claim to have transcended caste, and are hence modern and casteless. The marginalised castes and their demands for social justice are looked down upon by the upper castes as illegitimate claims using caste identity. Thus, the social capital of the upper caste is completely invisibilised.”
Others present at the event include former minister Gowthu Shyam Sundar Shivaji, Uttarandhra Samata Sammelan convener Barla Venugopala Rao, RSS Saha Pranta Pracharak Janardhan Andhra University former Vice Chancellor G Nageswara Rao, and Uttarandhra Sadhu Parishad president Swami Srinivasananda.