Friday 29 December 2017

The Brahmin Priest

I have always wondered anout the modern Indian intellectual's demonizing the brahmin priest. In most folk tales, the priest is a poor man. That was probably the majority across the land.
Not sure how many of us have actually thought of how little priests in Hindu temples earn for all their study, discipline and practice. I think most modern Hindus, influenced by a combination of anti-saffron stereotypes in Indian movies and the occasional encounter with a rude or indifferent priest, have ended up buying into essentially the 19th century European anti-semitic anti-Rabbi hatred of Protestant fundamentalists as their own rational, realistic, Nehruvian, or whatever principled stand against "priesthood."
The more I think about it, and the more I remember all I saw on my Hampi trip, with the Navabrundavana, the "professors" meditating there, Hanuman with a book etc., and contrast it with our modern, hip "anti-priest" sensibilities, I think we have all been conned into hating a subaltern as an oppressor. Five thousand rupees a month of work after years of study.
That's what a one hour 'spa' at vivanta would cost (not that I have tried it, though I am often tempted by it).
And yet this poor class is blamed for every single act of goondaism in India by the scholarly professions and activists.

No comments:

Post a Comment