“People who consumed cow meat were labelled as untouchable in ancient India and the words 'untouchability' and 'Dalit' did not exist in ancient Indian literature,” a senior RSS leader, Krishna Gopal said on Monday, 26 August.
Speaking at a book launch, Gopal, joint general secretary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), noted that even the Constituent Assembly preferred using the word 'scheduled caste' over 'Dalit'.
“It was the conspiracy of the British that the word Dalit percolated (in society).”Krishna Gopal, RSS Joint General Secretary
The RSS leader unveiled the books 'Bharat Ka Rajnitik Uttararayan' and ‘Bharat Ka Dalit Vimarsh' at the event. Culture and Tourism Minister Pralhad Patel was also present at the venue.
“The first examples of untouchability in India were the people who consumed cow meat being called untouchable. Even Ambedkar ji has written the same," said Gopal.
He said gradually this started percolating in the minds of people and a large section of the society was branded as untouchable. They were oppressed and insulted for a long time.
Gopal said that sage Valmiki, who wrote Ramayana, was not a Dalit but a ‘Shudra,’ and many great rishis were also ‘Shudras’ and they were highly respected.
In India, untouchability was banned through the Untouchability (Offences) Act 1955 which was later called The Protection of Civil Rights Act.
‘Roots of Untouchability in Islamic Invasion’
Gopal said that another example of untouchability was during the Islamic invasion during the time of Raja Dahir in the 8th century.
Dahir was the Hindu King of Sindh and was defeated by Mohammad-bin Kasim which marked the first Islamic invasion in India.
Gopal said that the queens of Dahir killed themselves saying they will become ‘untouchable’ if they were touched by invaders.
The RSS leader also said the “important goals”of Christianity and Islam were “to convert those who did not believe in their practice”.
“No religion that originated in India believed in such practice,” asserted Gopal.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)