Savarkar articulated 7 shackles that kept Hindu society chained. Savarkar’s anti-Casteism stance is unequivocal while Gandhi is at best ambiguous till 1940s after which he changed. Read to know how propaganda of “Hindutva” being “Brahminical” is polar opposite of reality.

7 chains restraining Hindus were-

• Vedoktabandi–No Vedas
• Vyavasaaybandi–Forced profession
• Sparshbandi–Untouchability
• Samudrabandi–No overseas travel
• Shuddibandi–No reconversion
• Rotibandi–No intercaste dining
• Betibandi – No intercaste marriage

Vedoktabandi

Savarkar strongly believed that the knowledge of the Vedas was universal and cannot be restricted based on anything let alone caste. If anyone has the aptitude discipline and desire then let him or her study it.

Vyavasaay bandi

Savarkar thought that a human should be free to choose their profession based on their merit, talent and nature. While Gandhi wrote in 1922 ” “hereditary occupation for maintaining societal order cannot be shaken”

Sparshbandi

Savarkar was clear that untouchability is sin. Compare this with Gandhi who in 1935 when there was a fight between shudras and savarnas in a village called Kavita in Gujarat on using common schools, advised the shudras to migrate away in order to keep peace.

Samudrabandi

This kept Bharat backward when Europe was in the age of exploration. A country like Bharat with a sea faring mercantile tradition and whose monarchs like Rajendra Chola sent war ships all the way to Malaysia should never have entertained this idea.

Shuddibandi

Savarkar saw that demography is destiny and if there is no means of ‘ghar wapsi’ there is no way you’ll survive. Compare this to Gandhi who played politics and got the greatest Shuddhikaran swami Shraddhanand killed . And he called his killer a brother.

Rotibandi

Look at the picture below. Savarkar was a firm believer in inter caste dining and marriage, while Gandhi made his son Devdas, wait for 5 years to marry Lakshmi, daughter of C Rajgopalachari, a Brahmin. Fortunately in 1940s Gandhi changed his views on caste.

Betibandi

This does not mean forced marriage. It means if a Hindu with desirable qualities such as love, character, and capacity to beget healthy offspring chooses a spouse from another caste, then such an alliance should not be condemned.

Contrary to what colonial imperialists and their Indian stooges say, the fact is that Hindutva has been the biggest anti casteism force. After 2014 we had a OBC PM, dalit and Adivasi Presidents. Secularists for all their “Brahmanical patriarchy’ glorify “Pundit ji”.

(This article has been compiled from the tweet thread originally tweeted by Itihasika – Indology (@itihasika) on November 4, 2022.)