Rahul Gandhi and the Congress have been talking about social justice for a while now, with aims ranging from equal caste representation to a national caste census. Gandhi added another dimension to his appeal on Saturday, referencing V D Savarkar in the context of Manusmriti as well as Eklavya, a notable archer from the Mahabharata who belonged to a “lower caste”.
During a special debate on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha titled ‘Discussion on the Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India,’ Gandhi stated that Hindutva ideologue Savarkar had said, “The worst thing about the Constitution of India is that there is nothing Indian about it.”
According to Gandhi, Savarkar desired that “the book by which India is run should be superseded by this book (Manusmiriti)”. “And this is what the fight (between the BJP and the Opposition) is about,” the Congress leader stated
Social justice organizations and Dalit activists condemn Manusmriti as being incompatible with the principles of the Constitution and claim that under it, women, tribal members, Dalits, and members of underprivileged groups were treated as second-class citizens.
While the Congress MP had previously spoken about Savarkar, his emphasis on Eklavya in his address was particularly significant. Gandhi spoke at length about how Dronacharya, a teacher to royals such as the Pandavas, refused to accept Eklavya as a disciple because he was born a “low-caste” Nishad; how Eklavya taught himself archery with the help of a clay image of Dronacharya as his guru (as per the Mahabharata); and how Dronacharya still had his way by demanding Eklavya’s right thumb as his due as teacher, ensuring he couldn’t use a bow and arrow again.
