On Basava Jayanti, a call
to move beyond caste arithmetic to rediscover the egalitarian traditions professed
and practised by Basavanna
In India, we often
celebrate our social reformers in ritualistic fashion, but rarely contemplate
practicing the transformative ideas they championed. One such social reformer
who we remember on his Jayanti (birthday) is Basaveshvara.
Today, 20 April, we
commemorate Basava Jayanti, the birth of the 12th-century philosopher, social
reformer, thinker, poet, philosopher and a saint, Bhagwan, Basaveshwara, also
referred to as Basavanna. He was born on Vaishaka Shudda Tritiya, Rohini Nakshatra
in 1931 CE, in the present-day state of Karnataka. Basava Jayanti, celebrated
across Karnataka, and in the bordering states and so also across the nation and
internationally by the followers of Basavanna, demands more than ceremonial
homage. It calls for a deeper reflection on how his revolutionary vision of an
egalitarian society stands in stark contrast to the increasingly
caste-fragmented political discourse of contemporary, “secular India”.
Basava Jayanti, this year
comes amid developments that once again highlight the fissures within our
polity. The Parliament witnessed the defeat of a proposed Constitution
Amendment Bill on the Women’s Reservation, post an acrimonious and sharp
political exchanges in the Parliament. The Prime Minister addressed the nation
through Doordarshan, offering apologies for the failure to pass the
legislation, even as the opposition accused him of misusing a public
broadcaster for political messaging in the midst of elections. This episode,
irrespective of partisan interpretations, underlines a deeper truth: the
secular democracy in India often operates more in letter than in spirit.
It is precisely in such
moments that the philosophical legacy of Basavanna and the deliberative model
of the “Anubhava Mantapa” acquire renewed relevance. Basavanna emerged
in an era when rigid caste hierarchies dominated social and religious life. His
response was a transformative egalitarian social movement rooted in equality,
dignity of labour, and universal humanism. The Anubhava Mantapa, an assembly of
mystics, philosophers, and social thinkers drawn from all sections of
society—women and men, Brahmins and Dalits, artisans and scholars, cutting
across caste, creed, gender and religion — was used as a Parliament like platform
to deliberate freely on spiritual, social, and economic issues. Anubhava
Mantapa therefore, has rightly been described as one of the earliest forums of
participatory democracy, where individuals transcended caste identity to engage
as equals and its existence was brought to international notice by PM Modi, who
talked about it extensively including during the opening of the New Parliament.
Today, when we see a
highly fractured polity in India with each accusing the other of divisive
politics, antagonistic to the secular ethos of our country - cultivating a
social ethos that transcend divisions of caste, creed, and community -
Basavanna’s 12th-century experiment become remarkable. In essence, Basavanna created a participatory
forum rooted in equality and dialogue, a democratic tradition far ahead of its
time.
Yet, centuries later,
India’s public discourse appears to move in the opposite direction. Elections -
whether parliamentary, state, or even local - are increasingly analysed by all
concerned stakeholders of our democracy through the prism of religion and caste
arithmetic. The 24×7 media ecosystem, with its endless panels and so called
“data-driven” commentary, routinely dissects the electorate into caste blocs.
Citizens are treated not as individuals with aspirations but as homogeneous
groups presumed to vote according to inherited identities. Analysts confidently
predict which caste will support which party, how sub-castes will shift
loyalties, and what numerical combinations might secure victory. Who gets to
sit on the CM Chair and how is that decision influenced by the caste and many
more. Such discourse does not merely interpret society; it shapes it leading to
the fissures in the society.
Through the 24x7 news coverage
of politics in India, by innumerable news channels, the citizens are repeatedly
told that their primary identity is caste. This messaging egged by its hyper-amplification
by the political class and such other vested interest groups, democracy risks
being reduced to demographic bookkeeping.
The language itself
betrays the distortion: instead of citizens casting their vote, commentary
implies that castes “vote” collectively, perhaps a harsh reality. But then this
subtle but significant shift transforms individuals into categories. In the
guise of sophisticated analysis, society is encouraged to view itself through
narrow lenses, reinforcing divisions that reformers like Basavanna perspired to
dismantle.
The consequences are
far-reaching. A polity that constantly emphasises caste divisions risks
creating ghettos of identity. Communities begin to see themselves as competing
blocs rather than participants in a shared democratic project. Political
actors, in turn, find incentives to mobilise along these lines, deepening the
fractures. The result is a cycle where social divisions feed political
strategies, and political strategies further entrench social divisions.
History offers a sobering
lesson. India’s long experience of foreign rule—particularly under colonial
powers—was facilitated by internal divisions. The British, with relatively
small numbers, governed a vast and diverse population partly by exploiting differences
of caste, religion, and region. Communities were pitted against one another,
weakening collective resistance. While contemporary India is vastly different,
the persistent emphasis on identity-based divisions raises uncomfortable
echoes. A society fractured along narrow lines becomes vulnerable—not
necessarily to external rule, but to internal discord and weakened democratic
cohesion, which shows up if we see it dispassionately.
It is in this context
that Basavanna’s message becomes extraordinarily relevant. He rejected caste
hierarchy outright, asserting that human worth cannot be determined by birth.
His concept of “Kayaka” emphasised dignity of labour, dissolving occupational
hierarchies. “Dasoha” promoted sharing and social responsibility, fostering
solidarity. Most importantly, the Anubhava Mantapa created a lived experience
of equality, where dialogue replaced division. Basavanna did not merely preach
unity; he institutionalised it.
Today as we celebrate Basava
Jayanti while navigating the West Asia crisis, let us draw inspiration from
Basavanna’s vision of a just and equitable society. As we honour Basavanna, may
I request those who are interested in a deeper understanding of the life and
works of Basavanna, to read my blog post from 2021, which delves deeper into
Basavanna’s life and legacy:
https://khened.blogspot.com/2020/04/basava-jayanti-birth-anniversary-of.html
Happy Basava Jayanti
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