The news of a Muslim professor being barred from teaching Sanskrit at BHU and now the attack on a Dalit professor who supported his colleague brought back the memories(somewhat blurred) of a legend in my family told by my maternal grandmother.
This was the early 20th century. There was a Kannada Brahmin run Sanskrit school in Kasaragod(now part of Kerala). They had a requirement for a Sanskrit teacher. The school was government aided(Madras Presidency) and hence the district collector had some say in the recruitment. One of the applicants was my grandmother’s uncle.
The collector at that time was a Malayali Muslim(probably a Beary). He forwarded my great-great uncle’s name. He supposed to have commented, “Why would it be always them? There should be one of us too”. Thus this g-g-uncle became a teacher there.
Once there was Saraswati Pooje in the school. The casteism was still strong in many spheres and religious functions were one of them. One of the students of my g-g-uncle came from a caste which was not allowed to be part of these functions. Now, the Malayali caste system was more complicated than it was in other parts of India. The non-Brahmins treaded Savarna-Avarna lines at different levels(or steps) without clear demarcation.
The priests ordered that boy to stand outside the class while the pooje was being performed. My g-g-uncle protested it. They didn’t budge. Then he also went out along with the boy saying, “If my student doesn’t have a space in the function then there is no place for me too”.
This was the early 20th century. There was a Kannada Brahmin run Sanskrit school in Kasaragod(now part of Kerala). They had a requirement for a Sanskrit teacher. The school was government aided(Madras Presidency) and hence the district collector had some say in the recruitment. One of the applicants was my grandmother’s uncle.
The collector at that time was a Malayali Muslim(probably a Beary). He forwarded my great-great uncle’s name. He supposed to have commented, “Why would it be always them? There should be one of us too”. Thus this g-g-uncle became a teacher there.
Once there was Saraswati Pooje in the school. The casteism was still strong in many spheres and religious functions were one of them. One of the students of my g-g-uncle came from a caste which was not allowed to be part of these functions. Now, the Malayali caste system was more complicated than it was in other parts of India. The non-Brahmins treaded Savarna-Avarna lines at different levels(or steps) without clear demarcation.
The priests ordered that boy to stand outside the class while the pooje was being performed. My g-g-uncle protested it. They didn’t budge. Then he also went out along with the boy saying, “If my student doesn’t have a space in the function then there is no place for me too”.
