[Assam] Evolving of Hinduism

[umesh sharma]

Mohan-da,
   
  Christians do NOT have a single authority. They have different Popes for different denominations - example - one for Egyptians Coptists, one for Greek Orthodox, one for Russian Orthodox --though the Roman Catholic one is more popular and has a larger following and an independent country to rule from. Protestants who are the majority of Christains in US or UK are in groups or coalitions -- who together are able to come up with policies affecting all. Their priests are good in gathering public opinions and using mass media - for improtant issues they consult the Popes also and get together to come up up with joint resolutions --maybe UN also learsn from their workings.
   
  Hindus should emulate them. US or UK based Hindu groups should start by having caste free temples and summer interships and workshops for kids -for idol management (for worship training there are already going on in some places). Other Hindus in India, Nepal etc will follow.
   
  Umesh

"Mohan R. Palleti" <mrpallet at ncsu.edu> wrote:
  Umesh:
Your thoughts on removing casteism is very commendable and thought
provocking!
One of the most difficult task to implement this is the fact that we do
not have a single authority or focal point to discuss the religion or
shall we say the "HIndu way of life". The Christians have a pope, The
Buddhists have a Dalai Lama, we do not have any one single person who can
impress upon the thousands of Hindu's across the world.

We have to elect one such member and invest him the sole authority to
speak for every Hindu. Votes should be based on priests from every temple.
Have regional authorities and then a national authority and then a global
authority.

We already have regional authorities in place like the Sankracharya's. But
this too should be based on a election and the elected Sankracharya's
should be well versed with National and International current affairs,
History, Should be able to speak Hindi, English, Sanskrit and should also
have knowledge of other religious beliefs.

We should have a Maha Sankracharya at a National Level and a Global
Sankracharya (maybe we can call him or her as the Vasudheika
Sankracharya).

Then we can have a sole source authority with assistants who would
interpretate the Hindu scriptures in a fair manner.

Casteism is not a birth right. Neither is a priest in a temple. Caste
simply reflects a person's professions and is not fixed. A priest in a
temple is a profession. If somebody else has the know how, even they can
do that. Problem is, there is no organised schooling for this profession.
Priests should have certifications too.


Once this polarization of castes takes place, it would also go away from
our society. In the long run, reservations should be for different
reasons, economically backward, very repressed folks. But with very strict
implementations. All current reservation certificates should be held null
and void. New reservation certificates should be isuued. Authorities
signing these certificates should be held responsible for falsifying
evidence. And the penalty should be very high. A couple of years of non
bailable jail term.
Anybody who is economically sound but has applied for reservaton should be
denied the facility. Reccomendations to reservation should come from local
temples first. The priests should be held responsible too for issuing such
a reccomendation. Evidence of property holding, number of educated people
in the family.

This way we will get local Hindu's registered and misuse of the
certificates would be stopped at the lowest level. Otherwise how do you
wean out affluent classes from mis-using these certificates and denying
the genuine ones.


Mohan R. Palleti



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Umesh Sharma
5121 Lackawanna ST
College Park, MD 20740

 1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]

Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005

weblog: http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/
 		
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