Should Manu fall? Roar on removing his statute at Raj HC premises

Rajasthan— When the western world celebrate Christmas, human rights defender in India celebrate the ManuSmriti Dahan Diwas. Because it was on Dec 25th, 1927, that B.R .Ambedakar fondly known as Baba Sahab -the father of Indian Constitution burnt Manusmriti, calling it the Book of inequality.

Manu's statue is standing tall at the High Court Jaipur premises for years now. Time and again, human rights supporters and feminist organizations have protested before the statue and demanded it's fall.

In October 2018, two women from Aurangabad city travelled to Jaipur and sprayed black paint on the Manu statue. The protest have been long and activists claim it will continue as long as Manu's statue and his philosophy propagating inequality in the society isn't demolished completely.

Petition in SC for removal of statue

A petition has been recently filed at the Supreme Court demanding removal of Manu's statute from the Rajasthan High Court premises. The petitioners RamjiLal Bairwa, Jitendra Kumar Meena and Jagdish Prasad Gurjar have moved the petition. The petitioners advocate Chetan Bairva submitted that Manu's statue was installed secretly as he is not a renowned person in India. It was installed on the permission of the then Chief Justice on 3 March 1989 and the permission was given by him to the then President of Rajasthan Judicial Officers Association, on the association's request. The petitioners said that Manu was the founder of a defective social system where people fought with each other. His book ManuSmiriti is discriminatory and puts the Brahmin class in a superior position above all the other classes.

Mass opposition across the nation

There was a mass uproar, hue and cry across the nation after the installation of statue and reports published in the prominent newspapers. Facing the pressure a full court meeting was held on 28/7/1989 which decided to remove the statue. However, a Jaipur based petitioner Acharya Dharmendra Maharaj and his associates challenged the decision at the High Court which ordered a status quo on the judicial officers decision on removal of the statue. The case is pending for adjudication for 30 years since.

Shlokas trigger class discrimination

The petitioners said in the petition that ManuSmriti is openly against the Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra community as well as women. It discriminates and spread inequality which is offensive and against the principles of the Indian Constitution. The petitioners said in the 10th Chapter of the Manusmriti it has been said that the lower caste people should be given only left over food to eat and worn clothes to cover their bodies. While in chapter 2 the 138th verse says that even a 100-year-old Kshatriya should pay respect to a 10-year-old Brahmin boy and treat him like a father figure. ManuSmriti bars Vaishya and Shudra varnas people to participate in government affairs as that could disrupt the society.

Shlokas preach subservience of women

Human rights defender Suman Devathiya in conversation with The Mooknayak asserted the teachings of manusmriti to be atrocious and highly offensive against the women and lower sections of the society. "To say that women should always live under the protection of men in her entire life -father in childhood, husband in youth and son in her old age is an obnoxious idea" Devathiya claims. Manusmriti bars widow remarriage, bestows supreme position to the Brahmins which is unacceptable. She says, it has been a long struggle to eliminate Manu's philosophy that is not only contrary to the principles envisaged in our constitution but also triggers equality, injustice and Caste discrimination. Suman who had spoken to Rahul Gandhi on the issue during his camping in Rajasthan for the Bharat Jodo Yatra, says even Rahul agreed that such a statue is a symbol of regress of human race.

Before ManuSmriti, anarchy prevailed by the MatsyaNyaya

Academicians specially political scientists however, have a different perspective on Manu and his code of conduct. Retired Professor of Political Science from Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur Dr. Girdhari Singh Kumpawat believes ManuSmriti has been hugely misrepresented over the years. "Manu is the progenitor of human race. He gave us the Saptang theory of state i.e the 7 organs that constitutes a state. His theory of Dharma and Dand neeti laid the foundation of law and order systematically in the society. Before that it was the Matsya Nyay wherein the bigger fish ate away the small fishes with survival of the fittest" Kumpawat told The Mooknayak. He also said that Manu represents a wise person who thinks rationally.

Manu symbolises human values and ideals

Historian and renowned author of many books on Sanskrit & Mythology, Dr. SriKrishna Jugnu emphasize that Manu's Smritis or the Dharma Shashtras influence every aspect of Indian life in one way or other. ManuSmriti covers the social responsibilities, duties and obligations of an individual in different stages of life. How a righteous king rules, punishes the criminals and transgressors of law in his kingdom , about social relationships between men and women etc . Jugnu says "Manu's text though ancient, cannot be ignored for its comprehensiveness".

Manu's work enlarged and polluted

Historians believe that Manu's text has undergone over the years, drastic changes since it's first appearance. Atleast 30 handwritten texts on it are found in different libraries. Every succeeding work is more voluminous that the proceeding ones as it contains a larger number of verses. This enlargement and expansion has been polluted by commentators and critics who spoiled it's sanctity by adding new verses. Commentators and scholars of eminence like KullikaBhatta, Buhler and Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati have admitted this.

Not one but 7 Manus

K.S Padhy a retired professor of Political Science from the Berhampur University, Orissa in his book "Indian Political Thought" mentions of 6 Manus. He writes "Besides Manu there are 6 other Manus who created the universe at different times. Each Manu in its own Epoch created and pervaded this whole universe, moving and the unmoving. The life span of the diety is around 12 thousand years and when it is multiplied by 71-it is called an Epoch of a Manu. The Epochs of Manu are countless and so are the creations and destruction of the universe".