Vada in Theory and Practice: Studies in Debates, Dialogues and Discussions in Indian Intellectual Discourses c11.s9: Debates on Social Issues
Vāda in Theory and Practice: Studies in Debates, Dialogues and Discussions in Indian Intellectual Discourses c11.s9
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Debates on Social Issues
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During eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries debates focused around social issues, emerging in the new political situation. One such issue was widow marriage. The Brahmo Samaj of Bengal, Prārthanā Samāj of Maharashtra and the Arya Samaj advocated in favour of widow remarriage.
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In Maharashtra, Pandit Vishnu Parashuram Shastri launched a vigorous movement for remarriage of widows with Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade as his active supporter. Narayan Chandavarkar in his speech at the Bombay Provincial Social Conference in 1901 is reported to have remarked:
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The movement created a stir in those times, and those identified with it held a formal discussion at Poona on the question of validity of widow remarriage according to Śāstras with His Holiness Śaṅkarācārya in the seventies of the last century. . . . Of course it was a foregone conclusion that His Holiness would decide against the combatants, but the discussion had one good effect, it drew pointed attention to the condition of Hindu child widow and several widow remarriages took place. All honours to late Shri Vishnu Shastri, the late Madhavdas Raghunathdas and to late Karsanadas Mulji for the courage with which they led the movement.⁷⁵
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Around 1850, the Brahmana Sabha of Bengal referred the issue of widow marriage to Pt. Rajaram Shastri of Kāśī. He issued a detailed document in refutation to widow marriage. The statements of some other *paṇḍits* were also included in this document and it was circulated along with these statements all around the country and was received with protests from several corners. The document was also published in book form entitled *Vidhavodvāhaśaṅkāsamādhiḥ* (Resolving Doubts on Widow Marriage). Rajaram Shastri obtained the consent of fifty-two well-known *paṇḍits* of Kāśī on his document. Baldev Upadhyaya (1994: 178) has produced the list of these *paṇḍits*. A point by point rejoinder against this document was issued from Mumbai. Upon this, Paṇḍit Bal Shastri of legendary fame, reissued the document of his *guru* Paṇḍit Rajaram Shastri with his detailed Sanskrit commentary incorporating his replies to the counter-arguments presented by the reformists (Baldev Upadhyaya 1994: 147-48). It was in this series of debates that Ishwara Chandra Vidyasagara wrote a treatise in Sanskrit in support of widow remarriage. Rākhaldas Nyāyaratna (1829–1914) also wrote a treatise against widow remarriage (Baldev Upadhyaya 1994: 331). There were similar treatises for and against sea voyage. In his *Pratyantaprasthānamīmāṁsā*, Pt. Madhusudhan Ojha discussed the validity of sea voyage for trips to other countries.
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After the death of the father of Rai Krishnadas, his widow was trying hard to marry her daughters. The marriage of the younger daughter was being solemnized, on the question whether the Dharmaśāstra would allow her to marry the younger daughter before the marriage of the elder one, Shiv Kumar Shastri gave ruling against it. He also returned the golden coin which the widow offered him. Lakshmi Chandra Agrawal, a young man of Kāśī was sent to London and study chemistry. After his return he wanted to launch an industry, but Agrawal Sabha of Kāśī started opposing him for his sea voyage. An assembly of *paṇḍits* was called, Shiv Kumar Shastri was invited, but he refused to come, saying that he will not agree to any decision in favour of sea voyage which the assembly is expected to make.
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Young scholar Shyamji Krishna Varma gave a number of lectures in Sanskrit on the reformist movement during 1875-77 before his departure to England.⁷⁶
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Dayananda in his *Satyārthaprakāśa* explicitly advocated widow marriage and favoured marriage between young boys and girls by mutual consent, and went to the extent of suggesting that the young boys and girls may marry on their own. Marrying them without their consent is behaving like animals.⁷⁷ There were debates related to moral dilemmas in literature too. *Śāstrārtha* has been leading to hermeneutics and emergence of cross-cultural perspectives.
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Inculcation of democratic values and spread of education amongst the lower castes led to an awakening and several socio-spiritual movements. Swami Nārāyaṇa was born in Ayodhya on 3 April 1781. He used to have discussions with local *paṇḍits* before migrating on his *kalyāṇa-yātrā* and is said to have convinced them of the practical soundness of Viśiṣṭādvaita philosophy. He visited as many as 187 sacred shrines during his journey for the spiritual quest and had discussions with several religious *gurus*. He received convincing answers to his queries from Swami Muktanand in 1799 at the Ramanand Swami Ashram at Loj, southern Saurashtra and was initiated by the Swami.⁷⁸ Chattambi Swamikal (1853–1924), a mystic and scholar, was born in a Nair family. He is known as *vidyādhirāja* (king of knowledge). He fought against the caste hierarchy and brāhmaṇa monopoly. He composed *Vedādhikāranirūpaṇam* — a treatise on examining the question — who are authorized to study Vedas. This and other books as well as the speeches by him led to the revival of self-respect amongst the lower castes.
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The lineage of saints and seers continued and there were re-visits to settled social and ethical norms. Sri Narayana Guru was born in a family of untouchables called Chaovan-Ezhava in 1856 in Kerala. He died in 1928. He wrote several works in Sanskrit and Malayalam. He was an Advaitin and initiated several meaningful reforms. In his *Nārāyaṇasmṛtiḥ*, he offers alternate views on the rigidity of caste and female education, etc.
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In 1911, the government proposed to issue an ordinance authorizing the lower-caste people to officially designate themselves as non-Hindus. This created a furor in Kāśī leading to a series of debates. A big conference was organized in Kāśī. Shiv Kumar Shastri was requested to preside over it. He gave a verdict that the untouchables will remain an indivisible part of Hindu society.⁷⁹