General Observations pertaining to Maharashtrian Brahmins

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

Many MH-brahmins who still are grounded - are the most clearheaded and idealistic bunch of individuals. Many times, they are idealistic to the fault. As long as they do not show any political ambitions, they are highly revered in rural MH. Many are into social service and they also form the backbone of RSS cadre in MH (partly, most are OBCs). Leaving the yuppy MH-brahmins of Pune-mumbai aside, they do show great potential if they chose to take up their traditional role of social reform, counselling and entrepreneurship motivated by ideology. They can pursue political career in urbanized part of MH - the towns and cities. But their largest skill should be in their entrepreneurial and social-counselling. 

The vedshalas of Pune are extremely well-funded and yet many traditions are dying due to lack of interested pupils. The Saamaveda and atharvaveda tradition which was thriving in Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Kolhapur until 80s have not almost disappeared. So has many sub-traditions within rigvedic and yajurvedic schools. Society as a whole has been engineered to measure success by material wealth accumulated - this has enticed many brahmin youth (as most others, why blame them alone, hain ji?) away from ideals which their fathers and grand-fathers lived by. There needs a rejuvenation and dynamism introduced in society. 

Punjab is drug-ridden and truncated thanks to nehrus and indira and rajiv and congis. WB is in deep tamas. The ideological dynamism has to come from MH - but MH populace is fast becoming deracinated. Many non-brahmin sections are now rebelling against brahminical narrative of history (partly on the lines of dravidian faultlines, partly native and rooted rebellion - I welcome the latter). this has begun a churning and rattled the cage of MH-brahmins who were runnig away from reality living off their lives in cocoons. Most of the literary matter which this "upsurge" is churning out is drivel and BS. But this has nonetheless stirred the pot. I thank the orgs like Sambhaji brigade at least for this.  

I have been in touch with preservation of modi-script letters from Maratha period. all this is bringing out hidden history. While I am really enjoying the sections of society challenging the brahminical view which has dominated the historical narrative, I am also observing the backdrops of those who challenge, for not all are rooted - its a very delicate and necessary surgery. One wrong step and MH (and subsequently India) will spiral down along the DMK way and next 25-30 years will be lost. 

Know that Maharashtra is the only ideological fountainhead remaining among Hindus. Brahmin friends can help resuscitate that and make it lively again. I've always told this to my brahmin acquaintances - they owe it to dharma for their complacency in past 7-8 decades. If they can do that, they would have repaid their debt to our maataa and then could claim their right on Moksha.