Chandigarh (The Hawk): The ancient Indian social order, based on a fluid Varna-Jati system, was a brilliant way to achieve unity in diversity, and not an oppressive restraint based on race, color, or occupation. Unlike the pagan societies easily overcome by the early Christianity, the Hindu structure was robust, thereby posing a serious challenge to the Christian conversion machinery.
These were the views expressed by Dr. Jai Bansal, Vice President of Education, World Hindu Council of America and a senior alumnus of Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology and while interacting with the alumni, faculty and students on December 12, 2022 at Gandhi Bhawan.
He premised that the near loss of the 1857 war made the British realize that the Hindu social structure had to be weakened to ensure long-term sustainability of the British occupation of India.
Dr. Bansal discussed the various interlocking strategies that were used by the British to create artificial fault lines in the Indian society. The expository talk focused on the hierarchical caste system, built on the Spanish/Portuguese Sistema De Casta, as one of the most impactful strategies used by the British to weaken the Indian social order - the devastating effects of which are being felt by the Indian society to this day.
The interactive session was organized by the Departments of Gandhian and Peace Studies, Dr SSB University Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Swami Vivekananda Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies and NSS unit of Panjab University under the aegis of the PU Alumni Association under its Alma Bond series