The Karhaadaa - What they are and what they are not
This type of writing is always a socio-anthropological and eventfully factual writing. It is not and cannot be a purely anthropological study which requires one to provide scientific data for comparing the qualities, attributes, characteristics, properties and physical information in general etc. which, for want of the same cannot be given here.
Especially while writing about this community, and after observing from a very close distance for about two or three decades, I came to a logical conclusion, that the very nature of study requires one to follow the metaphysical principles for their ever progressive and graceful existence from the historical period to this present time. It evinced the orderly system with keen discipline which is followed, nurtured and cultivated through generations after generations in this sensitive community. In every field, therefore, Karhaadaas contribution exceeds the proportional limits convincingly and effects of these are more durable.
It is therefore, natural for those who are, 5 to 8 times more or even 25 times more in population to be fighting Karhaadaas at every small field even and taking every bit of care as to how the natural competitor would not shine or come up by any chance. A variety of devices by those socially evil engineering have been followed. Not mentioning Karhaadaa name anywhere, plucking them out when thy look like peeping out, when one of them is a winner, mention his first name only (and not family name), so that it would cause them frustration and by continously experiencing which, they would lose the spirit of competition and vanish, show friendship with them for just engaging them to be unattentive for reality but keep self busy in cutting the grass beneath his feet; possess baneful heart for qualitative people chattering the mantra of friendship or unity with an eye on opportune time for a kick ups!!
I must stop repeating all those disgusting, antagonostic and discordant attitudes faced by qualitative Karhaadaas for years together and still they not only maintained their prestigous position as Dr. Enthoven had long back observed. That spirit is spread in dozens of fields with illustrious character and magnanimity! Never did they get drowned by the ugly tactics of those apparently behaving as competitors but inwardly rancorous and with full of corrupt practices on various levels.
It is here, that while studying the Karhaadaa community as such, we have to study the then social condition by which an upcoming Karhaadaa boy or girl was surrounded; and which appears similar everywhere. One may be in Hyderabad, far away in Sindhudurg village or Mumbai - Pune - go anywhere, they had to face people whose market value is always far less than face value!
The study further led me to the logical conclusion that these people, "Karhaadaa" by name, must have been possessing some exemplary properties (yes, I am using the word property which is a quality residing upon individuals that contributes to form a notion of character of a class. Quality connoting attributive factors is chiefly born out of inference.) Anyway, the point is, unless these people have had a traditional similarity in possessing properties which are individually cultivated almost in every Karhaadaa home and which has later on become a common property of the class or community, it would have been impossible for these people to mark their names with golden line in 80 - 90 fields with honour, dignity, magnanimity, reliability and unparallel trustworthiness. A tiny community could have got extinguished long back - had it followed the ways (elsewhere narrated) trodden by so called intelligent people!
My condition since my childhood gave me a rare status of being a self made man! Many personalities coming from similar background and conditions were interviewed by me. Many people belonging to past two generations got themselves established through continuous struggle against the situation created by their own and surrounding people. To my surprise, a majority of them were Braahmanas; known outside as upper class people. Since the study of any human being or their class is the study of ever changing functioning of human mind, which is believed to be conditioned right from the childhood, I found, seldom they pass any utterance against the people. This is a sign of a healthy persons healthy society. But I found some people or a group of such people who are possessing the ill-cultivated minus quality for other communities than their own for nothing of their own fault, but because of malice within.
I have with me, hundreds of examples to cite this type of enriched vicious mentality which has generated hatred through years for others. Here starts the fight among different groups of society. One could differentiate between a person full of malice and the community to which he belongs to. One should never allege any community as such for any individuals property of possessing minus qualities. Frankly speaking, one should be unmindful towards such fault finding culture! Then alone through such thorny shrubs a person could progress in several fields and go ahead on the path of practicality. This is a better way to spirituality without following any freakish trodden way of propagandists intellectuals!
This thought made me undertake quality wise study of the people. As I have explained at the beginning, quality of a community is based on observation of majority of people beholding that particular quality or qualities - may be genetical or circumstantial. Though circumstances were the same, why were Karhaadaas found distinguishingly different was also the point. For that I had to concentrate in finding out how, despite going through similar circumstances, Karhaadaas are not like those circumstantially found different type of people.
Therefore commenting on what Karhaadaas are and what (comparing with others having similar circumstantial condition) they are not; is very much interesting to see. Some points may here be overlapping to that of "Characteristics" which we have already seen; but this is an altogether different platform we have taken for our observations of their existance.
First of all they have a superb degree of mind setup i.e. innate. The self-esteem, self reliance, fully confident, understanding the importance of graceful existance, engaged in keeping themselves up for all the time; as they have respectful and strict observance for traditional values they do have better understanding of progressive attitudes, this has bestowed upon them the forget and forgive attitudes and they could immediately release their mind from all sorts of clutches which make them always free from any conditionalities and hatredness for others.
In fact, the spiritual quality, which make human mind to have strong feel of "all in me and I am in all", appears to be dwelling here in majority of Karhaadaa people. This has created their mind setup to be spiritually individualistic which condition is miles away from that of practically selfish and thus individualistic, the difference we have already seen in another chapter. This quality, again created in them, the gainfully superb and inferentially majestic which is a rare quality for practical life. They have avoided clashes, become unmindful for vicious attitudes and jealousy and kept themselves always free and detached from social evils. This quality again made them magnaminous, responsive, ablest in many fields, with superb sustainability, very much enthusiastic for public cause and above all following principled ways for life. Neither do they follow convenience, nor do aggressively coercive attitudanal faculties dwell upon them.
Being at the same times busy in eagerly achieving skill and knowledge in every human activity, many families have spent their lives in achieving the deeper level of every branch of humanly possible and known field of knowledge. Therefore, as per my list, Karhaadaas have marked their names in more than ninety fields of human activities and it appears, nowhere are they lagging behind any other communities; infact in many fields they are surpassing.
Even when they have had two Chief Ministers of big states, three speaker of State legislative assemblies and Lok Sabhaa and many eminent political personalities as Ministers, MPs and MLCs and MLAs etc., not a word about them that they were involved in dirty politics or political games or secretly keeping contacts with the opposition and thus pressurising one's own party head all the time etc. were heard. All these could never be with Karhaadaas. Even in politics they are as cleanest as they are in their personal life!
Straightforwardness, sense of propreity, modesty, learning in several branches, having self esteem and self reliant attitudes, illustrious bravery and prowess, sincerety, trustworthiness, faithful even in odds; endeavouring for all the times, spiritualisation of practical life and in the process, they fail time and again in achieving practical gains. It appears that the number of Karhaadaas having faith in non-deviating Godly plans and that we are just puppets in the hands of destiny are more than anything else. This made them passive for practical life which requires active race for all the times.
All these personal qualities appear to be flowering natural ones and they were experienced in true Brahmanic traditions; regarded as Brahmanic qualities, as if, inseparable properties! It is odius, to compare qualities residing on one substratum with that of another which are everchanging but simultaneously growing in contrast situations! Still then, in order to see how interesting it is to note that as to how a tiny community, living within same circumstantial situation could possess different qualities in different situations. Let us see.
Karhaadaas have full dedication, engrossed and merged as it were in the accepted work as duties etc. but one not stuck up to it for futurustic gains, ready to leave it anytime, whatsoever the loss in leaving it may be there. Never surrendering to the wicked. Taking every care that oneself is not a troublesome or injurious fellow for others. It is very easy, therefore, to avoid a Karhaadaa. A slight insultative utterance, in which, if a third class person is trained, then such utterances together with ability to speak any amount of lies is sufficient for throwing a Karhaadaa out of ones way, designed for needed selfish goal. Many intelligentsia have done it for ousting Karhaadaas.
Possessing the conditioned mind for a very long time is not possible for a true Karhaadaa. No materialistic attachment exists and therefore the number of spiritually elevated personalities is greater in this community. Also therefore, the number of persons living relatively long life is more in this community. Their voice quality is distinctive. Tonality is sweet and assured. Their movement is dignified and not meek! They have assimilative mind quality and therefore they can identify themselves with others, weighing self equally with others. No Karhaadaa is engaged in self-glorification business. He would never try to display his quality in public for planned gains. It is more among Karhaadaas that they are partial with quality rather then any personality. Therefore, there is no personality cult or iconic endeavoring. No glorification of a person even if he is qualitative, belonging to his own caste/relatives etc. Earning money through dirty games or politics by falling to any mean level, position, money and fame earned by following morally reprehensible acts are not considered good in this community. If beneficial, causing mental injury even to a friend or calling a person conveniently as friend and keeping up relations till the selfish end is achieved all these things are not even in the dreams of Karhaadaas. Appeasement of the bosses to any level and skilfully engineering to pull him down when more benefit is at sight is also considered inhuman in this community. Creating illusion on the people's mind that the leader/King is putting the Badshah, the traditional enemy under control and secretly acting through an ambassador for self gain is not considered in this community as a sign of graceful polity! Karhaadaa would never go on acting as engaged in work in front of the owner keeping an ignominious mind hidden. They are one in speech and action and always away from undeserved and cheap popularity for nothing!!
I have seen many Karhaadaa families and persons suffer losses for strictly and sometimes excessively following the quality way. Living life is a practical phenomenon. It requires to deal with the necessary principles of practicality. There is a gradual change in this direction, but I am sure, the Karhaadaa will keep up the peculiar and essential traditional character, the degree of excellence, distinguishing attributes, everything intact and they will never be the imitators of present day general trend established by so called intellectuals. As they are aware, when the shadows of pygmies are made appear bigger, over stretching the limits beyond proportion; the darkness over society thickens.
Although interesting, I would not go for discussing the primary causes which have created the present day extreme selfish trend in society, but surely would point out those trends with strong hopes that no Karhaadaa would follow these!
Main reason for this trend is a weak perceptibility and poor judging ability among people in general; which has increased the number of sciolists i.e. people gaining expertise in showing the superficial show of learning has been awfully and unbearable increased. Nepotism and even sub-castism had a purpose and need to help this out. Since both of these enemies are complementary to one another, there is no effective measure, for eradicating this evil meted out right from early period to this date. Therefore, the ugly display of so-called intelligentsia has become the characteristic of the society. This has further resulted in increasing the number of these type of people in every field, in which a person who deserved to be ranked after 20 has become the expert through media, judging the real gem. A person in public organisation or any office selected to be heading the organisation is adorned with the fluctuating quality of his/her being ready to work under the thumb. No real gem in society would be ready for this. Therefore, the offices are full of people (called work-force), are mostly free from any intelligence, active interest, strong desire, filled in or loaded with information or required knowledge for his required job-activity and result oriented active role in actual work. Main reason that banking intitutes in Co-Operative fields, proudly run by so-called intelligent people are collapsing is this only, besides their greed and short sight. A person working in media, is mostly found poorer of rich information in his own field with capability of effective logical interpretations. The intelligent company owners have long back found out a way to provide the media with informative pamplets which are supplied to the readers. A creative journalist is already execrated and condemned. The society built on this type of provision of thoughts and atmosphere is crumbled within; it has almost lost its creative faculty - which is often subjected to harsh and crushing criticism. Dynamism has long since vanished due to the dictatorial atmosphere created by sciolists.
The present day scene of caste-wise integration by observing village - Taluka - District level organisations that are coming up fast is the direct result of the present day situation of society which is disintegrated on several counts and for several reasons. This is the direct result of our habitual social training which has stopped inquiring constantly into oneself the following - "Have I stopped ill thinking caused mainly due to jealousy about others?" "Is it the fact that I have always been carrying with me good wishes for others?" "May not be bodily aggression but is it really a fact that all sorts of ill-thoughts about my surrounding people have been vanished?" "How many times do I speak only the truth?" "Do I observe that all my expenses are carried by my own earned money?" "Am I not using office phone and office stationery for self?" "How much do I possess tolerance for others opinions?" "Have I achieved transparency of mind?" "Am I keeping my relations with others with a view of my convenience?" "With how many humanitarian good qualities do I have friendship?" "Have I ever understood that self-esteem, self-reliance, self-glory are the most required qualities for a viable personality?" "About whom do I think more - people and their relations or nature and my relation with it?" ... dozens of questions that have kept people away from the natural humane qualities and today we experience in public life that there is a constant glorification of minus qualities. Arrogance and insulting attitude is considered straight forwardness today, mockery is supposedly taken as humour, privately praising and publically repremanding is thought to be an appreciable quality of a shrewd manager, excessive hypocrisy is termed as polity, timidity is glorified as behavourial flexibility! Jealousy is termed as necessity for competitive spirit! Wickedness is glorified as tit for tat policy, the activities of Gundas or even murderers are described as feelings of oppressed people, appeasement of any sort is taken as humility. There is an acute competition as it were to plead whichever is a known bad element for a good society. Not one or two, this is what is short in todays picture of public life. The good in society is fast eroded and the real qualitative people, tongue tied as it were are behind the curtain. Who is responsible for this? A person who has not fallen in line with today's trend of social behaviour is fast eliminated.
As per my notes, I am yet to find a Karhaadaa person living public life who has fallen in this line. I think this is a great quality of a person being in public life, living in todays practicality and not being subjected to attitudes prevalent at that time.
I found the Karhaadaa in general, with following specialities - They are yet to realise, that, the practical side for living life is also important. No doubt that spiritual contentment is far richer than the practical pleasing gains, but one has to skillfully balance both of them. They are lacking in taking living as enacting in drama. The practicality requires a person to be a skillful actor, enacting the roles conveniently in public life. They are away from deceitful planning in which a customer, a client, patient friend or even relative is also subjected to be deceived with skillful planning. We must be abler in practical life to control our irritations, insults, wrath, for futuristic gains aimed at eliminating our opponents. In practical life groupism, lobbying, untruthfulness, wearing a variety of masks conveniently, skill in enacting different roles at different situations in all these Karhaadaas are lacking, unless the cultivated, strong feel of groupism is there, you cannot do any noteworthy thing for your community. Mere establishing districtwise community sanghas is not effective. They appear to be inactive in many things such as naming roads, different institutions, activities on the names of eminent Karhaadaas, seeing the names of qualitative Karhaadaas appear time and again in media, atleast trying to brush out the undesired pictures of qualitative Karhaadaa and establishing true picture in media is required to be religiously seen by active Karhaadaa person. The qualities on a personal level prove to be faults on group level resulting in their passivity for their own people. Being a principled person, no Karhaadaa would do a lobbying job. "Prove your quality and get selected or elected" is the policy of normal Karhaadaa. As the middle class Karhaadaa is recently coming up, during last 50-60 years due to their own respective efforts. They have now started exchanging experiences and writing about themselves etc. No Karhaadaa Sangh has full information about Karhaadaas residing in their jurisdiction. In order to continue themselves for years together, as it were, there is no vigourous move to enroll new members. Our groupism and resultant things is limited to only the sangh people. Some Karhaadaas out of their own affinity and love for community are approaching the sanghas, donating money and depositing the same in banks. The sanghas distribute the interest as per commitment. That is the main business which keeps them busy, besides arranging yearly one or two occasional gatherings of the members.
It has created a sort of tediousness and passivity. After 3-4 years an election for working executive body is held. About 7% to 10% members are voting for their members and thus, the same job with the same passivity starts functioning on the same line. No sangh has got any information about the eminent Karhaadaa personality, or praiseworthy collection of photos, stamps, reliable information about Karhaadaa persons. The passivity has reached such a height that unless there is a strong personal level invoking, they would not publish anything useful for Karhadaas even. Honourable exceptions like Karhaadaa Brahman Sangh at Agalpadi, District Kasargod, Kerala is there with much more efficiency, devotion, sincerety, love and affection for the true brotherhood they function there. They published a directory of South Canara Karhaadaa Brahmins, from Goa to Kerala; have 12,000 sq. ft. construction, and their sankrant festival runs for every Sunday during last two months of the Hindu year!
I think we are seriously lacking in many things. Many Karhaadaas individually accomplish much greater and glorious work than some of the Sanghas. Here too, I do appreciate, although many Karhadaas experience the same thing, they appear to be unmindful about these type of activities which cause them a great loss on group level and also the level of Sangh as an Institute!
By Awadhoot R. Hardikar
5 December 2007
Copyright © The Karhaadaa All rights reserved. | Terms of Use