Shetkaryaca Asud
| शेतकऱ्याचा आसुड | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mahatma Phule |
| Original title | Marathi |
| Translator | Gail Omvedt |
| Country | India |
| Language | Marathi |
| Genre | Dalit Literature |
Publication date | 1881 |
In 1881 Phules' major critique of the joint exploitation of the Kshudra and Anti-Kshudra peasantry by the British and Brahman allieance in the bureaucracy, Shetkaryaca Asud("The Whipcord of the Cultivators") was published.
This book is written to give an exposition of a few of the numerous reasons connected with the religion and politics that have put the Shudra farmers in such a pitiable condition today. Due to the counterfeit and tyrannical religion, the dominance of Brahman employees in all government departments and luxury-loving indolence of the European government employees, the Shudra farmers are tormented and deceived by the Brahman employees. The intention of this book is to protect them from this, and so it has been given the name of Satkaryaca Asud(the Farmers' Whipcord).
Great quotes at the beginning of every section of the book
Introduction
- Without education wisdom was lost; without wisdom morals were lost; without wisdom morals were lost; without morals development was lost; without development wealth was lost; without wealth the Shudras were ruined; so much has happened through lack of education.
Chapter 1.
- Due to the dominance of the selfish Bhat-Brahmans in all government departments, they have been able to so deceive the ignorant farmers with the sham of their self-interested religion that they have no resources left to send their tiny children of school, and even those who have some resources have no desire to do so because they are misguided by the Brahmans.
Chapter 2.
- Since the white government bureaucrats are mostly in a stupor due to their life of luxury, they have no way of getting any information about the true condition of the farmers, and their overall carelessness allows Brahman employees to dominate all the government departments. Between the two, the framers and so much looted that they have no bread to fill their stomachs or clothes to cover their bodies.
Chapter 3.
- How the Arya Brahmans arrived from Iran and the prior condition of the Shudra peasants; and how the current government constantly levies all kinds of new taxes on the farmers in order to provide whatever pay and pensions their employees want; and how the farmers have been force into arrant indebtedness since their wealth is extracted with such great force.
Chapter 4.
- We begin this chapter not by discussing at first the ruined and pitiable state of the toiling ignorant farmers who labour night and day on the land, but rather will give on the occasion an idea of the true condition of those arrogant parading, indebted ignorant Kunbis who, because of having some mother's grandfather's aunt or father's great-grandfather's daughter given in marriage to an excellent expensive son of the Shindes or Gaikwads, beat the drums of being "Maratha" among the farmer of Mali, Kunbi, Dhangar etc. castes.
Chapter 5.
- Our suggestions to the Arya Bhat-Brahmans regarding the Sudhra farmers and the remedies which the current government should follow:--