Racial and class discrimination in the BKWSU

This post was moved by an Admin from another thread to centralize discussion and documentation of such a topic as the matter of caste in India and class in the West has arisen on a number of occasions. The thread was not started by the individual below.

Do you think any BKs are caste Brahmins, if so what proportion for which caste?

Although it is one of the positive achievements of BKs and PBKs that they have helped in reducing casteism at least amongst themselves, but casteism is so deep rooted in India that I doubt if all BKs/PBKs (especially those from the upper castes of Hinduism) have fully renounced it. Although most BKs/PBKs might not bring caste considerations while dealing with fellow Brahmins, but I doubt if all BKs/PBKs (especially those who had been/are upper caste Hindus) act without caste considerations while dealing with the lokik people. It requires a high level of spirituality/soul consciousness in India to treat the lower caste Hindus on par with the upper caste Hindus.

I don't think any caste based census must have been conducted among the BKs/PBKs, but there are many Hindu Brahmins who have become BKs/PBKs. Although they do not face any difficulty in adopting to the BK/PBK way of life because of their Brahmin background, but they do face difficulty in convincing their relatives about the rule of consuming self-cooked food. This is because the Brahmins in India consider themselves to be the purest ones and many of them do not accept food cooked by the lower caste Hindus. So it is a shock for them when one of their relatives tells them that they cannot eat food cooked by them.

In contrast, the non-vegetarian and lower caste Hindu people who become BKs/PBKs face some difficulty in adjusting with the food related rules. Although the lower caste Hindus who become BKs/PBKs feel good with their new-found superiority due to the inculcation of the BK/PBK way of life including purity/celibacy, but back in the lokik world, they are looked upon suspiciously by the upper caste Hindus. Some such BKs/PBKs have to listen to some casteist remarks also.

Regards,
OGS,
Arjun

Hi, somehow after Honeymoon Period, I began to notice there were caste discriminations being carried out within the BKorg, both in India and in the West.

Also several Brahmins told me they felt discriminated because of their nationality and skin tone. Typical lokik stereotypes are also often utilized to explain behaviours of certain races, continents cultures and religions (lazyness, being prone to lust or attachment) and justify the lack of results in service in certain areas.

No doubt rich people get a different privileged treatment in centers and Madhuban and don't get pressured about doing karma Yoga. Baba said that part of the training for spiritual progress, is letting go of the attachment to position, and HE stimulates flexibility in roles. Contrary to that, I have seen how roles are not usually interchangeable; someone with more power decides who you are, sticks a label on you and decides from now on how you can be used in Baba's service.

Very few instruments are intelligent enough to stimulate a flexibility in roles, probably because if they left space to someone who normally does menial work, this would imply renouncing lecturing, gaddhi etc. from time to time and start washing the dishes or wiping the floor.

Looking forward to your comments, experiences and solutions

If you give enough money you will get a personal meeting ... fact.

If your poor and Indian, you cannot sit near the front ... fact (BapDada meetings).

Dadi Janki seems to fear Western men .

I am sure skin tone is a factor amongst the indians, it's a big thing in their culture.

But the main example of prejudice and discrimination you did not mention is sexism.

Most surrendered men are either tokens or slaves (either for show i.e. talks and photos or they are chair shifters). Very few get to be administrators or in centres, and most administrative roles they do get are functional, related directly to their professions (like accountants). I can think of very few who take decisions about the spiritual core of the teachings.

When LeccyRaj gave control to the Shaktis, I don't believe he intended for them to become elitist in their approach to men in this way. I doubt he would have told them that men cannot play any useful role on this level. It was more his intention that women should be uplifted but not at the deliberate exclusion of men.

Very true about money. Like in a stadium you can buy different tickets for a match. Personal meetings, front of the stage seats ...

Women in front, we were also explained, was also a yukti for minimizing frontal attacks from anti-parties, relatives and enraged mobs. Like placing children at the front row of a demonstration, it provides an aura of innocence. Adversaries think twice before manhandling weaker people such as women and children. As usual, a façade and totally misleading, because I don't see any exquisitely feminine sanskars in most SS and those having some position (compassion, unconditional love, softness). Actually, they show very masculine sanskars and behaviour (ambition, competition, power struggles).

In Indian centers, not all, but I've seen it often; hierarchies are pretty outstanding, the in-charge is like a queen bee and younger or lower caste Sisters, are merely doing karma Yoga, running around to tend her and the center. I noticed also that in some places, senior Brothers are also treated as lords and allowed to roam around Sisters centers or share premises, and be served. It always felt to me that this degraded form of "respect", was granted on the basis of social position, not gained by spiritual merit or serviceability. Very Kaliyugi indeed and unpleasant to witness.