Senior Congress figure Manishankar Aiyar dropped a political bombshell in Thiruvananthapuram on February 16, railing against Brahmanism, Thakurism, and Hindutva in remarks that have set social media and party corridors ablaze. Delivered to IANS, his comments blend personal anecdote with ideological fire, questioning entrenched hierarchies in modern India.
Aiyar, hailing from a Brahmin lineage, rejected ritualistic identity outright. ‘No one made me a Brahmin; it’s birth. I abandoned the sacred thread and evening prayers long ago. Shivanananda Ashram holidays made me challenge customs, not scriptures,’ he explained.
Labeling Hindutva a ‘corruption of Hinduism,’ Aiyar refused to be pigeonholed. ‘Calling me Brahmanist is like tagging Pinarayi as BJP—nonsense,’ he shot back.
He surprisingly backed Yogi Adityanath on Delhi’s toxic air. ‘As a resident, I’m shocked my breathing persists. Sole point of agreement with him,’ Aiyar admitted. With biting humor, ‘UP demands “Yogi-Yogi” chants,’ but he stressed pollution over politics.
On Thakurism, he pledged solidarity against feudalism. ‘If it’s anti-zamindari, anti-feudal—echoing Bihar—I’m aboard. Thus, ‘Down with Brahmanism! Down with Thakurism!”
The statement reverberates through a caste-conscious polity, bolstering progressive voices while inviting conservative ire. Aiyar’s defiance highlights Congress’s tussle with identity politics, potentially reshaping alliances ahead of key polls. His call for dismantling caste supremacy resonates with reformers, but risks alienating traditionalists, marking a pivotal moment in India’s culture wars.