Skip to main content

Pro-Modi scholar: Manu Smriti never supported caste system; Ambedkar, others quoted its "fake" version

By A Representative
A top protege of Prime Minister Narendra Modi living in the US, Rajiv Malhotra, who is widely regarded as one of the foremost theorists of Hindutva, is out to create yet another flutter, this time insisting that there is a need to “understand Manusmriti as per Hindu interpretation”, and for this one should “read Agniveer”.
The article Malhotra wants people to read is titled “Manusmiti and Shudras”, posted on the website http://agniveer.com/, and authored by Sanjeev Newar, who says that “Manu Smriti hails from an era when even the concept of birth-based caste system did not exist”, adding, the treatise “nowhere supports a social system based on birth.”
Supporting the article, Malhotra has tweeted, he rejects caste as alien to Hinduism and it should “not to be mixed up with varna”, which according to Newar is “derived from root word ‘Vrinja’ means ‘Choice’,”, adding, “A similar usage happens in common used word ‘Varan’ meaning ‘choosing’ or ‘Var’ meaning a husband chosen by the girl.”
Malhotra was recently involved in an ugly controversy when his book “Indra’s Net” was charged with plagiarism, and one of the scholars who took strong exception to was celebrated Indologist Andrew J Nicholson, author of “Unifying Hinduism”.
Nicholson said, “Malhotra does not know Sanskrit, so he has to rely on others who do in order to amass the raw materials he needs for his books”, and “twists the words and arguments of respectable scholars to suit his own ends.” Malhotra has denied plagiarism charges.
The controversial new interpretation of Manu Smriti comes when Dalit leaders, starting with Babasaheb Ambedkar, as also senior scholars of Indian history and culture like Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya, have long unanimously accepted that the treatise is the first codified text on ethics and laws which promote blatant casteism.
Suggesting that the Manu Smriti which is being quoted by Dalits and other scholars of Indian history to suggest that it favoured caste system is “full of interpolated/ adulterated verses that were added much later for various reasons” and that “almost 50% of Manu Smriti is actually fake”, the article says, “Interpolation is not a problem with Manu Smriti”, but has taken place with “Ramayana, Mahabharat, Bible, Quran.”
Alleging that Ambedkar for “tactfully desisted” from calling Manu Smriti “adulterated”, the article characterizes the founder of Dalit movement “myopic”, saying, “It did stir up an anti-Manu movement and created political careers for many a politicians, including Ambedkar himself.”
Agniveer agrees, “The entire Dalit movement of modern times is based on foundations of protesting against ‘Manuvaad’,” adding, “While Manu is hero for casteists, Dalit leaders typecast Manu as a great villain. Copies of Manu Smriti are burnt en masse to showcase love for backward sections of society by likes of Agnivesh, Mayawati and many more.”
Claiming that “most of these Manu bashers perhaps never ever gave Manu Smriti a serious reading”, the article seeks to refute the view that “Manu founded the caste-system based on birth”, that “Manu legalized harsh punishments for Shudras and special provisions for upper-castes and especially Brahmins”, and that “Manu was anti-women and condemned them”.
The article by Newar says, “Maharshi Manu took inspiration from Vedas (refer Rigveda 10.10.11-12, Yajurveda 31.10-11, Atharvaveda 19.6.5-6) and proposed a social system based on qualities, actions and nature of the individual.”
The article insists, “The biggest proof of Manu Smriti proposing Varna System and not caste system is that, in the first chapter of Manu Smriti, there is mention of origin of four varnas and no mention of castes or gotras. Had caste or gotra been important, Manu would have mentioned which castes belong to Brahmins, which to Kshatriyas, which to Vaishyas and which to Shudras.”
The article says, “This also means that those who feel proud in calling themselves Brahmins or upper-caste by birth have no evidence to prove so. They can at best prove that a few generations of their forefathers used to also call themselves upper-caste. But there is no way to prove that they were upper-castes since inception of civilization.”
It adds, “And when they cannot prove so, what right do they have to allege that a so-called birth-based Shudra was also not a Brahmin several generations ago? And that they themselves were not Shudras a few generation ago!”

Comments

Karigar said…
This is a sad excuse for an article. Why quote a hotch potch of tweets & fragments of articles? The purpose seems to be to summarily discredit the argument without seeming to do so. Rajiv Malhotra has many well known & quote worthy books videos & blogs. Why use out of context tweets at all when better material is so obviously available? The actual "agniveer" article is also much more coherent than fragments quoted here. Not to mention crass mislabeling RM as Modi's protégé, and mug slinging about the thoroughly debunked "plagiarism scandal ". On the whole, it appears like a condescending response to someone questioning some 'scientific' theory on "ManuSmriti is oppressive" that one believes in. No its not like laughing at someone who is saying "the earth is flat" and you being dismissive since it is well proven that the earth is round. The "oppressive manusmrti influencing Hindus" is closer to the "flat earth" theory than you may think. It is upto you to show evidence to uphold it.
Anonymous said…
Its an academic fact the British transformed the varna system into a caste system.

Even Ivy League scholars, like Nicholas Dirks, have said so.

So Rajiv Malhotra is completely correct.
First of all, Shri Rajiv Malhotra is not, to my knowledge, a "protege" of Narendra Modi. This obviously false statement immediately casts into doubt all of the material to follow. With regards to the actual material, it appears to me that the author is trying to defend the Manusmriti. Why undertake such a defense using a hodgepodge of tweets and out of context quotes, when in fact much better references and articles are themselves available for this purpose? To the author- please use discretion, judgement, integrity in thought, word, and deed, as taught by our own Dharmic traditions, as you continue in your quest to write articles of this nature. Moving forward, please post thoroughly thought out, well-researched material preferably peer-reviewed, prior to publication.
bharat narhe said…
Why your representative has no name(s)? Did he read Manusmruti ?

TRENDING

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor*  A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

Aggressive mining operations: With 70% of Maharashtra’s forest cover, Gadchiroli is on brink of environmental collapse

By  Raj Kumar Sinha*  A looming ecological and social disaster is unfolding in the forests of Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. Over 1.23 lakh trees are set to be felled for mining activities—an alarming development that has sparked widespread protests from Adivasi communities and civil society organizations. They are urging the state and central governments to immediately halt all mining-related approvals and operations in the region. They are also calling for a complete review of all clearances, including Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Detailed Project Reports (DPR), based on holistic ecological, hydrological, and social assessments. These groups demand that forest corridors and tiger habitats be recognized as protected areas, and that the laws under the Forest Rights Act (2006) and PESA Act (1996) be strictly enforced. Most crucially, they insist that decisions made by tribal gram sabhas be respected through transparent public hearings.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas*  Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Overriding India's constitutional sovereignty? Citizens urge PM to reject WHO IHR amendments

By A Representative   A group of concerned Indian citizens, including medical professionals and activists, has sent an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to reject proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) before the ratification deadline of July 19, 2025. 

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Farmer 'stripped, assaulted' by BSF jawan in West Bengal border village: Rights group urges NHRC to act

By A Representative  A disturbing incident of alleged custodial torture and public humiliation has been brought to the attention of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) by a leading human rights group, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), involving a Muslim farmer in a border village of West Bengal. In a formal complaint, Kirity Roy, Secretary of MASUM and National Convenor of the Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity (PACTI), has urged the NHRC to take urgent action following an incident that occurred on the morning of June 12, 2025, in Hakimpur village near the India–Bangladesh border under Swarupnagar police station, North 24 Parganas district. According to the complaint, 38-year-old Jahar Ali Gazi, a resident of Hakimpur Uttar Para, was on his way to his field in Kadamtala Math around 7:30 am when he was stopped by an on-duty Border Security Force (BSF) jawan near the 7 No. Outpost of Hakimpur Border Outpost (143 Battalion). The location...

The Empire strikes inward: Britain’s colonial legacy now targets its own citizens

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak   British colonialism may belong to the past, but the colonial mindset of the ruling elite in Britain persists. Today, these elites are applying colonial values and repressive political tactics not abroad, but to their own people. 'Home' is now where British colonialism is taking root—threatening civil liberties and undermining liberal democracy. The criminalisation of dissent has become a shared political practice across the Conservative and Labour leadership.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman*   The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.

Ecological alarm over pumped storage projects in Western Ghats: Policy analyst writes to PM

By A Representative   In a detailed letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, energy and climate policy analyst Shankar Sharma has raised grave concerns over the escalating approval and construction of Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) across India’s ecologically fragile river valleys. He has warned that these projects, if pursued unchecked, could result in irreparable damage to the country’s riverine ecology, biodiversity hotspots, and forest wealth—particularly in the Western Ghats.