The woman in the picture is Thenmozhi Soundararajan, an activist known for her anti-Brahmin views.
She is the one who designed the infamous 'Smash Brahmanical patriarchy' poster.
Recently, she went on an unhinged tirade against the ancient Indian Hindu practice of #Yoga.
(1/n)
She is the one who designed the infamous 'Smash Brahmanical patriarchy' poster.
Recently, she went on an unhinged tirade against the ancient Indian Hindu practice of #Yoga.
(1/n)
On November 10, Thenmozhi Soundararajan cast aspersions on the history of Yoga & claimed that it was used by Brahmins to oppress the Dalit community.
She made the remarks during a podcast titled ‘Conspirituality’, hosted by one Matthew Remski.
web.archive.org/web/2022111015…
(2/n)
She made the remarks during a podcast titled ‘Conspirituality’, hosted by one Matthew Remski.
web.archive.org/web/2022111015…
(2/n)
I sat through the 'atrocious' 1.5-hour-long podcast (so that you don't have to) and noted down some of the points by the anti-Brahmin activist.
She claimed that the practice of Yoga embodies centuries of oppression and conflict.
(3/n)
She claimed that the practice of Yoga embodies centuries of oppression and conflict.
(3/n)
“The Yoga practice that we see packaged in the United States is one very particular, consumable, superficial understanding of centuries of tradition that actually has much conflict and oppression inside of it.”
- Thenmozhi Soundararajan at about 20 mins into the podcast (4/n)
- Thenmozhi Soundararajan at about 20 mins into the podcast (4/n)
She then insinuated that Yoga had an in-built system of hierarchy, which supposedly made it vulnerable to abuse.
“We have seen different Yoga teachers weaponising their practice to prey on their students”
- Her 'evidence' for the sweeping claim!!! (5/n)
“We have seen different Yoga teachers weaponising their practice to prey on their students”
- Her 'evidence' for the sweeping claim!!! (5/n)
Thenmozhi then accused white and ‘caste dominant’ Yoga practitioners in US of shoving ‘Brahmanism’ down her throat (40 mins into the podcast).
Her conclusion was based on the fact that several Yoga sessions began with the chanting of the Gayatri Mantra and Sanskrit hymns. (6/n)
Her conclusion was based on the fact that several Yoga sessions began with the chanting of the Gayatri Mantra and Sanskrit hymns. (6/n)
“I was very deeply in a (state of) conflict for participating in those mantras,” she said.
Thenmozhi then made the assertion that ‘Manusmriti’ ordered the pouring of molten lead into the ears of Dalits and cutting off their tongues (for listening to Sanskrit mantras).
7/n
Thenmozhi then made the assertion that ‘Manusmriti’ ordered the pouring of molten lead into the ears of Dalits and cutting off their tongues (for listening to Sanskrit mantras).
7/n
“I would say those words (Gayatri Mantra) & wonder how my ancestors could not say them and would be in conflict…”
-Thenmozhi
The anti-Brahmin activist then claimed her Yoga teachers would insist on repeating Sanksrit slokas, despite declaring herself as ‘caste oppressed’.
8/n
-Thenmozhi
The anti-Brahmin activist then claimed her Yoga teachers would insist on repeating Sanksrit slokas, despite declaring herself as ‘caste oppressed’.
8/n
She accused her Yoga teacher of preying on students by allegedly telling them stories of ‘ancient traditions’ where Yogis had ‘sex’ with Adivasi women.
“There are lot of Yoga traditions that try to sexually control the body in this idea of like purity and pollution.”
9/n
“There are lot of Yoga traditions that try to sexually control the body in this idea of like purity and pollution.”
9/n
The anti-Brahmin activist then went on to demonise Hindu beliefs of ‘Dharma’ & ‘Karma’, based on her flawed understanding of the concepts.
"The whole idea of Dharma and Karma is that you’re born untouchable because you did something bad in your other life.”
~ Thenmozhi (10/n)
"The whole idea of Dharma and Karma is that you’re born untouchable because you did something bad in your other life.”
~ Thenmozhi (10/n)
“You did that (something bad) in your other life and you deserve to be shunned in this life, exposed to structural violence, and exploited. That is your punishment. To not fulfil that punishment is to be out of your alignment/ duty or Dharma,”
- Thenmozhi (11/n)
- Thenmozhi (11/n)
“I actually struggle with the idea of reincarnation because of how punitively it was shared with me…I really cannot talk about reincarnation because of how it was weaponised against my people.”
- Thenmozhi at the 1-hour mark into the podcast (12/n)
- Thenmozhi at the 1-hour mark into the podcast (12/n)
She claimed that Buddhism was conceived to challenge Brahmanism & that it was driven out of the Indian sub-continent via political persecution, a lie often repeated by historical distortionists.
13/n
https://twitter.com/Aabhas24/status/1529726185227583488?s=20&t=3iJrhXNzgD6vG0b1n0a2AA
13/n
Thenmozhi Soundararajan then whitewashed the gory history of the Islamic invasion and Christian evangelism by suggesting that forceful conversions to Abrahamic Faiths were in fact the fallout of Brahmanism in India. (14/n)
In April 2022, tech giant Google cancelled a talk by Thenmozhi Soundararajan, owing to the fear that it might create ‘division and rancour’ in the workplace.
Read my detailed thread here👇
Read my detailed thread here👇
https://twitter.com/dibakardutta_/status/1532741448155598850(16/n)
In 2018, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey stoked a massive controversy when he held a placard (designed by Thenmozhi Soundararajan) that read ‘Smash Brahminical Patriarchy.’
opindia.com/2018/11/jack-d…
(n/n)
opindia.com/2018/11/jack-d…
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#Bonus: I am not a Brahmin. Hence, if you were planning to accuse me of being a Brahmanical patriarch, then, sadly it won't work. 🤡
https://twitter.com/dibakardutta_/status/1517782954906624000
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