‘Team Member Posted Incorrect Translation’: Assam CM on ‘Shudras to Serve Other Castes’ Tweet

CM Himanta Biswa Sarma took to X, formerly Twitter, to issue an apology and claimed that Assam was “casteless”.

The Wire Staff

New Delhi: On December 28, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma apologised for his social media post on caste two days ago, saying it was an “incorrect translation”.

The CM took to X, formerly Twitter, to issue the apology and claimed that a team member had posted the erroneous translation of a sloka from the Bhagavad Gita.

In his apology, he claimed that Assam was “casteless”.

‘Shudras to serve other castes’

On December 26, the CM’s X handle made a post claiming that “Shudras are to serve Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas”.

The Shudras, Brahmins, Khastriyas and Vaishyas are castes mentioned in the Hindu varna or caste system that assigns a hierarchy to people born into these communities. Shudras belong to the “lowest” caste, as per the varna system.

Per a report by Deccan Herald, Sarma’s post also included an animated video that stated that “farming, cow-rearing and commerce are habitual and natural duties of the Vaishya, while serving the three ‘varnas’ – Brahman, Kshatriya and Vaishya – is the natural duty of the Shudras”.

Sarma even said in the post that “God Sri Krishna himself described the types of natural duties of Vaishya and Shudras”, per the DH report.

The post sparked outrage on the social platform, and from opposition parties. The CPI (M) said that they “strongly denounce Assam CM Himanta Biswas’ tweet” and that it was “BJPs Manuvadi ideology in full play”.

“Holding a constitutional position, your oath is to treat every citizen equally. It’s reflected in the unfortunate cruelty that Assam’s Muslims have faced in the past few years. Hindutva is antithetical to Liberty, Equality, Fraternity and Justice,” tweeted Asaduddin Owaisi, President of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and an MP from Hyderabad.

Sarma’s tweet was later deleted.

“I sincerely apologize”

In a post on X on December 28, Sarma said that he routinely uploads one sloka from the Bhagavad Gita every morning on his social media handles. He has so far posted 668 slokas, he said.

However, he put the blame on a “team member” for an “incorrect translation” of a sloka on caste – claiming that “Shudras” are to “serve” the higher castes – from the Bhagavad Gita.

“Recently one of my team members posted a sloka from Chapter 18 verse 44 with an incorrect translation. As soon as I noticed the mistake, I promptly deleted the post,” Sarma tweeted.

He added that Assam “reflects a perfect picture of a casteless society, thanks to the reform movement led by Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva”.

“If the deleted post has offended anyone, I sincerely apologize,” he added.

Courtesy : The Wire

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