Not just a target, Manusmriti can be a weapon

At a recent event in Pune, Rahul Gandhi quoted the ancient Hindu text Manusmriti, verse 9.3, to a group of young women. The verse suggests that once a woman reaches adulthood, she is married and under her husband's control. Gandhi criticized the verse for being an insult to women and urged the audience to challenge patriarchy. This powerful statement left the crowd in awe.

No Hindu defender in India can defend that verse without losing their moral credibility. However, this attack is too simplistic. The outrage towards Manusmriti is misplaced; it is targeting a long-suffering text. A smarter politician would highlight the gap between Manu's teachings and what the Sanatan lobby claims the right to enforce.

For instance, while Manusmriti considers gay sex an infraction, the punishment is less severe than bathing while still dressed. In contrast, religious books prescribe death for the same act. Manu is much more concerned with caste violations than sexual ones. The Sanatan lobby's homophobia is far from Manu-compliant. Similarly, where meat is concerned, Manusmriti describes a ritual economy where different meats offered to ancestors provide varying levels of blessings.

This meat-centric approach is a distortion of the tradition. The smug Sanatan missionaries who uproot meat offerings in the name of Sanatan Dharma are far from sattvik, as per Manu's philosophy. Lastly, Manusmriti regards plants as conscious beings that feel pain and pleasure. Chapter 11 demands penance for the unjustified destruction of plants.

Any private enterprise sacrificing natural sanctuaries for profit contravenes Manu's philosophy, which is not the current interpretation of Sanatan Dharma. There is much more in Manusmriti that can be used to challenge the defenders of Hindu dharma. It is time to read beyond Chapter 9.