Borrowed ideologies are not not good for solving social issues

The week-long celebration of Laxmi Puja in our village will end today. Every Indian should be aware of this tradition. Why? Laxmi Purana, written by the 16th-century Bhakti poet Balaram Dasa (link), is actually a revolution against untouchability. Here is a quick summary of the Purana:

Goddess Laxmi takes the form of a Brahmin woman and leaves her temple to see how people are celebrating her week. She is saddened to find the opulent residents of Puri disregarding her and decides to wander outside the city. She finds a Chandala (outcast) woman named Sreeya worshiping her with utmost sincerity. Laxmi eats food offered by her and blesses her. When Lord Jagannath and his brother Balaram hear about this, they banish Laxmi from the temple after she refuses to undergo a purification ritual. Angry and hurt, Laxmi leaves the temple (she personifies wealth and prosperity) leaving them in hunger. The brothers soon find themselves starving, unable to get food even as beggars. Eventually, they visit an outcast's house where Laxmi is staying to seek her forgiveness.

Laxmi Puja is performed in every household in Odisha. Apart from reciting verses from Laxmi Purana and performing rituals, it is important to maintain cleanliness and obsere fast.

Changes from within is important for fighting social evils. It is not surprising that society in Odisha is not deeply divided by caste-based issues, and caste is hardly a talking point during elections. Compare this to anti-caste movements in many parts of India fueled by ideologies borrowed from Christian missionaries. Instead of bringing positive change, such movements have often further divided societies.

It should also be noted that Balaram Dasa lived in a period when Odisha was an imperial power, governing one-third of the territories of present-day India. Self-confidence, therefore, comes with political and economic success.