The Sam Pitroda Controversy

Frontier articles on Society & Politics 6,8i24, 12:06 PM Axthlop+logY Acd ilnltux: The Sarn Pitroda Controversy Abiaijit Guha The rerent a*ntr*vqrsy, whtrh wa* sparkxd *tt by a videc) interntt*'ts *f Sam Tittatla, the overseas c$:a!rm*n of the Congr*ss pnrly by ?he Statssman s?zqsuld hav* attra*t*d tk* attenti*n at the anthr*pmiogists in lndia and *ther t*unlries"Th* arrt?trrsys*tr*gtrcE inter**t sternn:ed {rcsm t*,e fael that *nthr*pulogists have b*e* sturlyirrg hury:an populati*n diffi*r*ntes, which they cali*cl 'v*riati*n' t*r r*are th*n tlre last *ne *s**dr*r] a*d titty years. &.nthr*yt*l*Eists [:ave been $truSS!iilg ever the physical and cultural differences af h*rx**s at t?t* groilp level *nd th*y l'rave tri*el ts ci*ssify h*rnar: Uraups ****d *n varia** physira\ and Lsi*laE\cal ctr"raract*ristles' ln the *ariy days of antBrr*p*trr*gy, t?'* prartiti*n*r* eiassifi*d t** prsputrations *f ths w$rl{3 i*t* various v*ry beEinning that aEt k*m*zt b*irtEs *riEinated tr*m a singl* stsck a*e* the physir*l rlitter*m*s affi$rlg thern arsse mainEy dtte t* ge*graphical and envirnnnrer:t*! factors, Taking their lcad {r*rfi the uv*Etstiunarog theory *€ th* Hnglis?: *i*lagi*L Charles Darwin t1***-18e2) and $weelish tax*ra*rraist *arr:Etss l-inr:*etrs t17*7 -1778j, ar:thr*pofmgists h** rer,*ge*z*d h*n:am i:iol*gical differenres artri the ne*d to ctrassify hu;r"*art grsups as rxon-wfitertight eompfrrtrrents being products *f a t*rtg and grarir"t*t evolutior,ary 'R.ae**' anfi eauti*n*d fne:n: tlsw process nan':ed natural selectien. It nras the ar'rthr*po!*gists w1':* *cientifica*,g ehall*ng*d t** Wi*triral *r2girt *{ hurnan **ings with fassils and atb*r kin*s af ev!*:lence. &"cr"*rdi*E t* ant*r*p*l*6ists, bi*1*:giral v*ria{ion within ancl betwe** hun:an Sroilps is a rratural N*ws anrl has to be recogniz*d a* abasi*.fact, which deserves scientific ir:quiry. Al*ng with this, th* antl-rrop*i*gists painted *ut that the w*rd 'Race' is a *si*l*gicatr (13r:cept and shouEd not be c*nf*secl lffitFl t?:a t"*rm'ra*sm'. N*wadays anthr*p*l*gists no tnryr* use the terry: 'Raee'; they nolv use ti:e te rrn 'popuf*ticn'. The san:* species of ant'mals a1x* lzav* $istimct biotrmgicaB vari*?z*s, as one fine'ls arrrmng eleptrants *r tig*ru but peaple d* n*2 get emotio* alty charg*r|wh*rl they r*{*r t*'white tig*rs' ar 'Africex el*phants'1 fr*rtr the above ;rngle, 5*r* ?itr*rla's stttt€''nent as r*vea2*d ir: the press just echsed a **trsral faat", w*ic*t haci i:ser: th* grist t* thE mill rzt ?he ar:thrcpaltsgists i* lndi**the country bei*g tire 'ethrr*l*Eieal pnnadise' aee*rding t* a tatrauf, ffirit;si"I *ntl':r*p*logt*t-Sir &,rthur {"*ith" Let r"n* reiterate Fitr*da's st#terfi#rtt: 'We cruld fucld a (frilntft/ t*UQt?1*Y as diverse a*lndta,wh*re nonrrtp the east l*ok litse Chin*se, p**p\* *nth* West tr*ak like &rab, g:e*ple *nth* hl*rt[r l*olt u yLufJiu ^n like iq,hite anc{ n'rayi:e p**ple xntk* S*utl'r lc}ck li** &triaa*s... d*esn't rnatter" We are a[l brcthers and sisters tYh* Stat*sman, I Way ?*2&, p"1)" Y*,* f*st s*i-lt*nce is sigl':ificant even trrsm a biml*gical stendpmint" Brmth*rs ancJ sisters ar* born fr*rn t** sarw* par*r11s, so are all lndi*ns, alth6lug?z !o*king different *riEi*at*d fr*m tke seme stcck. Twre anthrwpci*gy! This writer being an antkr *pdoE ist rcu tc? n<>?. fimd a ny' r* c ist' *lem e r:t i* tfuiE statern ent. Vieuved i* Vitrrs*a'* statarr'Ten?. &"1*s**gh, *e highlighter{ the g>*ysi*aE variati*n among lr.:ciimns !* the ees{, we$t, Asrtf} and south he die! not stete nr even imply that pe*ple r{ *ne regicn *f fir"ldla i* bi*E*gieally '*tsp*rirsr' *r 'int*ri*r' ta the pe*pl*: cf another reEi*n. Everyh*dy kn*uns t!-rat the *au";t *l sup*ri*ri?y fttr a part"icleiar 'fi.aee' \ry&S *ne *f the fundan:e::tai characteristies $f 'ft*ri*ryt' whiclr war not fmc-snd in the ab*ve $tetflrnent at 6am There is mn*th*r element of truth Fitrca{a. little hit sf hislory. Adolf Hitier and fuisNax^i gcientists n*t onty classitied rntr1r alia the sh;lrp-n* *ed a*d ,*shit* gr**p *t tk* '{\r>rdi{ rare but tl'rey at** pr*pagated that the ld*rdics ary*re tf:* mest superi*r l<iilsj *f **r*an l**i*gs ir: 6ermany. 5s, racisn: is n*t oniy the 1""{ere *ns ca* recount c{asslf ication *f m !'rurnan Eroups ia'rto races https:/lwwrrt.frontierweekly.com/articles/vol-56156-49156-49-fhe **t aE** inv*Ev*d a kis-* a{ Sam Pitroda Controversy.html *t*r'*r.ent;'ism t}-lat is a beliet 112 Frontier articles on Society & Politics 618t24.12:46 PM - in the superi*rity oi gne Ur*up *v*r th€ *thers, in the case of #ermany ti-te cther in{erior gra*ys ot ra(* et{ording to the P{azis was the J*ws' it is nst withrut re#s*u tl:at in alB the l**ian *nzv*r*ili*,x the undergraduate syllabtss rzt anthrapog*gy c*ntains {cilrses *n t}:e c*ncept cf race and racial elassification' The University Grants {*mmissi*r..r tc* ir: its !*st Currieui*m D*v*1*Xs:":ertt Re;:*rt p*b?ished in 2**1 irt Anli:roy:r:l*gy specifica$iy indud*d n ry)*rse oil the '{*rv:*pt *t kac*, *enetic Wa*\* *t *,arc, UNESC# Staternent *n Race*[?hn[c 6roup-F*putation and Wa*.zal {lassificatisn of hur*an pop*lations' ({J*(, C*{ Rep*rt 7frfi1, p'31}. s*y that ircking dif-feres:i a*d **!*ngi*g t* t*e 5eff14 c*untry *r nati*tz is *ct th* sarlre t?:ing. Peopla of diff*rent c*untrirls may l*ok sirtilar in yshysimE fsatc-lr*s while peaple of the sa{,{\s c**r\lry ,*r nali*rz rnay lnck rnitl*r*nt" L*r*p*arz eountriss ar* g*od *xampl*s- Ds tlr'r purjabis *ncl a South lndian trib* *amed Ch*lanayakan l<:ok *irntlarT U*the* Jarwas mf Andan'ran anct th* Flagas *f Nrrth €ast hsve stsytiEar physica! f*atl;r*s? **t undawbtedty, all tf tB.lenr are lndians. These are faets and **t tictE**. lr**irally tk* &j? leaders have been trying t* ccnfuse these trvo tl.rings by trying to rness up Y:i*l*gy with aatrtare.. F*r *xatxVtle, 'r+hile r*Y:utting th* n*mariqs made by Sam Fitrcada, Fir"lar":c* rninister F,!irrna!a Sithararmazt said that 'she is frcm $outh lrrdia and she E*mks lr-rdian' {Tlt* Stat*stw#sz, * May 2{324}. ** the South ndiar:'; and tfue {-a'";hmiri Brahrnins h;*ve sir"*ilar phyxical t*atur*s? trnclia is a colintry r:t 'l|nity in diversity'" The &JF lead*rE ?i*ve forgctter: this b*sit fae:t. Long agrs, th* gre*t {srs*t W"atsiradranath Y*gore r*c*gnized this Suffice i\ t* f rliversizy *{ trr'rdia [m his irvrmtrtatrlzec{ national ar:them" rela?l:d *t"tt:r*ists ix lndia w?'* seartlt f*r t}.e hurnan heings shr,*tid *p*rttfu*ir r*q:uths anrd reveai the it is high {ime that anthrap*lagists rnci *lher r*flsons b*hind the physical vari*ti*n sci*ntif ie truth **f*r* the public. *f t"}ni'tt:tsi'ty, {rruail: [/t?:hijit #uha, {:orryt,;:r l3rrs{r,:s5rsr in An'thr*Vs*lrsg4 tlir{yasag;zr agahdyu@gnail=sem; ffiack-{* fr*rne ?aU* Frontier Vol 56, No" 49. Jun 2 - &,2024 https://wuiru.frontierweekly.com/articles/vol-56/56-49/56-49-The Sam Pitroda Controversy.html 212