Achuthan M KandyilIn India, the Brahmanic Hindu caste system that was strictly enforced had resulted in a large bulk of the Hindu population having a very subdued life and left illiterate and ignorant. Some relief came to these people only after the British governmentintroduced public education, an egalitarian judicial system, and affirmative action (reservation in educational institutions and government service). The government also identified these people and classified them as Scheduled Castes (Untouchables now known as Dalits), Scheduled Tribes (the tribal people) and OBCs (Other Backward Classes, not treated as untouchables). I was born in India in Koilandy, a small town in Kerala state. My father belonged to an artisan caste classified as one of the OBCs. Though I did well in all examinations meritoriously, in 1949 when I requested for a character and conduct certificate needed for applying for admission to higher education, the principal of the college, a Brahmin, declined asking me why I could not follow my caste profession. It was the affirmative action that enabled my admission to an engineering college. After I completed a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Communication engineering from Madras University in 1953, I worked as an engineer in All India Radio, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. I am the second of the six sons of my father. Four of my brothers were the first in our family to go for higher education. During my entire lifetime in India, I never knew about the historical origin of either the caste system or the disability imposed on the Hindu population, except mythological stories. I never knew that Buddhism had prevailed in India, nor any details about Indus Valley civilization, except a passing mention in textbooks claiming them as parts of Brahmanic Hinduism. Books exposing such facts are generally excluded in Indian public libraries. In 1972, I came to the United States of America and joined as a faculty member in the Physics department in Grambling State University, Louisiana. My wife, Sumithra, after gaining her degree from Grambling State University worked in the Interlibrary Book Loan section of the University library. We have two sons and a daughter who are all well-employed holding responsible positions in US. Ever since I came to the United States, I had been looking for a truthful account of India's social, religious and political history and my conclusion is that the ancient history of India as the Western researchers recovered, is not a biased concoction, as being alleged by vested interests in India, but one that has come out of genuine research and evidence. This book is written with all good intentions of enlightening the public and finding a way to mitigate India's social problems. Read More Read Less