A Dalit journalist deprived of his human rights & passport
DR. VELU ANNAMALAI, THE INTERNATIONAL DALIT SUPPORT GROUP, PO BOX 842066, HOUSTON, TEXAS 772842066, USA.
1. Dalits or the “Untouchables” of India are the worst persecuted people on this entire planet earth. A total of over 250 million Dalits are undergoing a life of “subhuman” in India by the divine orders of the Brahminical Hindu religious teachings and practices.
2. Mr. V.T. Rajshekar, a senior journalist having worked for Indian Express for over 25 years, decided to devote his life and his journalistic expertise 1o the cause of the Dalits and their emancipation. He started an English bimonthly journal, Dalit Voice, in 1982, and it has now a countrywide and an international readership. Dalit Voice is India’s largest and fearless English journal fighting for the human rights of over 250 million Dalits and other persecuted communities.
3. Since Untouchables and untouchability are the matchless brainchild of India’s Brahminical Hindu religious barbarous caste system (sanctified racism), and the upper castes are all members of this religion harvesting bountiful and limitless privileges at the cost of the voiceless Untouchables and other persecuted minorities, anyone fighting for the cause of these innocent, voiceless and illiterate victims are essentially branded as “antinational®. The Hindus ‘take every persecution to make sure that the world is not allowed to know the details of this evil caste system and the practice of untouchability which are glorified by their evil religion. They want to maintain the “status quo”, keeping the Untouchables and the persecuted castes as their obedient slaves forever. If anyone tries to even slightly disturb this barbarous system, the evil masters will hunt them down like mad dogs and permanently silence them.
4. Mr. V.T. Rajshekar has done nothing more than writing and speaking about the inhuman sufferings of the voiceless Untouchables and the root cause of the evilness. His writings and speeches are directed always towards the sufferers to awaken them from their misery by teaching them their rights and duties and telling them the reasons for their permanent suffering.
Obviously, Rajshekar’s pen is mightier than the Brahminical sword, and therefore could not silence him. The only easy option for them is to prevent him from travelling outside India, and so the Government of India revoked his passport, and even with repeated appeals, no action has so far been taken in the last 10 years.
5. This tragic episode took place when evil forces were ruling India. Now India is ruled by a Shudra and other persecuted castes. Why can’t Mr. Rajshekar’s passport be restored now? The details of this undemocratic act in the “largest working democracy in the world are:
Mr. Rajshekar’s passport No. P 219747 dated May 31. 1980 was issued at Bangalore, India. Subsequently, his passport was revoked through Chief Passport Officer’s (Government of India) letter No. 26/585/Poi/85 dated August 29, 1986. The reason stated was
“It has now been brought to our notice that you have been indulging in activities such as writing inflammatory articles in Dalit Voice, speaking in public not only in India but also abroad in a manner which promote disharmony among the various sections of the population and affecting the sovereignty and integrity of the nation…”
(It simply implies that harmony will prevail in India if the Untouchables remain forever as Untouchables without making any complaints about their degraded, dehumanized and oppressive life).
Old passport lapsed: Rajasekar made an appeal to the nation’s Supreme Court (writ petition No. 1497 of 1987), and the Court in turn directed the passport authorities on August 30, 1988 to serve a fresh showcase notice to Mr. Rajshekar. But, to date, neither a new showcase notice was served nor a new passport issued to Mr. Rajshekar, even after submitting his appeal (Sept 27, 1986), and two fresh applications fora new passport (June 9, 1993 and again March 11, 1994).
The reasons given by the passport authorities in revoking the passport were extremely general, vague, ambiguous, irrelevant and extraneous without give any specific incidents, and the revocation was illogical by denying the fundamental rights of freedom of movement and freedom of speech of any citizen. (DV Dec.1,1995, p.8 & 9: ’65 AMERICAN MPs WRITE SECOND LETTER TO PM”)
No opportunity was given to Mr. Rajshekar to defend his side before revoking his passport which is contrary to the basic tenants of justice, and the right for a fair hearing and appeal that is to be rendered to every citizen of any democratic country and should definitely be the case in the “largest working democracy in the world”.
Criticizing an unequal and evil social and religious system, in which 250 million Untouchables are the worst and permanent victims, does not and should not amount to questioning the sovereignty or the integrity of India. Rather such constructive criticism strengthens the country’s future, because no country will sustain for ever with such evil religious sanctions perpetuating discrimination, segregation, exploitation, oppression, torture, tyranny, genocide, and treating human beings worse than beasts.
Willing slaves: No social movement is possible in India without breaking down this unique, unjust and poisonous. social and religious practice of the evil caste system and untouchability. The Hindus are happy as long as their poisonous system is intact and the Untouchables are their willing slaves. (If anyone, such as Mr. Rajshekar, speaks out against this barbarous system, then he or she becomes an antinational creating disharmony in the country, because they are trying to emancipate the permanently persecuted.
All the writings and speeches of Mr. Rajshekar are made in the interest of protecting the country as a whole and with the guidance laid down by our leader and Savior, the great social emancipator, Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who is the architect of the Constitution of India, and suffered himself as Untouchable.
6. The design and the intent of the Hindu rulers is to shut Mr. Rajshekar’s mouth in speaking out the truth about the barbarous Brahminical Hindu religion and tyrannical teachings and practices. But, can a Shudra govt. and the other persecuted minorities afford to ignore this gross violation of the fundamental rights of Its own suffering brothers and sisters for free travel, particularly the one who can stand up on behalf of the 250 million Untouchables and the other persecuted minorities?
7. The Janata Dal Govt. headed by Mr. Deve Gowda cannot and should not ignore this critical and fundamental issue affecting not just Mr. Rajshekar, but the entire Dalit and the other persecuted minority communities of India. The Hon. Prime Minister should forthwith order to issue the passport to Mr. Rajshekar
