Lalji Patel, President, Dr. Ambedkar Memorial Trust, 46 – Brenthurst Road, London NW10 2DU: When we visit India, we are subjected to all sorts of troubles by the airport officials. The ordeal and, harassments to which we are subjected to is beyond imagination. The same treatment continues even after we come out of the airport – from bogus and real customs, police officials etc. As we spend few days in India in our native villages again we experience the same from the local govt. officials, police, thugs, criminals etc. Finally, when we start leaving India the same circle of harassments repeats. This is India.
Dr. Abdul Malik Marathe, (info@abdulmalik.net): The dispute over Iraq between the five permanent members of the UN Security Council shows how the slaughter of Muslims depends upon a select band of nations. America angrily denounced Iraq’s announcement to let in UN inspection teams as an underhand delay tactic, whereas France, Russia and China have praised Iraq and asked for restraint. On Sept.8, a frustrated President Bush arrogantly made out that all others, except America, have been fooled by Iraq. Characteristically, America has not confined its contempt for being restrained in words. America has already made complete unilateral preparations for attacking Iraq and carving a pro- American Kurdistan out of it. America now has tens of thousands of troops in striking distance of Baghdad. Also, near the end of March, US commandos entered the Kurdish region of northern Iraq to begin training Kurdish separatists to take advantage of attacks on Baghdad. And in December, America’s long liaison with the Kurdish leadership reached a milestone, in which America took the lead in settling their disputes. As for America’s competitors on the Security Council, their desire to reign in America using “international approval” is not because they care for Muslims. Like America, they all have the blood of Muslims on their hands. Like America, they are driven by material interests. France and Russia in particular have substantial oil interests via Saddam. That is why America’s leading competitors have grouped together to prevent America from taking more than its share. But when there is benefit for each of them, all five forgo their right of veto to move as one hand against whichever unfortunate nation. As such, there is no true “international approval” over major actions in the world today. Rather, there is “international submission” to America, Britain, France, China and Russia. The lives and hopes of many a people lie in the hands of these five nations, who like competing mafia bosses divide the world among themselves. There is only one Ummah that is capable and brave enough to challenge this decrepit international situation, the Muslims. Certainly, the Ummah aspires for more than being a passive spectator to its own slaughter. All the Muslims require is the sincere leadership, the Khilafah, to rise to this vital task.
Alex Stevens, Coordinator, Dalit Solidarity Network (UK), Thomas Clarkson House, The Stableyard, Broomgrove Road, London SW9 9TL: We are holding a UK conference on “Caste discrimination and Dalit human rights”, Nov.2, 2002. You are invited.
CDLR-Engen <cdlr_massari@hotmail.com>: The United Nation is the successor of the League of Nations (LN) which in turn succeeded the European Family. The European Family was established in the 16th century to fight Islam and Muslims. It was founded on the basis of what they then falsely chose to call “international law”. The European states sensed the threat of Islam and the Muslims as the Islamic armed forces marched towards Europe conquering one country after another until they reached the walls of Vienna. These countries were struck by fear and terror and decided to form certain alliances designed to counter the threat posed by the Islamic state, thus the international community and the so-called “oriental problem” or “oriental issue” came into existence. The concept of the so-called “oriental problem” or “oriental issue” was at first designed to counter the threat of the Islamic state, then in the 19th century it was changed in order to destroy it and share the legacy of “the sickman of Europe” (the Islamic state). For three centuries the international community remained a close European and Christian organisation. It did not allow any of the non-Christian states to join but, despite this, they falsely and deceptively named it the international family and to further deceive and mislead they also called it the international community. This was in order to give it an international aspect and to delegate exclusively to it the role of looking into international affairs. Giving this purely European and Christian entity an international quality meant that international affairs were also the business of this family; and in order to organise and perpetuate this, some conventional principles were adopted and referred to as international law. In the 19th century, despite the fact that these Christian countries did allow some non-Christian states to join the family, they never allowed the conventional principles they had laid down from the fact that they were European and Christian states, to be jeopardised. These principles were based on the distorted Christian faith and the Judaeo-Christian culture which had been nurtured by some elements of the Greco-Roman culture, ideas and civilisation. This is why the Ottoman state’s membership in it was subject to its abandoning the enactment of Islamic law in international affairs. The Ottoman state was not allowed to join until it accept that condition and submitted to conventional European and Christian principles. In the wake of the Islamic state’s destruction, in 1924, the European family became the LN. Although the LN allowed other non-Christian states to join, again it never permitted the conventional principles of the European. Christian states to be undermined. It most certainly did not take the doctrines, religion, customs and ideas of the other countries into consideration either, but instead, looked at them with disdain and contempt. The LN was transformed, in the wake of the 2nd World War, into the United Nations. The membership of the UN was at first meant to be restricted to the states which waged war against Germany, i.e. the Christian states and their dependents. However, because America wanted to spread its hegemony over the whole world and bring all the countries into the sphere of her influence, the membership of the UN was extended and other states were allowed to join. America and all the other capitalist states, which in the past were Christian states, did not even consider any new laws or principles to be added to either international law or the UN. The conventional principles of the Christian states which later became secular capitalist states remained the only laws and principles imposed upon all the human groups of the world, without giving the slightest consideration to what the other states carried in terms of doctrines, religions, customs and ideas. So, therefore, the “international community” remained, in reality, as it had been before, the family of the previous Christian states i.e. the secular capitalist states of today, even after other states had been allowed to join. Truly the existence of such organisations, which were falsely referred to as international organisations has caused and still causes calamities and disaster to the whole world, countries and peoples alike. The existence of such a gathering led to the First and the Second World Wars and it still evidently poses a threat to all states and nations especially the small ones, in the wake of the Gulf War this threat has become even more evident. America could easily, under the pretext of what is falsely and arrogantly called international law and International Legitimacy interfere in any country or people’s affairs, and it could easily turn falsehood into truth and truth into falsehood and turn an act of aggression into a legitimate act. Even the Arab League, which is a colonial organisation established by Britain in order to enforce the fragmentation and the disunity between Arabs and Muslims, had declared that the Security Council resolutions related to the Palestinian issue, as well as the Security Council’s resolutions No.731 and 748 (the embargoes concerning Libya) and its resolutions which imposed an arms embargo upon Bosnia Herzegovina, are all biased and unjust. Many Arab states and a host of international law figures have stressed that the two resolutions No.731 and 748 concerning Libya contravene international law. Arab as well as other states worldwide have declared that the UN Security Council has double standards, it is as if it had some legitimate children and a few others from the other side of the blanket; the Arab and Muslim States as well as some other third world countries would be the illegitimate children, or even the used-women themselves. As for the zionists in Palestine, the Americans in Panama, the British in the Falklands and the French in Central Africa, they would be the masters and they would have exclusive rights not given to any other but them.
- Mariswamy, State Convenor, Karnataka Dalit Christian Federation (KDFC), No.321 3rd Cross, Ramaiah Layout, Kammanahalli, Bangalore-560084: KDFC launched in 1993 represents 20 lakh Dalit Christians who are denied human rights in the name of caste and religion. Even if a Dalit changes his religion. there are no changes in his socio-economic status. Dalit Christians are neither recognized as Christians nor considered equal citizens. Casteism has received more prominence in the Indian social structure. So much so Dalit Christians are denied and deprived of their constitutional safeguards, privileges and benefits which the non-Christian Dalits enjoy. This violates Dalit human rights not only on the basis of caste but also religion. Now they are the major targets of Hindu nazis. The Dalits embraced Christianity seeking equality, fraternity, brotherhood and social justice. But this did not happen. The Hindu caste virus has swallowed Christianity. The
upper caste converts don’t accept the lower caste Christians. Caste system is contrary to Christian teachings. Though Christianity doesn’t accept inequality, caste system has spread deep into the Indian brahminised church. Especially the Karnataka church doesn’t have any policy for Dalits and Dalit Christians in their church-related institutions and NGO’s. In the name of secularism, they are milking the snakes. In the name of “merit” and “prestige”. Christian education institutions are denying admission to Dalit children. The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), following the pressure of Dalit Christian movement, has started SC/ST/BC Commission to look into the matter of Dalit Christians. The commission came out with 10-point programme for the overall development of Dalit and other weaker castes within Christianity. Today this Commission is working well in AP. TN, Kerala and other parts of India. But the Karnataka Regional Bishop’s Conference of India. (KRBC) is not willing to establish such a Commission because they want Dalit Christians as slaves. KDCF is facing acute financial problems. We are searching for a minimum support for its statewide activities to raise the voice of the voiceless Dalit Christian community.
V.C. Munuswamy, 13/7-Vigneshwara Nagar 1st Street, Madipakkam, Madras-600091:1 very much appreciate your Editorial of Sept. 1, 2002: “Decline of arrogant imperialist“. Daring and yet very true and timely. Dalits of India should know that USA is now behaving like an Indian orthodox Brahmin who preaches and practices untouchability. It classifies states like pre-modern. modern and post-modern like our Untouchables, unapproachables and unseeables. Any country that cannot fall in line with US is termed as “evil” or “rogue state”, hostile or unfriendly. America has the right to contain or wipe out that country. It now feels it has a “divine right to lord over and rule the world as it pleases. The others have no right or might to challenge this “arrogant declining power”. So many or most of the nations have become its stooges, satellites or colonies. And these Afro-Asian nations are treated as sudras, Dalits and Tribals. They must cringe or crawl before the mighty America, the “chosen land”. It is their fate or destiny to submit to the whims and wishes of America. Like our Dalits, sudras and Tribals who are asked to fall at the feet of the great Brahmin who claims to know and control Brahman (god), what is worse he claims divine rights. The ignorant, illiterate, impotent and superstitious Dalits, sudras and Tribals believed that Brahmin is really the Brahman and he should be adored and obeyed, otherwise the gods will be angry with them. Similar is the fate of the Afro-Asian nations in the vice grip of World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organisation the modern Trimurtis. Through these organisations, USA today dominates and dictates the countries like ours. Then US has now emerged as the supreme power – without any rival in the absence of Soviet Union. Dalits should know that all these ugly. unhealthy, unpleasant, undesirable developments are only after the untimely and unexpected decline and fall of the erstwhile mighty Soviet Union-a staunch friend and supporter of the Dalit nations, the Afro-Asian countries, the former colonies who became free and independent because of the communist block. US conspired the fall and collapse of Soviet Union and the communist block with the active connivance and support of Catholicism and Islam. Talibans were employed in this fight against the evil empires (the Soviet Union). After the fall of Soviet Union, the former colonies are being recolonised in the name of globalisation, liberalisation, privatisation. And there is now this “Clash of civilisations” (between Christianity, and Islam). And part of this clash is this nefarious game of fighting terrorism. Who is the real terrorist? Iraq or US? The New York Times in its editorial (Sept.2, 2002) had admonished Bush as follows:
You cannot have peace at home, while you spread violence abroad, you cannot have democracy at home when you support dictators (like Suharto, Zia-ul-Haq. Saudi Arabian King, Hosni Mubarak) who suppress their own people.
Clearly US has become a menace to peace among nations and peoples everywhere. Its fall is imminent.
Venu Paswan, 25-Agra Road, Ranchi – 834 001: Rarely does the standard of journalism sink to such utter abysmal depths as on the July 28, 2002. For on that day, a supposedly mainstream Indian newspaper resorted to the basest of racism imaginable. On that day, the Indian Express shamelessly screamed in bold red headlines across the front page of its Sunday supplement. Vanniyar Vampires. (“Vanniyar Vampires” by P. Balakrishnan, Indian Express, Sunday July 28, 2002), Yes, that is the racist term used: “Vanniyar Vampires”. Not just used: it was made into a big red headline, as if to rub salt into the wounds. The article then continued to attempt to paint the Vanniyars (a professional subsect of the sudroid or Indo-Negroid race to which the Dalits also belong) as evil conspirators. A series of baseless allegations followed, maligning an entire caste for no reason whatsoever. The author apparently lives under the hallucination that it is the Backward Castes who are oppressing the Dalits. Perhaps the writer has not heard of the Ranvir Sena, a private army of Bhumihar Brahmins who have exterminated thousands of Dalits in cold blood. (DV Sept. 16, 2002 p.8: “The ruling class rule & Veerappan“). Perhaps he is not aware of the fact that the father of the caste system, Manu, was a Brahmin. Perhaps he is not aware of the fact that I million OBC/SC/ST men were forcibly sterilised under Indira Nehru-Gandhi’s Brahmin tyranny. These heinous crimes were not committed by the Indian Express “Vanniyar Vampires”. They were perpetrated by vaidik criminals. Just imagine what would have happened if a newspaper had printed “Brahmin vampires” on its front page in large red print. A huge uproar would have exploded all over, the newspapers would be flooded by letters from outraged Brahmins and their slaves. The author would have been condemned as an anti-Brahmin. They would be imprisoned and tortured just as Indira Gandhi had imprisoned and murdered thousands of non-Brahmins during her Kautilyan Emergency. Manuite racism is the venom spewed forth by these newspapers. This should not be a surprise more than 50% of Indian journalists are Brahmin. It is Arun Shourie, a fanatical Punjabi Brahmin who embarked upon the complete brahminisation of the Indian Express. As a mark of solidarity with our BC brethren, we Dalits hereby launch a boycott of Brahmin-controlled newspapers, first and foremost of the Indian Express in retaliation for publishing the above racist article. We also request all our allies to join in this boycott. If all Dalits, BCs, Muslims, Christians, Budhists and Sikhs join in this economic boycott of Brahmin press and business, then the effect shall be far-reaching and the back of these racists shall be broken. Let us resolve:
(1) I shall never, ever buy or read any Brahmin newspaper, (2) I shall never, ever buy anything from a pin to a car from a Brahmin; (3) 1 shall never, ever employ or hire a Brahmin in any manner whatsoever.
These measures shall serve to completely uproot the vaidik propaganda apparatus by reducing their revenue stream. The DV Editor rightly calls these vaidik hate pamphlets as “toilet papers”. Yes, they are only fit to be used as toilet-papers. Let us stop wasting our money right now.
Mukundan C. Menon, Secretary-General, Dr. Abdul Salam, Secretary, CHRO, 3-Ram’s Cottage. Ambalathumukku, Pettah, Trivandrum-695 024: Chief Minister A.K. Antony’s statement that the Kerala police had opposed Abdul Nazar Madani’s parole without consulting him justifies the stand that we had been maintaining from 1998 on the Coimbatore bomb blast case. Both the ruling and the opposition fronts of Kerala must come forward to take effective measures by rectifying their mistakes at least now. By initiating both legal and official joint efforts, they should question as to how the nine Keralites, including Madani, were incarcerated in a prison outside the state for the past 55 months without bail or valid evidence and at the crest of baseless rumours and propaganda spread by Hindu nazis. The nine Keralites including Madani who remain as accused in the Coimbatore blast case during the past 55 months are facing nothing but blatant rights violations of state terror from Hindu nazis.
Ambedkar Basant Rai, Asst. Teacher, Residential S.D. Public School, Bharat Singh Market, Paliganj, Patna-801 110: It was struggle and only struggle. Struggle in every walk of life. Got education in poverty and misery. And thus started my life in suffering and suffocation. Having relinquished govt. service. I embraced the teaching profession. Now trying to adjust with the deplorable state of education in Bihar. Anyway, getting guidance and good and dedicated intellectuals like you, I keep the spark of my life burning, longing for your longevity and the prosperity of Dalit Voice family. I just read your book, India’s Intellectual Desert (DSA-1999) at least thrice. It appealed me and touched the core of my heart and giving vent to my feelings in few words. When the moral values of a society start eroding, the conscience of the sentinels of the society gets disturbed. They are compelled to intervene and come forward to rescue the society. Neither threat can extinguish their spirit nor can torture alter their conviction because they are always ready for sacrifice, suffer and die. Such persons alone deserve to be called intellectuals. You are the shining example of this epithet. The common people of a country don’t live the life of intelligent thought and intellectual action. They are largely imitiative and follow the intellectual. This class foresees the ensuing happenings and can give lead. You have been discharging the first and foremost duty of an intellectual for decades. You have already diagnosed the malady of this country and have also prescribed the best of medicine. But the ruling class pays no needs to your warnings. Your book details the post-mortem report. Wind and rain, sun and moon, dream, diseases and death constituted the primitive man’s world. With his imagination and intelligence, with his feeling of fear, hope, love, hate and greed, and his need of hunger, lust, comfort and ambition, the primitive man reacted to his surrounding. The factors of environment disciplined the man and influenced his way of understanding. His knowledge was meagre and his method of understanding was simple and analogical. So, he fancied an anthropomorphic god and thought that god Created and controlled the world viz., all things are god’s creation and all events are god’s dispensation. Later on man started thinking and grew rational, Much after, words his analogical method of understanding changed into the advanced ways of casual logic and epistemological inquiry. Now it is crystal clear from foregoing reference that with wisdom, intelligence etc. emanated from contradiction and confrontation of thought and feeling and clash and collision with wants and wishes. Therefore, intelligence is nothing more than the super and sophisticated form of animal instinct. But the theory of metapsychosis made everything topsy-turvy. Faith in god satisfied the curiosity of primitive man and obedience to god established moral conduct in social life and kept hope amid troubles. The faith in soul dispelled man’s fear of death. Thus, the concept of god and fancy of soul were the solution of many problems of primitive man in primitive way and were boon to them. And all these cause hindrance on the path of progress now and are bane to modern man now. The theist is the ardent advocate of the divine dispensation of the word. He asserts that god created all the animate and inanimate. Then, man need not have any desire to do anything, nor can there be any necessity to do anything. Man being merely a puppet in the hands of god. There is no use of man’s intelligence. Thus the belief in god kills the very instinct of man. Then how can you expect the intellectual among the followers of Hindu religion totally based on god, soul, rebirth etc. The pitiable plight of Dalits did not disturb the conscience of the self-styled intellectuals in India and they had opposed the demand for separate electorate for Dalits. They have been enjoying the political democracy but the absence of social and economic democracy never bothered them. Such are the intellectuals of India. It is an insult to the world intellectuals to call them intellectuals. You have dealt with all these points in your book. The content therein justifies the caption of the book.
Dr. Vijaykumar Mahure, Dr. Bhalchandra Housing Society, Piwali Girni, Nanded 431 602: In Nanded district (Maharashtra), our Cultural Association, Nanded, is organising a lecture series on the thoughts of Phule-Shabu-Ambedkar-Annabhau Sathe. The subjects of the lectures are
- Current social, cultural, political problems before the Bahujan Samaj. (2) Preparing and awaking the Bahujan Samaj for the social revolution. (3) Challenges before Ambedkarite success story of Ambedkarism in any part of India.
This is the 4th year of such lectures. We are aware of your revolutionary contribution to the revival of Ambedkarism in India and outside through your writings. speeches, books etc. In Nanded and adjoining area, caste system is not only noticeable but it is in the form of exploitation, inhuman oppression, painful illiteracy and humiliation. Please spare one day to inaugurate the function on Dec. 13, 2002.
S.P. Aherwar, M-5/3-KDA Colony, Jajmau-Kanpur-208 010: Sometime back I had heard you speaking at New Delhi’s Mavalankar Hall. The meeting was held under the auspices of the Bharatiya Dalit Sahitya Akademy headed by Dr. Sohanpal Sumanakshar. I have been learning a lot from your writings from the time you were in the Indian Express, I was then in Delhi serving in the Railways at Shakurbasti. That was in the 1970s. The flame is still burning in you. I regularly read Dalit Voice (Hindustani) published from Delhi. Dalit Voice is a message of inspiration to young generation. There is going to be a book fair at Kanpur. I want to keep your books for sale and propaganda.
Dr. Guruswami Siddhar, 10-2-Nalvarnagar, Bharathiar University PO, Coimbatore-641046: I read with interest the article by Dr. 1.S. Jawahar in DV Sept. 1. 2002. He is in search of a common identity for the SC/ST/BC and other natives, who form 85% of the Indians, to reflect their history and culture from prehistoric times to the modern times. But Dalitism is a negative symbol and has no positive history and culture to boast of. However, Mallarism identifies with the history, culture, literature, religion and life of the people of India. The word Mallar/Mallan in Tamil refers to Pallar alias Devendra Kula Velalars (DKV) alias Kudumban or Kudumi. There are also castes elsewhere in India called Malla, Mallah. The origin and root of the word Malla is in Tamil language. A 9th century AD Tamil dictionary called Divagara Nikandu describes Mallars as great warriors and great agriculturists. Another Tamil dictionary of the 10th century AD, Pingala Nikandu describes Mallars as great warriors who fought and won many battles and persons who have the will and power to enforce their orders and rulings, and the great agriculturists. The great Mallars ruled Tamil country from prehistoric times to the 16th century AD. But today they are not in the SC list in TN as Pallar, Devendra Kulathaan, Kudumban, Pannaadi, Kadiyar, Kaaladi, Vaathiriyaan. Dr. Ambedkar has said that whole of India was once Tamil (Dravidian). Researches say that Tamil is the first language of the humankind and all other languages are derived from Tamil. Archaeologists say that the Indus Civilisation was Tamilian. Mallars belong to the Naga race. Hence Mallarism can be a good identity for the oppressed majority of the Indians. Those interested may write for my paper read at the South Indian History Congress held in Trivandrum in Feb.25-27, 2002.
Er. G.S. Raju, 70-IIIrd Main, Visvesvaraya Nagar, AC Post, Bangalore560 045: The BJP-led coalition NDA Govt. has forced through the Supreme Court its new curriculum which is nothing but Brahminisation of the education despite the opposition onslaught on the issue both inside and outside Parliament. It is true as stated by Maharashtra Education Minister Ram Krishan More “nobody should change the curriculum according to their party’s view and agenda” (Deccan Herald, Sept. 18, 2002). The whole process looks like a Brahminical conspiracy. As it is, the Opposition-ruled states may not adopt the new curriculum as reported in the newspaper. The supporting parties are responsible for this. People must note this. All progressive forces must oppose Brahminisation of education. (DV Oct 1, 2002 p.17: “Supreme Court finds nothing wrong with Brahminism“).
N.S. Chellappa, 128/356 Samir Viyas Nagar, PO Siluvaipatti, TN: This refers to Dr. 1.S. Jawahar’s article on “Asara identity” (DV Sept.1, 2002 p.9) for Dalits. The Hindu religion belongs to Aryan Brahmins. The Siva religion, Budhism, Sikhism, Jainism etc, belong the to Indigenous peoples of India. To show the Hindus as a majority population, the Brahmins have played this trick by including all the above religions under Hindu. Those belonging to the SC/ST/BCs have been thus trapped and confined in the Hindu prison. The Brahmins have usurped all our temples and deities and called them “Hindu temples” and made us believe that we too are Hindu. Periyar E. V. Ramaswamy once said that we got liberated from the British rule but we are yet to be liberated from the Brahmin imperialism. But nowadays nobody understands this fact. As stated by our Editor, “we have became slaves enjoying our slavery under Brahminism”. Under the name Asura the SC/ST/BCs cannot unite as nobody will call himself Asura at this stage. We can unite ourselves only under the current name of SC/ST/BCs with separate identity for each unit. The unity of all these people is not possible as they look to each other as enemies under the caste system and untouchability, The BCs in Tamil Nadu are keeping two and three tumblers to the Dalits.
Ramesh Kumar Tirdia, Vill. Vaidwala, Sirsa-125055: The latest DV (Sept. 16, 2002 p. 13) directed us to attend a Kurukshetra (Haryana) seminar. I talked on telephone given (01744-26278), They are all Brahminical stooges. Kurukshetra is their hot bed in northern India. I had spent four years at Kurukshetra and introduced DV to many people there. There is some vaidik conspiracy behind the invitation to the seminar. You are very precious for our society. So, please think seriously before accepting any such invitations coming from Hindu terrorists.
We have received several complaints from our readers in Haryana. DV family members around the place said they had never heard of such an institution – EDITOR
M.K. Behera, at Gopinathpur, Anakhia, Jagatsinghpur -754 102: I have just finished reading your latest book, Brahminism. Attractive, meaningful and very effective. You have written that India’s Hindu nazi party has shaken hands with the White Western racists. Both are blood relations. Both want to destroy the Muslims and Dalits, Blacks, Budhists. My point is when the two sections of nazis are helping each other, why not its victims Muslim and Budhist countries are not coming forward to help each other? Why China, Japan, Korea and other Budhist countries are not helping us the Black Untouchables of India? Why they are not opening Budhist schools and hospitals in India like the Christian countries? Here in the district of Kendrapara (Orissa) a Dalit family embraced Christianity. When the Hindu nazi VHP came to know it, they kicked up a big row and reconverted that family. No other Dalits or police came to their rescue
Nanki Ram Baghel, at Bandhanpur, PO Sonepur via Pathalgaon, Raigarh-496 118: N.S. Chellappa (DV May 16, 2002 p. 19) says the Pancha Pandavas are also Dalits. I am confused. How can Pancha Pandavas be Dalits while Drona educated them and denied to educate the other Dalit, Ekalavya? I have not read anywhere that the Pancha Pandavas were Dalits. He must clarify the matter and name of the book from which he was taken the reference. Why Eklavya was cheated for his thumb by the very Drona, the teacher of the Pandavas?
Dr. Y.B. Satyanarayana, Dalit-Bahujan Chaitanya Sangham, 5-2-13, Tirumala Nagar, Meerpet, Moulali, Hyderabad 500 040: I am a Madiga, son of an Untouchable Class-IV employee in the Railways. But he made four of his sons as brilliant academicians holding Ph.D. degrees (including myself). I have been working as principal since 23 years in Dharmavant College of Science and Commerce in Old Hyderabad packed with Muslims. But in the teaching profession I have to work in the midst of Brahmins and other upper castes (Hindus). With the support of my Muslim brothers I am controlling these Hindus. Recently, I read your book, Brahminism, which I got from M.T. Khan. The book was autographed by you at the function held here to release the book on July 17 last. M.T. Khan is my old friend. Though my academic subject is chemistry, I have developed great interest in social science and Dalits in particular. I indeed feel sorry for not becoming a member of the Dalit Voice family. I am enclosing a cheque towards that. Your books are like a light house to the Dalits. But the one dangerous trend I am noticing is that most of the educated Dalits are drifting towards Hindu nazis. They continue to face all discrimination at the hands of these very Hindus and yet taking pride in this oppressive Hinduism. You have rightly pointed this Dalit rush towards suicide in your Brahminism book. This is one important area in which top intellectuals like you have to work and make Dalits understand that they are not Hindu and were never Hindu. Prof. Kancha Ilaiah is also my friend. I wish to read all your books for the time being please send the Merit, My Foot (DSA 1996).
Bajirao Kamble, Anjali Hospital, 12 -Tadiwala Road, Pune 411 001: A seminar on your book, Brahminism will be held at Pune in the Month of Nov.2002. The Marathi edition of Dalit Voice will be released at that time.
Vijay Sonawane, C-2, IMTECH, Sector 39-A, Chandigarh-160 036: This is in response to an article in the Pioneer “Time to dump that mind robber, by Chandrabhan Prasad. It is one of the most preposterous writing by a Dalit against a social reformer that I have ever read. Unification of the non-Brahminical movement is the need of the hour. The process has been accelerated in the post-Mandal period. It is creating unprecedented, unimaginable situations in Indian polity leading to increasing importance of Dalit-Bahujan leaders. Given this situation, Prasad is harping his favourite tune of Dalit-Bahujan antagonism. He does not seem to have any understanding needed to discern the difference between a Brahmin and Brahminism. He also is perhaps ignorant about the fact that it was Mahatma Jotirao Phule who was the first to propagate the Aryan invasion theory. The DNA evidence has proved the Aryan invasion theory by Dr. Bamshad and his team. Dr. Ambedkar in Who were Shudras has dealt with the post Aryan invasion, Varnashram civilization situation in which down gradation was used as a punishment. That is why Dr. Ambedkar’s view needs to be understood carefully in the context. Periyar was one of the great rationalists and hence materialistic and hence an atheist and hence a non-Brahminical thinker born in India. It is most ridiculous to blame Periyar for the plight of Tamil Dalits. No sane person would dare to do so. Can we blame Mahatma Phule, a non-Brahmin, for the atrocities committed by non-Brahmins? Can we blame Shahu Maharaj, a Maratha king, for the atrocities on Dalits by the Maratha community? Prasad himself badly needs the food of Phule-Ambedkar-Periyar-Shahu thoughts. It is ridiculous that according to him those Dalits who praise Periyar are “intellectually malnourished”. Dalits need to be vigilant about such writings and writers.
Gurnam Singh Muktsar, 12 Guru Angad Nagar, Muktsar-152 026: I have published the 6th edition of my Punjabi book, Bharti Lok Neech Kiweyn Bane (pp.696). It was released at Malerkotla on Sept.22 and on Sept 29 at Ludhiana. I am happy to inform that I have devoted four pages on the struggling life of V.T. Rajshekar under the title, Sangrami Manukh VT Rajshekar. I shall have to study more about your struggle for my further writings. A copy of this book is posted to Sister K.K. Sidhu in Delhi. Price Rs. 180 to our readers. In this edition human principles of Islam are included.
S.P. Singh, Takiapar, Danapur, PO Digha, Patna-800 012: Your advice to DV family members on page 6 (DV Sept. 16, 2002): Why DV readers should study international problems”, has drawn my attention. English is to be learnt not simply because it is an international language but because modern education is impossible without it. All the science subjects contain words that are in English. This apart, there is no page of Indian history which has not been written by some author in this most useful language. These words Dalit, BC, Muslim etc. are all creations of a thing known as Brahminical Social Order. Do we know who are these Brahmins and how such a class has been created? The Brahmins themselves do not belong to any particular tribe or race. Among themselves, they hate each other as the people belonging to different castes hate each other. The priestly class are as good as any other professional class like carpenters, smiths, cobblers etc. They do not have any superior position among Brahmins. No respectable Brahmin gives his daughter to any temple priest because it is a low job. We cannot solve any of our problems unless we know our past. Vast majority of Indian Dalits are tribes who never came within the pale of Hinduism. If the Brahmin is proud of his “high” birth and social status and maintains untouchability, the proud Santal tribe of Bihar equally hates the Brahmin and refuses to take water touched by them. The Indian caste system is not as simple as it appears to be. Political changes have shaped and re-shaped the entire caste structure, times without number. A single caste like the Chamar contains pure Brahmin and Kshatriya blood within tis fold. The so-called Aryans or Brahmins have given their men to marry professional casts – potters, weavers, carpenters, smiths etc,, and a small section are even fishermen in the Purnea district of Bihar, known as Surahia. Once we accept the theory that the Mahars were a ruling tribe in Rajasthan, we can safely draw the conclusion that each and every SC class today were once a ruling tribe in some corner of India. The Holeya in Karnataka, Pariah in TN, Mala-Madiga in AP, Dusadhs in Champaran, Doms in Gorakhpur, Mushars (pig-rears) in Purnea etc. About 80% of Indian Muslims are of local origin. The Budhists of Sindh embraced Islam due to Brahmin persecution. Muslims as a class never fought as one people. Arab mercenaries were employed by Hindu as well as of Muslim rulers. The last Peshwa, Baji Rao-II, employed Arab mercenary in his war against the British (1817-18). The Nizam of Hyderabad had a Brahmin prime minister and commander-in-chief. It is always wise for us to study international problems, but we should know each other better. DV family members shall not study Indian caste or Indian history unless the Editor advises them to do so. The BSP today survives because of the complete foolishness of Backward Castes of India who cannot get a social ceremony performed without the help of a Brahmin. Their religious zeal is spent on visiting temples and paying money to an idle caste of temple Pandas. I will only write to such DV family members who are interested in a very thorough study of Indian history. Dalits will lose everything if they join hands with any Brahminical party.
Haridass Vidhyarthi, CW/C-8, ONGC Colony, Makarpura Road, Baroda 390 009: Thank you for considering me as one of your enthusiasts. I fully agree with you that Muslim elites are not happy with our Dalit-Muslim unity movement. However, Muslim masses are with us. I am not a resident of Baroda. So, I don’t have much influence on local Dalits and Muslims. I am only working here. Yet I have tried to contact Brother Kasim and Brother Razaq and Nissar of Anjuman Muslim Organization of Baroda. But sorry to inform you that I did not receive any proper response to organize a bigger meet of Dalit-Muslim unity at Baroda. I am trying to contact Ilyas Patel and Maulana Habibur Rehman for the same cause. Brother Sakegaonkar is with me. <vidhyarthihd@rediffmail.com>.
Ilyas Patel, Khanpur Deh-392 150: The Dalit Voice Editorial of Sept. 16, 2002: “Gujarat leads Dalit-Muslim unity“, is being published in our monthly, Anjuman Voice, in both original English and its Gujarati translation. We appreciate your selfless efforts and your commitment to your mission. Very few people can be found in this world so committed like you. If few V.T. Rajshekar’s among Dalits and Muslims wake up and take the mission in their hands it is no difficulty to destroy nazism called Brahminism in India. I appreciate your idea that the Gujarati Muslims should find solution to their problem themselves and that the outsider should not interfere. If this trend develops in all regions, as different states have different problems, we can’t centralise the issues, then automatically small issues will never get “Indianised” But our people will not understand as they have been mesmerised by all-India movements. We are ready to cooperate if our Baroda friends contact us.
S.M. Mir. Shop No.1-Nai Chawl, Corner 4th Falkland Marg. Bombay-400 004: What happened at the Gujarat conference is a happy news to me (DV Edit Sept. 16, 2002). But the inclusion of Jamiat-Ulma (JU) creates some doubts in my mind. DV always says that the BJP and Congress are the two sides of the same coin. Both of them constitute the BSO. And you must be aware that JU is the tail of the Congress even before “independence”. Among Muslims, they are known as Congress chamchas Idols were kept in Babri Masjid in 1949 during the Congress rule. What did JU do? The Babri lock was opened in 1986 during the Congress rule. What did the JU do? Babri was demolished in 1992 during the Congress rule. What did the JU do? Thousands of anti-Muslim riots took place during the Congress rule and people from JU were MPs. What they are doing today is not out of love for Muslims but their masters told them to do so to create problems for BJP. If tomorrow the Congress comes to power, will they be as honest torch bearers of Dalit-Muslim unity? You have written that “already many all-India Muslim organizations from the Aryavarta (Delhi & UP) appear to have made the Gujarat Genocide-2002 an occasion to penetrate into Gujarat in the name of relief work.” For the sake of what? You were rightly annoyed with the Jamate-Islami as they did not pay heed to your efforts. They have their own ideology I have my own too. I have a lot of differences with them as well as with you. But even then I appreciate you as well as them. The Jamate-Islami has a record of going to jail, getting banned. Does it not mean they are the enemy of our enemy? What is the record of JU? Jamate-Islami has no political ambitions but JU is steeped in power politics. Anyway, I am not objecting to your activities but be careful of Jl. Always remember that they are Congressmen. What will be their role if the Congress comes to power? I trust only non-political organizations SIMI being a non-political organization would have been best to deal with. But such qualities have led them to be banned. Had it been a political organization like Bajrang Dal and VHP, it would have never been banned.
Syed Naseer Ahamed, 3-506, Apnaa Ghar, Undavalli Centre, Tadepally Mandalam, Guntur 522 501: In Andhra, we are working with our Dalit bothers for the last 20 years. I took part in both the Karamchedu and Chundur movements, where upper caste people butchered our innocent Dalit brothers. At present we are showing keen interest in the Dalit women movement. organized by the AP Dalit Mahasabha. We are trying to participate in programmes of all the organizations. Even we are trying to join with our Christian brothers.
Navaid Hamid, People’s Integration Council, 2143-Qasim Jan Street, Ballimaran, Delhi 110 006: A conference was convened in 1961 to form the National Integration Council (NIC) but its recommendation were not implemented. Ironically this NIC had not met since last seven years. The civil society is called upon to initiate a process of People’s Integration Council to ensure our unity and integrity and to build a democratic, egalitarian and plural Indian social and political order. To launch the People’s Integration Council it is proposed to hold a national convention some time in the last week of October or first week of November 2002 in New Delhi. It is proposed to invite 200 dignitaries from all over the country to join this council. You are requested to join the renowned and revered personalities who had played a decisive role in nation-building and become co-sponsors/co-conveners of the proposed national convention of People’s Integration Council.
Abdul Rahman, Central Prison, Coimbatore-641018: We read your booklet, Muslim Failure to See Through Brahminical Tricks, by Rajendra (DSA-2002) along with Dalit Voice. Here, our Dalit brothers in the jail are also reading these literature with great interest. DV strongly demands Dalit-Muslim unity to save our motherland from Brahminism. I will translate it in Tamil and Telugu and publish the same on your behalf. Please send some complimentary copies of your writing to our library. We can circulate it among our prisoners.
M.M. Khuraishi, Pragatinagar, Brahmavar 576 213: In the Sept. 1, 2002 DV, the articles by Dr. Kancha Ilaiah (p.22) and Dr. L.S. Jawahar (p. 19) are just brilliant. Both stress the need for identity. To be pragmatic in an organized way, go on writing and publishing this topic of identity so that our people read and educate themselve.
Nishrin Hussain: This is my testimony before the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. This is about the treatment of innocent Muslims in India over the past few years and of the recent horrors in Gujarat in particular. My father, Ahsan Jafri, was 74 years old when he was killed and burnt in his home along with about 150 other Muslims, mostly women and children who had come to his home seeking protection from the violent mob. My father was a former Member of Parliament and had served India and its people for 50 years with distinction. His service to India was without regard to the politics of race, language, or religion. He was an enthusiastic teacher of unity, integrity and communal harmony and a strong nationalist who was proud to be an Indian. On the fateful day, anticipating the worst, my father made a telephone call to the Police Commissioner, P.C. Pandey (the highest police official in the area), requesting adequate police protection to his family and the society. Pandey came to my father’s house, promised to send police protection, and left. Then in spite of repeated calls from him and several of his friends including the leader of the Congress Party, Sonia Gandhi, no police protection was sent. These pleas asking for protection went on for over 4 hours, until the rioters chopped off the telephone and power lines to his house and started burning the house. Not one single police constable was sent. Without any police presence to worry about, the Hindu extremists pried out the air conditioning unit of the house, and tossed kerosene bombs inside. When my father realized that there was no hope to protect the lives gathered in his house, he stepped out of his house with folded hands and asked the leaders of the mob to take him with them but to spare the innocents inside the house. One of the leaders slashed at him with his sword, and while my father lay bleeding, they dragged him out on the road and burnt. They also did not spare the lives of those inside the house. The house was burnt with those innocent Muslim women and children trapped inside. When the rampaging mob was done, and the police finally arrived, we could not even find my father’s body. Later on, based on a few of his personal belongings. we collected a few body parts and some ashes from the road and buried him. Because we knew that my mother needed him the most in her life, and now she needed that grave on which she could lay her head and cry. The politics of hate, spanwed by extreme religious zealots, has instigated a pogrom which became a genocide. There are more than 100,000 Muslim men, women and children who have lost everything including their jobs, homes. valuables and the lives of many relatives. Those who were fortunate enough to survive are currently living in over 50 relief camps which are mostly supported by the NGOs and other compassionate individuals. The State Govt. did not even take the responsibility of relief, operations. The Prime Minister of India (Atal Behari Vajpayee) did not come to visit Gujarat until 5 weeks later. (Information Times: infotimes@yahoogroups.com).
