A Black American has written a letter congratulating Dr. Rudriah, retired Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Karnataka Government and a respected Dalit official, who along with six others retired Dalit officials had hailed the recent mass conversion of Dalits to Islam.
As the letter is of great significance in view of the sympathy expressed by the American Blacks to the struggle of their Indian counterparts we reproduce the letter with the fond hope of linking the struggle of the Blacks of the two great countries and also with a view to learning from their heroic lessons: –
“Let me congratulate you for issuing such a courageous and truthful statement (Dalit Voice: Sept. 15) about the oppressed and downtrodden Harijans of India. It is true that there is no such place or example in the whole world where the people are treated like animals by the fellow human beings as the Harijans are treated in India. I congratulate the Harijans of India for taking such a wise step of embracing Islam, which alone can give equality and justice to man. Because of this reason the oppressed Blacks of America are accepting Islam. They too were treated just like the Harijans by their co-religionists (the white Christians) who felt that they were a superior race because of their skin colour. After embracing Islam, the Black Americans feel free. They are also respected. And as a matter of fact, many of them have become the leaders of Muslims and lead the prayers in the mosques where the Arabs, Indians and Iranians and many other people’s follow them. The same thing could not have been imagined in the White-dominated Churches. They couldn’t even enter the Whites’ Churches even for the prayers. That is why one of the leaders of Black American Muslim brothers, Wallace Mohammed, declared in the mosque that the Christianity failed to give the equality to the Blacks. And for the same reasons the world boxing champion Mohammad Ali (Cassius Clay) also has embraced Islam and the conversions are increasing at the rate of 400% a year. The Harijans of India have been persecuted, discriminated and suppressed since thousands of years. They should not suffer any more and your leaders should not let them suffer any more. But as far as they remain in the net of Hindu religion, they would not get equal social status, freedom and justice in the Hindu society. No matter how well educated and learned they will be, no matter how rich they become, they will be still considered low and dirty in the Hindu society. This is really a shame. The one billion Muslims of the world are ready to embrace the Harijans with joy and respect. O! Harijans, we welcome you. We are waiting for you, come and join the universal brotherhood. You will get justice, equality, tranquility, fraternity, brotherhood and freedom. O! leaders of the oppressed, I personally invite you and call upon you to embrace Islam so that your oppressed people can follow your footsteps. Please do not consider the invitation a formal one, It is a serious call. Your right move may change the condition and lives of millions of oppressed, for you and the other oppressed.
Sd. M Mazharuddin, Illinoise, USA.
