This refers to your report on “DV bid to unite warring Dalit subcastes in Maharashtra” (DV April 16, 2000).
Congratulation to Dr. Ashok Adhav and his colleagues for arranging this intellectual dialogue with non-Mahar Dalit groups for unity of Dalits on March 1, 2000 at Pune.
Dr. Yadaiah’s statement that “Dalit unity” is not possible as long as the Mahars in MS continue to corner a major portion of reservation benefits is not true.
The reservation sector comprises employees in Central and State Govts, and its undertakings and local bodies. This sector is nearly 10% of the population and mainly dominated by the upper castes. Dalits constitute just 2-3% of this sector. The remaining 97% Dalit population is outside this sector.
They are landless labourer and workers in other private establishments. “Dalit unity” is possible only if this 97% Dalit population is included. Unity comes only through agitation on a common agenda. There is a huge backlog in universities of Maharashtra. If Dr. Ashok Adhav, Dr. B.V. Bhosle, Prof. P.G. Jogdand and Eknath Kamble chalk out a programme of agitation for wiping out this backlog in universities then the practical solution of unity of Dalit will be visible and can be extended to other fields.
We are running a Backward Caste trade union in the Maharashtra State Electricity Board. We are running a monthly paper, Urja Shramik Through our trade union, Mahars, Charmakar, Dhor, Matang, Katiks and minorities are all jointly agitating for wiping out the backlog and thus we are practically uniting all the Dalit subcastes. You have rightly said in your Editor’s Note to the Letter of Arthur Bonner that:
“Genuine Ambedkarites and suffering Dalits yearning for social change are in millions. They are hungering for Truth and fresh air. How to reach this grassroot?”.
In Maharashtra, there are 27% landless labourers, 28% labourer in unorganised sector other than agriculture and 32% are small farmers having land below 5 acres. Our trade union has decided to organise the landless labourers who are the grassroot workers and have the natural instinct for social change.
“Dalit unity” is possible only by addressing the problems of Dalits through agitation.
We congratulate Adv. Bajirao Kamble for publishing the Marathi DV and we assure full support to him. Marathi DV and Dalit intelligentsia from Maharashtra and India is requested to share their experience and knowledge with us for creating this landless labour front.
