DV received a circular letter (July 14) from a woman on the “weaknesses in the women’s movement” and she wanted our reaction. And this made us think on the subject and our thoughts need to be shared with our readers.
We have to admit the fact that the ruling upper caste society is not only male-dominated but treats its own women as sex objects, slaves and door-mats.
And this stink of the ruling class is spreading into the Dalit society also. Since every society imitates the ruling class, Dalits also imitating the ruling class is quite natural.
Contagion : So, if this contagious disease is contaminating Dalits also the blame goes to the upper caste rulers though the SC/ST/BCs, the original inhabitants of India, are essentially an egalitarian people with their women having a predominant say.
The indigenous SC/ST/BCs, comprising 65% of India’s population, are matriarchal and all their deities are mainly female. Male gods are an Aryan import.
The Manu Dharma Shastra is an Aryan book of law which is the principal cause of women’s enslavement. As per this even the wife of a Brahmin is not twice- born (Brahmin) and hence she cannot perform the duties of a Brahmin as priest etc. The mangal sutra symbolises the female oppression and all upper caste women (exceptions prove the rule) wear this grindstone round the neck either out of ignorance or as a fashion.
We are happy that the said circular has described such a society as fascist. But we would like to know what the circular means by fascism and if it has identified them? If so who are they? We need answer from this Bombay – based organisation.
Fashionable Women: In Dalit Voice we use the term “Hindu nazism”, otherwise known as brahminism, which is the cause of all our problems. Hindu nazis are controlling not only the RSS-BJP etc. but also the Congress, the original Brahminical party of India. India’s political parties, its press, judiciary, bureaucracy, business interests, education system, banking are all under these nazis.
The title of the pamphlet enclosed in her letter says: “Feminists have the movement but fascists have the women”. This proves the contradiction inherent in our fashionable upper caste movement. These fashionable “leisured class” women start a “women’s organisation” to while away their abundant leisure but not to fight either their own oppression or to relieve our pain.
Dowry death : In fact, these upper caste “women’s movements” are deliberately engineered by nazis to spread their contamination into our more egalitarian society. Dowry death is a good example. In our society, there is hardly any dowry and much less a dowry death. But lately the Hindu contamination is showing up.
In DV, we don’t waste time trying to convert the black crow into white. Trying to reform the upper castes is a waste of time. Not one women’s organisation has so far burnt the Manusmriti. None has asked its members to discard the grind-stone round the neck (mangal sutra). So we can’t expect anything from them. How many “national” commissions on women have been so far set up? Their reports are gathering dust because these reports had no courage to go into the fundamental problem (that is Hindu nazism) which is not only killing us but also its own Hindu society constituting less than 15% of the Indian population and thereby contaminating the whole country.
Bombay Red Light area: What is surprising, nay shocking, is that though the circular letter came from Bombay it has not spoken a word about the living death suffered by the lakhs of women in the Red Light area of Bombay.
This subject is hardly raised by any “women’s organisation” and if by mistake it comes up it is brushed aside saying that poverty is the cause of the prostitution and as long as poverty is there in India, this world’s oldest profession will continue. The time-passwala women’s meetings have no time for any unpleasant subjects like this.
We are fed up with such fashionable women’s organisations which indulge in what is described as “social service” which is nothing but anti-social service,
Brahmin prostitute: If “poverty” is the cause of prostitution, why no “poor” Brahmin girl is found in the Bombay Red Light area? The findings of Sister Rita of the Good Shepherd Convent, Bangalore, reveals that most of the girls found in the Bombay Red Light area are Untouchables. Why these fashionable women’s organisations don’t take up the cause of these prostitutes or Devadasi, the institution of prostitution blessed by Hindu religion? Are the victims of Devadasi not women? The Devadasi institution is going strong, flourishing. Why the women’s organisations are fighting shy?
DV copies burnt in JNU : We had to shift our office back to Bangalore from Delhi as the upper caste anti- Mandal (Commission) fake heroes engineered their agitation creating an atmosphere of war and violence. Our house-cum-office in Vasant Vihar was ransacked, DV copies were thrown out and our tribal boy was pushed and locked out. DV copies were burnt in JNU campus. Then we approached some women’s organisations and women libbers in Delhi to save us from of the anti-Mandal anti-humanists. But these great feminists excused themselves leaving us as the sole victim of anti-Mandal maniacs. What to say about such women?
Agents of brahminism : We can go on giving any number of instances to prove that these women’s organisations are not interested in fighting the brahminical social order (BSO). Rather, they are disguised agents of the BSO interested in confusing us and then diverting our attention to non-issues.
All the problems connected with the women particularly upper caste (Hindu) women are caused by the BSO. They want to conduct a “women’s movement” without hurting the BSO. What verdict can we pass on such people except to say that they are not sincere. Can a movement succeed without sincerity to the cause?
Anti-Muslim hatred : On the other hand, these women want to become instant heroins by shouting about one Shah Bano or one Ameena just because they are Muslims. Sati, child marriage, bride- burning, dowry deaths, multiple wives, killing female child are part of the brahminical religion. Even its gods and godesses follow these practices. No Shankarachari no Mahatma has gone on a fast-unto-death against these customs.
Lastly, when the Hindu nazis kicked up a row on Dr. Ambedkar’s book Riddles of Hinduism (Maharashtra Govt. publication) which they burnt and then forced the govt. to ban the book, where were these women libbers?
Rama persecuting Sita: Can these women worship Rama, who left his dear wife in forest for 14 years and again after becoming pregnant knowing full well that she was pregnant? Her both children were born in forest. Can any woman with some self-respect accept Rama as god? How can any woman call Krishna a god Who runs after every girl in the town? (Riddles of Rama and Krishna, 1986, Dalit Sahitya Academy, Bangalore – 3).
Phoolan Devi not woman? We have many more things to say about these time-passwala women’s organisations. However, we cannot resist the temptation of mentioning our great Dalit heroin, Phoolan Devi. She was raped non-stop by some Thakurs and to take revenge on these blackguards, she became a “dacoit” just to get guns. How can she be dubbed a dacoit and kept in the Gwalior jail for years together without trial?
Does it mean she was wrong in punishing these upper caste criminals who molested her human rights just because she was a “low caste”? If she was a dacoit, she must be put on trail and convicted. Which women’s organisation has taken up her case? We approached many “women’s organisations” but they all excused themselves saying that they would not plead the case of a “dacoit”. Poor woman is rotting in the jail. To them she is not a woman, because she is not an Aryan.
So, we conclude that we have no confidence in these upper caste “women’s organisations” which are not interested in the genuine problems of the over 85% of the country’s population but after some name and fame, and while away their excess leisure, spend their husbands unearned income and thereby divert the attention of the society from serious issues.
It is quite possible we may sound somewhat harsh but all those who are wounded are like this. They cry in agony and shout in pain. Our reaction is natural. We will be happy if the Bombay-based women’s organisation replies to all these point by point so that we may publish them also.
