“Not since Dec. 1969, when 42 Harijans were burned to death in TN’s Kilvenmani village, has India known such an abominable crime as Wednesday’s cold-blooded massacre of 24 men, women and children in Mainpuri district of UP”. If this can be the editorial comment of a bourgeoise newspaper, Statesman (Nov 21, ’81), owned by the Tatas and the Mafatlals, on the Nov. 18 insensate mayhem of the Jatav Untouchables by the high caste Thakurs, one can well imagine the seriousness of the tragedy.
The Deoli bloodbath of the poor, starving, landless, innocent, unarmed Untouchables is nothing new to Hindu India – the holy land of non-violence. The Dalit life, and also that of Muslims, Christians is the cheapest in India. They can be kicked, killed, burnt raped and their property destroyed. No tears will be shed. But where were the Shankaracharyas, the RSS and other custodians of Hinduism, who rushed to Rahamatnagar in TN perturbed by the mass conversion of Untouchables to Islam, raised a hue and cry, arranged temple inter-dining for “Harijans“, capped it all with a multi-million rupee show of a Virat Hindu Sammelan in Delhi, passed a grand resolution to fight untouchability, when the very same Hindus shot dead 24 Dalits – including 7 women, 8 children, of which one is an 8-month-old baby? What happened to all these Hindu heroes who for the past 6 months were crying that Untouchables were as much Hindus and that Muslims and Christians have no right to convert them? None appeared to have been moved by this naked Hindu aggression on the Deoli Dalits. Till the time of writing this, Hindu leaders, who had made so much of noise about Arab money converting Untouchables, have not even issued a statement, let alone visiting the scene of the carnage. The human and civil rights organisations are mum. Deoli does not come under their purview. But political parties in Parliament and outside made their customary noise. UP Chief Minister VP Singh and Union Home Minister Zail Singh helicoptered to Deoli – not because they are touched by the killings but because the interest-free “Harijan vote bank” is involved. Some newspapermen also beelined to Deoli and came out with a ritualistic report. Some glossy magazines will put out “heartrending pictures” to push the sales of their puff. Armed police will camp there for some days and add to the misery of the Dalits. After a few days everything will be forgotten until another Deoli bursts with greater fury. It is a familiar pattern. But the “ruling class” of India is simply unperturbed. Dalit life is the cheapest in India. Ram Vilas Paswan may shout in Parliament that Dalits “are reduced to second class citizens”, are they citizens at all? Nothing can alter the situation in Hindu India. Zail Singh might have come out with an eye-wash statement in Parliament about supplying arms to Dalits for self-defence. But a more honest scheme to arm Dalits launched by the Karpoori Thakur Govt in Bihar was sabotaged. Therefore Dalits have no confidence in government efforts at arming Dalits. They will have to do it themselves if they want to protect their life and property.
Jagjivan Ram, who visited Deoli, said: “The Thakurs in UP feel they are ruling the State. Harijans are feeling so insecure that in Firozabad, some young men came out with the demand for a separate Achutistan.” (Indian Express Nov. 24). Every time there is an organized violence on Dalits, we hear demands for a separate homeland for Dalits. Militant Ambedkarites are now applying serious thought to this subject of Dalitstan. Why and how Deoli occurred? The Indian Express (Nov. 23) correspondent reporting from Deoli categorically says: “They were shot dead by the Thakurs because they were Untouchables”. He did not find any other reason for the killings Untouchables all over India are killed by the Hindus not because they are poor but because they are Untouchables. If poverty is the reason for violence, why other equally poor if not the poorer Hindus are not killed? Untouchables are not the only poor in India, over half of its 700 million live below the poverty line and in many cases Hindus are poorer than Untouchables.
The Statesman correspondent’s report (Nov. 22) after visiting Deoli, is clearer on this issue. He refutes Chief Minister VP Singh’s contention that the killings were not due to caste animosities. The report says: ” ……… there are clear caste undertones in as much as the wrath of the criminals was mainly directed against the Harijans.” This is the crux of the problem: – Dalits alone are made the victims of violence because of caste reasons. That is why Dr. Ambedkar had categorically stated that the Indian poverty is more due to social reasons than due to economic factors. The problem of the Untouchables is primarily social, and his economic handicaps are the by-products of his social degradation. Those who want to understand India must understand this point first. Whether it is the Marthawada and Gujarat caste wars or mass murders at Kilvenmani, Belchi, Kafatla, Pipra etc., all of them were solely because they were Untouchables, and not because they were poor. As long as caste System is there, conflict leading to violence, therefore, becomes unavoidable. The high caste landed gentry will never tolerate any challenge to their authority. With the spread of education and the thoughts of Ambedkar awareness is bound to come to Dalits and this is bound to lead them to confrontation with the high castes. The government, police, judiciary, press and society being on the side of the Hindus, the Untouchables will be made mincemeat in the fast-developing caste war in the countryside. That means more Deolis. Since the Dalits are in a minority in every village and also weak in every thing, their life, property and the honour of their women will be in serious danger. Under such a circumstance there is no other go for the poor Dalits but to quit their village and migrate to safer areas. That means Dalit organisations will have to seriously consider the migration of Dalits to urban areas. Such a migration will add to the strength of the urban organized proletariat. The Dalits being born revolutionaries, they will also help hasten the impending class-caste struggle. It is for the Left parties, therefore, to think seriously on this issue and help migration of Dalits, and thereby help themselves. We can’t leave this task to the govt – which a puppet in the hands of the “ruling class” – will be naturally opposed to such a radical remedy. On the other hand, it may do its best to prevent this process. Nor will the bourgeois political parties be ready for this. Hence, the role of the militant Dalit organisations and Left parties is important. The demand for a homeland for Dalits is also becoming louder. Presently Khalistan has stolen the thunder. Other persecuted minorities like tribals are demanding Jharkhand. There are also demands for Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Gorkhaland, Bundelkhand, Sagari Prant, Vidarbha, Kantapur, Udayachal etc. The non-stop killings of Dalits in India is a fit case for the UNO and its Human Rights Commission to take note of. Dalits, persecuted minorities may have to seek comrades elsewhere. Muslim, Christian organisations, Blacks, Marxists in China could be our best friends.
