OUR LIBERATION NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE THREE SEPARATIONS FROM HINDUS
M.GOPINATH, GENERAL SECRETARY, SAMATA SAINIK DAL, KARNATAKA, BANGALORE
The oppression of Dalits is quite unique unlike many other problems facing India. Most Dalit organisations today are in a dilemma as to whether the Dalit question has to be given a special consideration and treatment or has to be solved along with many other problems.
Those who consider the problems of Dalits as something totally dissimilar to the other go by the premise that Dalits include only Untouchables, whereas the others ignore the “caste” factor.
Dalit organisations emerged as a historical development in the eternal search for solutions to the specialised problems of Dalits. Though the Dalits over a period of time struggled alone, some started taking a queer stand of defining ‘Dalits’ to include “poor people” of all communities and castes. Such a shift of emphasis may look good as if providing a “broad base”. But inclusion of the non-Dalit “poor” gradually results in dilution of our thrust and objective. So, before we think of ‘Dalit self-determination’, it is absolutely necessary to remove the ambiguity and the consequent confusion created with regard to the word ‘Dalit”. (“Self-Determination for Each Nation”, DV edit: Oct. 16 1986).
Who is a “Dalit”? : Most Dalit organisations define ‘Dalit’ as an oppressed “class” to include “all poor people of every caste or community”. But, in their heart of heart, they are sure that it is only the Untouchables who could be termed Dalits. The reason for such a hypocrisy is that we Untouchables, are afraid of being branded as casteists if ever we say that only Untouchables are Dalits. We may call every “poor man” as Dalit and consider ourselves as one among such Dalits. We may also think that others also will accept that Dalit means the “poor”.
But this is not the reality. The Hindus recognise only the Untouchables as Dalits and refuse to admit the “poor” among Hindus as Dalits though such “poor” Hindus may be the poorest among the poor. Why this deliberate confusion?
Confusion: This confusion is caused because of the contradiction between the literary meaning and the historical meaning of the word ‘Dalit”.
Hindus see Dalit as Deen-Dalit (poor and helpless) who are to be sympathised. Whereas for Untouchables, it is a ‘historical identification’ to give a psychological thrust to their militant struggle.
POOR BRAHMIN
Though everybody agrees that the literary meaning of ‘Dalit’ is poor, why no poor Brahmin, poor Reddy, poor Lingayat (or anybody other than an Untouchable) calls himself a ‘Dalit’? Because their jati has given them enough pride, place and identity in the society. They do not require yet another new identification. They do not like to be clubbed with an Untouchable under the nomenclature of ‘Dalit’. Whereas, for an Untouchable, the word ‘Dalit’ has brought him a badly needed identity, dignity and more so militancy to fight for his/her human rights.
Newspaper headlines: Besides this there is yet another reason why the “poor” among the Hindus do not like to be called Dalit. Look at the newspaper headlines given by Hindu journalists in their own Hindu newspapers and journals. When they write “30 Dalits killed in Chundur”, “Atrocities on Dalits”, they mean Untouchables and not the poor. So the Hindus themselves admit that Dalit means the Untouchables.
US Black Panther Movement: The word ‘Dalit’ is not without a base and history. The word was coined from out of the inspirations of struggles of our Black sisters and brothers in America. In the 1970s, the Untouchables of Maharashtra called themsleves ‘Dalit Panthers’ which was based on the militant ‘Black Panthers of America’.
Untouchables had been given filthy, insulting names such as Holeya, Madiga, Bhangi, Mahar, Pariah, Chamar etc ., which conveyed. nothing but contempt. Since the ruling class (Hindus) coined words, concepts and images, it made our people believe that these were their natural names meant to convey the dirty work we are engaged in.
When the educated, enlightened and self-respecting Untouchables woke up to fight for their liberation, it was natural for them to reject all these insulting names and search for dignified names. ‘Dalit’ has met this requirement.
Name that strikes terror: ‘Untouchables’ was a negative identification, beside being an English word. Whereas ‘Dalit’ has secured, in the course of our 30- year-long struggle, a positive identification, which is very much essential for a liberation movement As Harijan meant bastard, and “Scheduled Castes” are English words, our people had no collective common name of their own.
‘Dalit’ became the only name which the Untouchables of India gave unto our selves. Hence the word became quickly popular and the widely accepted name which became more popular because of the Dalit Voice. This name is not only widely accepted now but more than that it conveys our anger, our determination besides striking a terror in our enemy hearts.
IDENTITY TESTS
The next question is should we include only the Scheduled Castes and Tribes among Dalits (Untouchables)? The list of SCs and STs is prepared according to the needs (or pleasures) of rulers for administrative purposes. The English name of SC/ST does not convey our distinct identity; our separate ethnic entity. “Scheduled Castes” means a schedule of castes listed by the President of India and put in the Constitution. It conveys no other meaning.
In fact, such bald, vague words may even destroy our identity by pooling us under a ‘schedule’. There are many Untouchable “castes” or races who have been left out of this “schedule”.
Dalits are beef-eaters: The census of 1911 had laid down ten tests (Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Writings and Speeches Vol. V, page 7, Govt. of Maharashtra, Bombay) to identity the Untouchables. Under these tests the census officials made a separate enumeration of “castes” and “tribes” who (i) denied the supremacy of the Brahmins, (2) did not receive the mantra from the Brahmin or other recognised Hindu guru; (3) denied the authority of the vedas; (4) did not worship Hindu gods; (5) were not served by Brahmins; (6) have no Brahmin priests at all; (7) have no access to the interior of the ordinary Hindu temple; (8) cause pollution; (9) bury their dead and (10) eat beef and do not revere the cow.
To these ten identity tests, we have to add four more: (1) Those who could not secure profitable employment, (2) unable to own lands and forced to accept filthy jobs; (3) who hold subordinate political positions and (4) those who are conveniently kept away from modern education and technology.
Muslims and BCs: What about Backward Castes and Muslims? They are also original inhabitants of India and hence Moola Bharatis like the Untouchables. Some of these indigenous peoples embraced liberating religions like Islam and Christianity to escape from the tyranny of brahminical rule. Thereby they secured yet another cultural identity and became very much antagonistic to the brahminical social order. But some aboriginals succumbed to the Aryan rule (brahminical social order) and agreed to be their servants. They were given such professions that brought them into a sort of physical contact with Hindus.
Dalits & BCs: Such of those Untouchables who surrendered to the Hindus became Backward Castes. Hence there is absolutely no difference between the Untouchables/Dalits/SCs and the BCs. Both are pre-Aryan. Both are indigenous population of India.
BCs surrendered to Aryans: Since the BCs agreed to surrender, they were allowed into the outer- yard of the Hindus though the BCs were continued to be treated as Untouchables. On the other hand, the Dalits/Untouchables/SCs never compromised, never surrendered to Hindus and hence chose to remain as the deadliest enemies of Hindus and away from them. That is all the difference.
The so-called religious minorities – Muslims/Sikhs/Christians – are also our own blood relations. They went over to an egalitarian religion but continued to suffer seclusion, segregation and racist treatment even after conversion.
The doors of our house are always open to them if they choose to come back. But whether they come with us or not we will continue to fight for their human rights whenever they are threatened by the Hindus.
For example, it was the Dalits who came forward to face the Hindu caste war (1990) against the Mandal Commission recommendations. And even during the Gulf War, Dalits an masse and India’s oppressed Muslims stood by Saddam Hussain and though nobody asked them to do so.
Dalits being the brothers of BCs and Muslims/Christians/Sikhs, they think they have a responsibility to protect them.
Meaning of self-determination: What then is right for self- determination? It is the “right” of every race or group of people with a distinct identity and historic past to determine and shape its own life and future. The right of self- determination does not arise in the case of two different income groups having the same cultural identity. In other words, income disparity does not divide a “nation”, meaning a distinct ethnic entity. It is the racial and cultural antagonism that decides the right of self -. determination but not “class antagonism”.
Class does’nt divide a nation: In other words, “poor” Brahmins do not hate “rich” Brahmins. “Class” does not divide a nation. An oppressing race always uses racial and cultural differences as a weapon to extract the surplus from the oppressed race. Hence, the oppressed race, which is deprived of its human rights, will acquire, over a period of time, the right of determining and shaping its life and future.
Dalits & nationality question: How could this be applied to Dalits ?
Dalits do not come under the caste system (chaturvarna). They are avarniyas or avarnas meaning out- castes or outside the caste or outside the varna system.
The traditional meaning of ‘race’ does not fit them. They do not subscribe to the race theory. In other words, they are not racists. Dalits are a wounded race whose cultural foundations have been stolen and to some extent destroyed by the foreign invaders. They are not only a wounded race but a wounded nationality who had their own socio-cultural, economic, educational and political system in the pre-Aryan glorious golden days of Indus Valley civilisation.
Stalin’s definition: The nationality question naturally leads us to the classical definition given by Stalin. We admit that the Dalits are not geographically concentrated in a particular area. We also admit that they do not have a common language or a homogenous economic system to fit into the definition of a nation of Stalin’s concept.
BABASAHEB’S DEFINITION
The term ‘nationality’ need not be limited to these points alone. Babasaheb Ambedkar recognised Dalits as a separate nation. (Ibid page 63).
Nationality may also mean common feeling of kinship or suffering. A race or a social group with distinct identity, which is socially discriminated, must unite to struggle for liberation, treating themselves as a separate nation. The life and future of Dalits are currently left to the whims and fancies of the brahminical social order which denies and deprives our just freedom, self-protection, self-respect and basic human rights assured by the Constitution.
In fact, it is not the Constitution of the country given to us by Babasaheb Ambedkar that is governing India but the Manusmriti the Constitution of the Brahmins – which is in direct conflict with the principles of democracy.
Having established our claim that Dalits are a separate nation, we now proceed to analyse the need for us to defend our claim for self- determination.
Political segregation: The very first attempt to claim our self- determination was made by Babasaheb Ambedkar as early as at the historic Round Table Conference held in London in 1930. He declared that he had no more confidence in the Hindu majority (?) rule and hence demanded a separate electorate for Dalits wherein Dalits had to elect their own (Dalit) representatives. The British rulers, after considering the objection raised by M.K. Gandhi and his Congress, a Hindu party, conceded the justness of the Dalit claim and provided special electorate wherein Dalits were given two votes – one in the special electorate to elect their own representative and other in the general electorate to elect a general member.
GANDHI’S MISCHIEF
Gandhi, a Hindu leader, quickly scented the danger to his community and on their behalf threatened to “fast unto death” unless this political recognition to the Dalit as a separate nation was withdrawn. A big drama followed. Babasaheb was forced to discuss with Hindus and arrive at a compromise agreement with Gandhi. They begged Babasaheb to accept “reserved constituencies” in place of separate electorates. This agreement is called the “Poona Pact” of 1932. Special electoral constituencies were mere 78 but the Hindus (Congressmen) to win over Babasaheb raised the number to 148 “reserved constituencies” assuring the Hindu non-interference in the political activities of Dalits.
As usual with Hindus this “solemn assurance” given to Babasaheb was violated and the Hindus betrayed Dr. Babasaheb, thereby repudiating all the terms and conditions of the Poona Pact.
Dalits Cheated: In all the “reserved constituencies”, the Congress contested the elections putting up Harijan candidates under their banner and won 78 seats out of 148.
Dalits were thus tricked to accept an enhanced number of seats in place of effective representation of our choice.
Hindus cheated us by giving us quantity in place of Babasaheb’s plea for quality. Babasaheb’s very first attempt for “self-determination” was thus totally nullified by the heinous game played by Gandhi and the Congress. (Gandhi Saint or Sinner ? Fazlul Huq, Dalit Sahitya Akademy, 1992)
So much so, we have today a massive representation in Parliament (120 ) SC/ST/members – but all of them are bonded labourers of Hindus.
Poona Pact: The consequences of Poona Pact made Babasaheb think seriously that in the peculiar circumstances of India ruled by the brahminical social order mere political separation would never make our people totally independent.
Though Babasaheb was trying to secure the highest power to his people, some of his co-workers stabbed him in the back and yielded to brahminical pressure. This yielding on the part of Babasaheb was mainly due to the fact that the nation for which he was demanding a separate electorate was
(i) culturally deprived
(ii) geographically dispersed and
(iii) economically dependent.
SEPARATE SETTLEMENT
Babasaheb, having been made to forcibly sign the Poona Pact, realised the importance of cultural consolidation and geographical concentration. Early in 1947, he had raised yet another demand besides separate electorate and that is separate settlement. Babasaheb’s memorandum to this effect was later published in the form of a constitution titled States and Minorities.
Reservations used as a threat: And two months before his death, Babasaheb embraced the Buddha Dhamma to liberate Dalits from the alien cultural aggression, mental slavery and a sense of insecurity created by Hinduism and also to bring about a cultural unity among them by embracing the rational religion of Buddhism which in fact was. the original religion of Dalits. The right direction given by Babasaheb unnerved the brahminical forces. Anticipating such a danger, Hindus did their best to undo the damage of mass conversion that gave a body blow to Hinduism.
Bid to co-opt Babasaheb: They tried to co-opt Babasaheb by offering Central minister ship and making him chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution. After Babasaheb’s death, they infiltrated into Buddhism to sabotage it from inside. On one side, they used reservation as a stick to frighten Dalits that if they were to quit Hinduism and embraced Buddhism, they would lose the reservations.
Though Hindus said we got “reserved constituencies” as a “concession” in place of “separate electorate”, it was actually done at the behest of Hindus to save their Hinduism. Once their job was done, Hindus made the Dalits believe that reservations were a Hindu “charity” to Dalits. And this made most of our “educated” Dalits to remain obedient servants of Hindus.
“Harijan” welfare doles:Repeated attempts have been made by Hindus to destroy the foundations of our “Dalit national identity” and thereby deny our “right of self- determination”. Our post- independent Dalit leaders, who can be better described as Harijan politicians, never bothered to understand the concept of Dalit nationality and our right of self- determination.
Dalit problem not poverty: They were brainwashed by their Hindu slave-masters to believe that our problems were first economic and then lack of education. These “Harijan leaders” were tutored to believe that the “Harijan problem” was due to their (economic) poverty and lack of education. Having convinced these Harijan slaves, they were made to receive the “Harijan welfare” doles. They were even made to ridicule Babasaheb’s ingenious moves to establish a separate “Dalit nation” and then fight for our right of self- determination.
Gandhi, enemy No. 1 of Dalit: M.K. Gandhi, whom Babasaheb called the Enemy No.1 of Untouchables, played the major role in brainwashing the Harijans and co-opting them. If ever some unconcious Dalits believe that they are Hindus, the credit for this goes to this wily Gujarati Bania.
The Hindu press made a propaganda against the idea of political separation and advised the Harijans to join the “mainstream” through reservation. The result was eteral slavery.
Cultural identity: Babasaheb had rightly thought that mere political separation (separate electorate) would never lead to right of self- determination to Dalits. Cultural identity was more important to establish the Dalit nationhood.
How Muslims succeeded: During the pre-independence days, Muslims succeeded in securing their own “nation”. In recent years, Sikhs, Jharkhand is, Bodos, Ghorkhas, Uttarkhandis, Nagas, Mizos, Tamils etc. are engaged in bitter battle to secure their nationhood.
BLACKS IN AMERICA
Similarly, Palestinians, Russians of USSR, Irish people of UK, French in Canada and Blacks in America are all gaining their strength from their distinct cultural identity. Jews said they were an oppressed nation and aggressively occupied the Palestinian homeland and established Israel.
Slaves enjoying their slavery: In all these cases, oppressing races or nationalities have treated the oppressed nations as slaves and kept them underdeveloped and extracted exhorbitant surplus from their labour by destroying their culture and making them believe that they were inferior and hence born to serve.
All ruling nations use culture as a tool to perpetuate the status quo which is to their benefit. Once the oppressed nations accept they are inferior and born to serve, they start hating themselves. Not the oppressed. Once self-hatred is created among the oppressed, there is no need for any weapon or violence to suppress the oppressed. Not only they become slaves but the slaves start enjoying their slavery.
Meaning of culture : What is a culture? It is too difficult to define in words. It may be said that culture is an environment developed by a group of people to live on and which serves as the mainspring of their behaviour and action. Culture, therefore, is both matter and spirit; seen and unseen – past, present and future. It is also a set of ideas, values and meaning, system that is dearest to our heart and hence everything.
Fair-skinned Brahmin girls: Culture is like water to fish, like air and every essential to living beings. People become good or bad through culture. Dalits became a no-people because they were made to lose their culture. They lost sight of their great cultural heritage and made to believe that whatever they possessed was ‘inferior’. We were made to feel that ‘black’ is an inferior colour compared to ‘white’. “Educated” Dalits preferred to marry fair-looking girls which ultimately resulted in going behind Brahmin girls who were ready to marry our boys and finish them. We were made to believe that our names based on our great Dalit heroes and godesses were awkward and hence we were made to go in for sanskritised names.
Brahmins call our food habits “non- vegetarian” (as if they are non- eatable). They call beef-eaters as barbarians. Such a barrage of brahminical propaganda has forced our “educated” Dalits to give up beef-eating and even boast that they are vegetarians.
Even in our religious ceremonies, we have started serving useless vegetarian stuff. Our marriages were used to be solemnised by heads of our families. Today, we feel honoured to have a Brahmin priest to perform our marriage. All this proved that we were getting absorbed by Hindus.
Brahmins & bastards: Brahmins went to the extent of declaring that such of the marriages performed without them became illegal, unholy and unethical and children born to such pairs would become bastards. Our urbanised, brahminised, “educated” Dalits got frightened and accepted it. Hindu dwelling places are called “villages”and towns but ours given the contemptuous name of keri cheri, colony and kolegeri where even minimum civic amenities are denied.
HATING OUR OWN MOTHER Our oppressors call themselves citizens (nagarika) in Karnataka while we become just no-people (jana). They say we have no history, no past, no roots and we blindly believe their story.
Ram-Lila festival: They say their Aryan gods fought Rakshasas, Daityas all our pre-Aryan ancestors – and we believe it and burn our own forefathers (during Ram-Lila festival in Delhi). Though we belong to the Rakshasa-Daitya race (pre-Aryan) we believe the Aryan myth and hate our own ancestors, heroes, our own roots, our own languages, our own mother our own food. Because they describe the Rakshasas as demons who destroyed the puras ((cities). They say we have no history or civilisation. This made us believe their bundle of bunkum and celebrate the killing of our own heroines. So much so, ultimately we are left with no history of our own.
They called us Madiga, Holeya, Bhangi, Mala Pariaha and so on. We believed them as if they are our natural names. And they assigned the work to each of us to serve them and we simply obeyed their rule.
Stop scavenging: Today, we take up scavenging jobs on our own without anybody’s compulsion.
Are all the Brahmins doing their ancestral priestly job? Did they not take to other un-brahminical work? When our oppressors can violate their own jati rules, why should we stick to scavenging, sweeping, and such other heinous professions? We do it because our oppressors have brainwashed us to accept their version of history.
DEVADASIS
The Devadasi is nothing but a system of prostitution in the name of religion. In the name of religion this oppressive custom is imposed on our women. We were neither ‘Devas nor Dasis. Yellamma, Ramba, Urvashi, Menka and such others were the official prostitutes of the Aryan god, Indra. Prostitution was a divine profession for Aryans. Whereas it was sin for us. Sex-play was a full time pre-occupation for Aryans. But due to cultural deprivation or cultural vacuum created by the Aryan incursions, our women imitated Brahmin women and accepted Devadasi system as if it is our own.
Greater tragedy: That is why cultural deprivation as a weapon is mightier than even atom bomb. As long as we remain enslaved under this alien culture (brahminical) we can never achieve any freedom: Brahminical domination has killed not only our initiative but even our sentiments have been deadened to the sufferings of our own kith and kin. Our brainwashed “educated” comrades refuse to be identified with the pain of our own people. This is the greatest tragedy we are facing today.
A people who refuse to learn from its past will never have a future? When our past is destroyed how can we have a future? When we don’t respect our own mother, our own grandfather, our great ancestors how can we command respect from our children?
SEARCH FOR ROOTS
It is what is called “roots”. Every society, every human being must have roots. A rootless being drifts. And like a bigger fish eating smaller one, a rootless being will be swallowed by culturally stronger elements. That is how many of our own saints got coopted by the brahminical social order.
How to become proud ? : Therefore, it is very essential to reconstruct our history, know our own history and possess a sense of our cultural heritage.
Then only Dalits can become proud of their past, their mother, their language, their ancestor, their deity, their food. It is for this reason Babasaheb claimed and wanted his people to be freed from the thraldom of Hinduism by which the Hindus would perpetuate their racist system through cultural domination which in turn benefits them and enable them to exploit us culturally, socially, economically and also politically.
M.K. Gandhi was lionised and hailed by the Hindus as a mahatma because it was their Father of the Nation who succeeded in first claiming, then corrupting and then crushing us under their Hinduism. Untouchables were “made” Hindus and “called” Hindus solely because of the efforts of this mahatma. That is why Babasaheb rightly called him the Enemy No.1 of Untouchables.
Buddhist path: So, to get rid of such a Hindu cultural domination, Babasaheb chose the radical path of Buddha Dhamma which would help give us pride, dignity, unity, fraternity and a great psychological spin-off to fight for our rights. People who have lost their culture will lose everything. Hence we must dig deep into our great glorious culture to regain our lost rights and powers. We must say with pride that “we are Dalits”.
Defective education system: Education means the training needed for an individual to develop self-reliance, creativity and sociability. As the Indian society is based on stratified, graded inequality (caste system), the freedom to choose one’s own profession and the freedom to mix with others is denied to everybody. The caste rules become more rigorous when it comes to the question of Untouchables. Dalits were denied every profession or job that had minimum dignity and leisure. According to the jobs assigned, education was also fully denied to our people. During pre- British days, denial of education (study of vedas, archery horse- riding, etc) to Dalits, despite being an original martial race of India, had religious sanction. Hindus denied this education fearing that we might overpower them. When the social structure received a shakeup during the British regime, when formal education system was inaugurated and peoples movements exerted pressure, Dalits were admitted to school in 1856.
Dirty tricks: But then again, the Brahmins played their usual mischief. In place of Gurukula system, Lord Macaulay introduced the new education system. Brahmins, who had monopolised Sanskrit and kept it for themselves, quietly took control of the English education system also. Purohits and advisers to Rajas and Nawabs became clerks and secretaries to British officials. They succeeded in getting close to the British and also Christian missionaries and as usual started their dirty tricks. Consequently, they wangled top positions.
Dual education: At least in the post- independent India, we should have attained equality in the field of education if not in anything else. But the Brahmins have intentionally maintained a dual system of education – expensive English-medium, privately- managed institutions for Hindus and poorly equipped government schools with regional languages as medium of instruction for Dalits and other natives.
HATE ENGLISH
To perpetuate this dual system of education, they play all sorts of tricks to fool the gullible. One such is their own Brahmin-sponsored fake “struggle” against English schools. Our people are told that English is a foreign language and we should love our own mother tongue. By this they create a hatred against English and love for our language. And we succumb to this foul propaganda and thereby our children became clerks and peons and Brahmin children become IAS, IPS officers.
Every time we fall prey to their tricks. Today, most of the children going to govt. schools are Dalits. In many of these schools, even minimum facilities like decent class room, blackboard are denied and even the teachers are not available.
The Indian Constitution has assured free, compulsory and universal primary education to all who are below 14 years. But a majority of the Dalit children cannot afford the luxury of spending a whole day at schools. In the first place, the existing education system is very much inadequate to Dalits even if they are interested. In the second place, the system is arranged in such a way that it is possible only to those families who have sufficient economic means to support their children till they get a degree.
Dalit hostels are cowsheds: The hostels run by the Social Welfare Departments of the State are nothing but cow-sheds. In Karnataka, even today there are no permanent staff to manage the hostels. Students are served with food which are fit not even for pigs. (In some hostels there is a strict instruction not to cook beef). These hostel facilities created a feeling among Dalits that they are a burden to the govt. and that they are under its mercy. That is how Hindus kill us by “kindness”.
The 1981-census: The brahminical social order defend the existing dual education system, which is working against our interest, by arguing that if Dalits are not able to make use of the system “it is because of their inability to come up to the standards”. What standands? The standards which the enemies of Dalits fix.
Apart from the fact that these “standards” are fixed by the Brahmins to keep themselves in power, the system is made inaccessible not because of the “mental incapacity” of Dalits, but primarily because of socio- economic and cultural reasons.
The 1981 census says the general literacy rate is 36.23% whereas among Dalits it is 10.54%. The dropout rate between I standard to X is as high as 60% among Dalits, whereas the general dropout rate is around 42%. Among Hindus, it is as low as 11% and almost nil Brahmins.
TECHNICAL EDUCATION
Because of such a dangerous dual education system, Dalits are conveniently kept away from engineering, medical, and management faculties. Most of the Dalit graduates are from the unwanted art faculties which are easily accessible to them. Whereas in science and technical courses, our share is less than 6%.
As the dual education system has become part of the society and accepted by the society, it also reflects on employment sector. A Dalit graduate has to wait, on an average, 16 months to obtain a job. Whereas for a Hindu, it is 14.3 months. Unemployment among Dalits is 73% and among Hindus 59%.
The teaching methods and examinations are very much helpful to Brahmins because under this system, “merit” means memorising and reciting which they have been doing for the last several generations.
The existing anti- human education system has become a deadly weapon in the hands of Hindus to impose their culture on us and to internalise the self-hatred among us.
Education system: The physical structure of the education system is so well built that as we, the rural Dalits, pursue the studies from primary school to colleges, we are forced to move away from our villages or colonies to settle down in the heart of Hindu localities without a comeback point. Not only the education system brings us closer to brahminical forces, we become physically closer to brahminical dwelling places.
The educational curriculum has nothing on Dalits. They make us study their (Hindu) culture and history. In such an atmosphere, the school can never be an extension of the house to Dalits. Whereas for a Brahmin it is so. Lessons we read in schools will never be a reality for us. It only helps us to accept our low-image and develop a glowing image of the Brahmin. They teach us what we should know about them.
The existing education system is a curse on us and a boon to Brahmins. To develop creativity, self-reliance and self-respect, Dalits must be free from brahminical values and the school should be made an extension of our home. Our cultural values must be realised in greater width and depth in schools. Schooling should become a joy for our kids.
CURSE OF MANU SMRITI
The Manusmriti not only discriminates between brain work and physical work but also has sanctions against possession of assets and power by Dalits. Such a deprivation is also given religious sanction. Such religious restrictions upheld by Manu are evident in every aspect of life and much more so in the economic field. As it is a sin to own any land or property on the part of Dalits, even today we find Dalits owning very little land and practically no industries.
Ownership of land: In 1981, census figures say 52.5% of the total cultivable land is owned by 11.5% of the population who are big Hindu landlords, 32% of the population, who are the self- employed peasants, own 35.3% of the land and the remaining 56.5% of the population, who are marginal farmers and landless labourers, own 12.2% of the cultivable land.
In the first category, we never find a single Dalit landlord. In the second category, we find about 1% of Dalits (owning more than 4 acres). As marginal peasants, (owning land within 4 acres) Dalit representation is less than 4%. And as agricultural labourers, it is more than 90%.
This is because of the dictates of Manu though the Brahmins may say that the law of the land imposes no such restrictions. But the point is that India’s ruling class obeys not the Constitution framed by Babasaheb but the Constitution framed by Manu.
Another shocking factor is that Dalit ownership of land is seen mostly in dry and rainfed areas. Ownership of irrigated lands is not even 1%. The pattern of ownership also goes in accordance with yield or fertility of the soil. In Karnataka, the Dalit population is concentrated more in few taluks of Kolar, Mysore, Hassan, Bidar and Chickmagalur where the land is totally dry and other alternatives of economic development are almost closed.
HUMBUG MARXISTS
Therefore, Dalits have no choice but to be agricultural labourers. They go for traditional crops like paddy, ragi, jawar and others. Horticulture and commercially profitable crops are beyond their reach. Dalits have comparatively little power to command prices for their produce at the market. In some of the villages, even today, Dalits are forced to do their hereditary services to the villagers and headman’s family. Besides, child labour and bonded labour is mostly confined to Dalits.
Urban picture: In urban areas, we experience totally new developments. A modern industrial society with its mass production and systematic organisation should have thoroughly destroyed the caste system which, the Hindus say, is based on the agrarian feudal society. Industrial development at least should have paved the way for social mobility and development of individual capacities.
Marxists proved wrong: This is what the Indian “marxists” also said. They said “caste would wither away under the impact of industrialisation and new classes of the bourgeoise and proletariat would be formed and caste would vanish into thin air”. This might have been true of western societies. But not so in India.
MANUAL JOBS FOR DALITS
Urban economy has been nothing but an extension of rural economy. Those who were the patels, shanbhags, karnikas, kulkarnis, purohits, jhagirdars and other feudal lords (who never soiled their hands to earn their food, but brain, brawn and tongue to live in luxury) became industrialists, businessmen, middlemen, directors, bank managers, govt. officials, judges, journalists and what not. Those who were at the “bottom” of caste pyramid, assigned menial jobs, got similar type of assignments in urban life.So in every city without any exception, all the scavengers, sweepers, cobblers, construction workers, road-diggers, and all those doing hard work but having the lowest income and involving 100% physical labour are all Dalits
Urban edition of feudalism: In this sector, we get over 100% reservation. Even after 45 years of “independence” we fail to see a Dalit owning a hotel or a cinema house or any other business and industry which earns handsome income and status. Therefore, industrialisation of India is nothing but an urban edition of feudalism.
To understand this upper caste duplicity in “marxian dialectics, we can take the example of any market complex in cities. Those who own fabulous shops belong to upper caste/Hindus. In these shops, prices of all products are “fixed” and a customer cannot bargain. As we come down the shopping complex, we see the Dalit pavement vendors. Prices of their products are subject to bargaining and the customer has the final say. Hindu traders’ products are sold in sellers market but ours in buyers market.
Market economy & Manu: Economic theory says that the price is fixed on the basis of demand and supply. But in India, price depends not on the market but on the sellers’ jati. That means, even the market mechanism is manipulated by Manu. As the selling price is at the discretion of the Hindu, sales will be more leading to higher profits or surplus. As we slide down the descending degree of contempt, sales diminishes and cost increases ultimately resulting in loss.
As the technology, establishment, infrastructure, marekting and all other commercial network are built and tuned according to the caste structure, more and more surplus gets concentrated in the hands of Hindus, who are in a minority, and ultimately capital formation and development also remains within their hands.
Consumption side: As we do not have any profitable industry, profession or land, Dalits cannot command the price of our produce and hence cannot demand just wages for our labour. Our purchasing power also remains the lowest. So much so, we can only go for second and third-grade things. We cannot even think of going for capital goods.
In some villages of Karnataka, our people were beaten up and forced to quit their villages for the mere “offence” of riding scooters and wearing good, clean clothes or shoes. Caste system has prescribed different layers of purchasing power for every one. And according to the variation in purchasing power, different varieties of the same goods are sold in the market.
Bata shoe for Hindus: Bata and Carona shoes for Hindu and shabby shoes sold on footpath for Dalits. Raymonds, Dinesh and Vimal suitings for Hindus and NTC, Sulabh and other “discount” “sales”, “exhibition” clothes and roadside dress for us. To imitate the Hindus, some of our boys and girls fall a prey to fake goods sold in some of the evening bazaars. As producers, we are not recognised, as sellers we are weak and as customers, we are powerless and get cheated. The wholle Hindu society is deliberately fashioned to to enslave us.
Foxy role of the govt: As regards govt. efforts to secure our ‘economic independence”, it has failed to fulfil the objectives of the Indian Constitution.
INTEGRATION MEANS DEATH
It is often said that the govt. is taking steps to “integrate Dalits with the mainstream of the country”. What does it mean by such an “integration”? What are these steps? What is this ‘integration’? And how do these integrationists look at us?
Since we are said to be at the “bottom” of the production system – both industrial and agricultural – our people are engaged in the most hazarduous and risky professions like mining, fishing, diving etc. By this we become the biggest producers of wealth and also the highest tax-payers. Hence we should have had a preferential claim over the state funds that are to be allotted for development and expenditure.
Dalits should have become the basic unit of any planning, project or expenditure. But the reality is the exact opposite. Dalits are given the least consideration.
We can’t blame the ruling class for this. The rulers rule according to their rules – not our rules. Salaried people (most of them Hindus) in the organised sector, get DA and other benefits to keep up their standard of living. As house owners, they get all civic facilities.
A major portion of the revenue is being spent on industrialists. And some portion is spent on irrigation and “village development”. All the beneficiaries are Hindus
Planting priests: Dalits (who are 30%) are allotted just 8% to 9% of the total budget or plan outlay. In the Karnataka State budget of 1991-92, out of the total estimated revenue of Rs.1,510 crores, 38.18% went for industries and 37.95% for agriculture. Only Rs.130 crores is apportioned for our (social welfare) programmes. It means every Dalit gets only Rs. 108 for his “development” (which is around 8.6% of the total revenue).
Besides this, the govt. spends Rs.1 crore to build Hindu temples in our colonies by planting Brahmin priests and their values under the Aradhana scheme.
We are never consulted before formulating any development scheme. Our development depends on ‘their’ ideas. Since their ideas are alien to us, their schemes will also remain alien to us.
Whose development ? : They have evolved a beautiful financial system to strengthen the muscles of Hindus under the name ‘development’. In the name of development the Hindus have developed themselves.
Almost 90% of the borrowings from the commercial banks and land development banks are by upper castes. Loans borrowed by the upper caste farmers are written off, while most of the Dalits continue to pay interest by becoming bonded labourers to the local money- lenders.
The Department of Social Welfare is playing the dangerous game of “integration”. Schemes under this department are out-dated and obsolete and never intended to make us self-reliant and creative.
While the industrial technology is galloping towards the 21st century, this department is striving to push us back to the 18th century.
PRODUCERS OF WEALTH
We are the chief producers of all wealth. Hindus only sit and eat. In other words, we are the producers and Hindus are the consumers or destroyers. Without our ‘touch’, nothing comes out of the land and water. But they call us ‘Untouchables’.
We are the people who guard the whole “nation” as soldiers on the borders of the country being the original martial race of India. But the Hindus say we are to be protected and we too believe that our protection lies in their hands.
This is the pattern of Indian system under which we are enslaved. Enslavement of Dalits means enslavement of the whole country. As long as we remain slaves, India will continue to be under the clutches of blood-sucking industrialists and multi-nationals. Hence we must become economically independent to make the country self-reliant. Our economic self-determination means getting rid of local plunderers and international exploiters.
Conclusion: The caste system has not only stratified the entire social, economic structure but every walk of life. As brahminism descends down the caste heirarchy so are the power, knowledge, possession of assets and every privilege and prestige.
Dalit legislators: Just as the Dalits are kept out of all social and economic activities, they are also kept away from everything else. In education, we are the most illiterates. At best we can get some outdated education wherein we will be made to learn about others history and culture. In politics, we may have reservation, but these “reserved constituency” legislators are elected by others. Therefore, they will have to remain as faithful slaves of Hindus. They have no courage to raise their voice against any injustice done to us.
The so-called “national unity and integrity” means accepting the supremacy of brahminism and retention of caste system.
It may be advantageous to them but certainly hot for us. It may be their interest to be our masters. But how can it be our interest to be their slaves ?
We are disappointed: We believed all these days that our rulers and “progressive intellectuals” would support our liberation struggle. But we are disappointed. We believed that they would protect us and secure justice whenever caste atrocities occur. We are disappointed. They not only strengthened the caste grips but also stepped up their caste wars against us. So, we are left with no other choice but to protect and secure our ‘todays’ and ‘tomorrows’ on our own. No one else can determine and shape our life and future.
What self-determination means: Hence for us the right of self- determination means :-
- We work not only to produce the wealth of the country but also to own and enjoy the wealth we produce.
- We should get such an education which will teach us about our history and culture but also teach us self-reliance and self-respect.
- We cannot be represented by others. We should have our own separate electorate to elect our effective representatives.
- We should no more accept “social welfare schemes” but fight for our due share in proportionate to our population.
- We are not Hindus, but Dalits who had a great history and a glorious cultural past.
- We cannot expect somebody to protect us but we have to organise our own self-protection force.
- We should stop believing the cock and bull stories of Hindus that we are slaves. We should remember that we were once the rulers of this land who built the great, glorious ancient civilisation of Indus valley.
- We believe that the real “national integration” is possible only through retaining and promoting our native, indigenous culture and history and assuring our share in everything.
- Our liberation cannot done by others – much less our oppressors. Our liberation is possible only through our struggle, our sacrifice.
