We are writing this piece with tears in our eyes to make two important announcements – one happy and the other heart – breaking. The first is that the Dalit Voice caravan is crossing its epochal 10th year of publication and galloping into the 11th year. No journal of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes or Backward Castes in India has survived so long. Not only it survived, but blossomed into the best and the most effective organ of the country’s oppressed 85% peoples (“DV hailed as the best journal of the oppressed”. DV Oct.1 1991 p.7).
Everything is good with DV: (1) We have a very sincere, committed hardworking team, (2) very virile readership countrywide nav worldwide. (3) a good communication network, (4) a time -tested editorial policy, (5) and a tremendous goodwill. It achieved, to a great extent, the unity of the non-Hindu 85% and succeeded in identifying the oppressor. And also, in putting before them a recipe for revolution. Its every prediction came true and every because it fought proved popular. And so, our claim that DV is a new experiment in journalism proved right.
Yes, DV Is the new thunder and lightning to usher the oppressed 85% into the wailing 21st century – “Dr. Ambedkar Era” – only eight years away.
Beg, borrow & steal: And that is the end of the happy news. Now begins the heart-breaking one. For want of advertisement support. which is the only source of income for a publication, DV is languishing. Through “beg, borrow and steal”, we have been managing the show, literally converting our blood into sweat. But how long can we continue? There is a limit to our patience and energy. Sky-rocketing prices have reduced the Rs.90 annual subscription to nothing.
Our readers write in superlative terms praising DV. We don’t get flattered. DV is a mission. DV is not there to please anybody. A surgeon conducts the operation even if it is painful to the patient. DV is doing a sociological surgery. It has a historic role. And we have a sense of great fulfilment that we have done the job without compromising on principles.
The SC/ST/BCs (65%) on the one side are weaker than the Muslims/ Christians/Sikhs (MCS 20%).
Both are non-Hindus and both oppressed by the same Allen Aryan colonials. Both the sections have a common oppressor but none has a media to defend their human rights and fight their oppressors – except of course DV. They all admit this.
Failure of religious minorities: The media has become the monopoly of the oppressor. Both the SC/ST/BCs and the MCS complain about this daily without doing anything. The MCS can’t start one because they are not capable of it. Then, they could have at least supported the DV. Even that they didn’t do.
So, the oppressed peoples of this country – particularly the more enlightened MCS – are suffering daily, persecuted daily by the Aryan oppressors. They suffer no doubt. But the pity is they can’t understand their own pressing need for a media. What can we do?
We in DV did our best. There is no word on this subject that has gone unsaid. Yet our oppressed Muslims, Christians and Sikhs are not able to understand despite being maligned daily by this Brahminical media.
We took up their (MCS) battle and fought their battle, better than they could. In fact, there was no need for a Dalit journal to bother about others. But as Ambedkarites, we thought it was our duty to support all struggles for human rights. And that is how we supported the MCS. But the MCS people are not able to understand things at all. Rather. the elite of the MCS is joining the oppressor.
So, in the light of such as heart- rending situation, where the slaves of India are enjoying their slavery. and even after pointing out this fact that they are slaves, the slave is refusing to get angry (and some get angry with us only). we thought enough is enough.
And if nobody is interested in this fully grown up 11-year-old fearless youth and if we are also not in a position to look after it – the only alternative is to allow it to starve, decay and die.
This is the position of DV as it steps into its 11th year. And any moment it may collapse and die. And if it dies, history cannot blame us. Because we did our best to give it birth, bring the decade – old caravan to this level and make it a vibrant organ of the oppressed -never before attempted in India.
We can no longer afford the losses. It is breaking our back. Our finances got so much crippled that it disrupted the Dalit Sahitya Academy’s book publishing activities. In the whole of 1991- one full year- we could come out with only one slim book: – Ready Reference to Revolutionaries. To that extent. we have been flattened.
Greatest Tragedy: So, for want of mere funds if such a great intellectual institution, a historic mission, were to close down that will be the greatest tragedy which may break our hearts.
That means the human rights struggle of the 85% non-Hindus of India has suffered a setback. It also means that the combined strength and wisdom of the over 85% Indians is nothing before the strategy and tactics of less than 15% Brahminical social order.
If there are any thinking sections still left in India or outside, they can think of saving the 11-year-old youth from starvation and sure death.
Some miracle is not ruled out. But we cannot wait for miracles to happen.
“Educated people have let me down”, sighed Babasaheb Ambedkar at the far end of his life. The Father India was right.
We have played our part and played it well. History has recorded it and paid its tributes. And we have nothing more to say except that the curtain may fall any moment. And thereby DV passes into history.
