Nov.15 – 30 1981
The Editorial, “Brahmin sing the ‘Harijans”: A Dangerous Trend”, is about a mischievous UNI (Oct. 24 81) report from Cochin on the “reception” given by Untouchables to a Kanchi Shankaracharya at a temple in Trippunithara. Once in a way such stage- managed shows are organized to deceive the Untouchables and fool foreigners about ‘Hindu tolerance” that Hindu temples are open to all and that “Harijans are Hindus”. But before staging such Natak’s, the Brahminical forces screen the actors, and select the stooges who follow Brahminical dictates. But such shows are for public consumption. Brahminical literature nowhere says that Harijans are Hindus. Untouchables are not Hindus and never Hindus. Nor are they interested in entering Hindu temples. They have their own great glorious religion, their own deities and their own distinct rich cultural identity. Hands off Untouchables, warns the editorial.
Caste wars: A signed article by the Editor, “Caste War: Social, Economic and Cultural Impact” (p.7). says that as the Untouchables, Backward Castes, tribals start asserting their human rights, the Hindus will step up the caste war. And hence the country will see more and more violence in years to come. The 1979 “Marathwada caste war” was launched by the Marathas against Untouchables for demanding implementation of the govt. decision to change the name of Marathwada University after Babasaheb Ambedkar. The “Marathwada caste war” affected 1200 villages,” rendering 5,000 people homeless, 25,000 Dalits became destitutes and 4,000 of them fled. The Editor of DV was one among the 60,000 who courted arrest at Aurangabad in the historic “Long March”. The “caste war” lasted 11 days and four Dalits were killed. Then came the three-month- long “Gujarat caste war” of 1981 in which over 30 were killed. The war was led by Patels and Brahmins against Dalits on the issue of reservations. The Editor visited Ahmedabad and other places and met Dalit Panther leaders and Muslim leaders.
Brahmins file case: K.J. Jacob in “Caste in Kerala Church: Plight of Harijan Christians” (p.11) says there were over 1 million Harijan Christians in Kerala and they were facing discrimination even inside the church controlled by Brahmin Christians.
Indian Muslims Relief Committee, London, (Bulletin of Sept. 1, 1981) reproduces the entire historic editorial of DV July 15 1981. “Earthquake at Meenakshi Puram”, where the Untouchables embraced Islam bringing sleepless nights to Aryans. For one full year Meenakshi Puram was a front-page news in the country’s “national press”.
A Mathura report says Brahmins have filed criminal cases against Jagjivan Ram “for making defamatory speeches against Brahmins”, on Oct. 6 and 18
