This has ref. to your report: “Religion does not bind people but create only understanding” (DV Aug.16 ’97 , p-10) and also “Dalit unity not possible until all sub-castes get due share” (DV Aug.1 p. 11).
DV is taking in a partisan stand by supporting Madi gas and thereby trying to mislead your readers as follows:
(1) Malas, Holeyas, Pariahs and Mahar’s are haves whereas the Madi gas are havenots.
(2) Malas are highly educated and well advanced in education whereas Madi gas are illiterates.
(3) Madi gas are majority in population whereas Malas are a minority.
(4) Malas or Holebas are Brahminical is their attitude whereas Madi gas are not.
(5) Malas are a ruling caste but Madi gas are slaves.
(6) Malas are exploiters but Madi gas are exploited.
(7) Malas are grabbing the share of Madi gas in an unlawful and treacherous manner.
(8) The Malas are cunning but the Madi gas are innocent and poor.
You may support the Madi gas but don’t attribute motives to Malas. Madi gas are having their own MLAs and MPs, IAS, 1PS and class I officers. They are having their rights on par with the Malas. Who prevented the Madi gas from educating their children? Who prevented the Madi gas from grabbing or exploiting the share of Malas?
The aim of “Hindu unity” is entirely different from “Dalit unity”. Your aim is proportional representation. That cannot be fulfilled through categorisation of SCs into 4 groups.
Madi gas with 18 castes were given 7% reservation. Can we say these 18 castes will equally share the 7% reservation? Not at all.
The case study of Vishwakarma’s of Kerala by Mansoor Gopalan will prove that these categorisations will not render justice to all subcastes.
For the educational and economic backwardness of Madi gas, we Malas or Holebas are not responsible.
