We thank our editor tor launching the “caste identity’ Debate which is 2 1/2 years old and still continuing a rare thing in the history of Indian journalism.
People from different walks of life participated in this Debate. Some supported the Editor’s thesis and others criticised it. But both received full justice in the Dalit Voice. Two years ago, I too participated in the Debate. I was focussing on the changing attitude of Hindus towards the caste. The only people who created and perpetuated caste system tor such a long time all of a sudden turning anti caste and preaching abolition of caste seems something astonishing.
This sudden right about turn of Hindus has great significance and hence needs close study.
CHARTING A NEW COURSE
Inspired by the Debate, I have changed my name as Saji K. Cheramaan in place of Saji K. Joseph as Cheramaan (Pulaya) being my caste name.
I am proud to identify myself as a Pulaya. Henceforth, my Jati name will become part of my name. This is the transformation brought in me by the “caste identity” Debate in DV.
The Editor’s thesis was criticised very bitterly. They even went to the extent of saying that the Editor was going against Babasaheb, was misquoting Dr. Ambedkar,” and was preaching against “Dalit unity”. Are the critics, right? My answer is no.
What the critics are unconsciously trying to Convey is that our Editor is inventing a new theory which blocks the Dalit upsurge and goes against Babasaheb’s philosophy.
But what is the truth? I find nothing new in our editor’s thesis. He has given us a better understanding of our society and its working. Why should he be blamed for chatting a new course tor Dalits?
Strengthening of each Jati is not against Dalit movement. It does not destroy “Dalit unity”. Rather, it will make the “Dalit unity” strong and firm. More than that, a better democratic movement will emerge.
BABASAHEB STRENGTHENED MAHAR JATI
I have a question to the criticism. Why the Mahar Jati terms 99% of Dr. Ambedkar’s followers in Maharashtra? Why the Dalit movement in Maharashtra is still being dominated by the Mahar’s? Here lies the beauty of the “caste identity” theory. This is because of the strengthening of the Mahar’s under the leadership of Babasaheb who himself was a Mahar.
Why the Mangs and other Dalit Jati’s still keep themselves away from the Dalit movement in Maharashtra even though Babasaheb toiled for the entire Dalit community? This is the beauty of the Editor’s theory The leadership of Babasaheb unconsciously strengthened the “Jati identity” of Mahar’s in Maharashtra.
Kerala has three beautiful examples of the working of the “caste identity”. The three main Untouchable Jati’s in Kerala are the Eleva’s, Playas and the Pariahs. The three great leaders of these Jati’s were Sri Narayana. Guru, Mahatma Ayanami and Piikani Sree Kumara Guru. The organisation founded by Narayana Guru was Sree Narayana Dharma Periplanar Yogam (SNDP), Ayanami termed Sadhu Jana (poor people) Periplanar Sangham (SPS) and Kumara Guru termed Prathyaksha Raksha Daiva Sabha (PRDS).
Even though these three great revolutionaries toiled for the entire Untouchable community of Kerala, the working of the Editor’s theory can be seen here also. The SNDP is now the exclusive organisation of Eleva’s, SPS of the Playas and the major followers of PRDS are only Pariahs.
How this happened? Narayana Guru, an Eleva, strengthened the “Jati identity” of Eleva’s through the SNDP. Ayanami strengthened the Pulana identity being a Pulana and Kumara Guru, a Pariah, strengthened the “Jati identity” of Pariahs.
Even though these three great leaders of Kerala worked for the liberation of the entire Untouchables, their respective Jati’s to which they betongued got strengthened.
GANDHI HELPED BANIA IDENTITY
Each Jati made use its respective leader-and used that leadership to strengthen its respective Jati. Can anybody find fault with this and dub the three Kerala leaders as cartelists? Did anybody dub them as disruptors of “Dalit unity”?
‘Hence, it is quite wrong to say that the Editor invented a new theory to destroy the “Dalit unity”. Why the Dalit movement is dominated by the Mahar’s in Maharashtra, Malas in Andhra Pradesh and Pariahs in Tamil Nadu? In the name of “Dalit unity” only certain Jati’s among the Dalits always got strengthened. Here is the beauty of the working of “caste identity’ thesis as proposed by our Editor.
Just as Babasaheb unconsciously and unknowingly strengthened the Mahar identity, M.K. Gandhi also unconsciously strengthened the Bania identity. The Banias (Vaishyas) were worse than the Shudras until Gandhi came on the scene. The Brahmins called them wretched people — born out of papa yoni. The rise of India’s most prominent Banias with the blessings of Brahmins was made full use of by the Jati of Gandhi. Can we then accuse Gandhi of being a cattiest? This is the miracle of the “caste identity” thesis which our Editor propounded and tried to use to fight Brahminism.
The Editor neither created the Jati nor did he invent the “caste identity” thesis. Like a true Philo so discover per he formulated a thesis out of the existing social system and discovered a deadly weapon to fight Brahminism. Newton did not the Law of Gravity. It was existing even before Newton was born. Mao did not invent the Law of Contradictions. It was existing even before Mao was born. Similarly, “caste identity” was existing even before our Editor was born. He only codified it after making a study of the existing caste contradictions and gave a shape to the thesis. Hence, he is a philosopher.
“Identity” has never been a static phenomenon. It changes from time to time. Please look into our history and try to understand our identities. Daiyu, Vanara, Rakshasa, Mecha’s, Chandala, outcastes, Panchama, Scheduled Castes, Harijans all imposed identities. it was never at a standstill. It kept changing as time changed.
Look at the example of the Black people in America and how they asserted their identity. Negroes, Blacks, Afro-Americans. Now they call themselves African-Americans. Identity moves the people and heaps them to assert their rights and also fight and die tor it.
Identity is asserted when it fills the people/individual with pride .and helps them to keep their head high. Such an assertion is possible only with a proper understanding of our history and our glorious past. That means identity should be based on history
BABASAHEB NEVER DEMANDED JATI DESTRUCTION
Why the Blacks of America now assert themselves as African Americans? Because they find their history/roots in Africa. They were captured. And enslaved by their White masters and taken from Africa, their motherland. History now proves that the African Black people were the builders of great world civilizations. History proves that Black Africa was the mother of all world civilizations. Hence the Blacks of America proudly declare themselves to be African-Americans and keep their head high.
“Dalit” is a new and our latest name. It came to prominence only in the 70s. The word Balti lacks the support of history. A Mahar feels prouder to be called a Mahar than being called a Dalit. Because history proves that Maharashtra belongs to Mahar’s i.e. Mahar Rashtra.
The Pariahs of TN were the rulers of Madras tor centuries. The Malas of AP, Pariahs and Playas of Kerala too had a glorious history.” Strengthening of their “Jati identity” has only helped the Mahar’s in Maharashtra, Chamars in UP Malas in AP, Pariahs in TN and the Playas and Pariahs of Kerala, and Nama Sudras of Bengal to take a leading role in the Dalit movement in their respective states.
Identity stands only if it is supported by history.
identity with a root in history prevails. A simple question. Has the Dalit movement by its working and social engineering tor the past 30 years been able to destroy the “Jati identity” of any of the Dalit Jati’s? If no, then why?
Identity should be supported by history. “Dalit” being a new name lacks such a support. Dalit only seeks unification of the already strengthened ““identities” of different Jati’s. Dalit is a sort of an umbrella under which all Untouchable subcastes can take shelter.
This is all what euro Editor says. Why should he be criticised tor that? Babasaheb too wanted to unite our people but nowhere he had called tor destruction of our identity and then to unite. Did he ever make an appeal to the Mahar’s of Maharashtra to cease to be Mahar?
Our Editor after having understood the poor progress of the Dalit movement in the past 50 years wanted to strengthen the Dalit movement by strengthening the identity of each Jati. The already sidelined Jati’s should also come up and join the Dalit struggle. Unless each Jati and every subcaste among the Untouchables is strengthened, not only Dalit movement cannot be strengthened but there is every chance of Hindu nazis stealing some of our subcastes.
Already we are only 30% of the population with no money, media and nothing. How can we allow our human resources, which is our only strength, to be stolen by the Hindu nazis?
The Editor is fully right in his call to strengthening “Jati identity”. This is not a call to the already strengthened Jati groups
Let the Mahar’s help the Mangs to feel proud of themselves, Malas help the Madigan. The Editor’s call is tor such groups who have been kept away from the grand democratic unity called “Dalit”.
