Bangalore: Press reports from Hyderabad about the April 14 “Ambedkar Jayanti” celeberations say that once again the two dominant Dalit sections Malas and Madigas – of Andhra Pradesh openly clashed and created an ugly scene and thereby revealing the fact that the upper castes have succeeded in dividing the Untouchables.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, a shudra Khamma, did his job of consolidating his Khamma caste by dividing the Dalits
Reddi-Khamma rivalry: Dalits are landless labourers and propertyless. They have nothing to lose. But it is the Khamma landlords and businessmen who have everything to lose. Hence they are more conscious of their “jati unity” against their rival shudra Reddi jati fellows.
The rivalry in AP is mainly between these two shudra castes – Reddis and Khammas. The former trounced the Khammas in the recent Parliament elections.
Both the Malas and Madigas know this. And even after knowing it, they two got divided instead of uniting to fight their twin oppressors.
Malas joined the Reddis and Madigas became the tail of Khammas. Both the deprived communities instead of jointly attacking their oppressors were busy quarreling between them- selves.
And, after all, the quarrel is for what? The quarrel is over bones, and skin. While the flesh is enjoyed by the Khammas and Reddis, the already starving dogs are quarreling over the thrown-away crumbs. Who can save such people?
Failure of Ambedkarites: Madigas say that the more dominant among the Dalits, namely Malas, have consumed more of the discarded rotten, stinking garbage.
The Ambedkarites among the Malas being elder brothers, should have heeded this demand even if the complaint of Madigas is not genuine and agreed for a population-wise share between the Malas and Madigas.
This is where the DV stepped in advocating the “jati identity” which supported such a demand.
But both the sides continued to be pawns in the chessboard of the Reddi-Khamma parties.
Karnataka following AP: The April 14 violent scenes at hyderabad proved that instead of healing the wound both sides are trying to fan the flames of hatred.
Perhaps such a polarisation may lead to “caste consciousness, caste identity and caste consolidation’ among the Madigas.
Meanwhile, a similar scene is developing in Karnataka also.
The only solution to this problem is caste consciousness, caste identity and caste consolidation. Both the Khammas and Reddis in AP know this, got benefitted by it and became rulers But the deprived, dehumanised Dalits are yet to learn the secret of this all-powerful mantra
