Kaukab Siddique, Ameer, Jamaat al-Muslimeen, (ksidd37398@aol.com): This concerns the efforts of rum our-mongers to pick one little issue to deflect attention from the main thrust of the International Islamic Symposium on Aug. 10 – 12. Some people enter Muslim ranks to create disunity and suspicion. Notice the lies of these people and what shape and form they take. Our press release mentioned three schools of thought: Sunni, Shii and Sufi. Then it mentioned “non-sect” and NOI. Notice how these people jumped on NOI to ask how it is a school of thought. Evidently these people wanted to divert attention from the unity created by the international conference. If our statement is to be read the way these people read it, one could ask: How is non-sect a school of thought? Evidently the statement was simply mentioned about who was at the conference. It was not defining schools of thought. The main thrust of the conference was the unity of the Muslims on Palestine under the leadership of the Prophet. These people are so unhappy with Muslim unity, especially in a conference which was not controlled by pro-govt. groups like CAIR and AMC. Readers might remember that when Minister Farakhan broke the silence imposed on the imprisonment of Shaikh Omar by the govt. and demanded that he be allowed to visit the Shaikh, this same character, Yahya of inin@inin.net, started slandering Minister Farrakhan claiming that hi is not a Muslim. As we know from Hadith one who calls a Muslim a non-Muslim the slander returns to him. Minister Farrakhan is a leader of Islam. If Yahya keeps spitting on the moon, the spit will simply fall back on his face. Those of NOI who came to the conference are deeply devoted to the deen of Islam. The majority of NOI accept the finality of prophethood. There are others who are clinging to their old beliefs. Thus, a crisis exists among the old timers. Inshallah Islam will be victorious. Yahya of Inin fell out with Jamaat-al- Muslimeen when we criticized CAIR/AMC. We are against CAIR/AMC’s collaboration with the US govt. First, these people were licking the boots of Clinton/ Albright. Now they are busy licking the Bush boots. These collaborators, whom Yahya supports, distribute American govt. propaganda among Muslims. (This is called reverse dawah). Most recent, they have distributed McKinney’s statement to Muslims. Thus CAIR/AMC steadily tell the Muslim community that US govt. groupings are Muslims friends. Sometimes they bring up Findley, sometimes Boinyer, sometimes Mckinney. They want the Muslims to farget that all these American bosses have accepted and recognized Israel. They express regrets for Israel’s excesses to gain Muslim votes.
Yahya’s friends should come out clearly and state if they recognize Israel or not? Is it not true-that they accept US definition of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and All Jihadi movements as terrorists? If not, let them state where they stand. Yahya’s friends struck a blow at Muslim unity and made fools of the Muslims by calling for a bloc vote for Bush, the racist enemy of Muslims and all oppressed people.
Ramen Nellan, Mosque Road, Marcellement St. Andre, Mauritius: Thank you very much for the eye-opening and explosive books namely Why Godse Killed Gandhi? and other books about the Muslims. I would like to have some books. (1) on the origin of the Aryans considered to be settlers in India. (2) On Sai Baba considered to be a fraud dressed in saintly garb. I want to read your works: Brahminism – Father of Fascism, Nazism and Racism (DSA-1994), Why Nietzsche Rejected Christianity and followed Brahminism? Curse of Allah (DSA – 1997), Hinduism, Fascism and Gandhism, and India’s Muslim Problem (DSA – 1998).
Dr. Dorothy Anne Masters, Anthropologist, c/o J. Williamson, 28 – Bridge Road, Woolston, Southampton SO 19 7GQ, UK: I have written to Buthelezi, Home Minister (Private Bag X741, Pretoria 0001) of South Africa to take up the cause of India’s Untouchables at Durban. Since he is the chief of Natal province, drew his attention to the racism practised by East Indians living in South Africa. Apartheid is immoral. It has been rejected by the civilized world. The Whites in South Africa clung to their religion and apartheid. According to the Bible, God created the Blacks as servants of the Whites. Noahs Curse (Old Testament Genesis 9.25:
Cursed be Canaan
A servant of servants shall he be
Unto His brethren. (Old Testament 9.26).
Blessed be the Lord God of Shem,
And Canaan shall be his servant.
(Canaan was the son of Ham which means Black).
The Whites accepted this as the truth. Based on this statement in the Old Testament the persecution of the Blacks and those less than White for 300 years. Apartheid was born. In 1993, that came to an abrupt end. Now the only country that is practising apartheid in the modern world is India. It has been able to carry on this evil practice behind closed doors for 4,000 years. For the Hindus (Aryans) of India and elsewhere practise the caste system based on a person’s birth. The caste system I is apartheid pure and simple. Outside this tightly knit (system are the outcastes or Untouchables. History books tell us that M.K. Gandhi was a friend of the Untouchable.
Nothing is farther from the truth. According to Gandhi:
“… A cobbler should remain a cobbler, a sweeper a sweeper. That according to me is Hinduism”. (Quoted by Vikram Seth, A Suitable Boy, Phoenix House p. 1039).
And again, on page 1038 in the same book, Seth cites a case of an Untouchable being forced to eat human excreta for having the temerity of asking an upper caste woman for some water to drink. The Hindus believe that the caste system was divinely inspired. The Afrikaaners of South Africa also believed Apartheid based on the colour of man’s skin was also divinely inspired. Apartheid is gone, but apartheid based on the caste system must also go. There are some 160 million Untouchables in India. The caste system is some 4,000 years old. It astonishes me that the Untouchables have been putting up with this discrimination for so long. My daughter is married to a Brahmin, and I have watched with mounting horror and frustration the treatment meted out to these people. The Hindus would prefer to leave their own god’s country # and settle in the UK or the USA instead of trying to reform their own country. The Hindus it seems would prefer to remain as they are and drift along in this sea of forgetfulness. The Hindus carry their religion on their back wherever they go. And because they consider themselves exclusive, they are hated all over the world.
I have done my best to draw your attention to the caste system which is nothing more or nothing less than racism. The Durban conference must address this issue, b generations of low caste Hindus will be ever so grateful to you.
Dr. G.S. Aulakh, 1901 – Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 802, Washington DC 20006: This refers to your report: “Phoolan’s murder: UP’s sociological lab will test power of caste”. Phoolan Devi’s assassination in broad daylight at 1.30 p.m. in front of her official residence, 44- Ashoka Rd., within a mile of the Indian Parliament where there is an abundant police presence, shows the lawlessness in India. This episode is a major step towards the inevitable disintegration of India. She was one of the most popular women and a symbol of liberation for the poor Untouchables from the bonds of the caste system and repression by the upper caste Thakurs. Every such incident moves us closer to achieving independence for the different nationalities oppressed by the brahminical castes. Nations that do not have political power vanish from the face of the Earth. The Indian Government has murdered over a quarter of a million Sikhs, which has 2 been documented in The Politics of Genocide by Inderjit Singh Jaijee.
Dr. Ramendra, Reader, Philosophy Dept., Patna College, Patna University, Patna: This refers to Dr. R.P. Harsh’s communication (DV June 1, 2001, p.12) in response to my “Why Dr. Ambedkar renounced Hinduism” (DV Dec.1, 2000 p.13). Dr. Harsh has hastily jumped to the conclusion that my understanding of Budhism is based on Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. In fact, Radhakrishnan is notorious for his misinterpretation of Budhism and has been criticized for this by Rahul Sankritayayan and Robert A. McDermott among others. I have depended on scholars like Rahul Sankritayayan and A K. Warder for my understanding of Budhism. These scholars have extensively indicated the original sources (Tripitika) on which they have based their interpretation of Budhism. Above all, any correct interpretation of Budhism must be based on Tripitika the primary sources that go nearest to Budha. In my book, Why I Am Not a Hindu, for example, I have pointed out that there are several passages in the Tripitaka, mainly Digha Nikaya and Majhim Nikaya (which form a part of the Sutta Pitaka, one of the Tripitaka) in which Budha is shown as criticizing varna vyavastha. Radhakrishnan has not brought this fact into focus. On the contrary, he has tried to prove that Budhism is an offshoot of Hinduism, a thesis, which I do not accept. Dr. Harsh is wrong when he says, “Dr. Ambedkar has documented each and everything in his book, Buddha and His Dhamma. This is not so. Probably he has seen the Hindi translation of Ambedkar’’s work by Anand Kausalyayan, in which Kausalyayan has acknowledged this shortcoming in Dr. Ambedkar’s important work and has tried to rectify this on his own. (see Namra Nivedan). In his interpretation of Budhism, Dr. Ambedkar has largely ignored the four noble truths into which the early Budhism is traditionally summarized. There are several passages in the Tripitaka in which the four noble truths including the doctrine of rebirth have been attributed to Budha. (It is possible to give a long list). By traditional interpretation of Budhism, I mean Budhism as interpreted in Thervada which is considered closer to Budha’s ideas as compared to the so-called Mahayan and Vajrayan. Any interpretation of Budhism must take into account the Tripitaka.
Harmesh Lal s/o Jit Ram, VPO: Mehsam Pur (via Partap Pura), Teh. Phillaur, Jalandhar dt., Punjab: It is a matter of great pride to note that you have been fighting for Dalit liberation in the last 20 years and to revive the ancient Dravidian culture which has been crushed by the Aryans. I have been also reading the many Letters by various readers from different parts of the world, all thought- provoking. I am working in the Income Tax Dept.
inspector since 1990 after doing my MA in English. I have read some four volumes of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. T am also associated with the Tarksheel Society, Punjab. From the very beginning (actually after reading the call for self-culture by Lala Hardyal), I have developed a taste for logical reasoning which got strengthened from time to time and with the force and vigour of Rajneesh’s reasoning. After studying Babasaheb’s book, What Congress and Gandhi Have Done for the Untouchables, I have noticed that there is nothing like God. God was thoroughly dissected by Lala Hardyal also. All these Congress leaders were great believers in God and yet they created hundreds in the way of Dr. Ambedkar’s liberation movement. The god should have penalized all these gandhiwadis and sent them to narak (hell) if there is any by the justice-loving god. Does it not prove that the gandhiwadis did not believe in God? Where is the god? Babasaheb had read hundreds and thousands of books including the Hindu scriptures and concluded that “Vedas contain nothing but tomfoolery”. He said the theories of karma and fate have been invented by the ruling classes to keep the poor and ignorant enslaved. It was only to get rid of Hinduism and its shackles of caste that Babasaheb adopted Budhism which being a religion based on morality attracted Babasaheb because there is no place for God and soul, the two things which occupy the centre stage in all the religions of the world, except Budhism. As I ponder over the attempts made by Babasaheb to extricate the Untouchables and the adoption of Sikhism, Christianity, Radha-Swami sect (which is a branch of Sikhism based on Granth Saheb), 1 have conclude that conversion is not a solution to the problem of Untouchables. Here I am not questioning the wisdom of Babasaheb who took the decision of conversion to Budhism. What I mean is that in view of the thousands of year caste consciousness and caste consolidation among upper castes it is impossible to eradicate caste through conversion. No doubt Babasaheb had a noble idea to lessen the rigours of casteism on the lives of millions of the downtrodden. But with the passage of time the force and vigour of Budhism has evaporated. Even under Sikhism and Christianity, the Dalit converts are kept segregated. So, what is the use of going to these temples of gods where caste is the identity. Caste consciousness and caste identity is so strong and so entrenched in Indian society that even so modern a religion like Sikhism could not resist the temptation of caste pride and denounced the converted Sikhs as Sehajdharis to their caste. Then what is the use of conversion? That is why I think Babasaheb reached the conclusion that the only way via the media to lessen the agony of casteism was through capturing political power by the oppressed. If there had been a god, he might have by this time bestowed his/her blessings on the oppressed and the downtrodden who have worshipped him or her for thousands of years. I don’t think religion is a must for humans. I don’t want to offend anybody or hurt the religious sentiments of any person of any religion. I believe in free discussion, and I know that in India particularly and the world in general, the atmosphere of free discussion and free thinking has not been developed. Though we boast of a very advanced civilization and civic life. Yet after a historical period of about 3000 years, we have not been able to inculcate the spirit of free thinking and scientific temperament of respecting and understanding the other’s point of view. We have to channelise the energy and money being wasted on religion in the fight for political leadership of the country. It is our own brethren who defend the glory of Hinduism which has made them inhumans, which is not ready even today (in this age of IT and cyberspace) to accept them (the oppressed) as their own, which does not allow them entry into temples etc. I don’t understand why religion is must for a person. Why do the lower caste people go to the temples and gurdwaras where they are denied entry. Don’t we trust so great a personality as Dr. Ambedkar who spent all his life studying the different religions only to show to the public and the world that the scriptures despite making big claims of being of spiritual origin do not contain the truth. There are only stories and mythology which do not appeal to a rational mind, and these fail to pass the litmus test of logic. I have also read in DV about the efforts being made by Ram Raj, an IRS officer, to untie the SC/BC communities – nay SC/BC employees. To my mind this is. not going to affect much the political equilibrium of the downtrodden. This is because these “highly educated” employees (who are well settled in life) have been the greatest obstacle in the way of achieving political power by the oppressed. The experience till now right from Babasaheb Ambedkar up to Kanshi Ram is that these elite sections of society don’t come to fight when the question of political power is thrown open to them. It had been the bitter experience of Babasaheb that the employees didn’t cooperate with him. Otherwise, he would have done many more things in his life which could not be accomplished due to their allergy to politics. I don’t mean any hostility to the revered leader. He has noble intentions for the crusade being waged by him. Finally, I want to emphasise the point that at one point of time we must decide between God and politics, between the other universe and this universe, between spirituality and materialism, between soul and body. We have been taught for the last many centuries that there is life after death, that there is the other universe, that there is God, soul and something beyond body. Babasaheb adopted Budhism not for the salvation of soul or whatever. He adopted it only to extricate the Untouchables out of the caste hierarchy of Hinduism. This had no other purpose. Babasaheb had gone for morality not for religion.
Mrs. Surinder Kaur, Flat No. 32, 247/1, Minto Park, Alipore, Calcutta – 700 049: The Hindu nazi-led Govt. of India is under tremendous pressure from Dalits all over the world to have casteism discussed at the UN Conference Against Racism at Durban (Aug.31 to Sept.7). The UN Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination passed resolution No. 36/12 on Oct.28, 1981 treating descent as a form of racial I discrimination. I quote:
Calls upon all member-states to adopt effective legislative, socio-economic and other necessary measures for elimination or prevention of discrimination based on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin”.
To shut the mouth of persons like Hindu nazi leader, Acharya Giriraj Kishore of VHP, who considers the caste system a part of “ancient customs” of Indian social life, I quote from the UN General Assembly resolution no. 31/138, adopted on Dec.16, 1976:
Noting the actions of the working group established by the commission on human rights at its 30th, 31st and 32nd sessions with a view to elaborating a draft declaration on the elimination of all forms of intolerance and of discrimination based on religion or belief.
Thus, even religion-based degradation, discrimination and intolerance falls within the jurisdiction of the UN. DV should bring this to the notice of Dalit delegates at the ensuing UN Conference at Durban. The definition of racial discrimination given by the UN in its International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination dated Jan.19, 1965 reads:
“Art.1. In this convention, the term ‘racial discrimination’ shall mean any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.
Art. 4 states “Parties condemn all propaganda and all organizations which are based on ideas or theories of superiority of one race or group of persons of one colour or ethnic origin, or which attempt to justify or promote racial hatred and discrimination in any form, and undertake to adopt immediate and positive measures designed to eradicate all incitement to, or’ acts of, such discrimination…”.
So, it is clear that superiority claimed by the Aryan Brahmins of India, over all three other varnas, as they claim to have been born out of the mouth of Kala- Purusha, and the degradation and inferiority thrust upon the shudras, as they are alleged to have been born out of the feet of Kala Purusha is clearly a case of racial discrimination and is fully covered by the definition of racial discrimination given by UN, quoted above.
Dr. V.D. Chandanshive,c/o Cottage Vaishali, S
hahu Nagar, Nanded, MS – 431 605: It is not only L.K. Suryavanshi (DV Mayl, 2001 p.15) and K.K. Baudh (Dec.1, 2000 p.15) who have objected to the use of nomenclature “Dalit” but a host of people in different parts of the country consider that the word is insulting and derogatory and therefore it was never used by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. The Editor of DV has rightly invited DV readers to react to the objection. First, “Dalit” is not an English word. It is an Indian word which has now been anglicized and does carry shades of meaning. Secondly, it is wrong to say that Babasaheb never used this word. Babasaheb, during the initial stage of his movement, had floated a social outfit which was named “Dalit Seva Sangh”. It is true that in his writings the word does not occur frequently. But Babasaheb wrote in English and the word which occurs prominently in his writings is “Depressed Classes”. So, it could be safely concluded that “Dalit” is an Indian counterpart of the expression “Depressed Classes” which has now been accepted world-wide. In Maharashtra too protests have been voiced against the use of the word Dalit by some sections of Ambedkarites. They argue that after the historic Budhist conversion of 1956 the Ambedkarites have become Budhists and so they should stop calling themselves Dalits. If analysed psychologically and sociologically as well, these protests and objections carry with them an upward mobility syndrome which is one of the characteristics of the Brahminical Social Order (BSO). “Depressed” means is pressed down. But the word “Dalit” has different shades of meanings. Apart from meaning depressed it also means deprived, discriminated, oppressed and exploited. The word also implies the anger and protest burning in the hearts of Untouchables. It is, therefore, pregnant with all these meanings and more than anything else it projects to the world the ethnicity and magnitude of the Indian Apartheid. No other word can convey so impressively the severity of Indian Apartheid. It must be remembered that the Indian Apartheid is the brainchild of the worst kind of casteist racism, and it has manifested itself in social, economic, cultural and educational exploitation of a vast majority of Indian population. The Indian Apartheid has resulted in the ethnic discrimination of castes and communities. Let there be a sociological analysis of the Indian caste system by the top-most impartial sociologists of the world. They will not fail to come across a small bunch of Aryan racist castes who have everlastingly become the beneficiaries of the caste system and they have thrown to dogs a big bunch of castes which have been made victims of the caste system. The victimisation encompasses castes and communities such as Untouchables, Tribals and shudras comprising over 85% of the population. The Indian Apartheid has thrown its noose round the neck of religious minorities like Budhists, Muslims, Christians and Sikhs. It has crippled and devastated the lives of 70 crores of people. Perhaps, it is the best and the most glaring example of racism of the world. The wonder of this racism is that it has made its victims forget its glorious culture and history by mesmerising their minds. Even though a handful of people among the victim castes have become well off, it does not mean that they are not Dalits. In the Indian social hierarchy, they are still treated insultingly. They are kept away from the mainstream political, economic and cultural power. Which word can best explain the Indian Apartheid? No doubt the victims are in the majority and can be addressed by the word Bahujans. But the word Bahujans does not clarify the concept of the Indian Apartheid. Unless we call them Dalit-Bahujans the concept does not become clear. This question could be asked in a different wording: Is the word Dalit so derogatory? Take the example of American Blacks. The word Black or Nigger was considered by them very insulting and the colour consciousness had created in them an inferiority complex. But later they realised that there was nothing wrong with the Black coloured skin but there was something seriously wrong with the psyche of White racists. So, they invented the slogan “Black is beautiful”. They realised that the African Flower was mutilated by the slave trade and there was neither slavery poor racism in their native African continent. Indian Dalits are not transplanted from outside the country. They are the original inhabitants of this land. Their Dalit status is their present. But their past was totally different. Before the imposition of the diabolic caste system, they were not deprived, discriminated against and exploited. On the contrary they were the rulers, philosophers, scientists and scholars. They were the founders of egalitarian civilisations. Indus Valley and Budhist Civilisations, which had influenced the whole world, were built by them. Without integrity and solidarity, egalitarian civilisations cannot be built. This has been revealed by the painstaking research of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. But this was all subverted by the Aryan racists. The immortal Bahujan human values of liberty, equality, fraternity and justice were distorted and converted into slavery, disparity, caste-hatred and injustice. So, unless we use the nomenclature Dalit to refer to Bahujans and their ideology, we may fail to create a solid ground for struggle against the Indian racism. Like the Black Americans we need to come out of the identity crisis. In India, unlike in any other part of the world, identity crisis is the consequence of casteist and religious divisions. Nearly 4,000 and odd castes have not identified their position in the racist caste hierarchy. They have not yet realised that they are non-entities in the BSO. Therefore,
caste identity process should lead to realisation of these -« castes being Dalits. It should also lead to realisation that these castes belong to the non-Aryan stock. Once this realisation dawns upon them, they will become conscious of the exploitative technique inherent in the BSO. This can happen only after the relaisation of Dalit identity and this identity in turn will enable the Dalits to know their glorious past to draw the battle lines. Hence the importance of our Editor’s unique “caste identity” thesis. It is a historical truth that distressed and exploited Indians embraced Islam, Christianity, Sikhism and Budhism. In no other country have religious conversions taken place on such a large scale. But the racist technique of deprivation and exploitation has not left these religions untouched. The followers of these religions have got new cultures of their respective religions. But the caste spectre still haunts their minds. The educational and economic deprivation is still rampant among the followers of these religions. A handful of upper caste converts to these egalitarian religions have created the myth that all is well with the followers of their religion whereas the truth is that the Hindu racists onslaughts continue to batter these religions also. In short, all indigenous people converted to these egalitarian religions are equally persecuted in India. The reason is the followers of these religions belong to the same non-Aryan stock as the shudras, Atishudras and tribals do. Outside India, the followers of Islam, Christianity and Budhism live in an altogether different milieu. They do not live in a casteist and racist social surrounding. In their respective countries they do not have cxploitative paraphernalia at every step of their existence. They may be having conflicts among themselves, but such conflicts are not beset with racist overtones. This is the fundamental difference between foreign followers of these religions and their Indian counterparts. The Indian religious minorities also suffer from the same identity crisis as do shudras, atishudras and tribals. They are yet to realise that they are all ¥ kindred, cleavaged by caste and religion. They belong to the non-Aryan stock of Indian population. Their present reality is “Dalit”, but their past reality was gloriously Bahujan. As the American Blacks have identified themselves with Africa and its culture, similarly the Indian Dalit-Bahujans need to identify themselves with the ancient Indian Bahujan culture. DV readers would agree that we cannot afford to delete the word Dalit because it is not at all derogatory. On the contrary the word serves as a reminder of the present reality of Bahujans and their unique courage to fight the Aryan oppressors. It also reminds us of our past glory and egalitarianism and serves as a prop to achieve all that snatched away by the Aryan racists. Internationally, 1 The word has been accepted as a symbol of exploitation of majority population in India. Dalit Voice has made the word world-famous. Moreover, historical research points out that the words Dalit and Bahujan are synonyms with only changed milieu. Another significant aspect of the use of Dalit it immaculately draws lines of struggle with the BSO. Without the use of the word these lines would be rubbed off. Such a struggle with the BSO was once launched by Budhsits in the past. But then at that time the whole of India was under Budhist influence. Today, the whole of India, except a few castes and communities, is under the influence of BSO. To wage a psychological war against the BSO, the word Dalit serves as an effective weapon. If at all change is required DV can be renamed as DBV (Dalit Bahujan Voice).
Dr. Chandanshive in this Lefter has proved himself to be an outstanding infelleciual with a fine clarity of mind. DV wanfis to encourage such infellectuals who alone can fight the world’s most dangerous and the longest fasting demonic forces — EDITOR.
Gama Ram, A-2/4, Paper Mill Colony, Lucknow – 226 006: T am a life-member of DV. I have decided to send Rs, 100 per month for DV till I am alive. I appeal to all educated Dalits to send Rs. 100 per month to DV. If 10,000 Dalits send Rs. 100 per month then DV will be getting Rs. 10 lakhs a month. It is not a difficult task. My appeal may kindly be published in DV, and I hope a large number of Dalits will follow me.
We have received Rs. 100 thrice in the past three months. We thank Brother Gama Ram for This gesture. If others follow that will be a great support for DV — EDITOR.
Nani Gopal Das, 17 – Dattabad Road, PO Bidhannagar, Salt Lake, Calcutta – 700 064: I support Sardar Gurnam Singh Muktsar’s argument that the Brahmins deliberately divided some Dalit castes into touchable and Untouchable to serve their interests and that touchable castes are allowed to enter Hindu houses to do their domestic work (DV July 1, 2001 p.13). We have two examples from Bengal. The duty of an Untouchable caste called Kahar is to carry the upper castes in their palanquins. When Ballal Sen was the king of Bengal, he would move from place to place in a palanquin carried by 16 Kahar jati men. He had the habit of chewing betel leaves frequently. When he wanted to chew the betel leaf kept in the palanquin, carried by the Untouchable Kahars, he would keep a small stool inside the palanquin and every half hour, he would get down from the palanquine and after chewing the betel leaf he would get into the palanquin. This used to cause a lot of inconvenience to him and delay his travel plans. He consulted his Brahmin advisers who solved the problem. The Kahar people might be taken into the jalchal class of the Untouchables and thereby the king could take the betel leaf by sitting inside the palanquin itself. What is this jalchal class?
The Hindus do not take water from the hands of the Untouchables. If the Untouchables are made jalchal, then they can take water from their hands. The Kahars are the poorest among the Bengali Untouchables. But they have been declared jalchal. We are Namashudras far more advanced than the Kahars. But the Kahars refused to carry my elder brother during his marriage party in their palanquin. So, a palanquin was hired from them and that was carried by the hired Mochis of our area. Barbers are another Untouchable caste. Their duty 1s to cut hair and cleanse the body of others. Yet they are Untouchables. They are forbidden to enter Hindu houses. The kings, zamindars cannot come out of their houses to get their hair cut, to cut finger and toenails. Their women also cannot come out of their houses to cleanse their hands, feet and all. So, this was being done by the barber women. To avoid this difficulty a part of the barber jati was made jalchal called Shratriya barbers. The other part of the barber communities is barred from this and so they remained Untouchables. So, Brother Gurnam is right.
- S. Karkhal, Sr. DPO, N. Railway, DRM Office, Firozpur Cantt., Punjab – 152 001: This refers to the DV Editorial “Sunset on the Dalit world” (DV Edit March 1. 2000) and “Sikhism at crossroads of history” that was followed by a series of Editorial commentaries which have stirred many Dalit brains. Every coin has two sides, opposite to each other. Every dark cloud has a silver lining. There are three famous principles of Karl Marx given.in his theory of dialectical materialism:
(I) unity and struggle of the opposites (it operates continuously in all the material and non-material world),
(ii) the change from quantity to quality (e.g. a small embryo slowly takes the form of a full-fledged living being even of elephant size),
(iii) the law of the negation of the negation (it briefly means in all fields there is a continuous change and development from lower to higher forms in circular form but each stage/circle higher than the earlier). Similarly in his theory of class-struggle, Marx interpreting the above principles has clearly demonstrated that every society, howsoever best it may be in terms of law and order or institutional management etc. is bound to collapse, because each stage of development (in all material/immaterial world) contains its own seeds of destruction which after certain time, germinate under certain conditions and cause destruction of the existing order and give rise to new order and the same fate occurs to new order and so on. In terms of the above theory, India’s Hindu nazis must bear in mind that with their present hate philosophy they hardly have any chance to last long. Sun is not setting on the Dalit world. Even if it happens it will take a longer time to set on entire India. These crooked nazi brains of India are parasites, which thrive on others’ hard work. These parasites know full well that
(1) they cannot run the system without SC/ST/BCs/Sikhs/Muslims. They cannot produce food.
(2) They dare not fight Pakistan or China without the SC/ST/BCs/Sikhs or Muslims. Psychologically they have reached that stage. Even in hockey or cricket they can rarely win over Pakistan because the very name of Pakistan is enough to send shivers down the spine of these nazis. This country of 100 crores attends the Olympics with so much fanfare but comes back empty handed. But these nazis cannot tolerate sending SC/ST/BCs etc. who can win medals. Ravana is projected as evil and Ram as symbol of all goodness. But those who have read the Ramayana cannot find any mistake with Ravana. If Rama was God, why did he not stop Laxman from doing all the heinous crime? There are reports that there are many Kashmiri Muslims crossing to POK due to atrocities of the Indian Army. What does this mean? It means that Ravana can never be finished. The entire nazi theology is based on falsehood. India has reached a point of no-return today in terms of illiteracy, human rights violations, poverty, unemployment, and foreign and internal debt. If this theology is continued it will eventfully put the very survival of the country at stake. These nazis are committing a serious blunder by considering the White Western as brothers. Judiciary, bureaucracy, legislature and media have all become tools at the disposal of the ‘Hindu nazis to crush Dalits and minorities as well as to – hinduise all of them. They have not learnt lessons from the demolition of Babri Masjid. Though the nazis have been able to fool and make the Sikh forget the “Blue Star”, the Muslims still remember the Babri Masjid. Once the reservation is withdrawn, the resultant situation will be explosive. Take any Indo-Pak war, it was only the Sikhs, Muslims, Dalit and BCs who were killed in wars in large numbers. But in the medal-winning tally only a few of them figure and the majority goes to upper castes. Nazis have so much twisted the history. The mindset of these traitors is very much clear from their attitudes towards Sikhs. In the CBSE textbooks, the nazi writers are showing our great Sikh gurus as equal to M.K. Gandhi, Nehru and Patel. The BSO has been able to hinduise other religion (except Islam to some extent). Sikh leaders are completely hinduised. Sikh leaders have forgotten the principles of Sikhism and are just worried about their political chairs. Even an organisation like the Khalistan does not propagate Sikhism in true spirit. Brahminised leaders who love fair-skinned Sikhs hate SC/ST Sikhs who also control these Sikh organisations. They have preached Sikhism in foreign countries, but did not do so in far flung remote areas of India. If the Sikh intellectuals and Khalistanis do not understand these tricks of the BSO, the very name of Sikhism may vanish if not from the globe but at least in India despite the fact, which BSO knows it fully well, that it is only “Spirit of Sikhism” which the enemy on the border’s fears. Despite? all this setback there is a silver lining for genuine Sikhs because most of them are from SC/ST/BCs. What I mean that we have so many Sikh intellectuals from these strata who can guide the destiny and future of Sikhism. Almost the entire upper caste Sikhs have become hinduised. Sikh intellectuals from the depressed classes alone can start initiating necessary action by preaching Sikhism and save Sikhs.
Pradip Sethi, Atharnala, Puri – 752 002: Every sensible and free thinker in India knows that the curse of religion has converted the Indian society into hell for a large section of its population. When a self-respecting Untouchable goes to the root and protests those I gods and their company, the beneficiaries of these gods’ call them anti-Hindu and anti-social. However, some non-Untouchable rationalists are working for the cause of the old social transformation in Orissa. We have tried to make a platform for such a group. On 29.7.2001 at the Orissa Dalit Samaj office in Bhubaneswar, we had a one-day programme in this connection. A group of free thinkers I am including a college principal, college teachers, students, 3 government employees and Dalit activists participated in it. A state-level committee was formed to campaign for the ideology: “Know the truth as truth”. We will try to openthe thinking cells of the victims against our social evils. Rationalists of Orissa may contact, Orissa Rationalists Society, ¢/o Orissa Dalit Samaj, N-6/255/6, Jayadev Vihar, Bhubaneswar.
While congratulating the Orissa rationalists for their efforts to ‘know Fruth’, we would like to warn 1them to keep our vaidik forces as they will surely sabofage once you left them in — EDITOR.
Bhaskar Wakade, Nandanwan Niwas, Vidyanagar, Bramhapuri, Chandrapur dt. – 441 206: The second All- India Adiwasi Nagavansihiya Mana Jamat Sahitya ‘*Sammelana was held on June 10 last at the revolutionary town of Chimur, Chandrapur dt. This Mana Tribal literary conference was organised by me as president of the 1st all-India conference. The conference began with a revolutionary song by Anand Bhimate and his troup, Bhisi. Flowers were offered to great leaders like Birsa Munda, Mahatma Phule, Shahu Maharaj and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. Until and unless the Mana Tribals secured the constitutional reservations like the SC/STs, we will never be able win our battle for human rights. Prof. Sanjay Magar, Wardha, inaugurated the conference. President of Sahitya Sammelana, Prof. Ashoka Rana (Yavatmal) said: Mana Tribals are a Naga gan and maya (love) is their inspiring power. Maya means love and! sympathy. Latatai Agade, Chimur, Advocate Hemant Urkude, Bramhapuri, Yashawant Sayare, Warod, P.M. Dange, Warod and others spoke. A book, Ancient History of Adiwasi Nagavanshiya Mana Jamat written by Bhaskar Wakade was released on the occasion. Sandesha Bhalekar of Nagpur, Naren Gedam of Gadchiroali, PM. Dange, Warood, Raju K. Meshram also spoke. A research paper on Mana Tribe was read by Archaeologist Prioyadarshi Khobragade of Nagpur University. The paper said that the Manas belonged to the Nagavanshiya Tribe.
N.C. Lokhande, 303 – Swami Teoram Co-op. Hsg. Society Ltd., Lal Chakki, Ulhasnagar, MS – 421 004: This refers to the DV guest editorial by Raju Thomas dated Jan.6, 2001 (“Aryans discovered their identity & took to Hinduism to lord over indigenous Dravidas”) calling upon our brothers to quit Hinduism. But he has not suggested an alternate religion to which we have to get converted. A meaningful conversion means those which never proved useful to our people, which never. benefited our people should be discarded, renounced and denounced and only those things which were useful are useful and beneficial to life should be followed. God is the magic tool that the Enemy uses against our brothers to keep them enslaved. Why are the original Indians (the Bahujans) being more backward than the minority Aryans? To search for the truth and to take lessons from true history is true knowledge. The alien Aryan Hindus are treacherous and traitors. Indian history is the history of revolutions and counter revolutions. All the revolutions that took place in India were non-violent since the days of Charvak the Budha, Phule, Dr. Ambedkar. But all counter-revolutions from the days of Pushyamitra Sung till today were violent. Budha, Kabir, Phule, Dr. Ambedkar, Shahu Maharaj, Periyar are our heroes. All producers of wealth are Dalits and Bahujans. Entire wealth of India is produced out of their sweat. The minority Aryans are consuming/enjoying this wealth.
Mukundan C. Menon, 3 – Rams Cottage, Ambalathumukku, Pettah, Trivandrum – 695 024: Only after returning to Kerala in 1993 that I fully identified the horror of deep-rooted upper casteism that had engulfed the whole of Kerala. It is being cleverly capsuled within different forms of marxism and gandhism to manipulatively control the entire socio- economic and political spheres. Unfortunately, the very social segments in Kerala, for whose liberation we collectively stand for, have not fully realised these techniques of chaturvarnya champions. Parliamentary democracy has been blatantly used by all parties in Kerala without exception to make the downtrodden social segments submissive to the whimsical fancies of upper caste leadership through various methods of corruption, rather than to liberate them. The unresolved tribal land issue, the recent unprecedented starvation deaths in tribal belts, and the statement of Dr. M. A. Kuttappan, SC-ST Welfare Minister, that the starvation deaths are due to drinking habits among tribals are pointers. We are presently facing orchestrated propaganda against the forthcoming visit of Hurriyat leaders from Hindu nazis- CPI(M) combine. Be in regular touch. We must do a lot in areas of common interest. You also take care of your health.
- Yadav, Qtr. No. 16/IV, SLIET Campus, SLIET Longowal, Sangrur – 148 106: Dr. Babasaheb never wanted to be called as a Prophet or Messenger of God. It is painful to note that you too are trying to get Dr. Ambedkar declared as Prophet. This would definitely accelerate the activities of our enemies opposed to uprightness and rationality. Please desist from this and try to get the philosophy of Ambedkarism/Budhism enshrined in the mind of the downtrodden in the same way as Manu lies in the mind of exploiters.
Bajirao Kamble, Advocate, Anjali Hospital 12- Tadiwala Road, Pune – 411 001: Your latest book, Grave- diggers of History, (DSA – 2001, pp. 40, Rs. 40) will be released here by the noted Dalit leader, Suraj Bhan, now Governor of Himachal Pradesh, at a function in September. You are also invited.
Jaiboy Joseph, “Priya”, 2 – Second Avenue, Harrington Road, Madras – 600 031: A clipping from the Newsweek magazine, “a letter to the editor” would interest you as it is in your line of thinking. It challenges Huntington’s diabolic prediction. The letter by Olga Aburdene, London, says:
As a Christian from Bethlehem, I was upset by the implication made in your article “From Olive Oil to Sniper Fire” (World Affairs, Nov. 27). It suggested that Christians do not agree with Muslims and therefore are happy with the occupation by Israel. This is not true. Christians have suffered as much as Muslims because of the Israeli occupation and are eager to see it end. The Israeli government has consistently tried to cause rifts between the two religions — in this case, demolishing Christian towns and blaming it on Muslims. Many Christians belong to the Palestinian Authority, including Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, who has dedicated her life to liberating the occupied territories for all Palestinians. Religion is not the issue. Israel has been breaking international law and violating human rights for more than 50 years.
We know that the Palestinians constitute a nation and the zionist Afflack is on the nation of Palestine. We are also aware that there are any number of right-thinking Jews like Noam Chomskey who do not agree with the zionist aggression on Palestine — EDITOR.
- Singh :<tsinghus@excite.com> Will someone help my wife and my children? A cry for help. By implicating me in eight false cases, the govt. has been keeping me in jail for the last two years. I was picked up from my house and implicated in false cases. I have been badly looted and mentally tortured. The Kurukshetra and Patiala police harassed my wife. I was kept in police remand for two months and had to suffer many woes for being a Sikh. Whatever money we had was given to the police to save my wife from the police. The police looted and devastated my house and took away our tractor trolley and motorcycle too. I belong to a poor family. I have only one son, Jujhar Singh (11). Two years ago, he was studying at Sant Gurbachan Singh Khalsa Academy, Chok Mehta. For nonpayment of fees, he was sent home and now stays with his mother. I have no means whatsoever. I am tired of writing to all religious organizations. We requested the Gurmukhs to take care of imprisoned Sikhs and bring ¢ the Panth back into a state of Chardi Kala. If any Sikh wants to help me, he should note my home address: Bibi Jasbir Kaur w/o Gurbaksh Singh s/o0 S. Ajit Singh, Village Thaska Ali, PO. Thol, Kurukshetra dt. (Haryana) or Jujhar Singh s/o Gurbaksh Singh (rest of the address is the same). Neither is there any arrangement for my son’s education, nor is there any money to fight my case. The truth is that there is no money with my wife to come to see me in the jail even. My wife and son alone are at home. Whatever the Guru’s Sikhs can do, they should do and earn the Guru’s blessings. There are four cases against me at Kurukshetra and one each at Panipat, Patiala, Chandigarh and Amritsar. Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa, Central Jail, Block No.4, Barrack No.3, Ambala.
Shiv Raj, Engg. Asst., Khari Bhawari Holi Ka Chowk, VPO: Srinagar, Ajmer dt., – 305 025: This concerns persecution of an ex-serviceman and SC employee in Akashvani, Chittorgarh, Rajasthan.
(1) After discharging from the Indian Air Force from the rank of SGT after serving for 15 years, I was selected as Engineering Assistant through open competition in general category and joined All India Radio here on Dec.15, 1994.
(2) Ever since then, I have been persecuted by the upper caste employees and officers. Not only I was harassed, humiliated and kept deprived of my privileges but I was totally ruined by these Hindu nazis.
(3) I was writing to higher authorities for relief and justice but as per brahminical rules and kattar brahmanvad all my y applications were ignored. The nazi defaulters were encouraged by the brahminical bosses.
(4) A one-sided inquiry was conducted as a result I was blamed for encouraging caste hatred and on May 28, 1999, a one- sided relieving action was taken against me.
(5) I decided to sit on dharna in front of the Parliament House from Aug.29 till I get justice. We need the support of Dalit Voice.
Shamsul Islam, No.1, Staff Qtrs., Satyawati College Campus, Ashok Vihar, Delhi – 110 052: I am writing from Ahmedabad. I am touring West India performing on the issues of intolerance, exploitation and fascism of the rulers. T carried the packet of literature which you sent me. I finished reading it. It has been a great 3 experiences. I am in agreement with you. I too have been trying to raise these concerns in my journalistic and cultural interventions. I have recently finished a long piece titled “Are Muslims and Christians target of Hindutva’s persecution for being part of Dalit stock?” 1 have been working on this for a long time. I am really happy to learn that your organization has done pioneering work in this regard. I feel that these are not Hindu nazis who deny this reality but also upper caste leadership of Muslims and Christians. Upper castes of all religions have been historically one. Mughal rulers married into Rajput families and not into Indian Muslim families as most of them came from lower castes.
Muhammad Sajid Hussain, c/o M.A. Muezzin, vill. Kazipara, Chapar PO, Dhubri dt., – 783 371: The literature you sent me greately influenced me and inspired me. I am a student (law) at the Dhubri Law College, Gauhati University, and the secretary of the Kazipara Islamic Youth Society, a socio-religious organisation of the Muslim youth. I was reading DV for the first time and I found the articles not only interesting but also useful and enlightening. No exaggeration. Before reading DV -) and your books I was under the impression that “Dalits are Hindus”. Now I know that they are not: “Untouchables are not Hindu but a separate element”. Like the Muslims, Christians and Sikhs. Dalit Voice is the crying need of the hour. I have read many magazines, but DV is entirely different, a class apart. No exaggeration. I salute your intellectual calibre.
Wil sorne kind person corne forward to pay rhea subscription of Brother Safed Hussain of Assam — EDItOR.
