Ms. Eva. Maria Hardtmann, Higbergsg. 89IV, 5-11854 Stochholm, Sweden: My friend, the great Dalit artist P.K. Mahananda, living here in Sweden, has left for India, together with his wife and two children, In the first or second week of January he is planning to go to Bangalore, If you have the time he hopes to meet you there
Dr. Alex Paschim, Research Director & Editor, C/o LISWO-Centre for the Study of Social Conflicts, Leiden University, Wasenaarseweg, 52,2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands; I would like to bring to your attention Vol.4 No.1 of the PIOOM Newsletter and Progress Report which is read by human rights scholars in more than BO countries. PIOOM in Dutch stands for ‘Inter- disciplinary research program on root causes of human rights violations’ – Is a Netherlands-based foundation dedicated to the improvement of human rights observance through academic research. In the four years of its existence, we could create an infrastructure and an international network. If you as a concerned citizen would help us to bring PJOOM to the attention of others who might be able to contribute to the PICOM idea.
P. Ladwa & Miss S. Parmar, Raj Mistry BDS, Support Group, PO Box 3, Loughborough, KEII INT, UK: We are campaigning for the reinstatement of dental surgeon Rej Mistry who has been racially victimized by the General Dental Council (GDC) and is facing the possibility of losing his livelihood. Our Investigations revealed that (1) from a total population of dental surgeons: only 7% are Black and yet 30% of cases appearing before the GDC are from this group. (i)) The sanctions imposed on Black dentists are much more severe than their white counterparts for similar or more serious allegations. Self-governing professional bod- les such as GDC are exempt from the Race Relations Act. Raj Mistry who runs two highly successful specialists’ practices in Nottingham and Loughborough, appeared before the GDC (a Dentist Governing Body) in May 1992 and was erased thereby losing his livelihood as a professional.
G. Rajendra, Vizag, AP: We are eager to know the analytical thinking of DV as regards the demolition of Babri Masjid at Ayodhya. The frenzied Hindus have successfully demonstrated that no power on earth can challenge their brahminical social order. The whole world is aghast at the razing of the 450 – year – old Masjid to the ground within a few hours. The gullible Muslim masses were ditched by the specious “secular” leaders “socialist brahmins” of the country, where has the so-called Hindu tolerance gone? Are we really going back to the Manu’s barbaric stale even as the modem world looks on?
Anil Kalayat, Rourkela -13: A 3-feet, 105-kg. statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar was installed before the court building here on Dec.6 1992 – thanks to Beban Sager, president, Statue Committee, and Nihar Ranjan Roy, chairman, Rourkela NAC, for their efforts.
Binod Biplabi, Bargarh, Orissa: Vice-President K.R. Narayan has exposed the truth as to how the brahminical social order is making a fool out of our Dalit Intellectuals, Addressing the Bhartiya Dalit Sahitya Academy in New Delhi on Dec.6, he said in 1943 when he got a 1st class degree in BA (hons), Jugal Kishore Birla awarded him Rs.500 and told him that his (Narayanan) caste is “inherited from Kshatriyas”. Having been flattered Narayanan started putting on a “scared thread”. He admitted that the Brahmins started worshiping Buddha just to destroy Buddhism. In several words, he conveyed the message of your book, Know the Hindu Mind. He almost spoke the language of DV and said the caste system had nothing to with “economic backwardness”.
Durga Pr. Naik, Ladugaon, Kalahandi: A seminar of “human rights” was organised by the Dr. B.F. Ambedkar Yuba Sangha, Ladugaon, a remote village In the most backward Kalahandi dt. Orissa, on Dec. 10. In this small village 10 copies of DV are being circulated.
K.K. Satpati, Sambalpur: The BSO will do anything to promote the interests of its jetwalas. The Chilika lake ‘dispute” is a burning example. To operate this Rs.20- crore Tata – Govt. of Orissa joint venture, one fisherman, Jagata Tree, is reported to have been murdered and due to this the Dalit fishermen of Village Badakhatiakudi and Patwari are fighting each other. Their minds have been diverted from the main issue. The leaders should make the Dalit fishermen aware of n such conspiracy.
M. Satyanarayan Dora, C.S. Colony, Sambalpur-768 001; Sambalpur is the heart of the Western Orissa. Like elsewhere Aryan Brahmins are powerful. We have formed an organization to fight the Aryan domination. Md.Iqbal Yashin is its acting president. In March last, he contested the Sambalpur municipality chairmanship. Though failed, he shocked the Aryans as he was the first Muslim candidate to contest such an important post.
S.G. Jadhav, co. Bhagwat Gaikwad, Regional work- shop, sub-division No.1, Nanded, MS-431 602: I just read your booklet, Aggression of Indian Culture (DSA 1987). This booklet influenced me so much that I thought your message should reach a larger audience. Hence, I have decided to translate it into Marathi. Please give your permission.
Miss Uma AT, TC 4/342, Kowdiar, Trivandrum: The 36th death anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was observed at per post-matric women’s hostel here at Ambalamukku. Kerala SC/ST Minister Pandalam Sankaran inaugurated it. 1 delivered the welcome speech pointing out the need to study the life history of Dr. Ambedkar in schools and colleges. Babasaheb’s works published by the Maharashtra Govt. should be translated to Malayalam and published at low price by the Kerala Education Dept.
Dr. Aruna Arasuko, Coimbatore, TN: Our nazi enemies have succeeded in insulting the Muslims by demolishing the Babri Masjid. A historic monument of Muslims was destroyed because the Muslims saved the self-respect of Dalits at Meenakshi Puram, TN. The real culprits are Muslim leaders like M.J. Akbar and Dalit leaders like Sankaran. These Hindu stooges are in the Brahmin – Bania party called the Congress, which is the real villain. Babri Masjid is not only the issue between Muslim and Hindu nazis. This is an issue relating to Muslims – Dalits – nazi Hindus. In short, it is a fight between the civilized people (Musim/Dalits/ Christians/Sikhs/Jains/enlightened BCs) and bar-brains (Hindu orthodox people). Let us work for the unity of 85% population as against 15% Aryans/Hindus.
Vardhini Dalit, Tumkur, Karnataka; Holeyas, the major scheduled caste group, is in a better position com-pared to other SCs of Karnataka – educationally, economically and socially. I am a Holeya. As a student of sociology MA, I studied their customs and traditions. Madiga also belong the same stock anthropologically. But the Holeyas offer very little resistance to the BSO. Though leaders of this land during Buddhism, they have come down to the level of being the dogs of BSO. It is difficult to find an honest Holeya, particularly among its leaders. The salaried class as a whole is also corrupt. The second casualty is brotherhood. Fellow-feeling is unknown. Some Ambedkarites among the Holeyas are the only exception but they are just a handful. Intellectual bankruptcy among them is such that this letter may get no support from them. Madigan, however, are trying to organize themselves at the grassroot level. But the Holeyas are a good vote bank dancing to the tunes of Holeya politicians and the BSO.
K. Sreenivasan, State Bank of India, Pattom, Trivandrum-4: On Dec.7, a meeting of our Dalit employees was held to discuss the death of C.T. Sukumaran, IAS, under suspicious circumstances. We demanded a CBI enquiry into this incident.
Sangamitra, Madras: Your editorial on Bangarappa (Dec.1,92) is excellent. Dalits and BCs do not realize that when in power they should seek the Avion of intellectuals among them lest they be lost. Nor is it within the reach of their wisdom that if only when SCs and BCs unite, the victory will be in sight.
A. ElanKovan, BB/T.V. RTPS colony, Shaktinagar- 584 170: The Dec.6 incident has taken us to the pre- medieval times. That science and technology could remove the palaeolithic (old stone age) urge in the modem man is proved false. The only concrete solution is creation of a strong unified Dalit – Muslim – BC front.
Katti Padma Rao, Genesco. AP Dalit Maha Sabha, Lumbini Vanam, Ambedkar Colony, Ponor, AP – 522 124: I am happy to see my Dalit Voice article reproduced in the World Sikh News published from the US.
Qurban All Zaminzad, Hamdard Nagar, New Delhi: The self-proclaimed champion of the Muslims, Kashi Ram, is strangely silent on the tragic destruction of the Babri Masjid. If I remember right, he had once announced that his Bahujan Samaj Party would form squads to prevent Hindutva hordes from destroying the mosque, where is Kashi Ram today? And here are his BSP squads? Did he meet the fate of marry other Dalit leaders in the past?
Masti Sitaram, Hyderabad: When so many MPs protested in the Lok Sabha on Dec. 22 against the recent Supreme Court decision stopping reservations in promotions to SC/STs, where was Kashi Ram? His silence on the Supreme Court judgment and Babri Masjid demolition is worrying me.
S.R. Talukdar, New Delhi: This refers to Madhusudan Rao’s letter in DV (Dec.16) on Kashi Ram. Rao does not understand the ABC of Indian politics. He depends on the brahminical press. The ruling class is not afraid of Ram Vilas Paswan. That’s why the toilet papers give him publicity. The ruling class is terribly afraid of Kashi Ram. That’s why the toilet papers resort to black-out. It is only Kashi Ram who is carrying on the Mandal struggle, If Rap wants to know about it he must read the Bahujan Sangita. Almost every day Kashi Ram addresses one pro-Mandal gathering in the country. side.
T. Ravi Salem, TN-636 007: I wish to share the deep anguish of our Muslim brothers throughout the world. At last, our worst fears have come true with the brutal and wanton destruction of the over 400-year-old Babri Masjid by thousands of frenzied, lunatic and fanatic Hindu nazis. Once again, the Hindu nazis have proved that they are the votaries of violence and that Hinduism stands for violence.
Raju Thomas, Madras: Aryans have lately started a furious campaign through their Aryan “national” toilet papers that like the Untouchables they too are the original inhabitants and not invaders. For this, they are quoting the one and the only reference to this effect made by Dr. Ambedkar. These papans are trying to misquote Babasaheb and mislead the innocent untouchable. We have to be careful about the nazi papans who thrive on falsehood. Dr. Ambedkar himself has written that ‘The history of India is said to begin with the Aryans who invaded India, made it their home and established their culture. Whatever may be the virtues of the Aryans, their culture, their religion and their social system we know very little about the political history. Indeed, not with standing the superiority that claimed for the Aryans as against the non- Aryans, the Aryans had left very little of their political achievements for history to speak of … ” (ref.Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar writings and Speeches, Vol.lll page 267, Govt. of Maharashtra, 1987).
