Dr. Velu Annamalai, Houston, USA: I have written a letter to Ram Vilas Paswan on becoming the railway minister in the Deve Gowda Govt. I have requested him to look into your passport matter. A simple phone call from him to the External Affairs Minister will do the job. I believe that it is easier to accomplish this task now. This is not only on my behalf but also on behalf of thousands of our Dalit Voice family members and the entire suffering Dalit community of India, I am making this request. I have congratulated Nicholas Edell, Anti-Slavery International, The Stable yard Broom grove Road, London SW99TL, UK, for wanting to work towards the eradication or at least the exposure of slavery in the world. The Father and the mother of any form of slavery (to be precise, fascism, Nazism and racism) is indeed the Brahminical Hindu religious doctrine of caste (Varnashrama Dharma) and untouchability. The true and the original meaning of the ‘word “caste” is color (varna color in Sanskrit, the Aryan language brought to India by the invading barbarous nomadic Aryans). I am pleased to hear that he is doing a report on the caste system. Most of the Westerners study and or write something about caste system out of curiosity, novelty and more importantly purely for academic interests. The tragedy of all this is that these Westerners go to the very perpetrators of the crime to know the evils of the crime to write about the victims. These Brahminical Hindus are a minority in India and yet they are the ruling clan. And the Westerners simply write what these criminals say or more precisely lie about this obnoxious system. In his letter, he says he reads Dalit Voice which is working towards breaking the shackles of the Indian form of slavery. But the vast majority of the slaves do not even know that they are slaves. As the Editor of Dalit Voice, V. T. Rajshekar, says the “slaves in India are enjoying their slavery”. Some Dalits may not be the typical “physical” slaves, meaning that they have a decent living with good jobs, wearing clean clothes and living in good houses. But they are pathetically “mental” slaves as they are not able to come out of the slavery hell.
Principal Gurdial Singh Grewal, 179/180, Model Gram, Ludhiana: This has ref. to the Letter of K.B. Ram (DV May 16, 1996 p.16). During the 1930 50 period, there were two great movements for religious conversion, ‘Tableegh’ from Muslims and ‘Shuddhi from Hindus. Arya Samaj played the major part in Shuddhi converting “low castes” to Hinduism. M.K. Gandhi tried to convert “low castes” by renaming them first as ‘Harijans’ and then converted them to Hinduism keeping them where they were. He opposed Dr. Ambedkar’s faith in Sikhism but did not oppose conversion to Buddhism. If the Untouchables become Sikhs, they will become equal in every sphere of life. Sikhism was opposed by all Manu wadis. No human being would tolerate to be hated on communal or caste basis. Under Hinduism, even Khatris and Vaish cannot become Brahmins. When that is the case how one converted from “lower castes” can become a Brahmin or even a Hindu. That is how Ravidas, Kabir, Valmiki, Dhanna are being respected by all as Gurus of those days. Even Brahmins used to bow before them. Bowing before Guru Granth Sahib amounts to bowing before Sheikh Farrid, Bheekhan, Kabir, Ravidas, Valmiki, Dhanna, Sadna, Mardana, Namdev and others. We have to educate the masses about all these supreme truths for which we need a “Media Centre”.
L.K. Madawi, 6-Bijali Nagar, Sadar, Nagpur 440 001: A “National consultation on indigenous and Dalit people” took place from May 31 to June 2, 1996 at Raipur (MP) in which I made the following points on behalf of the indigenous people of Maharashtra. Their identity is separate from that of the Hindu society. They are outside the caste system. They worship nature. Indigenous people do not believe in the theory of God. They have no temples and worship no idols. India is the second largest sub-continent after Africa where Adivasi people are living. “Adivasi” means indigenous people of India who are the original inhabit it ants of this country. Their living style and culture is different from that of Hindus (Aryans) and the following names found in Sanskrit and Vedic literature refer to our people: Nishad, Shabar, Bhil, Kirat, Das, Dasyu, Raksha’s, etc. Other names are Janjati (folk people), Up-Jati (sub caste), Adim-Jati (original community), Vanya Jati (caste of forest), Pahari (hill dwellers), Vanya Basi (forest dwellers), Bhumi Putra (son of the soil), Anusuchita Jamati (Scheduled Tribe). The Ox ford Dictionary defines a Tribe as a group of primitive or barbarous clan under recognized chief. The first serious attempt to list primitive tribes was as in the case of “Depressed Classes” made in the census of 1931. The term “Scheduled Tribe” appeared for the first time after the Constitution came into force w.e.f. Jan.26, 1950. Though the Constitution does not lay down any specific criteria for notifying a group as ‘Scheduled”, the govt. has for its procedures and objectivity applied some criteria for defining a group as schedule. Indigenous peoples became the Scheduled Tribes (ST) by virtue of the Constitution. Every country has tackled the problem of definition in its own way, according to its own tradition, history, social organization and policies. So far as the Indian indigenous peoples are concerned there has been no parameter to define the indigenous peoples in the Constitution. As per Article 342 of the Constitution, if we accept the term ST will we get the right of self-determine nation in India? That is the question. ST term Is not quite sufficient to provide full identification of the indigenous peoples in India. So, indigenous are still struggling for their independence and sovereignty since 1857. After the “independence” of India, real independence has not been given to the indigenous peoples. Their culture and identity are being de strayed by the upper castes. The political reservation (reserved constituencies) ensures dominance of Hindu political parties over our peoples. The Govt. of India refused to admit that there are indigenous peoples inside India. In Maharashtra, out of 9,79,817 in digamous families, 6,24,172 families are living below the poverty line. If educated and young indigenous people come on roads against their exploitation, they are dubbed as Naxalites and terrorists. The indigenous peoples are not covered under the Hindu Personal law. Disputes of the indigenous peoples are. in being settled by adopting the provision of Hindu Personal Law, and the Indian Succession Act, and, therefore, proper justice is denied. There is a Hindu judicial system in India. Judges are Hindus. When indigenous peoples are not Hindu, how can we except justice from this Hindu social order? This has happened in Jogi Kawada village in Panda Kawada taluka 1994. In Aheri (Chandrapur dt.) there is the problem of un married mothers (kumarimata). The indigenous young girls have been becoming mothers without any marriage since 1974 because of sexual exploitation by the upper castes. The indigenous peoples are divided into various religions like Christian, Hindu, Buddhism and Islam. There is no unification movement. In Vidarbha, the Gonds are seriously thinking of conversion. Some Gond people have already declared that they are not Hindus. In 1995, Pardhi people of Unmarked Town (Nagpur Dt.) got converted to Islam.
Naresh Bhagat, Centaur Hotel. P.B. No. 221, GPO Srinagar,190001: I was an eyewitness to the hijacking of the elections in Kashmir by the govt sponsored militancy. The democratic process widely publicized in toilet papers and TV was a fraud played by T.N. Seshan. The people were driven, beaten, threatened and forced to rush to polling booths for purpose of photo and news coverage. The govt sponsored militants threatened the people of dire consequences which ultimately led to a cattle drive. The battle of ballot was won with a reign of terror of bullets. It was a high voltage poll hijacking drama and a sustained betrayal of the nazi media which turned the donkey (fake poll) into a free and fair (race horse) election. Elections are not the ultimate solution to the Kashmir violence. The origin of the problem is the previous Assembly election rigged and looted during the Noto riots Farooq Rajiv accord. The upsurge of Dr. Qazi Nisar, MUF, was crushed and the mandate voted in thumping majority to MUF was stolen from the ballot boxes. Consequently, Dr. Qazi Nisar was forced to revolt because the intellectual leadership of the MUF decided and resolved to fight Brahminism with guns, every election in Kashmir will be an exercise in futility and a fake election will further add fuel to fire. Things are needed to be sorted out with an honest and constructive approach. The Bahujan Central Govt. is a glimpse of hope for Kashmir. The DV May 16 Editorial on the post-election scene has guided the Bahujan MPs to oust the father of the Sangh Parivar, Atal Behari Vajpayee, along with his nazi sons from the corridor of power. The installation of a Bahujan Govt. on the political scene of India is a blow to Aryan imperialism. Your prediction on R.K. Hedge has also proved right. Hedge exposed by you was rightly rejected by the Bahujan MPs. Hedge is no more on the political scene of India and will certainly meet with premature death. Your exposing of the fake socialist and paper tiger, George Fernandes, became crystal clear when during the confidence motion in Parliament he supported BJP. The credit for opposing the BJP concept of one nation, uniform civil code, construction of Ram Mandir and Hindu is action by the leadership of the Bahujan’s entirely goes to you. Your much debated issue on multinational India and caste factor was also taken seriously by BSP chief Kanshi Ram and the southern leadership.
Vinod Wanjari, 345 Shishir, IARI, Pusa, New Delhi 110012:”HinduNazis”, the name you have popularized eminently suits members of the upper castes (Aryan party and its father RSS). This name also sums up the hate philosophy of the Aryan rulers. A writer in the Economic Times (May 31, 1996), Abheek Burman, fully reflects your thought in his article, “Last train to Auschwitz”, the concluding part of it I am reproducing:
Nagpur, 1938 and M.S. Golwalkar is writing a book, two years before succeeding K.B. Hedgewar as RSS sarsanghchalak. “To keep up the purity of the nation and its culture, Germany shocked the world by her purging the country of the semitic races the Jews. National pride at its highest has been maintained there. Germany has also shown how well-nigh impossible it is for races and cultures, having differences going to the root, to be assimilated into one united whole, a good lesson for us in Hindustan to learn and profit by,” he writes.
By 1939, Jews in Germany have no citizenship, cannot attend public schools, cannot have any business or profession, nor own land or mix with non-Jews. They cannot visit parks, libraries or museums and forced into ghettos. Two years later, Jews older than six years have to wear the Star of David on their arms, Next year, they are taken to Auschwitz, Majdanek, Treblinka, Chelimo, Sobibor, and Belzec and given gas baths. By 1945, an estimated 6 million people, 13 percent of the casualties of World War Il, are dead Jews.
Golwalkar continues, “From this stand point… the non-Hindu people in Hindustan must either adopt the Hindu culture and language, must learn to revere Hindu religion, must entertain no idea but the glorification of the Hindu nation…In one word they must cease to be foreigners or may stay in the country wholly subordinated to the Hindu nation claiming nothing, deserving no privileges, far less any preferential treatment, not even citizen’s rights.”
No other writer in India has so beautifully painted the picture of our Aryan rulers as you have done. The cap, “Hindu Nazis” fits them so well and they are proudly wearing it. Congratulations for coining this new phrase: “Hindu Nazis”.
As words and images are manufactured by the ruling upper castes, we had nothing in the Indian vocabulary to describe these rulers. Brahminism is nothing but Nazism, racism. Our description eminently suited them and they accepted it with great plea sure. But some German friends took objection to our use of the word ‘nazis’ without understanding the Indian background. We hope the Germans will appreciate our position – EDITOR.
Hari Ram Berry, S/O Bhawani Gange, Ram Nagar, PO Nainital dt. UP: I read the Letter of K. Vijaya Raju in DV April 15, 96 p.15. Hundreds of Ambedkarite among DV readers are searching for theories on eradication of untouchability. Vijaya Raju is one of them. In my opinion, the theory of our Editor, not on the basis of his words but his actions, is better than all others. Dayananda, Vivekananda, M.K. Gandhi, etc. as reformers of Untouchables in India became useless. Because their theories are on the basis of their words. The theories of Mahatma Phule, Babasaheb Ambedkar, V.T. Rajshekar, Kanshi Ram and Mayawati for eradication of untouchability are very useful. Because these theories are on the basis of their actions. Vikas Mohan, student, University Institute of Pharm. Sciences, Punjab University, Chandigarh: After reading DV, I came to know how the Aryans have been exploiting non-Aryans in India. I am one among the exploited millions. I did not get justice from anywhere and that is why I am writing to you as you alone can understand my pain. I am being persecuted by two Aryan teachers of my Dept., Dr. P.D. Sharma and Dr. Renu Chadda. These racist teachers hate Dalit students. In practical and theory classes, we are being discriminated against, especially in chemistry. Besides, SCs have no reservation in this university.
Readers of DV in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh in particular have to organize a strong protest against the racist behavior of the Pharmacy University authorities demanding suspension of racist teachers – EDITOR.
Om Prakash Bhartiya, Lucknow University, Lucknow: This has ref. to your report: “Word record in fasting” (DV June 1, 96 p.23) on Sunder Lal Bahuguna. Vaidik’s have their “national toilet papers” which can convert any damn lie into supreme truth. The truth is this Vaidik Sunder Lal is a hard-core Hindu nazi which he has been cunningly hiding under his “environmentalist” garb. Lately, this garb is wearing out and his true picture is visible for all us to see. A report in. the Pioneer, (June 12,96) headlined “Bahuguna plays his Hindu card to widen his support base”, fully proves you right in your criticism of this fake environmentalist. He has started criticizing Muslims, defending Vedic shastras, caste system, untouchability and the “merit” of the upper castes. His language is exactly that of a Hindu nazi and that is why the “national press” gives him so much publicity.
Bahuguna is not India’s only fake environ mentalist and a hard core nazi with a so cellist face. The more famous Medha Patkar and her cronies. Medha along with the Hindu Nazi journalist, Arun Shourie, attended a Hindu nazi party function at Mangalore. These environmentalists are anti-Muslim, anti-Dalit, anti-woman. But the “national tolled papers” hide all these things because both belong to same Jati. Beware of environmentalists EDITOR.
Harish Chandra, Kashi Vidhya Pith, Varanasi: The Hindustan Times (June 19) has published a false report of Brahmins “fleeing” village Balrampur in Varnas following police atrocities. I belong to Varanasi and on hearing the clash, I visited the village where the Brahmins attacked the Dalits and stripped a Dalit woman. Enraged Dalits attacked the Brahmins. A police officer of the area has been suspended for supporting Brahmins. The village witnessed a bloody caste war between Brahmins and Dalits. Dalit students will soon take action against Brahmin journalists for publishing false reports.
Hassan Chand Nandaniwala, C 1683 Ganjigalli, Somvarpet, Kolhapur, (MS): Though I am not in a position to read because of my advanced age and had asked you to stop sending your journal (DV June 1, 96 p.18), I have now decided to send a year’s subscription so that you can send it to any deserving person.
Brother Nandaniwala is great. [f only we had one such person in every important town and city of India, DV circulation would have simply soared. Nandaniwala deserves a congratulatory letter from our readers EDITOR.
Qazi Abdul Hameed, 45 Srinagar Extn, Indore 452 001: Votaries of BJP are crying hoarse over ‘Jagadeesh’ (people’s mandate). Their claim proved false in the light of facts and figures that emerged in the last election. Their strong points are UP (85:52), Bihar (54:18), MP (40:27), Rajasthan (25:12), Gujarat (26:16) and Maharashtra (48:18). They have drawn blank, repeat blank, in five important and populous states viz., West Bengal (42), TN (39), Kerala (20), AP (42) and Orissa (21). Out of 164 seats in these states did they secure a single seat? If we look into the results of the four states in the south, BJP has secured six seats in Karnataka out of 159 seats in these seats. BJP has been thrown out lock, stock and barrel in five populous and enlightened states of India except UP where the elephant ran amuck (to their advantage). The BJP did have a foothold only in six populous states (except UP) for reason mentioned above. Is it ‘lanadesh’ as the BJP claims? Whom are they trying to fool themselves or the gullible unenlightened public? The intelligentsia knows where the BJP stands.
Zafarullah Khan, 165 Zakir Bagh, New Delhi 25: A decade’s effort to unite Muslims and Dalits totally failed because in the latest parliamentary election hardly 2% Muslims voted for BSP. It was only because BSP made alliance with BJP in UP in June 1995, whereas Muslims consider BJP their enemy No.1.Only BSP and SP unity can drive out BJP in UP.
Abdul Rahaman, IQRA Educational Society, 9 62 3, Islam pet, Vijayawada, AP 520 001: We are running Urdu medium schools from lowest to higher education. Ours is the only institution here offering Urdu, Arabic and Islamic studies with English medium. We are holding our decennial celebration on Dec.22, 1996. We need support from your readers.
Shakeel Suleman, Auto Links, shop No 1/3, New Market, 351/3, Shaikh Memon Street, Bombay 400 002: I am a student of comparative religion and an avid reader Dalit Voice. I am very impressed by your journal. I feel you are so close to Islam which stands for “equality and brotherhood of mankind”. We never distinguish between a beggar and a king and itis aptly demonstrated during the namaz. This “Brahman race” plans you have so correctly analyzed and I praise your efforts to demolish this racist regime. Your article (DV April 16, 96 p.6): “Babasaheb diagnosed disease of Dalits, but are they ready to cure it?” This sentence touched me so much that! decided to write you a letter right away. “Mindful of garbage. But the Untouchables did not have the right god and religion and hence missed the second. Babasaheb died a sad man”. I agree with you that all the Brahminical gods are cock and bull stories. Their 33 crore gods are nothing but blasphemy to the Almighty God. We believe in the Almighty God who is omnipotent, you cannot imagine him or picturize him as he is unimaginable and unfathomable. Neither does he beget nor is he begotten and we only worship him and prostrate before him. This is our universal religion called Islam, brotherhood of mankind. Only Islam has the capacity to destroy this nazi demon. We are your avid admirers. We want to work with your people to form a collective force to fight these evil forces.
Hashmi, c/o. Mufti Fakhrul Islam, Advocate, 194, Daira Shah Ajmal, Allahabad 211 003: Mufti Saheb has been your subscriber since 1990 and a great admirer of our journal. He is now 92 and it is very difficult for him to read anything. With a heavy heart, he wants to bid goodbye to DV.
We request Mufti Saheb to write us his frank comments and criticisms on DV so that we can corner ourselves EDITOR.
Syed Moinuddin, 19/A, Umar Bagh Layout, Kanakapura Road (west), Bangalore 78: After the latest parliamentary elections, when the Hindu nazi party captured the Indian throne for a brief moment, a lot of fear, frustrations and uneasiness gripped a section of Muslims fearing the worst. An interesting question is whether this nazi party, which has created an image as an anti-Muslim party, in any way better than other “secular” parties? Conditions of Muslims under the rule of “secular parties” prove that in no way they are better. Muslims who form the “largest minority in the country”, with official population of 12% get hardly about 2% representation in the govt. In the defense services, it is negligible. Because of this Muslims are forced to take up petty businesses or leave their motherland to Arab countries in search of jobs. Muslims have been denied new schools and institutions and the existing institutions are not encouraged by the “secular” govts. Considering these few aspects, are the “secular govts”. better than the racist, fascist govts?
Miss. Rumki Kirtannia, No.7 Rishi Arabinda Road, P.O.: Rabindra Nagar, Calcutta 700065: The progress of a society depends on the progress of its women. Women are the mothers, chief producers of human wealth and nurses of the whole nation. So, they should be respected and held in high esteem. But in India they are deprived and debased. Dowry is one of the weapons to enslave them. Dowry means gifts presented by the parents of the bride at the time of marriage. During the marriage, the parents and guardians of the bridegroom treat girls a commercial commodity and demand cash, ornaments, many valuables as dowry. It was prevalent in past also. For the rich it has become a status symbol. But in the case of middle class and poor, it is a torture. It does not only affect the individual victims, the brides, but the entire social fabric which was created to help realize the aspirations of both the individuals and collective. Brides become sacrificial goats. But the malaise has its roots in the attitude of the society to our women. However reverential we may be in our references to the women, our mothers, daughters, sisters and wives, this society has done very little to end the servility of the women to men. The women really do not have any aspiration beyond serving and humoring their men. In spite of the social bonds the women are treated even today with pity, nobody thinks of giving them equal status with men. The conventions behind all our relationship between men and women require our women to follow men and depend on them. In their submission to men the women are meek and self-effacing, Asif they are born to live as parasites, unable to find for themselves in a world entirely dominated by men. Even when they are exploited, oppressed and humiliated they seldom think of revolting. When they come to complain, their voice is too muffled to be heard in the din. Sometimes people talk about injustices done to women, some of them even shout from the top of their houses demanding liberty and equality for them. But these are just like many of our annual rituals and exercise in futility. The “women’s lib” movement may have had some impact somewhere, but in India’s stagnant pool the ripples have failed so far to create waves of any consequence. When women’s position in society is so unenviable it is only natural that the parents should be unhappy and annoyed to have a girl born to them. The social inhibitions are many and they make it difficult to bring up a girl. But when the question of marrying the girl comes, the parents are the unhappiest creatures on the earth. The only problem is not to find a groom suitable for the girl, but to meet the demands of the fortunate parents of the groom. The parents of the bride think that their daughter is their liability. Some of them pass sleepless nights to find out a suitable bridegroom and if they get the sell their movable and immovable property to meet the demand of the dowry. Thus, they become paupers. If they fail to keep their commitments and do not give dowry, the condition of their daughters becomes miserable after marriage. After the marriage, the bride’s parents have little peace, for the girl is tortured, slighted and humiliated only too often for no fault of hers but because the dowry she brings is not rich enough. The custom is that the bridegroom’s parents would be made richer and the bride’s the poorer, so the bride must suffer if the dowry fails to make the bridegroom’s parents rich. The parents of the bride must suffer for the sins of giving birth to a girl, and the parents of the bridegroom must be rewarded for owning the groom. And once the bride is a given away, once the marriage is solemnized, she loses all her freedom. At her in laws place, she must be prepared to suffer silently. The unfortunate brides are being burnt or beaten to death. Sometimes the torture creates such a condition that the bride commits suicide. We read reports of burning of brides .by the members of the husband’s family. However, in a civilized society it is a shame to leave our women languishing in the dark dens of medievalism. When almost every day we read reports about bride burning, bride beating and tales about tortures of brides, we cannot but find our civilization to be a fake one. It appears that brides are not humans, they do not have the feelings or dreams or natural desire to be loved. The husbands and the in laws treat them as mere bundles of rich dowry. But we know marriage is a noble occasion which makes a very sweet relation between the young man and woman. But today many of the grooms only dream of netting the bigger fish and if the brides are found to be bringing with them a small fortune, they feel deceived and frustrated. The wedding does not create a bond of love for them. Sometimes the brides may refuse to be servile and submit without protesting. But that only leaves them involved in some sort of scandal, which even the organized movements cannot bust, and consequently very often they are made to commit suicide. The notion of love, social justice equality and women’s lib are humbug. The flame of this violent social system has burnt the poor and the rich alike. But the daughter of the poor parents are affected most. Many girls of marriageable age remain unmarried as their parents fail to meet the dowry demanded by the well-established bridegroom. But why do they exist in our so-called modern civilized society? How can they be eradicated and uprooted from our society? The main cause of continuation of this system is that the woman is not conscious about the demand of dowry. The mother of a bridegroom keeps her aside without thinking that her parents also suffered. Besides, most of the women are economically dependent on their husband. It is our moral duty, social obligation and legal right to fight against it and to uproot it. Law has been passed, Section 304 B of the Indian Panel Code has been imposed to prevent the dowry death, but only law and legal actions are not sufficient to prevent it. More education and employment scopes for women are required to eradicate it from our society right now. From the political and spiritual leaders, a voice of protest against this system be raised and some legislative measures should be taken very strictly and effectively. it is a very bad system which appears as the social cancer. So, when the women themselves rise against the ignominy of dowry, the society would be forced to change the attitude to them. If instead they resign to their fate, they will go on suffering for the sins of eve.
Sister Rumki Is perfectly right in her analysis of the status of women in India. But being innocent, she has failed to go into the causes of the fall of women. She has very graphically described the symptoms of the disease but failed to diagnose the disease itself. Babasaheb Ambedkar has done it in a tiny booklet, “The Rise and Fall of Hindu Women” (Bheem Patrika Publication, 1980) in which he pins the blame on the notorious Vaidik law giver Manu. The third volume of Babasaheb Ambedkar Writings and Speeches (1987) has a chapter, “The woman and the counter revolution”, in which he says before the advent of Manu, women were highly respected because Buddhism assured equality to women. Manu ““wanted to deprive women of their freedom they had under Budhist regime”, (0.430). Sister Rumki should note that the cause of Hindu women’s downfall is Manu dharma Shastra. Urban Dalits too gift handguides and fell a prey to this antihuman system. Dalits must quit Hinduism and get rid of ail Hindu influences. Then only their women will regain their lost rights. EDITOR.
Hitesh Solanki, Rural Eng. Dept, Gujarat Ag. University, 5.K. Nagar, Gujarat.: My elder brother, Samrat Solanki, a primary schoolteacher and a noted Gujarati poet in Gujarati, has been a subscriber of DV since 1986. I was in 10th std. in 1986. Yet, I used to read DV with the help of dictionary and used to love it, particularly your Editorials. Now, 1 am an Agri. Engineer in this university and a new subscriber of DV trying my best to spread your thoughts among friends.
Anil Rangari, Press Colony, Shahdol, MP 484001: Congratulations for predicting the first BC Prime Minister. Now that it has become a reality, we can also say that your prediction of “Dr. Ambedkar Era ‘too would become a reality. Under the Aryan rule Shudras were deprived and punished for earning, learning, reading, writing, teaching and good eating. For doing this, the Aryan god Rama killed Shudra Shambuka, Dron Acharya cut the right-hand thumb of Ekalavya and Pushyamitra Sunga killed the Buddhists. But Dr. Ambedkar, “The Father of India” changed the course of history by drafting the Constitution of India and burning Manusmriti, the Brahminical Penal Code (BPC). Within 40 years of this event, Deve Gowda became the first Prime Minister of India and challenged the Aryan Manu wadi rule. “Dr. Ambedkar Era”, therefore, has started even before the 21st century commenced. Our Editor has proved right
A.L. Ukay, ATPS, MPEB, Chachai, Shahadol district 484220: This is with ref .to Naval Viyogi’’s Letter (DV May 16, 96). Viyogi no doubt is a scholar and we Dalits do salute him. But it does not mean that whatever he says contrary to the directives of Babasaheb Ambedkar can be accepted. Sad dharma (DV April 16, 96) says “Babasaheb was among the six best brains in the world”. We have not come across one single person in the whole world with such a depth of knowledge and such original, fresh thinking. He was a scholar, social scientist, philosopher, psychologist, thinker, leader and liberator all blended in one single person, a rare unique combination. Before Babasaheb all other intellectuals known. to history are mere pygmies. He suffered, sacrificed his all and shed every drop of his blood for us. if we are really civilized, disciplined and conscious of our roots, our duty is to simply follow our Savior with implicit faith, determination and dedication without even a change of coma.
Bishnu Mohan Malik (BSP), Kanpada G.P., Bhadrak, Orissa 756130: Here we have a 100% SC panchayat comprising only ‘Gorkha ‘Jati people. We are organizing BSP movement since Oct.1994. People are responding well. The Congress Party influence is there. This needs to be purified. We have taken the responsibility of the Bhadrak district under the leadership of Akshaya Kumar Malik, state co Ordinator, Orissa. I have read your book, Merit My Foot, which I appreciate a lot to counter the nazi argument. Upper caste students are using false caste certificates to avail SC/ST reservation benefits. They send two different applications for railway examinations etc. One mentioning their Jati and other application mentioning their false Jati. They enter exam hall with a false certificate. This must be stopped. If a student uses false certificate, not only the person who issued it but also the college principal must be punished.
C. Rangaswamy, Junior Engineer, Ganesh Udi 581365: The report on the failure of the ‘Seminar on Dr. Ambedkar” at Karnataka University, Dharwad, makes a sad reading (DV April 1, ’96). Unfortunately, the Editor was one of the participants in such a poorly organized function. However, you have posed a pertinent question as to why politicians should be called to inaugurate a scholarly seminar, that too on Babasaheb. I was also asked to present a paper at the same seminar. In view of the expected participation of three ministers, I wanted to know whether it would be a political function. Before confirming my participation, I wanted to know these things. For asking this, I did not receive the invitation. A friend from the Nagarjuna University has said that Karnataka University was the only university having the SC/ST Celi functioning very effectively. With so many Dalit intellectuals, research scholars, postgraduates and above all committed Ambedkarite in the university capsulitis unthinkable that a seminar on Babasaheb was so poorly attended. The very mention of a seminar on Dr. Ambedkar should have attracted hundreds of Dalits. If it does not happen, then there must be something basically wrong. If this is the case in Karnataka University with so many Dalit intellectuals, I wonder what may be the situation elsewhere. The remedy lies in developing regular informal meetings and discussions among Dalit intellectuals. Irrespective of the faculty one belongs to, as a Dalit one is duty bound to attend any function connected with Dalits. Remember that Dalits all over India are looking towards Dalit intellectuals.
B.K. Ghatak, New Delhi: Bahujan Samaj Party did well in the latest Haryana election. It secured 10.6% votes in constituencies it contested and a state average of 3.95% just 05% less to become a national party. It came second in two places, Ambala(reserved)and Mahendra Gadh. In Punjabis 3seats. In MP, it secured 11.97% votes where it contested and a state average of 6.5% and I won two seats, Rewa and Satna, defeating the Raji and Rani of this place. One is Arjun Singh, four-time s Chief Minister of MP was defeated by the BSP which came second in four places and third in 14places. in UP, it single handedly secured 20.60%o0f the vote bagging six Lok Sabha seats and came second in 19 places; third in 51 places, fourth in 9places. In J/ 3K it secured the following vote: Udhampur 32,011 and in Jammu nearly 52,000. In Rajasthan, it came’ ‘hard in Bharatpur (87,252) and Bikaner (59,035) and fourth in Sri Ganganagar reserved (27,349). In West Bengal at Barasat, BSP candidate got over 20,000 vat asg.
S.R. Talukdar, New Delhi: Some time back (wrote on the “Media Centre” on which a Debate has started. To take the Debate in the right direction I want to make my points very clear. What is “Media C. entre”? Dalit Voice itself is our media of expression. £ set when we talk about “Media Centre”, we mean something more than DV. It would be such a center fi om where we will be publishing daily newspapers, weekly, fortnightly and monthly periodicals. Dailies will’ I be able to create a wave among our people. They vanilla discuss issues raised in it ‘in their houses, office as, factories and also in tea stalls. Periodicals will fiscus more serious ideological matters. In other words, we can say that the daily paper will be like the ‘wind in the sail and the periodicals as the rudder of the ship. Right now, we have only the rudder but not the wind. That 15 why our ship, though directed towards the right destination, for want of wind it is not moving forward and gaining speed. Social media” is indispensable fully appreciate that cultural change is a must. Even if we get the political power in our hand in this generation, the next generation will lose it if we fail to bring about the necessary cultural change. One should not forget the example of Shivaji, the Maratha hero. Shivaji built up a big empire. But he was a follower of the Brahminical social order. And what happened after his death? The same Brahmins, the Peshwas, dethroned Shivaji’s descendants and usurped the power for themselves. Our fate will be no different from that of Shivaji if we remain satisfied with mere political power ignoring the more important cultural side. We have to clearly specify the dos and don’ts for our future generation. If I had the power, I would have certainly established the “Media Centre” giving it the first priority. That would have brought the political power in our hands easily. But I admit that I do not have that power. Another point is I want to mention is that a daily newspaper project is an Indus I rial establishment. It requires an unhindered distribute ‘on network. Nobody will read a morning paper in the evening. Now, I request the readers to do the SWAT are 1alysis (Swat Strength, Weakness, and Threat).
We are happy that if last Brother Talukdar has admitted the correctness of the path shown by Babasaheb. Without a thorn Yug going cultural revolution (through Educate, Agitate, Organize), it ‘is impossible to capture “political power”. Forgetting cultural revolution, if we rush to “capture political power”, it will be like that short lived BSP-BJP honeymoon in UP. (DV Editorial Nov 1,95): “BSP must learn lessons from UP debacle: Cultural revolution alone will usher Dr. Ambedkar Era”). Kanshi Ram know Vs all this. His party leaders and followers to lulus that he has the mind and money to sei f up such a “Media Centre” which alone can elevate BSP to Delhi and make him that first Dalit Prime Minister when the “Dr. Ambedkar Era” begins in the year 2000. We are® ready to head such a “Media Centre”. Brothers like Talukdar must force Kanshi R.am to act EDITOR.
B. Jaya Rao, President, Dalit Welfare Assn., Nellore Diocese, J. Pu LeLacheur PO, Rachella Mandala, Gadd Alur to, Fracases Dt, A.P: The credit for the formation of our association should rightly go to the notorious anti Chalet Nellore Bishop P.C. Balaswamy as he is always with his Khamma caste but never with the Dalits who form 94% of the diocese. Twenty-two years back when he entered the Nellore diocese, we thought that we had much to look forward in terms of prosperity and progress through education to our children. There are scores of schools drop outs among Dalits in the diocese but he took no note of them in taking steps to start any vocational course for them. Without proper hostel facilities even the students studying presently with the efforts of their parents find it hard to pursue their studies. His beloved lieutenants, Fr. Hridaya Raj and Fr. Balraj, made a fortune offering teachers posts to Hindu candidates at on goal and Dona Konda when suitable Dalit candidates were available. The endless repatriation of Khamma candidates were brought only to be given education and to be rehabilitated by ordaining them in the diocese denying and discouraging local Dalit vocations.
N.G. Das, 17 Datta bad Road, PO Bidan Nagar (Salt Lake) Calcutta 700 064. DV readers have asked me to collected names and addresses of all DV subscribers of West Bengal to start a “DV Study Circle” here. Please furnish the particulars. Who knows, this may be the first step to start a Bengali edition of DV
We are not maintaining a separate list of DV readers in W. Bengal. The easiest way is for our readers for directly contract Brother N.G. Das. West Bengal is ruled by less than 10% of upper castes whether it is a Marxist Govt. or Congress. The overwhelming majority of Dalits, Muslims and BCs are simply enjoying their slavery. This must stop. And Fowke up the sleeping sieves, DV is good whip. It is for the Bengali oppressed to decide whether they want to remain as slaves or breath fresh air and recover their lost self-respect EDITOR.
M.D. Jangali, Garden Peth, Masjid complex, P.B. Rd. Hubli, Karnataka: 1 am a social worker of Hubli Dharwad Municipal Corporation and President, Hubli Dharwad Auto rickshaw Drivers Owners Union. I am fed up with all the existing political parties because the Congress, Janata Dal etc. remember the Muslims and Dalits only at the time of election and give false promise. After the election they totally forget these oppressed communities. So, I am going to form a Muslim Dalit Welfare Association to liberate them from the upper caste oppressors. As an architect of the Dalit Muslim alliance movement in India, I want your guidance.
Every all-India political party is headed by upper castes because it is easy to divide the oppressed “low castes” and Muslims on the basis of political parties. Even the Janata Dal down the Vindhyas is an upper caste party. That is why we the oppressed have to going for “regional parties”. Tamil Nadu and Anuria Pradesh have already given shape to such parties though the power in these two states has not yet come to Dalits, Backwards and Muslims. The Hubli Idah issue Is a classic case of upper caste manipulation. It could have been solved long back if the Muslims of Hubli heeded our warning. But the Hubli Muslim leadership being in the hands of elites, they never bothered about us. Unity of Muslims and Dalits will not only solve the Idah problem but all other problems. Brother Jangali is bound for succeed where everybody has filled. He may come here for talks EDITOR.
S.R. Biswas, BE 203, Sait Lake, Calcutta 700064: The mandate of the 1996 general election was for a hung parliament. Vajpayee accepted the President’s invitation to form the country’s first BJP govt. The impression given is Vajpayee is a different (less communal) from other BJP and RSS leaders. but the mask was off in no time when he in a telecast said:
“Don’t think we have gone back on our agenda just because we did not put it in the President’s Address. We will ban cow slaughter, we will build the temple at Ayodhya, we will impose uniform civil code, we shall bring Hindu nationalism back in its old glory… We did not put all this in President’s speech only because we do not have the majority now”.
When Indrajit Gupta (CPII) read excerpts from M.S. Golwalkar’s writing on the rights of “Hindus” and the treatment of the Muslims the response from BJP benchwas, “sowhat is wrong with all that?” Vajpayee sat nodding his head. To the relief of all secular forces, the minority BJP Govt. did not last even a fortnight. Then a minority United Front (UF) consisting of a number of rag tag parties took over the reins of the nation. Is it better than the BJP Govt.? Can it deliver the goods ? The constituents of UF are full of contradictions. Again a govt. completely at the mercy ofthe second largest party (in Parliament) Congressan avowed enemy to each and every party of the Front. Front may meet the same fate of BJP at any moment. The UF Govt. however started with a dazzling “Common Minimum Programme”. The programme has about 100 items of promises to be fulfilled by it. But another consensus item to go slow on Mandalisation is conspicuously absent from the long list. They, perhaps, all agreed (reinforced by the dictates of the Congress) to slow down Mandalisation the most vital issue of the day. The foster father of UF, V.P. Singh, is always considered, praised or even cursed for the Mandal issue ignoring the real effect of BSP’s long, continuous and militant movement for the implementation of the Mandal Commission Report. Let us listen to V.P. Singh’s assertion to reduce the ‘non-Mandal castes at the cost of BCs, minorities, STs and SCs.
“We must broad base our caste/class appeal. We must not heal victims at the cost of making new ones. We cannot throw away the upper castes into the lap the BJP. Caste alone is not the solution. As the deprived sections start getting power, you have to carry everyone with you. Hatred is not the answer to hatred. Correction must have to be made but new injustice cannot be allowed”.
V.P. Singh ‘‘Reinvention is at last fully exposed when just a beginning was made for partial implementation of a part of Mandal Commission Report. The caste bias of Singh first came into open when as PM, he short listed Mandal report for implementation only for political gains and maintaining status quo. So, it is not only Jyoti Basu of CPM, Biju and Hegde of Janata Dal. one and all of Congress and BJP, but all leaders of all Manu wadi parties of India including all regional parties are opposed to reservation of any kind. That is the lesson of the general election for the Dalits. We can clearly see how hopeless Dalit leaders like Ram Vilas Paswan, Mulayam and Laloo Prasad etc. are in the company of this upper castes. Our Editor has proved wrong in having his faith in V.P. Singh and his party, JD. The Editor has all along been impressing upon BSP and other Dalit parties for a joint front with JD, National Front, etc. We may often forget Babasaheb’s warning. We cannot trust anyone who does not belong to the servile classes. Both during and after the election, BSP has been treated by all so called secular Hindu leaders as an Untouchable. Rightly BSP, the only Dalit party worth the name, has been sitting in opposite benches both in BJP and UF govts. But our Editor is well known to the educated Dalits all over the country for his relentless and undaunted struggle over 12 years or so for the upsurge of Dalits, for rousing their consciousness and for making them conscious about the necessity of unity and joint fronts of SC/ST/BCs, and Muslims/Christians/Sikhs and Buddhists. The biggest lot the BCs, he regularly regrets, is still a highly unorganized lot with no ideology or leadership. V.T. Rajshekar could play a vital role in bringing together all Dalit parties of RPI, Dalit Panthers, Bahujan Maha sangha, PMK, etc. and the BSF instead of trying in vain to gain help and cooperation of any Manu wadi party or encouraging emergence of small regional Dalit parties or groups. He could arrange a joint summit of all the Dalit leaders of all Dalit parties (never any Hindu led party) with a view to forming a formidable single Maha Bahujan Somnipathy in the country. BSP under the leadership of Kanshi Ram has already a separate block earmarked in Parliament. The leaders of BSP can and should show sufficient magnanimity, resilience and catholicity in this venture of early consolidation of all Dalit parties. Our Dalit officers and staff associations are not politically conscious. They are generally under the influence of upper caste association leaders and Manu wadi parties. BAMCEF died a natural death as soon as Kanshi Ram stopped taking interest in it. This is an area which Dalit parties must tap. We should not forget that nazi parties thrive on staff associations. CPM cannot think of winning elections or forming a govt. without the active help of the state coordination committee. Dalit leaders should not overlook the tremendous progress made by BJP. In the latest election, the BJP got the largest number of MPs elected from among the SC/ST/BCs. BSP has to win over Dalit leaders, Dalit votes from the clutches of BJP. At present the Congress, BJP and UF are all against BSP, but once a “Maha BSP” is formed, a lithe three groups will come together overnight for crushing the Dalit party. India is nothing but a collection of castes and communities. Happily, Dalit Bahujan’s have started taking shelter under their respective caste and Dalit party. We should welcome it. That is the only way to usher in “Dr. Ambedkar Era” when Dalits will rule this country.
S.K. Biswas, Delhi 110095; All sorts of parties have joined hands in Delhi. Nationalist, Gandhi a party have joined with internationalist Marxists parties. Revolutionaries and the Sauquoit’s, fundamentalists and reformists, capitalists and socialists have all come together. Itis very difficult to understand what is what. The communists had taught us a lesson: “Identify your enemy” before you enter a battle. Now the communists of India have made the situation difficult, and we cannot identify our enemy. This victory of TF/UF is not really a victory of Bahujan’s as described by Maddu Krishna, (DV June 1,96, p.22). This may be called a victory of the “Saravanan” all. Today’s Bahujan victory (TF) does not show any qualitative difference or any ideological contradistinction. Here again the victors are S. Chatterjee, Vinod Mishra or Chaturanan Mishra etc. This type of “Bahujan” concept finished Budha and Buddhism in India. Budha accepted Brahmins in his order, allowed them to be the best of his philosophers to preach and execute the ideals of equality and anti-Brahminism. He sheltered the big Srishti’s (merchants) to establish the idea of no private property (for Sangha at least) and to eradicate sufferings of the masses. This group sabotaged Buddhism from inside and destroyed it. What we want is the victory of the Dalit Bahujan who are the children of this soil, the subjugated and persecuted Indians. These immense majority, the lowest stratum of the society forming 85 90% of our population. “Only those who belong to the servile class can be trusted to protect the interest of the class,” warned Babasaheb. This battle is being fought by the BSP which is the only political party of the Dalit Bahujan’s. That is why Kanshi Ram has not joined this LF. Govt. It won 11 Lok Sabha seats. To arrest the march of this Dalit Bahujan all the Manu wadis have joined in the United Front. Brahmins never kill with their own hands. They always use agents to kill others. This is Brahminism. Peshwas installed the Shudra Shivaji declaring him an anointed Kshatriya on the throne after coronation. (DV June 16, 96. P.6: “How Brahmins fooled Shivaji’). But this was simply to usurp the entire fortunes of this great Shudra King. The Peshwas corrupted the system and became the defector and dreaded rulers of Maharashtra within 25 years of the death of Shivaji. Manu wadis have, therefore, adopted the “Bengal Formula” of the Manu wadi Marxists. Gopal Krishna Gokhale once said: “What Bengal thinks today, India thinks it tomorrow.” The United Front Govt. established in 1977 in West Bengal is being implemented in Delhi only 20 years later. The Manu wadi communists engineered the UF Govt, in Delhi to keep the Dalit Bahujan’s out of power. The UP Govt. in W. Bengal has assured the absolute supremacy of the Brahmins.
In our Editorial of June 16, 96; “India graduates from Brahman Raj to Shudra Raj,” we have said all that S.K. Biswas has expressed in the above Letter. Deve Gowda’s isn’t Dalit Bahujan Govt. {Tisa Shudra Govt, and Shudras are part of Hindus. Kanshi Ram foo had said the same thing in Parliament on June 10 while speaking on the confidence motion: “The UP Govt. would not be able to ensure justice for the poor as they do not represent the really poor and Dalits of this country”. (Hindu June 12). The UF Govt’s Common Minimum Program me is silent on extending Central reservations to BCs in education, on removing reservations from judicial review and scrapping the “creamy layer theory”. It is also silent on rebuilding Babri Masjid. We too are not fully happy and yet this long jump from “Brahman Raj” to “Shudra Raj” Is a development of great historic significance EDITOR.
Dr. N. Suresh, PG student, Dept of Ortho surgery, MCH, Calico: 8: I am a 27-year-old Dalit postgraduate medical student. I passed SSLC with distinction. I had passed all MBBS exams in first appearance itself, except the final year. In the final year surgery exam, even though my diagnosis, clinical assessment and management of my case in the practical exam was right, I was detained by a notorious upper caste Nair examiner, simply because I am a Dalit. Now, I am doing my PG in orthopedic surgery, my favorite subject. Even though lama PG student, who can do surgery faster and better than any other fellow student as admitted by the teachers, my upper caste bosses won’t give the surgical knife to me, but prefer useless upper castes. Even when I ask for the knife, they will be unhappy. So, I stopped asking and they stopped giving the knife to me. The history of Ekalavya and Arjuna is repeated here.
Radhakrishna Rao, 15/1, Madhava Nagar, High Grounds, Bangalore 1: I am a freelance journalist, much junior to you. I took to journalism 10 years after you left the Indian Express. I read Dalit Voice of and on buying it from a shop here. I don’t agree with you on many points, but I like your crusade because I to belong to a Backward Caste (tailor Jat). What I wanted to know is this: I know that you have stopped visiting Vidhan Shabha, seat of the State Govt. here, after you left the Indian Express. I also learn that you don’t meet any top political leader though you are expected to know all of them as the political correspondent when you were in the Indian Express. You maintain no contact with political leaders and even journalists. What is the reason?
The reason Is simple: I am sick of these politicians. Not only they are shallow but they cheat the masses after getting elected by their votes. As for these journalists, less said the better. Journalism has ceased to be a mission. This has become the most powerful weapon in the hands of upper castes to protect the Brahminical social order EDITOR.
Manjoor Gopalan, Surabhi, Kanak Kary, Kottayam, Kerala 686632: This has ref. to your Editorial note on ‘“Media Center”. (DV June 1, 96 p.9). Savarnas will survive only if the oppressed people continue to fight each other. To weaken the Dalit Muslim unity, (Dalit Voice I Brahminical toilet papers are spreading poisonous news paving the way for communal riots. The sufferings of the Muslims bring joy to the BSO. The pain of SC/ST/BCs gives pleasure to them. The Savarnas will use every measure to defeat the implementation of the “Three Commandments” (Educate, Agitate, Organize) of Babasaheb. The rapidly growing revolutionary movements of servile classes of India under the leadership of Bahujan intellectuals will be suppressed by the Brahminical toilet papers. BSO is against social justice, job reservation. Brahminism is solely responsible for the current moral corruption, decay, chaos, breakdown of law and order and widespread violence all over the country. The upper castes and their political parties are against Bahujan I cultural revolution. “Media Center” is the only way to educate our people. It should reach the message of Babasaheb, Mahatma Phule, Paraiyar, Dr. Lohia and Sri Narayan Guru to every nook and corner of our country in local languages. Representatives of DV in each state will have to collect funds for this Center. \ The valuable suggestions of Jagannath Pani (DV June 1,96p.13) to implement the scheme can be accepted.
Saji, T Kokkali Veedu, Kanjiras, Kundera PO, Kollam Dt. 691501: This is on the election policy of Kerala Dalit Panthers (KDP) of which I am a worker. Since I know that you are the brain of the KDP, I am bringing some facts to your notice. KDP is a movement of the Dalits, who believe that the first step to liberate the oppressed is the creation of consciousness among them about our oppressors. Liberation from the Savarnas is possible only when we stop taking advice from the Savarnas (oppressors). Dalits of Kerala have to be freed from Gandhis and marxism. KDP became the most popular organization of Kerala only because it took up this mission with great zeal under your intellectual guidance. But the steps taken by KDP leadership has created confusion. Why they should participate in elections? KDP defends its involvement in election because it is the declared policy of KDP to join the Averna political front in election. But after the panchayat elections held in ‘Kerala in September 1995, KDP contested in alliance with People’s Democratic Party led by Abdul Nasser Madani. KDP became a member of an Averna political front otherwise known as People’s Liberation Front and contested the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. PDP, BSP, Forward Bloc, Socialists Revolutionary Party are the other members of PLF. Some KDP leaders became candidates of PDP as KDP is I not a political party. K. Ambujakshan (Central Executive Member) contested the Otta Palam Lok Sabha reserved seat, Soman G. (President) and D. Girish (Gen. Secretary) in Chengannur and Neon Assembly seats. Why Ambujakshan and other candidates did not contest as independents without the label of another political party? These facts lead to doubts about the KDP leadership. KDP members respect Ambujakshan and even call him as a “living Ambedkar”. His speeches have brought tremendous enlightenment. According to him the Dalits in Savarna parties are slaves. But his becoming the candidate of PDP has shocked us. He should not have contested as a PDP candidate.
B.P. Chandel, Mission Road, PO Chapra, Bihar: The term “social justice” is being used to befool the Dalits and MBCs (Most Backward Castes) or non-creamy layer of the society comprising nearly 40% of the population whitesplaining below the poverty line. They are left far behind the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the race. They are as deprived as the Dalits. MBCs have one representative from Bihar, Forest Minister Capt. Jai Narayan Nishad. Social justice is meaningless to us till this class is added to the “reserved list” and given the status of SC/ST.
Dr. A. Antony Cruz, All India Dalit Students’ Federation, 125 Sterling Road, Madras 34: The Hindu (June 8, 96) reported on the first page that the BJP had warned the UF Govt. against the quota to Dalit Christians. BJPs communal outlook is against the Constitution’s spirit of secularism.
