Arthur Bonner,130East Street, New York, NY 10003, US: I recently returned from Southern Mexico where 1 have started a long project on why Catholics (almost entirely indigenous people) are becoming Protestants. When I looked into additional demands for autonomy, I was struck by the similarity with what you have advocated for Dalits in India and most striking of all the parallel with Dr. Ambedkar’s demand for separate electorate is necessary that scholars get a source of your material in the US. I don’t know about the Library of Congress but I am familiar with the main library in New York. I have spoken to the head of the Oriental Division. I suggested a complete set of bound volumes of Dalit Voice and a collection of your books. He said he would be grateful for the donation. This is a highly respected institution: It is a point of honor to have your works there. At some point I would like to put together history of the Dalit Movement and a bibliography of Dalit literature.
Thomas C. Mountain, Hawaii Black History Committee, 47431, Hui Nene Street, Kaneohe, Hawaii 96744, USA: I would like to propose the following course of action regarding North America: 1. A private not for profit corporation be formed for the purpose of educating the public on particularly the Dalit question and antiracist questions in general. The main instrument for this work would be an “Ambedkar Journal and Newsletter” subtitled “Focusing on racism in South Asia and (internationally”. The proposed journal/newsletter would be published quarterly using the most important contributions from the previous year’s newsletters. The corporation’s Board of directors would comprise veteran Dalit activists as well as nonduality scholars and activists. Board members would be required to contribute at least one column a year to the journal/ newsletter. After discussions with a number of veteran Dalit activists I would suggest we begin with the following minimum board: Velu Annamalai, P.P. Lakshman, Yogesh Varhade’s, P.N. Arya, Rahul Deepankar, Suresh Bhambra, Laxmi Berwa and Runako Rashdi. We must struggle to include as soon as possible a Dalit sestet/s on the Board and may also invite non-Dalits such as Eleanor Elliot, Gail Obvert etc. The founding Board members should meet in early 1997 to adopt bylaws, elect officers, appoint an editor and managing editor, raise funds and finalize plans for the immediate future. 2. Activities; I would propose as our first activity cosponsoring a North American (possibly international) speaking tour by Sister Phoolan Devi, in conjunction with showings of Bandit Queen. Depending on Phoolan’s availability, we should aim for Women’s History Month, March 1997, with cosponsor ship with various Women’s Studies programs in US and Canada and Evergreen Entertainment, distributors of Bandit Queen. If a March tour is not possible, Larry Leon Hamlin has invited Sister Phoolan to host a showing of Bandit Queen at the Black Theatre Festival which will be held in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, at the end of July 1997. Phoolan’s speaking tour and helping promote a possible showing of Bandit Queen would be the focus of the journal/ newsletter’s initial issues. If for some reason, Phoolan is unable to come we should invite the actress who portrayed her and or the director or producer. The Bandit Queen tour should be used to help launch the journal/newsletter and to help build for a proposed conference tribunal series (see Dalit Voice letter by T. Mountain) towards the end of 1997 or in 1998. The journal newsletter should also take up Hamlin’s invitation to present a Dalit play ai the Black Theatre Festival late July, 1997 as well as his request for producing a historically based play primarily for use in the schools tentatively entitled “Great (Black) Leaders of India”. As many board members as possible should attend the Black Théâtre Festival to help educate African American as to the racial nature of the Dalit question, Runako Rashidi has been invited to address the festival as the part of the inauguration of the Black Theatre Festival’s Black History Scholars Series. Deepankar has volunteered his efforts to contact Phoolan and we hope to have news on his efforts soon. Meantime, I hope you will be able to discuss this proposal with your fellow Dalit activists and that we can begin a follow-up on these proposals as soon as possible. I have just begun a serious study of Dr. Ambekar and V.T. Rajshekar. I have written to the Govt. Printing Press in Bombay to order the entire 14 Volumes if possible. Any information on price and shipping, or availability would greatly be appreciated especially on Rajshekar collection. Did Dr. Ambedkar have contact with W.E.B. DuBois understand Dr. Ambedkar’s proposal for laws protecting Dalits were based on the laws passed to protect the freed Africans after the US civil war. Did Dr. Ambedkar ever have contact with Mao? I am an Ex Maoist, having been in Raymond Lotta’s RCP, USA. In 1990 I began to study the African Centered historians and boom! six years later I am supporting Dalits. Previously I have supported the South African/Azanian liberation struggle through work with the National Forum/Azanian People’s Organization and the Tutu Foundation. In 1985 I represented the US in Tokyo at the World Council of Churches funded “Asia Oceania Antiracist antiapartheid Conference and Workshops”. In 1987 I was a member of the 1st US Peace Dolega & ton to Lydia to commemorate the first anniversary of the US bombing. In 1982 I was a founder of the first Palestinian support group in Hawaii. Before that I was labor activist, working as a mechanic on a sugar plantation, in the shipyards, in the sewers. I was a founding cochair of the Hawaii Black History Committee in 1985, helped found the Hawaii Artists in the School program in 1993 and will be helping found the Hawaii Every Child Will Succeed Program .in 1997 under the direction of Asa. G. Hilliard, III. I have also been active in Black cultural programs since 1981. I have presented the “International Black Music Video Festival” to over 40,000 school children since 1990 as well coproduce a television series for our public access cable TV network on Black leaders and educators internationally as well as to document our antiracist work in the schools. I have also produced a fund-raising music recording (CD and tape) of Jamaican or “reggae” music and helping a native Hawaiian woman start the first native owned radio station in Hawaiian. 1 have also produced music festivals and tours in the Pacific by blues, jazz, Caribbean and African groups as a part of my progressive Black Music. Series. Anyway, it would be wonderful to be able to discuss theoretical and historical questions with you, and I would especially like to start an “Indian Influence on Europe” Scholars Series.
Sharif Qadir, Editor, The Universal Message, monthly journal of Islamic Research Academy, D35, Block 5, Federal ‘B’ Area, Karachi75950, Pakistan: Recently, I came across a piece on Dalit Voice, published in Dawn of Sept.14,1996. A photocopy of the article reproduced from International Herald Tribune (IHT) is enclosed.
American Correspondent Kenneth Coopers article on Dalit Voice appeared in both /HT and the world-famous Washington Post (WP) dated Self. 5, 1996, WP published even our perc Ture with a caption. “Fery two weeks, Editor Publisher V.I. Rajshekar attacks the dominance of India’s upper castes in his 24 page opinion magazine, Dalit Voice” Kenneth Cooper WP Bureau Chief based in New Delhi came Alf the way 1o Bangalore 1o interview us for nearly two hours and filed the story which must have shocked every handpicked Indian correspondent based in Washington the capital of the world, Yet they all chose rob ignore the writeup as part of their collective conspiracy rob hush-up what is inconvenient Naia’s finny Brahminical ruling class which con 7rols the entire Indian media, the sole object 1ve of which is for suppress truth and publish falsehood, malign the powerful leaders of original inhabitants of India and keep alive the roofless corrupt Aryan leaders. These rulers have been ruling India solely with the power of their monopoly media. Dalit Voice has been the one and only English journal of India which has been exposing the frauds of this Brahminical media menace for the past 15 years. Even the pissing of a pundit if reported in Washington Post becomes a big news in Inara’s ‘national” Follet papers. Bur this six-column news with a double column picture announcing the trailblazing work of a revolutionary magazine a new experiment in Indian Journalism was formally blacked out. Can you think of a greater conspiracy of sentence? Only a Brahminical wicked brain can plan and execute this. We thank Brother Kenneth Cooper for disclosing this well guarded fop secret for the world and we hope sincere scholars of the world and students of racism will be shocked by the WP report and come for see the original home of racism that is Inci Editor.
Jangam Joseph, Advocate, B2/F2Madanapet Colony, Saidabad, Hyderabad 500659: This refers to Vishal Manavati’s Letter (DV Oct.16, 96, p.186). Principles embodied in the Bible cannot be applied to every situation and every person. Love, forgiveness and patience are only to be shown when change of heart and repentance are expected. Cruel, wicked and incurable criminals should be hated, hunted, hounded and pounded. Some opinions spring from honesty. We respect them. Some spring from hatred. We hate them. Evil and evil people should be changed. If they don’t, we should crush with contempt. Scriptural lessons should not be taken literally. What about punishments given to the criminals? Is It love? What about President Roosevelt’s letter to Hitler to keep peace in Europe? He read It in Reich and ridiculed Roosevelt. Then the President sent the army the biggest that has ever been created in history on Germany. Is It turning the other cheek? The strategy that we forge to fight against injustice should be based on knowledge, wisdom and sense of justice not on Bible. Gandhi’s nonviolence would not have worked with Hitler. By turning the other cheek, we beat on the conscience of the slapper. But if he has no conscience? Patience is only towards some people and some situations. Bishops advised Christians to join the army and fight the wicked foe. That is not love and peace. Our editor’s crusade against injustice and oppression is supported by every justice minded man of wisdom and knowledge. Your popularity is not cheap.
Tikesh Makwana, 23Pratapnagar Society, Rajpur, Ahmedabad380021: A Hindu nazi, Arun. Shourie, has once again been up with arms targeting Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. A widely “circulated” toilet paper, Gujarat Samachar, carries his column. In his column this nazi has taken cudgels against Dr. Ambedkar. We must teach him a lesson for hurting our feelings. Toilet papers of Gujarat will not publish our rejoinder. What to do?
About 100 Dalits of Gujarat must gherao the Gujarat Samachar. office and refuse 1o budge until Its editor apologizes roar his mistake and promises not for publish this Hindu nazi’s column. Did not Madhavsinh Solanki send his police 1o burn the office Of Gujarat Samachar which played havoc airing the 1987 and 71985 “Suja rat caste wars” against Dalits? EDITOR.
K. Ambujakshan, Dalit Panthers, Bhim Vihar, Krupali South PO, Pandala, Kerala 689501: The DV Editorial of Sept. 1, 1996: “Dalit Christians must get reservations but outside the SC/ST list”, inspired us to take up the issue of Dalit Christians which has created a crisis in Kerala. Hindu nazis are dividing our people on this issue. They say only Christian Dalits are demanding reservation and no Christian Dalits are opposing the same. Some Dalit leaders are being purchased by the Hindu nazi forces. A CPII stooge, P.K. Raghavan, and BJP stooge, K.V. Kumaran are leading this anti-Dalit Christians campaign. The Hindu nazi Daily, Janmabhoomi, carried many articles against Dalit Christians. Frontpage stories are published to entertain the purchased stooges. Their charge is that the move to extend reservation to Dalit Christians is a conspiracy to Christianize the whole country and is sponsored by World Council of Churches. They are further confusing ignorant Dalits saying all those who are using the word “Dalit” are agents of Christians. The only solution to counter these nazis is the solution you proposed in DV. if both the Dalit Christian leaders and the SC leaders meet and discuss they will be convinced by the DV formula. Today’s task is not to maintain the limited reservation for the benefit of a few but to reestablish our “separate electorate” towards a self-government. For this the Dalits both Christian Dalits and no Christian Dalits must stand together. We are reprinting the DV Edit on Dalit Christian reservation to distribute during our “March for Dalit unity”, Oct.25 to Nov.8′, 1996. There will be thirty members in our team. It will touch all the Dalit villages of Kerala with the DV message. We are carrying a separate board on Dalit Voice. The March will end with a public meeting at Trivandrum following a massive rally attended by 30,000 people. All our people from different Dalit organizations’ will come to Trivandrum. On behalf of Kerala Dalits, I request you to confirm your valuable presence at the conference. You will be the chief person to talk on the issue. We are also inviting Ram Vilas Paswan, Black Bishop Azariah, Dalit Echolalia and M. Gopinath. Kerala Dalit Panthers, a cultural movement, was established in 1988 to work for the all-round liberation of the Dalits. It has 2 lakh Dalit members in 10 districts of the state. As you have rightly said Dalit Christians are our own brothers and sisters who embraced Christianity to get liberated from the centuries old yoke of the oppression of Brahminical Hinduism. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, who was the moving spirit behind the constitutional status for the Dalits, had set no religious criteria for including them under reservation. Dr. Rajendra Pras A ad, the then President of India, with the collusion of some Hindu leaders and without consulting the elected members of Parliament, issued the Presidential Order 1950 that only Hindu SCs would be eligible for reservation. The motive was to prevent the flow of Dalits from Hinduism to other religions. The Dalit Unity March will begin from Kamangar. It will be led by K. Ambujakshan, General Secretary, Kerala Dalit Panthers, Soman G. Venpuzhasery, Girish Kumar, Kottayam, Sasi Pandala, Thulasee Dharan Pallikal and Ramesh Namenda.
S.P. Singh, Takia par, Dimapur, Digha, Patna 800012: Your report (DV Sept.16, 1996: “Nazi party infighting proves Hindus are their own enemies”) is very interesting and enlightening. Shivaji was a “‘ T Shudra. By paying huge bribes, he got himself promoted to the rank of Kshatriya (Coronation of Shivaji: DV June 16, 1996). In his book Shivaji and His Times Jadunath Sarkar says (pages 293294):
“Shivaji and his father-in-law Gaekwar were Marathas, i.e., members of a despised caste. Before the rise of the national movement in the Deccan in the closing years of the 19th Century, a Brahmin of Maharashtra used to feel insulted if he was called a Maratha. ‘No’, he would reply, with warmth “I am a Dakshina Brahman”. Shivaji keenly felt his humiliation at the hands of the Brahmans to whose defense and prosperity he had devoted his life. Their insistence on treating him as a Shudra drove him into the arms of Balaji Ajit, the leader of the Kayasths, and another victim of Brahminic pride. The Brahmans felt a professional jealousy for the intelligence and literary powers of the Kayasths, who were their only rivals in education and Government service, and consoled themselves by declaring the Kayasth as a lower caste not entitled to the Vedic rites and by proclaiming a social boycott of Balaji Ajit who had ventured to invest his son with the sacred thread. Balaji naturally sympathized with his master and tried to raise him in social estimation by engaging Gaga Bhatta who made Shivaji a pure Kshatriya.”
DV readers should try to know India through a large number of books written by European scholars on Indian caste. Dom Raja of Domnigarh, near Gorakhpur in UP, Pasi Raja of Unnao, and a host of Tribal chiefs, Gonds, Bhil’s, etc., have already become Rajput’s. The word Brahman does not denote a single class of people for there are 2,500 different varieties of Brahmins. Many of our castes like Lingayat’s, Devan gas, Golla’s, Nama Sudras, etc., have their own Brahmins. The question is “Who is a Hindu?” The answer is “Nobody is a Hindu in India”. The word was used by Arab traders in the 8th century AD. Hindu is not the word of Indian origin. Vedas never used It. SC/ST/BC and a large number of Muslims/Christians/Sikhs are Mulnivasis belonging to the same Dravidian family. Mulnivasis are not without a religion. The Madigan of AP and Satnami’s of Central Provinces have a religion of their own. They are classed as Chamars Untouchables but their religion is no way inferior to any established religion on the earth. I see no difference in faith, so far as Sikhism, Islam or Christianity are concerned. Those who wrangle over differences in rituals shall be punished (Koran 5 48).
N.G. Uke,1217A/A, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi110070: This refers to the “Left Right controversy” among Untouchables (DV Sept 16, 96, p.11). The fragmentation of the reserved SC/ST quota, proportionate to the population of various subcastes, is a very dangerous trend. Such attitudes Resu It in dividing the SCs and nullifying the very purpose of. Providing reservations for SC/STs. Reservations envisage that the best of the SC/STs should occupy these posts. Whoever occupies the reserved post represents the SCs as a whole. Accordingly, Malas, Madigan, Mahar’s, Chamars, Pariahs, Pallas lose their identity once they become SCs. Posts are reserved not for individual subcastes but for SCs as a whole. D. Venkateshwara admits that the Madigan feel deprived of their due share of reservation ‘benefits meant for SCs because of Malas. Madigan have every right to demand a separate quota in proportion to their population. The notion of a caste wise quota is not only dangerous, but also wrong. The Govt of Punjab and Haryana blundered in dividing the SCs by providing a separate quota for Valmiki’s. Leaders like Buta Singh divided the SCs as Valmiki’s and damaged the united house of “Scheduled Castes” which was built up laboriously by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. The Editor’s statement that the “Left section among Untouchables seeking reservations in proportion to their population, and a distinct identity for themselves, is a welcome development because It indicates that the Hindu pyramid is shaking and there is nothing to be ashamed of or worried about this internality bickering. Rather this should be welcomed” is highly objectionable and extremely harmful to the interests of the SCs. Such attitudes support the fragmentation of the SCs and hence deserve condemnation.
Pravin Rashtra pal, President, “Swagman”, Foundation tor Dalit Literature, 4Hemang Park, Valeur, Ahmedabad380051: This concerns the appointment of vice-chancellors of various universities in Gujarat. We have 10 universities. The State Govt. has appointed a Search Committee for selection of vice-chancellors for Gujarat University. The members: Dr. Ramanlal Joshi, Dr. Hiren Pandya and M.D. Bhatt. All the three are Brahmins. Are there not others who deserve to be members of the Search Committee? Do we not have qualified people among Jains, Buddhists, Muslims, Christians and Dalits in particular? Is It the monopoly of Brahmins to occupy all high posts in the field of education and also to decide who will occupy the seat of vice-chancellor? Gujarat had great rulers like Maharaj Sayajirao of Baroda and Maharaja Krishnakumar Singh of Bhavnagar. India could produce Dr. B.R. Ambedkar only because of the able assistance provided by the illustrious Sahu Maharaj of Kolhapur and Sayajirao of Baroda. What was done by the Kings is not being done in this “free” democratic country.
Anil Ragnar, Press Colony, Shah do! MP484001: Shahidul is India’s most backward tribal district. Out of a total population of 17.5 lakhs, 12.6 lakhs are SC/ST/BCs and mostly illiterate. I could not get a single SC/ST advocate here. No SC/ST owns even a shop or runs any business. There are some govt. employees but they are all enjoying their slavery. Among the 50,000 Muslims, only15% are literate. Christians are earning and enjoying their slavery under Brahminism. This district headquarters town is connected to Bhopal, Delhi by train. Ministers, political leaders and high officials who visit Shahidul go to see Amarkantaka (Lanka of Ravan, the king of Dravida/Anaya). The State Govt. announced that during 199396 It spent Rs.68 crores in Shahidul for the “development” of tribals. But who ate this fund? Among the 2,143 villages there are only 1,555 primary schools and only 147 middle schools. Many schools are without buildings and teachers. This is the fate of this district. Today, in the Legislative Assembly of MP, 54 MLAs are ST, 13 are SC, 42 BC and 16 are from minority communities. These 125 Bahujan MLAs could not make a CM. But the 39 upper caste MLAs made their own CM. This is the tragedy of Bahujan’s who merely enjoy their slavery. I appeal to DV readers worldwide to help by sending free Ambedkarite literature in Hindi for free distribution among students, sleeping employees, teachers, members of village panchayats.
We will post 20 copies of Hindi DV for one year for Dalit teachers selected by brother Rangati EDITOR.
M.V. Gopi Dasan, Mayekawa House, Kanjira Kadu East Road, Rayon Puram PO, Porum Bavoor683 543: The true color of the Brahmins will be seen at the time of the next presidential election due in 1997 when K.R. Narayanan’s candidature will be opposed by them. All Dalits should start demanding his unanimous election.
B.K. Biswas AE/513Salt’ Lake City, Bidan Nagar, Calcutta700064: The “Durga myth” must be blasted. The theological edification of Durga with arms in nine hands and the resistance hero Mahish of the Aaryan force lying speared through his heart at her feet is much more racially hurting and religiously blind folded and incongruous to motherhood than M.F. Hussain’s artistic work on Saraswati. Durga stands as a vengeful antithesis to the entire indigenous people of India. By divine manipulation, she came to be worshipped by the same people whose patriotic forefathers fell to her spears in defense of their rights on tribal lands. Durga Puja has become the cultural Kailash of Bengal. The ritualistic puja is for four days, but with attending prepupa preparations, shopping and post puja rituals like immersion and social exchanges, called Vijaya, the festivities often covers one whole month. The festivals turn Bengal into a monthlong veritable theatre of entertainment, with men, money and mind extended to bursting limits loudly pronouncing Bengal’s classy pride. Durga stands for what the image is. Out of ten, she has arms in nine hands and is iconized as the destroyer of Mahish, the racial enemy of the Aryans. She is adored and worshipped not for being a simple mother benefactor, but the upholder of social and political supremacy of Aryans and for suppression of the indigenous resistance. This iconic depiction of Devi exposes the fact that her single-handed benediction and blessing, with Mahish speared through the heart at her feet, is specially meant for the progenies of the racial Aryans, relieved of the scourge, not for the autochthons or the Sudras, who may flock at the puja pandals for Anjali. For an upholder of composite culture, much is wanting in her killing costumes. No one has ever entertained the thought that such racial and racially terrorizing outfit of the icon, could evoke reprisal or review of social roles played by the descendants of the defeated clan and tribes who adored It with unflinching devotion all the same. If Durga represents Bengal’s composite ethos, then an answer to this question has sooner or later to be addressed. The exact course to follow is not readily known. But that should not make any one complacent about the blindfolded acculturation.
All over India, the Aryans are using festivals like Durga Puja, Ramlila, Dasara, Ganapati Diwali, etc., rob humiliate and denounce rhea Bahujan’s. But the tragedy s our own Bahujan’s are the most enthusiastic participants, if not pillars, Of such ant Bahujan Hindu festivals. Aryans have finalized our people only through such a cultural oppression. That is why we have been offend stressing the need for cultural revolution but ours is a cry in wilderness EDITOR.
Mrs. Surinder Kaur, Flat No.32247/1Minto Park, Alipore, Calcutta700027: Dalit brothers have good news. Sher Singlish’s won his court case 0.A.N0.1108 of 1994 on 2671996. He was suspended on 25494 by the Marxist Govt. of West Bengal for “1. publishing the book, The Secular Emperor Babar, 2. for declaring that there was no Ram Janmabhoomi on the place where Babri Masjid was in existence, and 3. for declaring that the Babri Masjid was constructed much before Babar’s period and there was never a temple of Rama at the place where Babri Masjid was situated.” These were the charges served against him on June 2,1994 as Joint Secretary to the Govt. of West Bengal. To add salt to the injuries, he was superseded on 6594 by his juniors. 1t is this very act of highhandedness which made them eat the humble pie. Sher Sigh challenged his supersession before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Calcutta, which quashed his supersession. The state authorities were given two months’ time to hold a review DPC/ Screening Committee to consider the case of Sher Singh for promotion with effect from 651994. Thus, under the orders of CAT, the W. Bengal Govt. is directed to consider his promotion w.e.f. 651994 A as Special Secretary, almost one month before charge sheeting him as Joint Secretary on 261994. The whole chargesheet has become infructuous and meaningless, and is going to end in fiasco. The whole experience has helped us identify our enemies. M.K. Gandhi and his Congress Party has been already declared Enemy No.1 of Dalits by Babasaheb Ambedkar. Now we declare Marxists of all hues who believe in class struggle, but fail to identify “caste” as a “class” in India, as Enemy No.2 of Dalits.
G Rajendar, 104Garodia Nagar, Ghatkopar (E), Bombay400077: On the political front, tremendous changes are taking place. The gullible oppressed castes have started waking up from their deep slumber thanks to the violent Hindutva aggression and barbaric vandalism by Hindu nazis. Having faced with defeat atter defeat and failures in controlling/ manipulating the oppressed castes they are going berserk. Their latest innovation women’s reservation too failed and they cannot make use of spouses as their proxies because of the demand that this reservation should be caste based (DV Oct. 15, & ’96, p.9). If we consider these developments, which will ultimately change the thinking of vast number of Dalits, it is certain that your prediction that “the 21st century belongs to Babasaheb” will come true.
D. David, Advocate 25Battai Street, Vela Padi, Vellore 632001; H. Hanuman Thapa, Chairman, National Commission for SC/STs, New Delhi, addressed SC/ ST Govt. Employs Union meeting on Sept. 29 at Madras where he opposed (1) Dalit Christians reservations facilities. He said (2) the large number of Dalit Christians are in Central Govt. services (3) and that reservation quota for Dalit Christians is to be given under the 27% BC quotable am a Dalit by community and a Christian by religion and like to point that his views are not correct. There is a fear among the “creamy layer’ of urban SC/STs that if Dalit “T Christians get reservation ail Dalit Christians will “usurp” the reservation facilities for themselves. This fear is not well founded. This presupposes Thai there I are a large number of Dalit Christians and that they are politically, socially, educationally and economically superior to other SCs. This is not correct. The truth is that Dalit Christian population is only 2%. Several commissions of SC/STs both Central and stales as well as Christian organizations have found that the Dalit Christians are socially, educationally and economically backward like other SC/STs. There are Christians in the Central services but most of them are non-Dalit Christians. The Mandal Commission fixed 23% reservation for SC/STs and 27 % for BCs. The Centre and states fixed reservation quota for SC/STs below 23%. So, adding Dalit Chris “tians to the SC list (2%) will not exceed the 23% earmarked for SC/STs. Only merited SC/STs are N T. selected for reservation quota, So too with the Dalit Christians. So, adding 2% Dalit Cristians to the SC list will not affect SC/STs gout. Dalit Voice (Oct. 186, 1996) article by Venkatachalam demands subclassifies reservation quota among SCs. It is said by Pillars of Tamil Nadu that Pariahs are enjoying maximum reservation. Similarly in AP Malas have cornered the benefits from Madigan. A day will come when each subcaste among SCs will demand reservation quota according to Its population, thus paving the way for categorization method in reservation quota.
Bhadran Nagarjun Surai Sasai, Indore Budha Vihar, Nagpur440014: The history of Maha Bodhi Temple at Bodhgaya goes back to the period of Guptas and Kanishka (3rd to 7th century AD). Noted historians have said that the temple was built from the 3rd to 5th century AD. Emperor Asoka had visited this place and constructed stone railings and sanctified the sacred vajras Ana (diamond throne) at the Bodhgaya during 3rd century. The Maha Bodhi Temple and Its premises remained with the Buddhists from 3rd century. All repairs and alterations were undertaken not only by the Indian Buddhists but also by foreign countries like Lanka, Burma and others. The Maha Bodhi Temple turned into an international center of Buddhists with the advent of Ventamarai Dharmapala of Sri Lanka. All these facts about the temple at Bihar have to be incorporated in any amendment, in place of the present one, ‘’The Budha Gaya Temple Management Act 1949’ enacted by the Govt. of Bihar. As per the 1949 Act, an eight-member management committee was constituted by the Bihar Govt. in 1952. Of the eight, four should be Hindus and four Buddhists with the Collector of Gaya as Chairman. To ensure that the Hindus had an upper hand, the Act provided that the Chairman should be a Hindu if the district magistrate of Gaya is not Hindu. Because of this mischief, the Buddhists had no say in the temple management. Ever since then the Buddhists have been struggling to liberate their holiest shrine from Hindus. It was here that Budha attained the supreme enlightenment and hence Bodh Gaya became the most sacred place for the Buddhists of the world. Following the visit of Asoka the Great in about 260 B.C. streams of pilgrims flowed towards It without any intermission for over 1500, years. Licensing, the celebrated Chinese pilgrim who saw the temple in 637 ADS, says “the Maha Bodhi Vihar is 160 or 170 feet high”. However, the decline of Buddhism in India caused desertion of Buddhists and the Maha Bodhi Temple was lost to Hindus. A Hindu Mahant, Gosain Chaminda Giri, made It a Hindu shrine in 1590 when the phase of sacrilege began. in 1861, _Ord Cunninghan found that all sorts of unautistic ceremonies (shraddha, panda dan, etc.) are being performed by the Hindus in the main Maha Bodhi Temple. In 1875, King Min of Burma got permission of the Govt. of India to repair this decaying Maha Bodhi Temple. But the Mahant continued to be the lord. In 1885, the celebrated author of The Light of Asia, Sir Aadvin Arnold, visited Maha Bodhi Temple and wrote in a pathetic language as follows:
“The Buddhist world had, indeed, wellnigh, forgotten this hallowed and most interesting center of their faith…. when I sojourned in Bodh Gaya a few years back, I was grieved to see the Mahratta peasants performing ‘Shradha’ in such a place and thousands of precious ancient relics of carved stones lying in piles around”.
Ven. Angarika Dharmapala, the first Budhist missionary of modern times, visited Bodh Gaya on Jan. 22 1891 and decided to take over the control of the temple from the Mahanta. He invited four Budhist monks from Lanka to Gaya and they came and stayed in the Burmese Rest House. The Mahant took objection and in Feb.1893, two Monks were assaulted.in 1895, when Dharmapala tried to install an image of Budha, presented to him by the people of Japan, on the upper floor of the Temple, he too was assaulted by Mahant’s men. The Budha image was, however, later kept in the Burmese Rest House. The Mahant and some Hindu organizations, particularly the British India Association, London, tried to get the Budha image removed even from the Burmese Rest House on the plea that It offended the Hindus. But the govt. did not yield. In 1906, the Mahant filed a case seeking eviction of the Budhist monks from the Rest House. The Buddhists also filed a civil suit claiming control of the Maha Bodhi Temple. The legal war continued till, even after the independence, the Govt. of Bihar, enacted the ‘Bodhgaya Temple Management Act 1949’, which played the mischief cited above. Our struggle is to liberate the Maha Bodhi Temple from the Hindus and is in accordance with the movement launched by Rev. Angarika Dharmapala of Lanka in 1891. In the journal Young India (1925), M.K. Gandhi said:
“There is no doubt that the possession of the temple should vest in the Buddhists. There may be legal difficulties. They must be overcome (MB Journal, 1925)”
Same view was held by Rabindra Nath Tagore. This is the brief history of Bodh Gaya. We need the support and solidarity of all the Ambedkarite and others to liberate the holy temple from the hands of Hindus.
Pannalal Rajput, Nagpur: 1 am a Tribal (Pardhi). I lodged a complaint with the Umeed police station, Nagpur, on Sept. 22, 1996 against Miss Rashmi Shukla, Supt. of Police, who had given false information to the press insulting the Pardhi community. Paridhi’s are hunters and live away from villages and in small huts. They are virtually living as slaves. On Nov.14,1996, Chief Minister Manohar Joshi was passing through Umeed. About 100 Paridhi’s had gathered to meet him and give a memorandum. Police Inspector Upadhyaya of Umpired arrested all our people and lodged us in the Kuhi Police Station. Our leaders were beaten up badly. Miss Rashmi Shukla, PS, issued a press statement accusing that “the Pardhi community sometimes kill their own children and put the blame on police” and thereby she committed a grave offence under the Civil Rights Act. The Hit Avada (Sept.15) published the lathi charge on our people and Miss Shukla’s insinuation against our community.
A. Xavier, Dept. of English, St. Mary’s Hr. Sec. School, Dindigu!624001:1 was inspired to write this piece when I just cast a cursory glance at the first two paragraphs of the frontpage of your book, Merit My Foot. Particularly the passage, “In sum, they set the values”, struck me a lot. There will be hardly any difficulty for Dalits to identify their visible enemies. They can either ward them off or vanish them with no pain. But it requires great insight and pain to discern things and discover the hidden vicious monasteries., the Brahminical value system of the Brahminical Social Order (BSO). Self-respect, justice, equality, fraternity, brotherhood, love, tolerance, militancy, revolt, honesty, self-acceptance are the positive values dear to the liberated Dalits. Violence, inequality, hatred, self-rejection, division, intoner acne, arrogance, superiority complex, dishonesty, shamelessness are some of the important negative values deliberately cherished and enshrined by the votaries of the BSO. Everyone in India can choose to follow either the positive ones or the negative ones but definitely not both at once. Humanism incorporates Dalit value system as humanism Itself is nothing but the essence of Dalit value system. He who stands for the Dalit value system could not but be the symbol of revolt and emancipation while he who stands for the Brahminical value system could not but be the symbol of submissiveness and shamelessness. No value either positive or negative remains isolated and delinked. Submissiveness in Its dynamic process breeds Its offspring like shamelessness, hatred, obsequiousness, fear and e arrogance. Revolt breeds Its own offspring like self-respect, self-acceptance, brotherhood, social Justice courage, etc. There are quite a good number of elite Dalits who have shamelessly acquired the BSO values betraying their innate and native Dalit value system. For centuries Dalits have been the real victims of the inhuman BSO values, the real & monster against humanity. The BSO value system has injected the deadliest venom self-pity, in the thought stream of Dalits. No doubt the Dalits, the victims of this system are, overtaken by sense of frustration. So, they are the weariest of all human race. They have lost all their human essence, as Dr. Ambedkar says, and don’t know how to fight against frustration, despair, self-hate and inferiority complex. What has been thrust upon by Brahminism has killed the “giant” in every Dalit. No people on earth so eagerly look forward to a life after death as Dalits do. The psyche of the Dalits is conditioned to find security in the state of utter insecurity. Brahminism has taught Dalits to be resigned to their miserable plight and never to protest or revolt. The heart of the heartless the votaries of Brahminism & lies in making Dalits ‘sigh’ endlessly and die hopelessly. Human beings alone can change but a Dalit finds no change because of the most oppressive philosophy, Brahminism. BSO value system is the product of the BSO. The latter determines the former while the former in turn influences the latter. At a particular stage of historical development (today), the former has solidified Itself and acts Itself as an indispensable matter. Today, the later can’t be altered without the former being ruthlessly attacked. Dalits should never make an isolated attack. Multipronged attacks against these two are to be waged today. Dalits who are born to set right all the rotten things in India should be armed with the knowledge of Dalit value system and the essentials of Dalit philosophy to build a Dalit Social Order in the 21st Century (in the Era of Dr. Ambedkar). This should be the historic mission of Dalits today. They are the real gravediggers of the BSO and Its value system as they alone have been the real victims of this historically accumulated filth of mankind.
Sonu, Cochin: The Indian Express July 19, 1996 carries a statement from Kerala Chief Minister E.K. Nayanar dealing with the deity at Sabarimala.
Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister E.K. Nayanar today chose to speak on religion at the function. “Lord Ayyapa is not a Hindu God but a deity of Buddhists. The chants of saran am by pilgrims as they climb the hill is distinctly Buddhist. Lord Ayyappa’s posture as well as the black mundus worn by devotees is further proof of this fact.”
This is a historical fact. During the so-called golden era of Hindu period, many Budhist shrines were force ably taken over by Hindu fanatics and still continue to be under their illegal occupation. The awakened Dalit Budhist scholars should make a deep study of the Sabarimala shrine from historical point. Sabarimala attracts millions of devotees every year. If we take over It, we can use It as a powerful propagation center.
U.N. Khobragade, Advocate, Khee Park, Pune 411032: We have been publishing a weekly, Kranti Sangram (War for Revolution), from Yeatman, MS, for the last 24 years. I am instrumental in organizing Its publication in 1972 when I was working there as a state govt. officer. My dept. was packed with Hindu nazi officers who used to insult us. Especially our women employees were at their mercy to save their honor. To fight these nazis we started this paper which was working as a mouthpiece of Bahujan employees in MS. The weekly is limping because of the neglect by the beneficiaries.! visited Yeatman recently and published about Dalit Voice. We also published a DV article in Marathi and also an editorial on ‘toilet papers. We promise to continue to translate best DV articles in Marathi.
Prof. A.M. Khatib,44Azad Colony, Keshaun, Hubli 580023: In DV Sept. 15 1996, you have called for a debate on Dr. Velu’s suggestion, the use of adjective ‘evil’ for ‘upper’, spontaneously made at an international gathering in the US. Dr. Velu, however, justified on the face of It. Its use does not suit our struggle for social justice and amity. This is my considered view. Let us be generous. Drop adjectives of this type and call them Vaidik’s or Manu Vadis. That is fully self-explanatory.
Nasir Hussain Pirzada, Srinagar, Kashmir: The Valley once again witnessed a strange drama of electioneering. It was a big military exercise and Indian troops were campaigning for the elections. But the people were not interested in foisted elections. People know the fact that foisted elections cannot determine the will of the people. The polling turnout was very low contrary to Krishna Rao’s claims. But at some places Indian troops complied the masses to move to polling booths, and at some places people were dragged. The Election Commission of India was just an irrelevant spectator. India once again failed to deceive the international community by staging the election drama.
We are fully aware for the drama recently staged in Kashmir and the way they brought in their nominee, Dr. Farukh Abulia, who has hardly any roofs in Kashmir. It is a victory for the upper castes and it will not last long EDITOR.
Shamima Haque, Mohammadpur, Patna 800006: Here is yet another case of double standard of Hindu nazis. Nazi leader L.K. Advani said that his party would not accept any change in Kashmir’s pre1953 constitutional status. But the same coterie has in s manifesto vowed to revoke the Article 370 about Kashmir special statesmanship, I am glad to inform DV readers that the person whom Rai Haran Das of Kharagpur (DV Sept. 16,’96) has been so often criticizing is at last exposed. Asian Age (Calcutta Oct.9,’96) has reported that the IIT, Kharagpur, Director, K.L. Chopra, is involved in a big drug trafficking and real estate scam.
