C.Gautam, gen. sec., Dr Ambedkar Centenary Celebrations Committee, UK, London: Dalif Voice has given us a good coverage of the different functions we held in connection with the Dr. Ambedkar Centenary. A reception was held at India House by the High Commissioner, Dr. L.M. Singhvi, on April 14. It was addressed by the Mayor of Hounslow, Shyam Sunder Jasser, Lord Justice Bingham, Lord Templeman, Julius Silverman, Chanan Chahal etc. Silverman, chairman of the India League, said Dr. Ambedkar “belongs to the most select company in history, that of the great liberators and emancipators, along with Lincoln, Wilberforce, the Tsar Alexander II (perhaps), and very few others.
Dr. Velu Annamalai, chairman, International Dalit Support Group, PO. Box-842066, Houston, TX 77184- 2066, USA: Our membership drive for IDSG is getting good response. We are approaching all Afro-American sisters and brothers here. Runcko Rashidi, the noted Afro-American historian and the Dalit Voice American – representative, is in its full scale. | have come to admire him, adore him and love him as my own brother. It is something in Rashidi that cannot but love him. You can’t get a better ambassador for DV than this great man. He is dedicated to the welfare of Dalits. He has been talking and writing about Dalits ever since his return from India inaugurating India’s first Dalit Writers Conference at Hyderabad and a meeting with you.
Our association with the Afro-Americans began with our visit to Libya in early 1986 on the invitation of Col. Gadafi. ‘At an intonational conference held at Tripoli we met Louise Farrakhan, America’s most famous Black leader, and his brother, Abdul Wali Khan, editor of the Final Call, the most vocal champion of Blacks and Dalits. The Black and the Muslim world came for now of the oppression and persecution Dalits for the first time at this conference. Hundreds of copies of our pocket book, Apartheid in India, was sold out at this conference. The entire audience gave a standing ovation for two minutes after we concluded our speech. It was this speech that cost our passport which was impounded following our return to India. The Editor of the Final Call (address 757-West, 79th set., ‘Suit 316, Chicago, Ill 80620) should be approached to popularize the IDSG. The American Blacks should be told that the Black Untouchables of India constitute the world’s largest single persecuted minority. They form 20% of India’s of 850-million population. And together with their other persecuted brothers and sisters belonging to the Tribal (10%) and Backward Castes (35%), they will be the world’s largest group. India’s Untouchables and the American Blacks, according to historians, have a common origin, common physical features. If all the Blacks of the world come together, we can end this Aryan white racism, which is the common oppressor of both, and establish justice and liberate all other oppressed groups of the world and jointly fight the threat of the New World Order looming over all of us. On behalf of the Dalit Voice, we congratulate Dr. Velu Annamalai, V.G. Jackson and Runako Rashidi for coming to our rescue — EDITOR
Salman Hyder, Washington, USA: Some of your recent write-ups on the Gulf War and its impact on 12 Dalit Voice Indian Muslims (“Welcome Gulf war”, DV Edit, Feb. 16, 1991, “Salute to Saddam,” DV March 16 and the most recent “Muslims must throw out corrupt leadership,” DV April 16) are all very bold and also truthful. As an Indian Muslim | congratulate you for thoroughly exposing the degeneration in the Muslim world. In fat, you were the first to warn the world about the dangers of the “Global gang up of Whites and Zionists against Blacks and Muslims,” (DV Nov. 16, 90) even before the world woke up to the horrors of the New World Order threatened by President Bush. Unfortunately, the Muslim rulers of Gulf countries have not yet fully grasped the dangers of this NWO. Barring Iran and Iraq, none is serious about fighting this new menace of NWO. The breakup of Soviet Russia and the silence of China is helping the white racists to clamp their hegemony over the world.
You are right. India’s Aryan racist rulers have not raised even a whimper over the NWO. There appears to be -no worry in this country. The ruling upper castes are not at all perturbed. On the other hand, they will quietly welcome the NWO which seeks to impose the Aryan white and Zionist rule over the whole world. When Prime Minister V.P. Singh announced the implementation of the Mandal Commission report, which assured reservations to the Backward Castes, these white Aryan racists of India exploded with wild anger and the so-called intelligentsia took to the streets to denounce VP’s measure that sought to restore the human rights of BCs. They even committed some fake self-immolations. But when the American President announced his NWO, none appeared perturbed. This is because the Indian ruling racists and the American White racists have a common origin and also a common goal. Racism is playing greater havoc in India than in any other part of the world. Before the Indian brand of racism, the South African Apartheid pales into insignificance. In Dalit Voice we have been doing our duty warning the country about the dangers of racism inside India and the white-zionist racism outside. But the Dalit Voice is a lonely voice, passive voice. Who can hear this Voice of sanity amid such a din and bustle of the barking mad dogs? — EDITOR.
V.T. Hireker, London: Indians have misused the supreme economic talents of Dr Ambedkar either due to caste hatred that he was an untouchable or due to political bias against him that he was an open challenger to the Congress Mahatma. Dr. Ambedkar obtained the highest degree D.Sc. (Economics) from London School of Economics which is very rare. When | requested Prof. Goodhart of the LSE to represent the school in Babasaheb’s centenary celebration on May 19and told him over the phone that Dr Ambedkar was a former student of the LSE who got the degree M.Sc. (Econ) and higher doctorate degree D.Sc. from the LSE and whose portrait hangs in Room A86 of the school, immediately he expressed his willingness to participate in our centenary programme. He arranged to send Prof. M. Desai. Dr Ambedkar intended to economically modernize India and make it a welfare state on the British pattern according to Lord Beveridge’s plans. But the Hindus did not understand his supreme economic talents. They pursued Gandhi’s economic primitivism. Today, the majority live below the absolute poverty line (at their subsistence level of the 19th century England, according to poverty studies June 1-15, 1991 conducted by Charles Booth in London and by Seebohm Rowntree in York.
Gorakh Prasad Siddharth, president, Dr. Ambedkar Mission of Paranuchal, 542-Jungle Tulsiram, Richiya, “Gorakhpur, UP-273 014: Our celebration of Dr. Ambedkar centenary was a big success. Seminars and public meetings of April 16 and 17 had a big response. Bikhsu Dharmathirth of Kushinagar, Dr. M.B. Vimal etc. spoke. Ram Kawal Prasad, advocate and founder president of the All-India Chamar – Mahasabha, was killed by an upper caste on Jan. 28. he was president of the Arjak Samaj from 1969 to 74 and Dt. Secretary of the Soshit Samaj Dal. His younger son also died on Jan. 16 last due to poisoning by some unknown person.
Dr. Prahiad Gangaram Jogdanad, Reader in Sociology, Poona University, Pune – 411 007: My book, Dalit Movement in Maharashtra, is just published by the Kanak Publications, New Delhi (1991, pp 185, Rs.200). | had met you in Hyderabad during the first All-India Dalit Writers Conference.
C.L. Bains, Faridkot, Punjab: | have been entangled “in a false criminal case by a local Nazi Shiv Sena bully full details of which has appeared in a local Punjabi daily, Jantak Lehars dt. Nov. 22, 90. | was having a Hindi edition of the Ramayana by Periyar E.V. Ramaswamy published by the Periyar Self- Respect Propoganda Inst., Periyar Thidal, Madras-7. They managed to get that book from my son and after taking a xerox of that they published some pages under my name and address and got it circulated. – The UP Govt. had banned this book but in 1970 following the Allahabad High Court judgment, lifted the ban, vide case no. 412 of 1970. The UP Govt. went in appeal to the Supreme Court which dismissed the appeal. Now the Punjab govt. has imposed the ban on the same book. | want our Dravida Kazagham friends in Tamil Nadu to help me with all material, for my defense. Address C/o Kamalesh Kanta, Gali No.5 (Left), Balbir Basti, Faridkot, Punjab.
The Nazi elements being cowards have no courage to confront us directly. That is why they seek the support of the Nazis in the police and judiciary by filing criminal cases against our people. The Ramayana, A True Reading by the great Periyar was published in Madras decades back. Even the most notorious Nazis of Tamil Nadu could not do anything overawed by Periyar’s logic, rational arguments and scientific approach to the subject. Even the highest court of the land had set aside the ban on this book. When that is the case, we can’t understand how the Punjab police could file criminal cases against a fruth-seeking Dalit 20 years after the matter was settled. Our friends in Tamil Nadu should provide full support to Brother Bains — EDITOR.
Ram Sharan, President, Punjab Civil Secretariat SC Welfare Assn., Kothi No. 3560/37-D, Chandigarh: We have submitted a memorandum to the State Gomi. about the non-implementation of reservation policy by the upper caste authorities. Till 1982, no reservation was implemented in Punjab. Even up to 60% of the posts were occupied by upper castes. We filed 14 writs in the Punjab High Court which gave its verdict – Dalit Voice on 23-8-89 favoring us. The govt, went in appeal to the Supreme Court which upheld the High Court judgement but the State govt. did not give effect to the Court directive. While all the govts are reaping big publicity harvests during this Babasaheb Centenary year, these upper caste custodinans of the Govt. are actually cheating the innocent SC/STs and thereby the Constitution. On one side these upper castes are persecuting the Sikhs and on the other side they are torturing the SC/STs. Smt. Joginder Kaur, supdt. grade- Il, who is senior to a non-SC, has been superseded and ignored in promotion as Suptd. Grade-l.
Prof. Jagmohan Sahoo, Lecturer in Oriya, Vedvyas College, Qr. No. DL-257, Basanti Colony, Udit Nagar, Rourkela, Orissa-769 012: After reading a copy of the Dalit Voice in Jan. 91, my whole philosophy of life got changed. Being from the Backward community, | got so enthused by. DV that | translated your famous editorial, “Hindu unity aims at breaking Indian unity,” (English reprint available, Re.1) into Oriya. After selling 5,000 copies, to meet additional demands we got it reprinted. We also got the fourth chapter of the Mandal Com. printed in Oriya. SC/ST/BC professionals have started evincing keen interest in our literature. We have formed a “Dalit Parishad”. Some communal Brahmins are jealous and soon they may wage a caste war against us. We have also decided to publish some books in Oriya. | have started writing a book on how the Aryan upper castes have reserved the whole educational institutions to themselves for the past 3,000 years. We also have a plan to publish DV in Oriya. Yet another proposal, to put pride into the broken hearts of our people, is to celebrate the famous Durga Puja in Orissa in a different manner. Since we | belong to the Asura race (Brahmins are suras), Mahishasura becomes our hero. When we are not Aryans but pre-Aryans it is our duty to honour our heroes. We will call upon our women not to do such brahminical Durga pujas but celebrate it as the day of Mahishasura. We must give a new twist, new interpretation to the history so that we bring back our true glories. Your book, Know the Hindu Mind, had a tremendous impact on me. Many people got it xeroxed. If we go at this speed, in a couple of years we can unite the SC/ST/BCs into separate community.
We congratulate Brother Sahoo for all his support. Honest intellectuals like him have a big role in searching our roots and recovering our lost glories. Orissa is a state where the SC/ST/ BCs are in an overwhelming majority but ruled by Brahmins and Kayasths whose hegemony can be ended in five years if only, we get a dozen committed intellectuals like him in different parts of the state. We assure our fullest support to the Orissa Dalit Liberation Struggle — EDITOR.
S.R. Talukdar, New Delhi: By continuously asking us to vote for the Janata Dal, you are behaving like VP. Singh publicity agent. But how did you forget your good old friend Kanshi Ram, and his party, BSP, of which you were a great admirer?
G.C. Biswas, Gauribidnur, Karnataka: You have called upon us to vote for V.P. Singh. | fail to understand June 1-15, 1991 13 what wrongs you have noticed in BSP.
Er. G.S. Raju, Bangalored is the only paper in India which is supporting V.P. Singh. You have rightly divided the people into Bandals vs Mandals and asked the latter to vote for VP. We congratulate you for this clearcut stand.
P. Gopalkrishna, Petd. Dt. Munsiff, Rajahmundry, AP: DV edit of May 1: “Only one-point agenda for elections: Reservations” and your call to vote for V.P. Singh is superb.
We have received many letters endorsing our appeal.to vote for Janata Dal-National Front and “bring back V.P. Singh with a vengeance” (DV edit May 16). We have also received some letters about our “silence” on BSP. The reason is this. Kanshi Ram and BSP are very old friends and in fact we were accused of being Kanshi Ram’s publicity agents. However, in this election, BSP is not contesting all the seats all over India— both the Lok Sabha and Assembly. Only the Janata Dal-National Front is fielding candidates in all the seats. So, to defeat the Aryan forces and consolidate the SC/ST/BCs and Muslims into a separate community through this difficult battle of the ballot boxes only VP. Singh has the capacity. That is why we don’t want the pro-VP votes to get split — EDITOR.
Mathew Sulewehain, H No. 47-Civil Station. Bhatinda, Punjab-151 001: We have made Babasaheb Ambedkar brass badges. Beautiful. Rs.3.50 per badge. DV has given the deep insights which I don’t get from any other journal or daily. All our doubts get cleared.
Lekha Prama nick, Maukhali, W. Bengal: N.K. Sharma’s article (DV April 16): “What DV did in 10 years” brought tears in my eyes.
Sajeev, H. No. 680/30 New Friends Colony, Behind Mahila Ashram, Rohtak, Haryana 124 001: We want to publish one pamphlet every month taking some * important topics from DV. The first one will be on the most hated word, Harijan, which means bastard. Our people this side have not understood its true meaning and how M.K. Gandhi cheated us by renaming our people with this insulting word. | have collected lot of material from DV and other writings of Babasaheb on this hated word. Those interested in supplying us more material and extending their support may directly contact me. Your book, Knoys the Hindu Mind, has caught the imagination of our people here.
Ajit Kamble, Benaras Hindu University, Varanasi, UP: | discontinued my DV subscription and this was a big mistake. It is very difficult as an Untouchable student to live in this in this BHU in this heartland of Hindu conservatism. | thought that by trying to integrate with Hindu students, | can win them over. That is why | stopped taking DV. But | failed. Hindus refuse to integrate with the Untouchables even if we want it. This is my experience having lived in this university for the past three years. They hate us from the bottom of their heart. Babasaheb said the only way-out is conversion and that will finish Hindus and their caste. | want your advice on this. Only conversion can challenge their Ramayya. Having decided, | am now renewing my subscription to DV an | also want to actively promote the Dalit movement through “Educate, 14 Dalit Voice agitate, organize”. SC/ST/BC students live in a state or fear here. Either they are pretending to hide themselves or they are disinterested. Some of them are even critical of me. Please guide me.
Smt. Surinder Kaur, Calcutta: S. Dhan Singh, a strong Ambedkarite, is contesting the Ropar Parliament seat – and he is my father and a dedicated fighter for human rights causes. He wants to take up the genocide of Sikhs to the UN. His address Dr. Ambedkar Research Inst., Jodhpur, near Fatehgarh Sahib, Sirhind, Patiala, Punjab.
Kodali Satyanarayan Murthy, Editor, “Godavari Keratalu”, 64-1E-1, Treasury Emp. Colony, Kakinada, Ap – 533 004: We are publishing the above Telugu monthly from March. We deal with the nationality question, Dalits and women.
Alok Bhowmick, Delhi: We thank you very much for expressing solidarity against fascist forces. The very secular polity is at stake and hence there is an urgent need to work together in spite of all our differences.
Mrs. Mamta Saran, Publisher, Horizon India Books, New Delhi: | greatly appreciate your magazine and | have recently become its Subscriber., We deal with entirely women’s issues.
O. Mehaboob Subhan journalist, Hospet, Karnataka: The difference between the Hindu Nazis and the Congressmen is that the former stab from the front and the latter stab in the back. | can even go to the extent of saying that these Nazis are real friends of Indian Muslims. Because, they constantly and forcibly remind us to be better Muslims. Muslims in Gulf – countries, where there are no Hindu Nazis, have become affluent and the Muslims there are forgetting – Due to wealth and western influence, Muslims in these countries are forgetting Islam. So, to keep Islam pure, a cruel enemy is essential. If there had been no Hindu Nazis in India, we toc would have become like Turkey, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia. The kicks of these Nazis, their constant burning of our mosques keep us on defensive. Every time there is a Nazi offence we are forced to be on the defensive. By this we are constantly put on the alert. This is the real essence of Jihad. So, the real saviors of Islam in India are our Hindu Nazis. By their barbarity they have done immense service for Islam. Every devout Muslim must salute these Nazis.
Prof. S.A. Ansari, D.M. College of Ars & Com., Imphal-795 001: Congratulations to Khushwant Singh for speaking about the “Brahmin power” (illustrated Weekly Feb. 2, 91). The brahmin rule has replaced the British rule in India now. Before “independence”, Brahmins held the British responsible for all our ills. Today, the very same Brahmins are ruling India. Everything is monopolized by them. So, the Brahmin is directly responsible for all the ills afflicting us as he is the ruler.
Syed Mansoor Alam, Hyderabad: | want one information. RSS has published, it is said eight years June 1-15, 1991 L Pd ago or so, the Muslim scripture, Hadis, and distributed it secretly among its members. One Jestamarman of Bombay is its editor, published from the USA. A friend who read it (not Muslim) says that it was meant to warn RSS cadres and to alert them about the dangers of Islam. I also learn that the RSS has published this scripture on the advice of the American CIA which is also worried about the growing might of Islam in the world. It is learnt that hints are given in this book about reducing the Muslims of India to the level of Indonesian Muslims, who are no Muslims at all. | am reminded of your famous editorial on “Spanish Experiment.” (May 16, 1985).
Akbar Ali, Hidayat Centre, Beebi Alabi Rd., Mangalore-1: In a rejoinder to one of the “Letters to Editor,” you say that there are several verses in the Koran asking Muslims to fight and liberate the Mustadafeen. Then, why don’t you publish them? It might help our Dalit brothers to know our stand clearly?
The leadership of most Muslim organization, political and otherwise, are in the hands of elite Muslims, who are not interested in teaching the revolutionary aspects contained in the Koran. There are several references in the Koran to Mustadafeen. Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s English version of the Koran says Mustadfeen means one reckoned weak, and therefore ill-treated and oppressed. In verse IV, section 10/75 of the Koran it is clearly stated that the cause of Allah is the cause of justice, the cause of the oppressed. The Koran directs the Muslims to fight on behalf of the oppressed and help his liberation. But India’s elite Muslim leadership, being under the obligation of its upper caste rulers, has failed even to identify the Mustadafeen in India, not to speak of fighting on their behalf and supporting their liberation struggle. This is the biggest failure of the Muslim leadership and that is why we had given a call in DV to the Muslim masses to reject this corrupt leadership (DV April 16). We are also planning a book itself on the Mutaween in India — EDITOR.
S.M. Doula, Godavarikhani, AP: The Aryans/Brahmins had grabbed thousands of Buddhist temples and violently eradicated Buddhism from India. Thay changed the idol of Buddha and installed an Aryan God at the Tirupati-ternple in AP. But the idol in the temple is that of Lord Buddha. So also, at the Jagannath temple of Puri, Vitthal of Pandharpur, “Ayyappa of Sabarimala of Kerala etc. The lovers of the so-called Aryan god, Rama, are not willing to accept the court verdict though the Babri Mosque and the land is visible to one and all and the experts of archeological survey have given their expert opinion that there was no temple of any kind. The Muslims should actively cooperate with Buddhists and help recover all their temples from the illegal occupation of Aryans.
Syed Shah Ghaziuddin, Alcoate, 209-Shaniwarpeth, Sholapur, MS-413002: In reply to S.M. Doula’s letter (DV April 16) you have stated that Moulana Sirajul Hassan Saheb, chief of the All-India Jamaai-E-Islam, is your esteemed friend and deeply interested in your work but some of his colleagues are not. | have personal experience of this fact. Syed Yusuf, Editor of the English weekly, Radiance of the Jamaat, had come here some time back. During talks, | suggested Dalit Voice him to reproduce in Radiance, materials from Dalit Voice as DV is doing a lot of useful work for the Indian Muslims. His reply was most distressing. It is a pity that a coherent organization like the Jamaate-Islami lacks unity and coherence on important issues.
Arshad Kalliath, Trivandrum: Frequent, slanderous and emotional outbursts against reservations (human rights of India’s oppressed 85%) by a so-called Gandhian upper caste, Dr. K. Velayudhan Nair, expressed through his articles in Malayalam journals of Kerala vindicates your assessment of the real attitude of the “Father of the upper caste nation,” M.K. Gandhi, and his fans towards the non-Hindu majority.
Momin Abdul Rashid Tahir, president, Bhiwandi Nizampur Municipal Council, Bhiwandi, Thane dt., MS: We have just established a well-furnished library costing Rs.20 lakhs and named it “Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Municipal Library.” We want to see that this library has all the books by Babasaheb, on Babasaheb and also your books. We need your guidance on this.
S. Akhtar, Khanpur, Dt. Bharuch, Gujarat – 392 150: After retiring as a municipal clerk, | find it difficult to subscribe to DV which since a few years has almost become part of my life. Yet | will send Rs.8 a month as | can’t afford Rs.90 in lumpsum. | am enclosing the English translation of the most poisonous writings published in the April issue of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Gujarat monthly, Vishwa Hindu Samachar (near Jagannath Mandir, Ahmedabad – 22) which fans hatred against Muslims. Yet no case has been filed under the IPC. Even the Election Commission is silent on such anti-Muslim writings.
Prof. Yashwant Vaghela, A/41 Tapo Bhumi, SO no. 2, Isnapur, Ahmedabad – 43: | am a Gujarati poet and an Ambedkarite fully subscribing to your prophecy that the Gandhian Era would end with the end of the 20th century and the 21st century would be “Dr. Ambedkar Era.” In this Gandhian state of Gujarat upper castes are sucking the blood of the Dalits. This is the 11th college | am serving because of discrimination against me. Gandhi’s Gujarat is cruel. So much fake. For the past ten years | have been fighting only these Gandhians. I have so far published four books.
