Walter Liffers, Park Street – 122, 4150 Krefeld 11, BRD :- : I am writing this letter since I am concerned about recent reports of human rights violations in India occurring under the responsibility of police and – security forces. The government should make a public statement that custodial violence is forbidden under any circumstances and that it will not be tolerated. All reports of torture, rape and death in custody should be investigated by an impartial and independent judicial body. If necessary, special structures to act on such report should be established.
Arthur Bonner, 130 East 17 St ., New York NY- 10003: I sent the note from P.K. Kalim of Kerala to Duke University with a recommendation they try to grant him permission to reprint my book. I recently did a computer check and found my book, Averting the Apocalypse, is in 434 universities and public libraries in 46 of the 50 American states, plus one each in American Samoa, British Columbia and Ontario. The disease of racism is well published in the US. Dozens of books and hundreds of articles appear every year. The book you mentioned by Andrew Hacker is only one example. It is widely circulated and has received many favourable review. We admit we are a racist country and are trying to do something about it. I believe you would agree this is not true with concerning anti-Dalit racism in India. Your premise, that Dalits must find a separate existence is well proven. Since they are so intertwined with the elite minority they cannot succeed. They must build an autonomous culture and as far as possible, an autonomous economy. This is what Dr. Ambedkar advocated. The question is why Buddhism failed as a valid autonomous identity? This is one of the subjects I would like to explore. I also want to explore nationality. I believe India will inevitably dissolve. That is happening everywhere else in the world. The brahminic hegemony has kept India together since “independence”, but now the upper castes are losing political strength and emigrating. We are seeing increasing economic strength by the non-twice-born castes. Will Dalit grassroots political activism increase the centrifical pressures of local ethnic groups? Disintegration into smaller ethnic and linguistic units will give Dalits greater leverage and will, in turn, speed the separatism process. All this is an area few Indian scholars would care to explore. Hence I think there is a reason for me to take up the subject.
Dr. Laxmi N. Berwa, 7700 Old Branch Avenue, Suite C-101, Clinton, Maryland, 20735, USA: I am concerned about events in Dangs where there has been a spate of attacks on Adivasis living in the Dangs forest area, especially around Kosimda village by Forest officials. This culminated last November in the murder of a woman, Taraben Julpi, and a brutal assault on her relatives by Forest men. Although the family of the deceased has received compensation since, to date the culprits have not been arrested or brought to trial.
Rokuro Sumi, Fukuoka, Japan: It was the first time | joined the 12-day Education and Culture Exchange Tour between Japan and India. My visit to a Dalit village in Madras gave me lot of shocks. I was told 2,500 people were living in 500 huts. Our meeting with the Dalit representatives of the Samata Sainik Dal in Bangalore was memorable. They said about 25% of total population in India were Dalits. They said in the past few years the Burakumin visits to India had almost come to a stop and this made them conclude that the Burakumin people had almost forgotten about their Dalit counterparts. We visited a Dalit primary school where no desk or chair were provided to the children. Later, we visited a government orphanage for 73 girls.
Dr.Muddassir Mubeen, PO Box 30439, Jeddah- 21477, Saudi Arabia: I had a chance to view the latest issue of the Dalit Voice and I was very much impressed by the high quality of journalism and scholarly approach.
Dr.D.S.Ramchandra, World Congress of Anesthesiologists, The Hague: I have distributed some Dalit Voice copies to foreign delegates here. The conference went off very well and I found no discrimination against me though an Untouchable from India.
N.K.Sonare, Phule-Ambedkar Vichar Prabodhan Manch, 19th Road, Khar (w), Bombay-52: We have filed four petitions against the shabby, unhistoric and illogical serial on Dr.Ambedkar in the Bombay High Court. The serial was purposely telecasted to belittle the image of Dr. Ambedkar keeping in dark the philosophy and work of Babasaheb from the oppressed people of India. Since the government has distorted the image and philosophy of Dr. Ambedkar, it is imperative and binding on them to bring a new serial on Dr. Ambedkar by awarding the production of such a serial to a noted producer and director.
Jatin Bagchi, Calcutta: My book ‘Jatiya Sanghatir Sankat’, is getting ready. The manuscript (360 pages) has been handed over to the Ratna Publication, noted publishers of “controversial books”.
Saji Joseph, Dalit Panthers, Mavelikara, Kerala: Hindu nazis and “marxist” nazis are ganging up against us. Yet we are making inroads into the hearts of our people. Our public functions are in great demand. Our people gather in hundreds.
P.K.Rajan, Madras-90: R.Elumalai wrote (DV May 16, 1992): “Dead body of a Dalit near Kumbakonam was not allowed to pass through the Vanniar street. From the report, you will see the Chief Minister herself had pleaded inability in the Assembly to break the impasse. Finally, that body had to be buried at the back of his house, Shocking indeed”. I add another reported incident. During Babasaheb’s birthday celebrations, this April near Kalpakam, the intolerant Vanniars torched about 80 Dalit houses. No action was taken. These are no isolated cases in Tamil Nadu. Elumalai also says PMK is the new hope of Tamil Nadu Vanniars and Dalits (DV July 1, 1992). People would hardly believe that as general secretary of the PMK he could do nothing to stop the Dalit repressions by the Vanniars.
Sajeevan A.V ., Bangalore: I read an article,”Caste Away”, in the Illustrated Weekly (June 26, 1992) about the problem of Dalit Christians. The author has quoted you.
The Calcutta correspondent of the “Illustrated Weekly”, Payal Singh, the author of the article, has also written us to draw our attention to her article. Just as the battle between the indigenous Dravidians and the invading Aryans is intensifying, the same thing is reflected inside the church. The Aryan Christians controlling the Indian church are not even 15% of the total Christian population. They should be driven out and wherever not possible the Dalit Christians must come out and set up their own church. (“Three Separations from Hindus”, DV edit January 16, 1992) applies to Dalit Christians also. – Editor.
Editor : Jamalpur Times, Hindi weekly, Sakaldev Pushp, Pushp Sadan, Badi Keshapur, Jamalpur, Bihar-811 214: We are interested in starting a Bihar unit of the Dalit Sahitya Academy.
M.L.Rao, Agra: A Dalit Hindi journalist, Prem Pradeep Shilankar, president of Nagarik Mukti Morcha, says the mass murder of Dalits in Kumher town, Rajasthan, has proved that the Hindu rulers will never accede our human rights. So to recover our lost rights, the Dalit youths must acquire arms for self-defence. Dalits should also fight for separate electorate and separate settlement.
N.B.Krishnan, Jeypore(K), Orissa: A multi-million rupee project for the construction of a temple (Puri Jagannatha temple model) is about to be completed. Funds have been collected from cinema houses by imposing a “religious tax” of 10 paise per ticket. Who has paid the tax? It is only the tribal people who cannot afford costly entertainment. Upper caste/Aryans do not go to cinema nowadays. They enjoy video in their homes. The temple after construction will be closed to tribals. An “educational tax” is being collected for a law collage where the tribals are not admitted. The Bonda tribes do not wear clothes even today. They have been told by upper castes that while Sita (the victim of Ramayana) was bathing naked, the Bonda people laughed at her. She cursed them saying that their tribe will perish if they wear clothes or grow hair over their heads. This blind belief caused their nakedness to be enjoyed by the upper castes. DV has correctly said: “Our problem is not poverty”. In the name of Bonda development the Aryan/upper castes are making money. However, the Christian missionaries are doing a good work, but they are branded as anti-national.
Samata Forum, B-4 Rajendra Niwas, Dombivli (East), Ranade Road, District Thane,MS-421201: We are a group of Ambedkarite youths. With great interest we read Dalit Voice regularly. We endorse your views and admire the zeal and courage with which you fight the anti-national brahminical social order. The continuous use of the derogatory word Harijan in the newspapers has hurt us. The forum has written several letters in protest. One such letter was published in the Times of India, Bombay (Jan 18, 1992). The India Today did not publish our protest.
Bhimrao Ganvir, LIC, Gadchiroli, MS-442 605: This is a very backward district with 90% SC/ST people. This place needs a bookshop to sell Ambedkariite and Buddhist literature.
Dr.D.V.Rao, Academic Associate, School of Biotechnology, JNT University, Mahaveer Marg, Hyderabad-23: I am a keen reader of DV and belong to a BC community. With great difficulty, I could finish my Ph.D in Immunology and joined this university. Though I am fully committed to my research and keen to become a scientist, the brahminical social order come in the way. However, the American Chemical Society showed interest in my research work and invited me to the 9th International Biotechnology Symposium at Crystal city, VA, USA, on Aug. 16-21, 1992. I have approached different funding agencies like DST, CISIR, COSTED and DBT for support. As all of them are headed by the Aryans/Brahmins, they ignored me. In fact, I have published 10 research papers of which five have appeared in international journals. So, I finally sold my farmland for Rs.50,000 which can meet only my travel and other expenses. Boarding and lodging etc ., will be extra. Finally, I thought of writing to you for support. Please recommend my cases to some Dalit friends around Washington DC for my stay for 10 days.
Katti Padma Rao, Ponnur, AP-522 124: The Tsundur killing of the Dalits took place on Aug. 6, 1991. The massacre of 22 Dalits shows the continued Hindu atrocities on them even after 45 years of ‘independence”. The Prime Minister had promised a CBI inquiry, one acre of land to each Dalit family in Tsundur, all educated about 10th class to be provided govt. jobs and special court to Tsundar. These promises gave some hopes to the 10,000 Tsundur Dalits who had come all the way from AP to Delhi to express their protest. But, as usual the PM and his government deceived us. The Chimakurthi killing is yet another instance of Hindu barbarity. On May 2, 1992, three dalit women lost their lives due to the animal instinct of an upper caste quarry-owner in the Prakasam dt. They were Yesamma, Ramulamma and Anjamma. There are eye witnesses for the murder of these Dalit women. But the police, especially the SP of Prakasam dt ., fabricated the evidence to say they died due to drowning.
Sukumar Pal, Bihar Dalit Vikas Samiti, C/o ISI, 10- Institutional Area, Lodi Road, New Delhi-3: We have resolved to make 50,000 Dalit families in Bihar literate by Feb. end. Dr. Jose Kananaikil is our director.
P.K. Abdurrabb, Darunnoor, Mulappieangad, Kerala- 670 662: Arthur Bonner has written (DV July 1 92) that he is planning to write a book on Dalit liberation. He has selected some topics also from your true and tremendous writings. But he has missed a very important theme i.e. the role of Islam in liberation of the oppressed (Mustadafeen) and the ignorance of the Muslim scholars and leaders about it. The above subject you were stressing through DV and your speeches for the past few years. I don’t know why Arthur Bonner has not noticed the subject. Hope you will bring this to his kind notice. Another thing is the false statement of the Malappuram dt. League Secretary, KMA Khader, that the population of Hindus is 60 crores (DV July 1, p.20). Khader is a regular reader of DV and his “Letters” used to be published in DV. He only invited you to attend the Dist. Conference of the Muslim League at Kuttipuram and more over as an advocate if he commits such a himalayan blunder then what we can expect from ordinary unthinking Muslim masses who have fallen into the trap of the Muslim League?
Arshad Kalliath, Trivandrum: Your observations (DV July 1 Edit: “Brahminism is the Enemy no.1 of the World”), on the German obsession with Sanskrit as also with anything nazi is further substantiated by the fact that ‘Deutsche Welle’, the official German external broadcasting service, is the only international radio station to have regular programming in Sanskrit, although it is a paltry ten minutes a month. This is heard in India over the shortwave.
N.V. Rao, Vizianagarm, AP: Let not brahminism have freedom to hypnotise and enslave the human mind for its self-benefit creating continuous anarchy since ages and sucking the blood of fellow beings. As you have rightly said in your July 1 edit, brahminism has become a world menace. Will you please analyse and elaborate to the world and save it from brahminism?
M.D. Johnson, Narendrapuram, via Palivela, EG dt. AP – 533 229: Some Dalit Christian organisations must file a case in the Supreme Court to secure reservation to Dalit Christians. I will send an article on the Seventh Day Adventist Church and what they have done for the Dalits. They have done a lot for us. It is our prayer that you will continue to serve us and we are praying for you and your family and all others who are working with you. Kindly take care of your health and also train some more dedicated youth to carry on the caravan on its onward march until we achieve our goal of ruling this country.
M. Domenicvssavio, secretary, FOCUS, 35A/3, Kamaraj Nagar, TN-627 907: We are doing social service in this taluk of Chidambaram. Schedule Castes like Pariah, Pulaya, Kattu Naykar and Kudumbar form 32% of the taluk population. They are very backward in every respect. Recently, very fortunately, we chanced to read the book, The Untouchables of India, published by the Dalit Sahitya Academy. Such books will help awaken our people. We want to read your literature.
Dr. T.Y. Shekar, 11-160/219, Sheshapahad, North Lalguda, Secunderabad – 17 : Political parties are fighting over the next President but what we need is socio-economic and cultural change or a revolution to help organise the whole people as a single force. If we cannot provide social justice to all irrespective of caste, creed and religion, we have to wait only to see the destruction and disintegration of this land and its people. Time is not far away.
K.M. Naheed Anjum, Himalayan Action Research Centre, 654, Indiranagar, Phase-II, PO New Forest, Dehra Dun-248 006: Ours is an NGO involved in the Garhwal region of the middle Himalayas. Through technical intervention we help improve the social and economic condition of the people. We want to exchange information. Your journal, Dalit Voice, does commendable work in the direction of information dissemination. We would like to exchange our journal Boond, with DV.
Ashok Kumar Khadwal, B-98, New Usmanpur, Gali No.8, Delhi – 110 053: I have read your article in the Hindustan Times (April 29, 92): “Dalits and Democracy”, which has impressed me very much. You have touched upon the facts of the brahminical social order. You have rightly pointed out that since the Constitution has assured the identity of SC/ST through reservation, they are saved. But the worst suffered are the BCs and the sickness suffered by the BCs has affected the health of the whole country. I. want to subscribe to Dalit Voice to learn more of your thoughts.
P. Ranjan Babu, Dalit Open University, Deenapur, AP-522 529: A three-day national seminar on Babasaheb Ambedkar is being organised from Aug. 12 to 14, 1992 in the Speaker’s Hall, Constitution Club, VP House, Rafi Marg, New Delhi by us. Since you are one of the activist Dalit intellectuals and a leader of the Dalit communities, we want you to participate in the seminar and also present a paper.
S.K. Nasir Ahmed, c/o Roshni Tailors, Mahespur Market, Birshibpur, Dt. Howrah, W. Bengal: I have written an article throwing new light on the invasion of Aryans. It is intended both for Muslims and Dalits in particular. It may change the attitude of Muslims in favour of Dalits. Dalit intellectuals in Bengal have appreciated my views. A book entitled Arya Rahasya (Aryan mystery) has been written by me in Bengali. I have projected to write a book in English, ‘Conflict of Indian Society in the light of Islam’, to draw the attention of the Muslim world.
K.M. Hassan Uzzaman, Ex-Minister of West Bengal, 2 – Rippon Square, Calcutta-16: Anti-Muslim riots have broken out in village Dongaria, P.S. Nodakhali in South 24-Parganas on June 12. A section of Hindu nazi elements attacked the houses of Muslims, looted and ransacked even a Madrasa house which was set on fire in front of the police.
Raju Solanki: Vivek Bhuvan, Patani Sheri, b/h Prakash Cinema, Ahmedabad-1: Dalit Voice (Oct. 1- 15, 91) published Yogesh Varhade’s text presented before the Working Group on ‘Indigenous Peoples’, UN Human Rights Sub-Commission, Geneva, Switzerland, on July 30, 1991. We wholeheartedly support Varhade’s historic attempt at UN. In Gujarat, Hindu nazis are furious with the Mors Commission Report on Narmada Dam. Mors, a former Secretary of the World Bank, has pointed out that the re- habilitation of tribals is not possible as they belong to a distinct social system geographically separated from the rest of the world. Mors, who is rightly equating tribals of India with the other aborigines of the world, has warned that the displacement of tribals will lead to complete destruction of their social life. It is one more proof for our case before the UN. Varhade can use this evidence as well. Please study the Mors report.
