Victor G. Jackson, San Antonio, US: International Dalit Support Group (IDSG) is launched and we hope to cover the whole of America. Though I cannot promise the future unknown; hopefully, one year from today the future of Dalit Voice will be secure. We have several projects in progress.
(IDSG, P.O. Box-842066, Houston, TX 77184-2066, USA, has been already announced. All our friends in North America and South America may contact this address. The life membership for overseas subscribers is 200 US dollars which may be sent to us directly. IDSG will engage in various activities listed in our letter’s column March 1 p. 12. Our friends in US must xerox our March 1 DV editorial, “American Black soldiers must refuse to fight Whiteman’s racist war in Gulf.” and see that it reaches all Afro-American organizations and papers. It may be even leafleted. This Gulf War is very important from our point of view and hence we must exploit to the maximum advantage. There is need for more and purposeful cooperation and collaboration between the Blacks and the Black Untouchables of India, who together will jointly establish the new world order to liberate the entire oppressed of the world from all racism, Zionism, imperialism, oppression and exploitation. DV will have to be converted into a weekly and then a daily – EDITOR).
Mrs. Joseph Karunan, Hyderabad: The World Council of Churches, Geneva, which has a record of dedicated service to Dalits of India, has a plan to launch a project to support Dalits. WCC is so generous that it wants to support even non-Christian Dalit groups including support to Dalit publications and I want Dalit Voice and Dalit Sahitya Academy to be brought under this programme. Because Christians of India have no secular media of their own. No non-Christian has done so much to the Christians as yourself. WCC must give the topmost priority to DV and DSA in it all its programmes.
Arthur Bonner, New York: I was sorry to hear of your ill health but if it served the purpose of getting you out of Delhi it was to the good. You committed a mistake in going to Delhi. Your Voice is always clear but it is most clear when you enunciate ethics and principles and ignore mere events. My book, Advertising the Apocalypse, Social Movements in India today, Duke University, 1990, Cloth 52.50 $ has been finally reviewed in the New York Times. Copies of the book were sent to scholarly sources in India too but nobody reviewed it. Duke University, publishers, has made several attempts to find a publisher for India but with no luck.
Basant Rai Ambedkar, 3293/XII-B, Bokaro Steel City- 827 012: Here is a beautiful proof of the upper caste “merit”. On Feb.12, there was a serious accident in our factory because of the utter negligence of the upper caste officials of the Bokaro Steel Plant which is completely dominated by them. Three workers died on the spot, two in hospital and two more are in serious condition. All of them were contract labourers and all SC/STs. The accident occurred in the benzol plant welding workshop. The gas inside the tank caught fire. Had it occurred an hour earlier or later when the shift changes at 2 pm hundreds would have died. Every important post in BSP is held by upper castes who have captured it in the name of “merit”. It is they who take credit for anything that happens here. So, this blame also rightly goes to them. They get fat salaries without doing any work. Since the savaranas/ upper castes/Hindu castes/Aryans are not expected to do manual work, they are employing contract labour recruited through their own jatwalas. This contract labour is fully exploited and under-paid. If these thousands of Dalit labourers are taken as permanent labourers, they will have to be given many facilities. So, to deny these facilities to the SC/STs and favour their jatwala contractors, they have devised an ingenious system of contract labour who are working here for over a decade. Such an inhuman exploitation of SC/STs cannot be found anywhere else.
(We would like to have a good, in-depth investigative reporting on the exploitation of SC/STs in the name of contract labour and it should be a first-class story with full-blooded facts that should blow up the exploiters to pieces – EDITOR).
R. Arul, Dr. Ambedkar Study Circle, 26-Koil South St., Annamalai Nagar, Chidambaram, TN-608 002: We have formed this unit to spread the message of Babasaheb and that of DV. We want all Ambedkarites, Periyarists and Marxists to support us.
Kuldeep Kumar Sarangal, SC/BC Federation, 138- Kanji House, Upper Gumat, Jammu-180 001: We have formed a 200-strong “Dr. Ambedkar Sena” comprising youths from SC/BC/Muslim and Christians to fight all injustices.
K.M. Venugopal, Annur, Kerala 670 332: DV has helped me a lot to understand and analyze things. It has also given me lot of courage to outwit the Brahminical forces that always mislead us. That is how I met with some success in convincing our people as to how to avoid, if not fight the Nazi forces and their “napkin papers”.
Madan Mohan Naidu, Hyderabad: I learn that Motilal Nehru’s father was one Hira Lal, a Kashmiri Brahmin. who was employed as a peon in Kashmir. He was brought to UP by the British Governor, on transfer from Kashmir to UP. The British Governor it is a said, was friendly with the wife of Hira Lal and that is why he brought the family itself to UP. How could Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India and son of Motilal Nehru, become so rich when his grandfather was only a peon? Will your readers from Kashmir and UP throw some light on this?
G.B.R. Ambedkar, Vizag, AP: The Feb. 16 DV edit on the Gulf war is superb. It is like your edit on Babasaheb’s “Three Commandments”. Please get this edit reprinted as a pamphlet for wider circulation.
(It is already translated into an Urdu pamphlet. We have no money for an English reprint – EDITOR)
Balbir Singh, Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh: The Central School Organization has instructions to all its Central schools to celebrate Dr. Ambedkar centenary. Enough funds have been allotted. Our friends in Central Schools must fight and get these funds to be used to propagate Babasaheb’s thoughts Ref: Kendriya Vidyalaya Sanghatna Asst. Director S.K. Lakhani’s letter dated 7/1/91 Ref. F.7-5/90-KVS to the principals of all Central Schools.
Bhartiya Bauddha Mahasabha, Buddha Vihar, Ambedkar Bhavan, New Delhi-55: We are holding an all-India Buddha Sammelan on April 7 at the Ramlila Grounds here. An exhibition on Babasaheb’s life and mission will be a special attraction.
R.L. Yadav, Allahabad, UP: The Hindi pamphlet of your historic editorial, “Hindu unity” (DV Jan.16), will be out soon. Those interested may write enclosing a self-addressed envelope with a spare 25 paise stamp. If there is any collection it will be used for similar causes: address 2/18 Ramananda Nagar, Allahapur North, Post Daraganj, Allahabad, UP – 211006.
Binod Biplabl, Baragarh, Orissa: Under the banner of Unemployed Dalit Active Youth, we had a joint procession of SC/ST/BC youths of Sambalpur dt. on Feb. 15 ‘at Baragarh. The main demand was implementation of the Mandal Com. report. We have brought out an Ambedkarite baniyan with the emblem, “I am an Ambedkarite. Are you?” printed in the front. There is a big demand.
R.L. Kaln, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Vichar Manch, 66-B Pocket-I, Dilshad Garden, Shahdra, Delhi-95: We want to publish the speeches delivered by Babasaheb in the Constituent Assembly. The chief editor of the Lok Sabha Secretariat in his letter dated Feb. 7 has authorized us to reproduce the speeches. So, we want DV to devote a column for this purpose titled “Thus Spake Ambedkar, Champion of human rights”.
(We have a regular column that goes on page 2 of every issue titled, “Thus Spake Ambedkar,” and we will be glad to publish the speeches in this column on receiving the matter – EDITOR).
R. Sangeeta Rao, Sanjivayya Inst. of Socio-Economic Studies, Bapu Bhavan, Ravidas Marg, Sat Nagar, Karol Bagh, New Delhi-5: We are holding a national seminar here on “Marx, Dr. Ambedkar and polarization of the oppressed, exploited classes of India” here on April 4/5. As one of the most eloquent exponents of these classes we want you participate and enrich the seminar.
(We call upon our readers in the North to attend this seminar and impress the fact that SC/ST/BCs and Muslims were taken for a ride by the upper caste exploiters hiding behind the cloak of Marxism. Ambedkar’s is Marxism plus something more – EDITOR).
Bajirao Kamble, Ex-MLA, Pune: I have written you twice seeking your permission to bring out DV in Marathi but you are hesitating.
(Yes. It is very easy to start the Marathi DV but difficult to keep it going. Our Hindi DV is limping. So too other language editions. The Urdu DV had to be discontinued for want of funds. Besides money, it needs lot of commitment, dedication, hard work, intellectual honesty, the courage and of course that conviction. If Bajirao Kamble has all these, we will offer him a much bigger historic project which will give him a place in history. Is Bajirao interested in entering history? We are ready – EDITOR).
Sanjeev, Final MBBS student, Rohtak, Haryana: To spread the thoughts of Babasaheb Ambedkar and also that of you we have started a SC/BC/Minority Front. Sudhir Ranga is the brain behind it. All those interested in joining this Front in Haryana may write to us at HN-1 (680/30) New Friends Colony, Behind Mahila Ashram, Rohtak, Haryana 124 001.
Mohan, Tiptur: Your report on the Dalit-Lingayat ‘clashes at Gulbarga (DV. Jan.1) was wonderful. Lingayat’s have to come out of Brahminical grip. For agreeing to be under the Hindu order they were given the sudra status despite their cultural superiority. Lingayats are not Hindus and like the Sikhs they are religiously different from Hindus. They have been made slaves of Hindus only because they compromised with the Hindu order. Sikhs at least have realized their mistake but the Lingayats haven’t.” Dalits will embrace them if they announce that they are not Hindus like us.
Manmohan Singh, New Delhi: The World Sikh News (Feb. 16) published from US has reproduced your report under the title, “Are all attempts to establish minority media doomed to fail?”. You have rightly warned the Sikhs, Muslims and Christians that any attempt by them to start a media would be dubbed communal by the Brahminical forces and shot down. You have also given the example of the Muslim bid at launching the One Nation Chronicle from Delhi that resulted in utter failure. It is true that religious minorities comprising over 20% of India’s population have no press to defend their human rights despite the fact that all of them are victims of Brahminical oppression. When they can’t start a media of their own and the SC/ST/BCs are financially incapable of launching one, what is the way-out. Do you mean to say that the religious minorities should support and strengthen the Dalit Voice and make it a weekly?
(Sikhs, Christians and Muslims are victims of the very forces that are oppressing the SC/ST/BCs. Both the sections, totaling over 85% of India’s population, have a common oppressor. On this everybody is agreed. If that is so why not we all forge a joint effort at defending our human rights instead of frittering away our energies? DV is already an established institution and all these six sections come under our care. Our work for the religious minorities has received wide appreciation from all important sections of these three minority groups. In fact, all these three minority sections were originally SC/ST/BCs. Hence, they are our own brothers and sisters. Uniting all the original inhabitants of India has been our endeavour. If this is accepted then DV can certainly serve, the purpose. It is for the minorities to take up the challenge – EDITOR)
N.K. Sharma, New Delhi: Why should we remember Gandhi and repeatedly criticize “Gandhi Killers”? Gandhi is the enemy No.1 of the Untouchables. Ambedkarites are grateful to the RSS and Godses. This is one good thing the RSS did for the Untouchables. This is the view of Dr. Ambedkar and also mine. Read Dhananjay Keer’s biography and Babasaheb book, What Gandhi and Congress have done to the Untouchables. Why should we remember the most hated enemy of the SCs? We must appreciate the RSS on this. Godse is great. Dr. Ambedkar issued no condolence message on the death of Gandhi. Gandhi killed the revolutionary zeal of Indian race. Paramjit Singh, Patiala, Punjab: The new military governor of Punjab is trying to dictate the State’s leading newspapers to stop publishing the statements of Sikh militants and the advts. of the religious rities of those Sikhs killed in fake encounters. Punjab is back to the days of S.S. Ray.
Lt.- Col. Chanan Singh Dhillon, Ludhiana, Punjab: Your edit on Punjab (Feb.), “Punjab peace only thru talks with militants,” is forthright and hence immensely convincing. Strangely the two outwardly opposite groups – Nazis and Marxists – are opposing it. But both are the same Brahminical forces wearing two different masks. Though these Brahminical forces have no following in the state, they make lot of noise because they own the media. But we are definitely against those handful of Brahminical forces who were responsible for the creation of Pakistan and now thrusting Khalistan on the unwilling Sikhs. But we are not for separation. You have rightly said that the Punjabis have the right to talk, sing, write, plan, work and think – of course without the sword of Brahminism hanging on their heads.
Ejaz Ahmed Ejaz, Chak Nagri, E. Champaran dt., Bihar: The editorial on Gulf (DV Feb. 17) showed that there is a great amount of similarity between mine and you’re thinking. Your writings are having great influence on me. Americans are not fighting to liberate Kuwait. They want to destroy Iraq and thereby dominate the Muslim world.
M. Tahir Siddiqqui, Advocate, Delhi High Court, New Delhi: Congratulations on your edit on the Gulf War. Your analysis is absolutely correct.
Arshad Kalllath, Thiruvananthapuram: You have rightly exposed in your edit on Gulf the nexus between the zionists and Hindu Nazis. The March issue of the Competition Success Review, the campus magazine of the upper caste meritocrats, has allowed none other than the notorious Nazi, A.P. Venkateswaran, the dismissed Foreign Secretary, to comment on the war. And he has not spared the opportunity to reveal his ideas about the future thus:
The price of oil from the Gulf will be decided by the US and the west and be kept low. Arab and Islamic solidarity, as they have tended to develop on a state-to-state basis, would also be shattered. Iraq’s oil production for the next decade would be used for war reparations … The US will be the unchallenged world power for the foreseeable future.” Venomous wishes indeed,
A.G. Shah, Srinagar, Kashmir: Please advise the Muslims, Sikhs and Dalits to be vigilant about the Hindu Nazi designs to reduce the population figures of these sections during the current census operations. Your readers all over India must correctly guide the SC/ST/BCs and Muslims, Christian/Sikhs to see that they are correctly registered as such.
S.M. Doula, Famous Watch Co., Laxminagar Bazar, Godavari Khani, AP-505 209: Aryans have forcibly taken over many Buddhist temples and so it is high time the Buddhists start an agitation to recover their lost holy places. Muslims will fully support such a just struggle as it is a holy work.
(The most famous temple in AP, Tirupati, was a Buddhist temple forcibly taken over by Brahminical forces. In DV, we have cited many such cases. When these Aryan forces can launch a violent agitation to forcibly take over Babri Masjid, which has all the historical proof of belonging to Muslims, there is nothing wrong if the Buddhists start a peaceful, non- violent agitation. But before launching such an agitation, Buddhists mut read the history properly. Educate, agitate and then organize, said Babasaheb. Our people must get ready for the liberation struggle – EDITOR).
D. David, Advocate, Vellore, TN: The Mandal Commission report is a great blessing in disguise as it united the SCs with Dalit Christians and put them on one platform. Our people in TN should support only such parties who are favorable to the Mandal report. The AIDMK, the Congress and BJP are our enemies.
Raju Thomas, Madras: The famous story of the Ekalavya in the Mahabharata is being falsified by the Nazis. A school textbook which is prescribed in the school where my son is studying here does not say that the right thumb of Ekalavya was cut as a punishment for practicing archery. The crafty Brahmin Drona who demanded the right thumb is shielded in the textbook by giving a new slant to the whole episode. The book is titled Gul Mohar Graded English course, Reader-3, (Orient Longman pages 71-74, 1990). I took the book and met the headmistress of the Christian school where my son is studying and she admitted that the story is misquoted to hide the crimes of Drona. Why should Christian schools accept such discriminative texts?
