Mrs. Devaki Atmaram Rajurkar, Bombay: DV is a bold and inspiring journal to awaken the dalits.
D. S. Chinnadorai, National General Secretary, YMCAs of India. New Delhi: 1 read your meaningful journal & impressed by your report on the Mandal Commission. Even though you have been emphasising the issues pertaining to minorities, you have been very objective, and you have also not lost sight of the totality of the country. Hope and pray you will keep it up. I find it very valuable and informative to read DV though small in size but great in service to the minorities.
Narendra Patti, Poona: I read almost every important English journal published in India. As days pass I find them going from bad to worse. The new journals are nothing but pornography. Barring perhaps one or two, we have no journal that discuss people’s problems. Economic & Political Weekly is too highbrow. Main- stream is good but not always That leaves DV alone in the field. Our English-reading population forming 2% of India’s population looks too much obsessed with sex. sports, films, gossip, religion, violence astrology eternal pursuit of pleasure. Since this 2% is the cream of the 10% of Indian Ruling class, it is but natural that their thinking is perverted. DV is the only journal that deals with issues. The difference between DV and others is that DV makes me think and act while others make me stop thinking. The Ruling Class wants exactly this it does not want the people to think. But it will definitely not like DV. Hence it may do its best to finish DV. But revolutionary sections will surely support it. Hence you may have hard times. But success is certain. Keep it up.
Dr. Velu Annamalai, Texas. USA: 1 want your permission to use your writings in my articles to local press. I have read most of your books. I am amazed at the amount of knowledge you have acquired to write such authoritative things packed with facts. More than that I admire your courage to put these cold facts in black and white. It is your books and the DV that made me to correct many of my ideas. You deserve all support because helping you is helping we dalits ourselves.
Gautam Chakraborty, Watford, UK: We learnt about the high caste assault on Veeramani, DK leader, from DV No. 20. Please convey our sympathy and solidarity to Veeramani.
Ms. Ceceilia Irvine. Scotland: Believe me I have thought of you many times every day since I left India. Our silence does not mean out of sight out of mind but a deep perplexity about the human predicament on so vast a problem of the Indian Untouchables.
P. R. Kuppuswamy, advocate. Karur. TN: You ask in your editorial, DV no. 21: Will not a slogan such as ‘Be Hindu Buy Hindu’ amount to anti-national activity ? In TN. RSS has gone to the extent of openly in- citing Hindus not to allow Christian preachers to Hindu areas, asking them to erase Christian slogans, not to let out houses to them and not to buy any thing from Muslims and Christians. RSS has written all over the wails: Give Money for Reconversion, Donate liberally to bring back con- verts to mother religion. These are the people who allege foreign money coming for conversions.
Syed Ahamed Khansaheb. Lucknow: In schools in UP, Maharashtra etc, some Hindu teachers write on school blackboards saying: “A Muslim eats at least seven cows during his lifetime. So if you kill one Muslim, you will be saving seven cows. Therefore, kill at least one Muslim in your lifetime”. Such anti-Muslim poi- son is injected into young minds. How to stop this?
E. V. Chinniah, editor, Praja Bandhu, Nellore, AP: Minister Makwana said in his presidential address to the All-India Anusuchita Jati Parishat in Delhi that he was against supplying arms to dalits for self-defence. It is the duty of the govt. to protect the dalits, he said. Very amusing argument. The govt is expected to do so many things for the poor. Is it doing its duty? If it fails to protect even the life of dalits, then what should become of those who are being killed, raped and houses burnt ? Should they submit to these criminals? How can anybody help those who do not help themselves ? Why no atrocities committed on other minorities like Sikhs, Parsees, Muslims? Even the then Home Minister Zail Singh had agreed to supply arms to dalits. But Makwana is against it. Is this is the attitude of a leader who wants to lead dalits?
B. Parameshwara Rao, president. All- India Ambedkarites Conference. Hyderabad: I am very much impressed by your writings. We fully endorse your views. I am sending you the draft resolutions to be considered by our conference. Pl. go thorugh it and give your views. You are helping a great movement and therefore, become an indispensable part of it.
Sudhir Ranjan Das, general secretary. West Bengal SC/ST Welfare Council. Calcutta: We convey our heartiest thanks to you for the work done which is absolutely necessary for the cause of the dalits. We are writing to our members to become subscribers to DV.
J. R. Antwal, chairman, Federation of P. & T. SC/ST Employees, New Delhi: As a punishment for working for dalits I have been transferred to Bombay. This is the fate of all those who espouse the cause of India’s poorest of the poor. I am transferred to the Bombay Telephones with the Intention that if Antwal is away, the irregularites, anomalies, discriminations committed by the high caste officers against dalits will not be exposed. It is only Antwel who is responsible for exposing the high caste treachery in the P & T. They were disgraced & pulled up by Parliament. My stand was upheld by Parliament. Let not these Hindu traitors responsible for my transfer think that just because I would be away, the P & T dalits would suffer injustice in silence. Never. The fight will go on. Justice is on our side. We only want supporters like you. If you are on our side we have nothing to fear.
Prachand, Vizag, AP: I have become old. But behold DV is swinging me to the days of the youth. My hearty congratulations. Send me all old issues of DV and a list of DSA books.
Prem Kumar. Nagercoil, TN: A serious trouble is brewing here. We are sure to be attacked shortly. Because many dalits in KK dt. are educated, economically better off than Hindus. Besides, we have a big Christian population. This has generated lot of jealousy among Hindus (Chaliyas) who can no longer boss over us. They therefore, are planning attack on us. Soon KK dt. will plunge into a major caste war paving the way for dalit liberation.
