K. Veeramani, gen. secretary, Dravida Kazhagam, Madras: We passed a resolution at the Trichy conference of the DK on June 13 urging TN govt. to implement the Maharajan Commission report which said Agamas don’t bar appointment of temple priests irrespective of castes. To chalkout the programme a big conference is to be held at Tanjore on Augs. 14.
I. C. Tirkey, vice-president. West Bengal SC/ST Welfare Council, Calcutta: In DV no. 15. page 4 there is an article saying that dalits had to fight for 35 years to include Ambedkar’s biography in school textbooks. Will you tell us which States have textbooks having Ambedkar-life his- tory? Our association had two meetings with the WB Govt. headed by Chief Secretary A. K. Sen to press for this demand but it wanted to know States having Ambedkar textbooks. Will any of your readers write directly to our association 13/B-Padampukar Rd., Calcutta-700047. We are getting DV and find it very useful in our struggle.
Manohar Y. Kemble. Jamakhandi chanced to read DV and glad to note at last a journal respresenting the hitherto negected has come out.
P. N. Rajabhoj. Bharat Dalit Sevak Samaj. Poona: Nowadays I am not getting DV which I like very much.
Gurudev Singh. Patiala: I am at a loss to find appropriate words to say how useful the DV is for us dalits. It helps us to keep in touch with Ambedkar thoughts. Although India has got rid of English imperialism, slavery, oppression and exploitation are continuing because we have not yet destroyed Brahminism.
K. V. Kumaran. Member. Kerala Public Service Commission. Trivandrum: I have gone through all the issues of the Dalit Voice with great interest. My hearty congratulation. I am sending Rs. 100 as my subscription as also for the Dalit Sahitya Akademy books. I will also try to get an agent here to sell your publications.
Dr. Nirmal Minz, principal, Gossner College, Ranchi: I am pleased to read DV. Send me all books published by the DSA. I have written a number of articles on tribal problems. My growing feeling is that a combined effort of dalit and shoshit work be done all over India. The 85% of the people of India must organise themselves.
T. Chaudhuri, Baz. Baz. 24-Paraganas. W. Bengal: I work for the awakening of the cultural consciousness in this district. Hence it is necessary to know the people’s culture, literature, arts of other States. Dalit literature will help us. Bengal dalits know nothing of it. Hence I want DV.
Mrs. Swarna Ranganathan. Bangalore: I like DV very much.
Miss Indira Veni, Hyderabad: Mao has said that an essential pre-condition of any revolution is that women should be its vanguard. He said that women could be more revolutionary than men. We learn that China had a revolution because women took a leading part in it. But in India barring Dravida Kazagham which gives prime place to women thanks to Periyar EVR-women are no where in any gathering. political or otherwise. India may be headed by a woman PM but there can’t be a greater enemy of women than Indira Gandhi. Did she bother to implement the Report of the Committee on the Status of Women submitted to her? Indian ethos, as you rightly observed (DV no. 7), is anti- woman. I am surprised that even some educated women fighting for “women’s liberation”, support Manu. India has neglected woman and hence no revolution is taking place here.
Loqueman, Balasore, Orissa: A communal riot has been brewing in Bhadrak. a subdivision of this dt, since a week. BJP is fanning communal flames. Three Muslim shops were reduced to ashes. Please send your correspondent to probe the matter and inform the public through DV.
Khalid Irfan, Bangalore I like DV very much. The one that I liked most is your editorial (DV no. 17), “The Role of Intellectuals in Society”.
A. R. Infant, IPS. Supdt. of Police. KGF, Karnataka: In the DSA books I found living and relevant ideas which are often overlooked in contemporary writings. I like DV very much.
Ghulam Sarwar. Ex-Minister, Patna: You are a crusader for the noble cause of the dalits and the persecuted minorities. I assure to support this cause that is also dear to me.
Kusum Kamble, Bombay: The way Israel smashed the Muslim PLO has brought tremendous joy to RSS and its Hindu sympathisers. My roommate & RSS activist here told me that RSS shakas celebrated this victory. The Jews of India naturally feel close to their counterpart outside.
Mohammed Rafique. Jorhat. Assam: Through DV, we congratulate Wazir Wankhede (Suptd. Engineer, Nagpur) & Hanif Mohammad (Gujarat) for quitting Hinduism and untouchability and embracing the brotherhood of Islam.
C. Manoharan, Medical College Hostel, Coimbatore: I am really proud of reading DV.
Honnappa Kahale. Retd. Dy Suptd. of Police, Bangalore: Awakening is growing fast among dalits and minorities. Yet we are small compared to RSS muscle & its money. But the unity of dalits. Muslims and Christians is the only fitting answer to meet the RSS challenge. DV is doing a wonderful job in this direction.
T. Balu. Madras: Every article in DV, especially your fantastic editorials, is simply grander than the previous ones. T congratulate you for this noble work,
N. Elangovan, Cuddalore TN: We reprinted your editorial. “Trade Unions, Dalits and Minorities” (DV no. 15) in our monthly circular. Dalits welcomed this editorial very much.
S. P. Rana, Deesa, Gujarat: Pl. con- vey our best wishes to all your dalit colleagues working for DV.
Miss Gnana Mani, and Miss Themozhi, Coimbatore: We enciose a copy of our letter (dated Aug. 4) to the Director of Libraries. TN govt., Madras, along with signatures of 200 members of the Coimba tore Dt. Central Library asking govt. to sub- scribe Modern Rationalist, English monthly, 50-EVK Sampath Rd., Madras-600007 and Dalit Voice as we find these journals indispensable to every student interested in studying Indian society and its socio- economic problems. The signatories include students of local university, medical. engineering, law and other arts & science colleges. Through your columns we urge the TN govt. to concede our demands.
P. K. Manokaran, Pallikonda TN: If a clash occurs between Harijans and others, the press calls it clash between Harijans and caste Hindus. What do they mean by calling others as caste Hindus? Then. who are Harijans? Are they not Hindus?
