Bangalore: We have reports of the Mala Mahasabha members disrupting the Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti celebrations on April 14 at Hyderabad. Even Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu was not allowed to enter the premises. The State Govt. celebrations itself had to be abandoned even before it started (Hindustan Times, April 16).
Such was the seriousness of the protest. The deep division among Dalits must have cheered the hearts of Aryans in AP.
The report said the Malas were protesting against the AP Govt’s new reservation formula and the categorisation of Dalits.
The Madi gas (Left) among the Dalits in AP are demanding reservation in proportion to their sub-caste population. The Constitution itself recognises caste- based reservations and hence the Madi gas are perfectly justified in demanding their share.
In our Debate on Jati identity also we had defended the demand of every caste and sub-caste to assert its identity based on our theory that “caste is a nation” and automatically then every sub-caste becomes a sub-nation. (DV April1, 97 p.14: “DV formula ends AP Mala-Madiga dispute”).
We are not able to understand why a section of the Malas are protesting and also against whom?
Did Babasaheb, whom some mischievous elements are dubbing as a Mala, demand denial of the share of any caste or sub-caste?
Is the Mala leadership playing into upper caste hands?
