We do not appear to have given much importance to Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Third Commandment, “Organize”. India is a subcontinent of many nationalities and sub- nationalities with all sorts of diversities — physical, linguistic, caste, social and cultural. ‘Unity among such diverse nationalities is impossible for any concerted movement/action. H can only be done caste-wise and state-wise. No doubt our Editor, V.T. Rajshekar, has offered a wonderful solution:
caste (Caste — A Nation Within the Nation, Books for Change, Bangalore, 2002). Even the Caste solution offered by him has nothing to say on “organize’. The problem is even the caste system is different in different states. The Telugu castes are not there in any other state. So also, Kannada and Tamil castes. Taking these realities and the essence of Editor Raijshekar’s Caste book into consideration, | have prepared a proforma union for each caste in each linguistic state. in AP, it will be “Telugu Bahujan Union” differing from state to state. DV should call for debate before we start organising.
I will confine to Telugu Bahujan Union (caste-based) since | belong to AP.
Such a union can be formed in all villages, panchayats, mandals (or blocks) towns and cities: In cities and towns more branches may be formed. These branches will elect their representatives in proportion to the population of each caste and subcaste and send them to mandal/block union.
WOMEN MUST GET 50% SHARE
All mandal/block branches are part of the block union. This is the primary union. All the elected representatives of the branches will be the members of the block union. It is the representative body formed on the basis of each caste. Note: 50% of the representatives in each caste should be women. The block union will elect the block executive. 1t will also elect representatives to the state union. The block executive will elect a secretary and a treasurer to carry on its day-to- day administration.
District level: At the district level, a co-ordination committee has to be formed comprising secretaries of all the blocks within that district. Another co-ordination committee will have to be formed for each Assembly and Parliament constituency by the state executive comprising efficient block/state committee members.
State union: Representatives elected by the block union to the state union will form the state union which in turn will elect the state executive. The state executive will elect a general secretary and a treasurer to carry on day-to- day administration.
(A) 50% of the state union and state executive must be women,
(B) Representation in the state union and the state executive must conform to the caste- wise population percentage in the state.
(C) The state executive will nominate two state committee members (one male and one female) to the Central Union.
Central union: Representatives nominated by the state executives of all states shall form the central union which will elect the central executive. This executive will elect a central secretary and central treasurer. The central union will be the coordinating body between the different state unions,
Union elections: Each caste will elect its representatives for every 100 members (50% women). A person from one caste cannot represent another caste.
A person from one panchayat/ mandal/block cannot represent another panchayat/mandal/block. Only one person in a family is eligible to contest. Electioneering is not allowed. A caste should not interfere in the election of another caste.
OBJECTS
The committees and executives should function on the principle of greatest benefit to greatest number. The majority decision is accepted but respecting the minority opinion. The decision of the state committee/ executive must conform to the decisions of the majority mandal/ block unions.
Recall: A representative may be recalled by the caste that elected him. A vacancy may be filled by the same caste.
Till the regular election and formation of committees/ executives, ad-hoc committees shall function at the block and state level.
Collective functioning: The union is a collective body. Its functioning and outlook should be collective. All deliberations should be democratic. Criticism, if any, should be issue- based and made only at the meeting.
The main object is assisted Bahujan empowerment. The other objective is to assign one hectare of cultivable land to every illiterate landless labour family. To the peasants whose land holding is less than one hectare to assign the shortfall. Free education upto 10th class. Free medical facilities. Jobs to the literate unemployed. To give Rs. 500 monthly pensions to the poor senior citizens. Protection of human and civil rights. Implementation of reservations in all grades and sectors.
Prevent upper castes and upper caste parties from stealing the Bahujan reservation facilities (including political reservations).
Assistance to the Bahujans and their families.
FLAG
The union shall have a flag 2’x2 1/ 2’ blue colour with white stars on the left top corner. Bahujans who are 18 years of age and other progressive persons shall be members.
Finance: (a) Income: admission fee, annual subscription, donations. (b) Expenditure: As per the decision of the executives. (c) Audit: Yearly.
SYMPTOMS & DISEASE
No day passes in this “nonviolent” gandhian democratic, socialist, secular state without an attack on the original natives (SC/ST/BC and minorities) maiming and killing them, demolishing and burning their huts and raping their women by the oppressor upper caste, their government and their security forces. This is the philosophy and way of life of the oppressors. It will continue to be so if they are allowed to remain in power.
Fighting the symptoms is simply foolish because neither the symptoms nor the disease will abate.
Not only that. While you keep fighting the symptoms, the disease gets more serious. An appropriate attack with the correct remedy for the disease alone will cure the disease and then the symptoms will disappear automatically.
NATIVES STARVED
India’s population is 110 crores. It has freshwater resources sufficient for the entire world population. But 90% of Indians are struggling for drinking water. The natives are producing foodgrains (22 crore tons) sufficient for 200-crore people, but they are starved to death/ committing suicide. The natives are producing other goods sufficient for 200 crore people, but they are in rags and live in huts.
UPPER CASTE IDEOLOGY
The upper caste economic ideology is: “If you want super profits create artificial scarcity”. That is why the MNCs are clearing a Rs. 1000-crore profit on drinking water. They want scarcity of everything everywhere.
The first demand of the natives is “land to the illiterate and jobs to the literate” (other demand will surface after the first demand is met).
Look at the land holdings of the upper caste super rich:
Lord Balaji, Tirupati 60,000 acres, Reliance Industries 1,00,000 acres; DLF Universal 50,000 acres; Tatas 30,000 acres; Unitech 30,000 acres; Baba Kalyan Group 27,000 aces; Sahara 20,000 acres; Mahindra 10,000 acres; AMR Group 10,000: acres.
There is enough land but in the custody of non-agricuituralists like landlords, temples, big business and government.
As the Govt. in India is “their” govt. they will not give land to the natives.
INHUMAN BRAHMINISM
The upper castes worship an inhuman ideology called Brahminism. Its prostituted name is Hinduism.
The basic principle of Brahminism is permanent enslavement of the natives and their progeny. So, we should not expect from them except obstruction and violence.
While we grow inch by inch and organize from the grass-root level, the upper caste rulers will increase their attacks on us. To protect ourselves, our women, our little property from the upper castes we must have a well-knit organsiation. Hence the need for Bahujan Union.
Most of the existing unions and associations are under the control of our enemy.
There were several movements in India in the last 80 years — all of them were “begging” movements. It is proved that the begging movements cannot give lasting rights.
There is a blind belief among the Bahujan leadership that for any change the awareness of “all Bahujans” must be raised. At the time of French, Russian, Chinese, Vietnamese or Cuban revolution 95% of the masses were illiterate. Even then the people’s force triumphed. “Change” starts with political change and its womb is crisis. India is passing through a crisis. The opportunity is here. We have to seize it.
Forming the Bahujan Union is easy with the least expenditure. You can organize in your own area with ease. It does not need higher qualification or intellectual calibre (one needs intellectual calibre only to cheat others).
If we can form, spread and strengthen such a simple Bahujan Union network, we can retrieve all our rights within 5-10 years and pave the way for a bright future to posterity.
Without such a network union any Bahujan leader, even if he becomes the prime minister/chief minister he will not be able to give security of life to Bahujans in the present social system. He will be only a puppet in the hands of the upper caste rulers,
