Part I – Caste Conflict within the Category
Any struggle of social transformation is never straightforward. The political contradiction of capitalists against labor promoted by Marx was comparatively simple. So, countries like Russia and China did make it successful and captured political power. But just by political change, the social order does not change. The real fight involves changing the mental attitude, which is complicated. This complication in Russia could not be sorted out. So a counter-revolution took place under ordinary drunkards like Yeltsin. In China, they had to give up the path going from socialism to communism.
Brahmin Leadership
The struggle of transforming the varna-caste order in India is complicated since it has to be both physical and mental. The religious (Buddhist) revolution, which could destroy the varna system, could not tolerate the challenge of the caste system, which was not created by any one caste. Though its intellectual leadership is led by the Brahmins, the political and economic side was controlled by non-Brahmins. As a result of the movement of Phule-Ambedkar, the citadel of the caste system seems to have become weak.
Even then, until intelligentsia is produced among the non-Brahmin castes, vigilant and capable of handling the changing oncoming challenges, it would be foolish to praise the past successes of the movement.
Phule-Ambedkar Movement
They had given us the weapon of reservation in the battle against the caste system. The aim was to create motivation for education among the Backward Castes through reservations so that it would help start the creation of intellectuals. From these white-collar workers would appear a class of our own leaders to guide the movement to end the caste system. This was a fair, simple, and modest expectation of Phule-Ambedkar. If even half a per cent of such intelligentsia had appeared, there would have been a strong force of the combined movement of Dalits, Adivasis, and OBCs today.
Instead, the educated among the non-Brahmins are breaking the unity of the movement. Such new challenges are appearing before the movement for ending the caste system. The real tragedy is there is no intellectual class to face these challenges.
Caste-Based Fight Can’t Fight Caste System
To fight the other castes, Dr. Ambedkar tells us, is the very purpose of the caste system. A movement to end the caste system cannot be based on organizing on the basis of caste or category. Realizing this, Dr. Ambedkar established the Independent Labor Party. But he had to give up this revolutionary path, already proved successful, and came back to caste politics, under the combined conspiracy of the British imperialists and Indian imperialistic Brahmins. He had hopes that some way would emerge from the policy of reservations. It was hoped that many castes would be bound into one category by the common interests, and the hate and distrust among these castes would disappear.
Harm Done by Buddhist Leadership
So, reservation was given to a category and not the caste. In every category, there are one or two dominant castes, strong enough to monopolize all the facilities for themselves. The Mahar caste of olden days was prominent and fought in large numbers. Comparatively, other Dalit castes were numerically small. Some castes did not join this fight and representatives of some castes were in the enemy camp. But by the implementation of reservation policy, all Untouchable castes came under the category of Scheduled Castes. It was natural that their leadership came to Buddhists. But even this natural leadership could not be handled by leaders.
So much so many castes like Matangas, Charmakars, etc., stood against the Buddhists. This is the devastating role played by the Buddhist leadership which once played a role to fight caste.
What would be the situation of other categories? Among the Adivasis, the neglected minority castes like Kokana Adivasis, Thakurs, Kolis, etc., stood against the most castes. Among the nomadic tribes, the minority-neglected castes stood against Banjara-Dhangar castes. OBC leadership movement, in the initial stages, was mainly with the influential castes like Agris and Malis who became today’s OBC leadership. So much so minority castes are being instigated against them.
Superficial Caste Struggle
Those OBC castes, which got the reservation later, were affected by this ailment much later and the symptoms are getting visible now. It is very hard to start the basic struggle against the caste system. But the superficial caste struggle within the category to create rift between the castes is easy to create and does not require any basic ideology. Because of this, readymade leadership emerges by just hating others, quickly gaining political importance.
Beed Literary Meet
Shiva Sena and BJP used this political technique and created leadership from within the Charmakars, Matangas, etc. Today they are using the same technique to create leaders among the OBCs. The OBC literary meet at Beed is part of this strategy.
The Maratha-OBC contradiction in the Beed Literary Meet was on the ideological and practical level and referred to the OBC movement in general. But the camp of Upare, incapable of handling the ideological and intellectual points, and wanting to use shortcuts to establish itself in politics, projected this contradiction in the form of unity of microscopic OBC castes. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the precise conflict in the Beed Literary Meet.
I have been struggling since 2004 to establish an OBC Literary movement. We conducted the first meet at Pune under the leadership of Sudhakarrao Gangane in 2006, and the second Meet at Nasik in 2008. I was discussing with Hanmantrao Upare and Dr. Narayanrao Munde, for the last six-seven months, about organizing the third OBC meet at Beed. I was present during the meeting in Beed for the purpose, on July 4, when many important decisions were taken. One was that “Prof. Shravan Deore should be consulted while finalizing the pamphlets of the program and agenda, because he has experience of arranging two successful previous meets.”
Anti-OBCs at OBC Meet
Still, I was not consulted. I was shocked to find dominance of castes opposing the OBC movement in a meet organized in the name of OBCs. A noted literary figure, Nagnath Kotapalle, the motivator of the OBC movement, was honoured at the 2008 session as president of the Nasik meet. But to again make him president at the Beed session in 2010 meant there are no more dignitaries among the OBCs and OBC movement is getting bankrupt. Principal Mulate, a socialist, was a guide behind this meet.
All socialists are Brahminists in the final analysis.
Maratha Reservation
The subject of Maratha reservation and infiltration among the OBCs has become the life and death question for the OBC movement. The OBC movement is a part of the movement to abolish the very caste system. Brahminism is the main enemy of this movement.
Attempts of the Marathas to enter the OBCs is a part of this Brahminic invasion.
If you want to enter the OBC category, infiltrate their literary meet:
A century and half ago, Mahatma Phule, the lone intellectual revolutionary, understood the wily tricks of Brahminic enemy and tried to save the Bahujans. But the Bahujans, out of ignorance, rejected Mahatma Phule himself and isolated him.
There are only two persons in Maharashtra who can courageously oppose the infiltration of upper castes within OBCs. They are Hanumantrao Upare and Prof. Shravan Deore.
How Mete, the enemy of OBCs, was allowed in the literary meet where Upare is president and Deore is organizer? I asked Upare to allow me to speak freely in the session in the presence of MLA Mete to awaken the masses. But I was asked to send my speech in writing. I decided not to attend and not to oppose.
Intellectual Strength of Bhujbal
“OBC Seva Sangh” represents the ideological aspect of the OBC movement. Its president, Pradeep Dhoble, was present at the meet, so was Sudhakarrao Gangane, who is a pioneer of the movement. Also, many leaders from various parties and different castes.
Politicians always need a stage because OBC has become a big vote bank. That is how Gangane, Munde, Mete, and Dhoble, were present but I was taken aback by the behaviour of Chhagan Bhujbal, who though present in town for the whole day, did not turn up. Of the four names mentioned above two are successful leaders and the other two are expectant ones. Bhujbal is recognized as OBC leader. He could take a stand purely beneficial to the OBC cause unlike others.
