Some people including Dalits were surprised on reading our statement in the press, hailing the Gujarat Dalits for winning the caste war. The Gujarat Dalit Panthers, to whom the leadership of the Dalits passed since the Cong. I leadership disappeared into thin air, have agreed with our assessment and accepted our congratulations. They have also proudly admitted that they have won the battle.
Yet another proof of victory is that the high caste Hindus, who are leading the anti-reservation agitation, are quarreling among themselves. During our stay in Ahmedabad we have seen press statements by anti-reservationists blaming each other for the “defeat”. That means the high castes have themselves admitted that they have lost the battle.
This is how we arrived at the conclusion that Gujarat Dalits have won the caste war. Besides, there are any number of press reports also arriving at the very same conclusion.
MUSLIMS STAND BY DALITS
After making these observations we reproduce our statement made after a second-round study-tour of Gujarat in the 3rd and last week of April, 1981: –
On behalf of the Dalits and other progressive forces of Karnataka in particular and South in general, we congratulate the Dalits of Gujarat for having won the ‘caste war’ – the biggest in the history of India.
We had visited Gujarat in the first week of February and glad to note that all our predictions made then have since come true. The society in Gujarat got neatly divided into caste Hindus versus Dalits. Muslims and Christians solidly stood by the Dalits.
During the second visit, we had occasion to visit a number of Dalit and Muslim areas, addressed a series of meetings, had discussions with them and also with journalists, professors, lawyers, judges, doctors, textile labuor union and Gandhians.
The threefold purpose of our visit was-
- to congratulate Ramesh Chandra Parmar, President, Dalit Panthers, Gujarat, and his able band of lieutenants for winning the caste war and providing the Dalits with the most effective and dedicated leadership at the most critical juncture in the history of Gujarat. The Congress (I) and other party leadership including M.L.A.s and M.P.s belonging to scheduled caste has betrayed its caste interests.
- to invite 5 leaders of Gujarat Dalit Panthers to Bangalore and then to Madras for a public reception to be accorded to them by Dravida Kazgham and entire Dalits of South. The invitation has been accepted.
- to complete our book on the Gujarat caste-war which will have a foreword by Dr. Mulk Raj Anand, India’s most famous writer. The title of the book is “The Red Book of Hindu Terror”.
AMBEDKAR & GANDHI
In the light of what we have seen and discussed; we make the following observations:
- The Hindu communal forces after having lost the caste war are today licking the wounds. The R.S.S. and its political reincarnation, the B.J P. which led this anti-Dalit war in the guise of anti-reservation agitation, stands divided and also demoralised. We have evidence that the very same forces tried to set fire to the house of a medico leader. A high caste leader was beaten up by the R.S.S. boys.
- The Dalits who had neither the money, the police, the press nor any social status could win this historic battle because truth and justice were on their side. The medicos lost with all their six Ps, namely Police, Press, Patels, Purse, Political parties and Prabhodh Rawal (Home and Education Minister) because they thought pride and prejudice are superior to truth and justice.
- We also consider this as a battle between Gandhi and Ambedkar. This battle began way back in 1932 with the defeat of Dr. Ambedkar and ending with the infamous “Poona Pact”. In Gandhi’s own land, Gandhi got defeated. So, it’s a historic victory with great implications to be recorded by social scientists and historians. We call upon Dalits to remember Ambedkar’s warning that Gandhi should be treated as the enemy No.1 of the untouchables.
- As we have noted during our previous visit, the R. S. S. and other Hindu communal elements did try their best to turn the anti-Dalit war into a Hindu – Muslim riot. But best of their efforts failed because all the oppressed and persecuted minorities stood like one man. We congratulate the Muslims and Christians for standing by the Dalits. A number of Muslims attended our meetings.
- However, we regret to note that the OBCs listed by the Baxi Commission have not come out openly in support of Dalits. Not only that, in some places like Detroj, Uttarsanda, Pij and some parts of Ahmedabad, (Shahpur) some backward Class Communities like Kshatriyas, Rabaris, and Vaghar also attacked Dalits.
- Chief Minister Solanki’s community of Kshatriyas represent a record 40% of the state population. If reservation goes, the Kshatriya community will be also affected. But Solanki, who became Chief Minister by the strength of his community forgot their interest during this critical period. Therefore, Solanki has to be charged with the betrayal of the interest of his community. EXPEL “GUJARAT SAMACHAR”
- This leads us to the most important point: The reservations to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are provided under the Constitution. Whereas there is no reservation to OBCs. The Government of India report on backward classes (Mandal Commission Report) is now before parliament. The high-caste Hindus have succeeded in engineering an anti-reservation agitation all over the country by taking advantage of Gujarat caste war. The conspiracy behind this is to sabotage the Mandal Commission Report. That means, the Gujarat caste war is not aimed only at Dalits, but to finish the OBCs. Unfortunately, the vast segment of OBCs comprising over 40% of Indian Population has not seen through this game of divide and rule. This is the greatest lesson of Gujarat caste-war.
- We are also sorry to note that S/Ts in Gujarat comprising 14% of the population have also not come out in full support of SCs.
- As a journalist and writer, we are ashamed to note the role played by the press, particularly the Gujarati language press. Not only Dalits and others have complained to us about this but some pressmen themselves have come out with this report quoting Instances. We refer to Arun Sadhu’s report (Gujarat Journalistic Outrage – “Statesman” 18-3-1981)
Report in “Sunday’, Mainstream etc. point out that the upper caste journalists of Gujarat sided with the anti-reservationists to protect their caste interest. Even Arvind Buch, the boss of the powerful Mill Workers’ Union, (Majur Mahajan) and himself a Brahmin, told me that the Gujarati Press was mainly responsible for fanning violence on Dalits.
It must be noted that it is this very same press which criticized Indira Gandhi for imposing press censorship and making much about ‘gagging the press”. We are happy that the Dalits of Gujarat have exposed the communal character of the Gujarati Press in all its nakedness. The Editors Guild, which has sent a team to Gujarat to probe the excesses of the Press, must expel such editors found guilty.
We recommend the expulsion of the editor of “Gujarat Samachar”, the largest circulated Gujarati daily, for being mainly responsible for fanning violence.
AMBEDKAR UNIVERSITY
In the light of these observations, we make the following demands.
- The high caste Hindus have lost the war, they have to now surrender. The Government must reintroduce inter-changeability and carry forward system. None of their demands should be accepted and status quo maintained.
- We reiterate our earlier demand that the Solanki Government must immediately start a separate medical college exclusively for S/C, S/T to be developed into a separate full-fledged University named after Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. This is a must. And we call upon the Dalits to fight for that.
- The entire medical profession, having been prostituted by the high castes, it is high time the Government nationalise the medical profession. This poor country cannot afford to finance the studies of rich high-caste students who flee to America or elsewhere to serve the western world.
- The drug industry, which is also in the hands of the high-castes and aiding and abetting this profession, must be also nationalised simultaneously.
CONCLUSION
We are not afraid of the caste war. Since “caste” itself is a “class” in India, we consider caste war as the beginning of a class war. If the high castes have the courage, let them abolish the reservations. But are they ready to face the consequences?
