Land’s End, Kanyakumari dt. of Tamil Nadu, rocked by bloody communal violence between RSS fascists & poor Christian fishermen, has created history from which dalits, persecuted minorities and Marxists will have to learn great lessons. We have to thank the RSS for forcing us to learn these lessons from what is described by the Statesman (March 21) as the “guerilla warfare” launched by the khaki-clad “chaddi party” boys of Balasaheb Deoras. Unity comes out of struggle. Deccan Herald (March 20) special correspondent after a tour of the riot areas says that RSS attack united Church of all denominations of Protestant Christians & the Roman Catholics. “Christians developed solidarity with the Muslims too. This was further cemented after the Hindu campaign in the wake of the Meenakshipuram conversions in 1981.” Not only the Christian militancy has come to the fore for the first time but in this battle against the RSS, “Christians were supported by the Muslims. Various action groups, some inclined to the Vinod Mishra Naxalite group, also lined up behind the Christian-Muslim Front. The CPM’s communal alignments in Kerala and its recent policy of cooperation with Christian groups, found it ranged against the RSS. This was a spillover of the RSS-CPM reprisals in Kerala and Kanyakumari was taken as another battleground to settle scores”, he says. Many other newspaper correspondents also reported about the unity of Christians, Muslims and dalits in. their fight against RSS, which is the common enemy of all the three sections. Our Nagercoil dalit representative while confirming this new; happy development adds that militant Ambedkarites among dalits have also thrown their lot with Christians and Muslims in this Great Divide. He also sends the SOS that dalits fear that the next attack of – the RSS will be on them Many of them are also considering mass conversion to Islam if RSS launches such an attack. The powerful Dravida Kazagham’s general secretary Veeramand has also lent his full support of his organisation, comprising mostly the OBCs, to those fighting RSS. A resolution to this effect was passed at the anti- RSS conference convened by DK at Madras on March 21. Besides, the Dalit Cultural . Front, Madras, convened a meeting to consider the “RSS war on minorities” on March 20 at Madras attended by representatives of the Catholics, Protestants, Muslims and dalits, who decided to form a joint front of all these communities. to fight the growing RSS threat. CPM and CPI cadres are also understood to be forcing their leadership to join the anti-RSS battle. Meanwhile, the Gujarat Dalit Panthers held (March 28) the country’s first ever joint conference of dalits, Muslims, tribals and Christians. From Patna, we have reports of Jagjivan Ram inaugurating a conference of the very same persecuted minorities including Sikhs and Parsees under the auspices of International League of Minorities. At Nagpur and Nagercoil similar conferences are planned. All these indicate a major development of far-reaching significance. The persecuted minorities are fastrealising the need for joining hands against their common enemy. Such a polarisation of social forces has been taking place for some time. But, thanks to the RSS-led “Hindu unity conferences” that led to series of anti Muslim riots in Ahmedabad. Poona, Sholapur, Baroda, Aligarh, Belgaum, Shimoga etc. in recent months, such a polarisation got a shot in the arm. At the Madras meeting convened by the Dalit Cultural Front, Christian representatives said their leaders were sleeping all these days when da its and Muslims were being attacked by the Hindu communal forces. They woke up only now when Christian life, property and Church were attacked. It is only now they are seeking the support of Muslims and dalits. Another important lesson of the TN communal riots, which are spreading to different parts of TN and threatening to cross over to neighbouring Kerala. is that the spectacular growth of RSS (110 shakas in the Nagercoil area alone) is posing a threat to the Left movement. Let it be noted that RSS grows not at the expense of any political party but CPM & CPI. It is for this reason that CPM cadres in Kerala are waging a bloody battle against RSS in which about 100 were killed so far. We have time & again made it clear that we have great respect for Marxism but the upper caste-dominated Left leadership is not interested in revolution. Therefore, this is the right time for the cadres of the Left parties to force the leadership and make it reconsider its stand CPM boss Namboodiripad has stated that h’s party would rather join the RSS to fight Cong. I which he considers as the main enemy. In TN too the CPM leadership is said to be sympathetic to the RSS. This is because the RSS and CPM leadership belongs to the same caste. Another important lesson of the TN riots is the growing irrelevance of political parties in India. Cong. I leaders them selves participated in RSS-sponsored conferences. In Keral, the Cong. 1 is actively assisting the RSS. A DMK MLA inaugurated a RSS hunger-strike against Christians in Madras. In every party there are people sympathetic to RSS. Upper castes have no permanent parties but only permanent interests. Since RSS represents the interests of both the property holders and the upper castes, it is but natural that India’s business community, landlords & the higher castes finance the RSS. The silence of all political parties including the Left on the current onslaught of the RSS on the minorities has once for all proved that the poor toiling masses can’t rely upon parties wedded to electoral politics. Hence the urgent need for a social and cultural polarisation.’ It is here we have to consider India’s only problem sector : the vast OBCs. It is these sections, comprising over 40% of the Hindu population, who are used by the RSS to attack dalits, Muslims and Christians. In the TN riots it is the backward Nadars who attacked the Christians. Elsewhere it is the Thevars, Vanniyars, and Padayachis, all OBCs, who were attacking the dalits & Muslims. This is the case all over India. The OBC leadership should impress upon its masses that it is the Hindu upper castes who are opposing the Mandal Commission report that recommended reservations to OBCs. The opposition is not from dalits or minorities. On the other hand, they have joined agitations demanding reservations to OBCs. It was Dr. B. R. Ambedkar who provided for reservations to OBCs. So it is for the OBC leaders like Veeramani etc. to educate the masses. Let the high castes, who also belong to the rich class, go with the RSS. Their social and economic interests will be safe in the hands of the RSS. This necessarily means dalits, tribals, Muslims, Christians Sikhs & of course the OBCs comprising over 70% of the Indian population should be on the opposite side. The rulers Vs the ruled. The Church, both the Catholic & Protestant, must immediately set its house in order. Because, TN riots have brought the cracks in the Church to the open. The Nedar Christains in KK dt. joined their Hindu Nadars in attacking Christian fishermen. To the Christian Nadras, blood became thicker than water. The Church got divided on caste lines even during such a crisis. Some Bishops belonging to higher castes refused to sympathise with the plight of their suffering co-religionists. RSS naturally exploited this clevage to the maxmium, extent. This is a serious reflection on the state of the Church in India. The Church will have no right to criticise Hindu communalism as long it is practising caste within itself. As days pass RSS with its myriad front organisations is bound to emerge as the most powerful organisation in India. Funds, no problem. Right now it has crores of rupees in its coffers. It has arms & amunition. A sympathetic press. Foreign contributions. More than any thing, the entire ruling class to beef up. Therefore it is bound to ride the waves. From Madhya Pradesh we get reports that RSS is busy Hinduising the tribals. Only in the North-eastern India it is meeting with a setback. Whatever it is, RSS has a big future and this will be only at the expense of democracy, socialism & secularism, which are dear to the hearts of dalits, tribals, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs & OBCs. Hence the need for all these persecuted minorities to unite in a joint front against its common enemy.
