My young comrades, you know the pitiable conditions in which we live today. You also know that Caste Hindus are solely responsible for our plight.
But please do not believe that we have always been in this condition. We were the rulers of this country before the advent of the uncultured Aryans. We had our own language, culture and history. The newcomers so framed history as to create an impression that those, who are now known as Scheduled Castes and Tribes had always been ignorant, unsulfured, unclean, superstitious and are destined to remain so unless the Caste Hindus come to their rescue and uplift them.
Friends, let me tell you frankly that the Caste Hindu historians and leaders have given us a totally false impression and are making false claims. It is they who suppressed our history, ruined our culture, denied to us the light of knowledge, drove us into jungles, usurped our lands, deprived us of our wealth, dislocated our economy, killed our wise and holy men, – slaughtered our valiant youths, corrupted our rising generation and eventually, with the force of arms, succeeded in creating terror, despondency and frustration among our young men. This, in a nut-shell, is a brief synopsis of our history during the last three thousand years. Things have not improved much, though we are supposed to be free.
Verses were interpolated in Hindu religious discourses which had the effect of inciting the listeners to illtreat our forefathers and deprive them of bare human rights. We were called the “Rakshasas,” the “Mlechchas” and the “Panchama’s” and were not allowed to own land or accumulate weaitn. We had to live outside the _ village and away from society. Caste Hindu leaders started a theory that our people are “walking burial grounds” and, therefore, their touch would pollute them. A belief was spread among the Caste Hindus that the Untouchables are the products of Sin (Papayoniah) and born sinners.
At this stage was born the Buddha who raised a banner of revolt against all these inhuman beliefs and practices. He lived for eighty years and his humanistic movement thrived for more than thousand years until Kumarila Bhat and Adi Shankaracharya contrived to kill the movement by the usual Brahminic Strategy of creating differences among Buddha’s followers, and later, persecuted and banished them.
From this time onwards, Hindu movement reestablished itself and, began to gain a momentum. Those who were untouchables so far became unseeable and more sub-human than before. Greater Dalit Voice not Hindus restrictions were placed on their daily lives reducing them to abject poverty. Their labor continued to be exploited in agriculture, housebuilding and petty industrial concerns. Payment of wages to them was never thought of. They were, however, allowed to beg for alms at night and feed themselves. After the harvest, they were allowed to pick up what was left scattered in the fields. They were not allowed to take part in festivities of any kind. They were not allowed to put on new clothes or chappals or Camry lathis. Their marriages could take place only during the months when agricultural labor was not required. They could not visit other villages without the permission of the local village officers. Thus, intervillage communication was also prohibited. Neither could they approach temples or schools. If they fell ill, death was the only remedy, because no Vaid would treat them. The main throughfares were out of bound for them; so were the wells. They could take water only from running brooks even if they were miles away from the villages. On occasions when human sacrifice was considered essential, the Scheduled Caste people came in handy. People outside India wonder why we did not revolt. They do not know that the Caste Hindus had instilled a belief into our minds that we were now suffering because of our past sins committed in the previous birth. Our simple and unsophisticated ancestors believed them. (Vide the creed of Poonarjanma).
Centuries rolled by in this way. The coming in of Muslims from across the North-Western frontiers made no differences, as the pundits promised support to the new rulers on the condition that they would not interfere with Hindu religion, or their customs and traditions. Muslim rule later gave place to British rule. This period opened up a few chances for the economic betterment of the Scheduled Castes. The most outstanding event of this period was the realization by the Caste Hindus of the importance of number in a democratic regime. It was at this stage that the so-called movements for the removal of untouchability and temple entry were started beguile and hoodwink us into further submission. Tilak, Ranade, Gokhale, Dr. Moonje and Gandhiji came out in the open as saviors of the Untouchables.
During this period, fortunately for these unhappy people, Dr. Ambedkar, their own man, look up the cudgels on their behalf and worked ceaselessly until he secured recognition from the British Government for Scheduled Castes as an entity deserving special care. This recognition came as a bolt from the blue to the entire Hindu community and their leader Gandhi threatened to fast unto death unless this recognition was withdrawn. All Caste Hindu leaders and their press begged, cajoled and later threatened Dr. Ambedkar to agree to Gandhiji’s formula known as Poona Pact. Dr. Ambedkar yielded under duress but later repented for having done so, as the Hindus themselves repudiated the Poona Pact. Dr. Ambedkar’s efforts were thus nullified. But he succeeded in creating self-respect and self-reliance among our educated young men.
After Independence, all sorts of promises and pledges were incorporated in the Constitution but the right of the Caste Hindus to select candidates to represent the Scheduled Castes and other minorities was introduced. This has sounded our death-knell. We cannot hope to make any progress at all unless and until we get back our right
– to elect our own representatives
– to run our own educational institutions
– to have our separate settlements where we will be free to live our own lives.
Our educational institutions will follow the common syllabus framed by the State educational authorities, provided distortions and misrepresentations contained in the History of India are removed and replaced by correct facts. This can be done only if scholars representing Mool Bharati’s and other minorities are represented on the Board of Historical Studies.
To achieve all this, we have to declare the fundamental and historical truth that we MOOL BHARATIS are not Hindus and are not prepared to help them to establish Hindu Raj in India in the name of Secular Socialist Democracy. We have suffered and sacrificed enough. Let us now rehabilitate ourselves. This is my humble message to the educated youths of the Mool Bharati’s. Friends! Know your own history. Only then will you be able to make History. In doing so, please remember two essential factors: – –
1) We are all Mool Bharatis. Do not think and act in terms of Chora, Chamar Balmiki, Mala, Madiga, Mahar, Mang, Holiya, Madir, Mochi, Mehra, Matang, Samgar, Jatav, Satnami, Namasudra, Goud, Bhil, Santal, Mizo, Khasi, Bhumia, Mazhabi, Kabirpanthi, Sansi, Banjara, Male, masti, Mether, Dusadh, Pardi, Pagi, Arundhathi, Ajila, Kanakkan, Pallan, Bausodi, ‘Yesawa, Dhanuk, Bedajungam, Venkar, Dhor, Newars, Megh, Dhed, Com, Kanjar, Halalkhor, Ramdasi, Ravidasi, Chenchu, Konda, Dora, Koya, Dhammi, Kuki, Miri, Bhumij Champa, Mannan, lambani, Medar, Naga, Bhatia, Mru, Malumi, Milacheri, Munda, Adi Andhra, Adi Karnataka, Adi Dravida, Adi Dharmi, Adi Vasi etc.
We cannot feel and become one unless we erase from our minds this divisive nomenclature which has been created by the Caste Hindus to keep us divided and weak. Once a month, we should publicly demonstrate our unity and strength by convening a 16 Dalit Voice joint mass meeting of all constituent elements of our community, whose leaders should be made to sit on the platform and declare with one voice that they are all Mool Bharatis. We must throw this nomenclature in the faces of Caste Hindus and close our ranks.
2) Do not be disheartened if you find our leaders in different camps. They have not forgotten that they themselves are Mool Bharti’s; nor have they forgotten us from whom they derive their strength. Whether X works with the Congress, ‘Y’ with the Republican Party or ‘Z’ joins hands with the minorities, they are all one with us and cannot afford to let our cause down. Bhim Sena workers should not condemn them or speak ill of them because they have infiltrated info the camp of our oppressors. They will all come back to us and work with us when they realise that we have developed strong consciousness and have become a solid rock of suppressed humanity which is now going to break its bonds of slavery for good and march ahead towards triumphs and success.
Persons not belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Tribes, provided they agree with our aims and objects, and do not believe in fuming one cheek if the other is slapped, can join the BHIM SENA, whatever non- Hindu religion they may profess. (Foreword to the booklet, MOOL BHARTIS, 1968).
