Dalit issues should not be viewed as concerns of Mayawati and Dalits only. Even after Mayawati becoming CM and BSP gaining power the Dalits at ground level suffers some tragic fate as before. The persecution of Dalits continue, the exploitation goes on, they are still untouchables, temples are barred for them, they are beaten and their house burnt brazenly with the connivance of the police and authorities and at social level Dalits are treated with despire. And that happens 60 years after gaining independence and the constitution guaranteeing them justice and human rights.
It is taking place in 21st century when science guides the minds, entire human race has accepted the fundamental principles of equality of all humans, human rights and justice to all without discrimination of any kind. But in our society even educated people have irrational caste oriented minds. It appears the casteism is not a social problem but a chronic malaise or genetic disorder we suffer from. It should be noted that the spate of brutal honour killings and horrendous acts of Khap Panchayats are merely extensions of the injustice inflicted on Dalits by the same mindset. If unchecked some day our society will become so warped up that the accumulated irrationality will blow us apart.
By providing reservations to Dalits in jobs and institutions is like a physician applying balm on the boils of a patient who actually suffers from small pox. The small pox, the root cause of the boils is just being ignored. If we don’t accept the fact that we are mentally sick people and need mending even the Mayawati experiment will fail. Sooner or later the Dalits will become hostage to vote bank politics and the social engineering a liability.
Mayawati becoming PM or not will merely becomes academic issue. It is time all Indians gave a thought to the question why even after 60 years of education and social awareness campaigns we fail to accept a basic fact that all humans have equal rights irrespective of their caste and creed origin? Why Mayawati is unable to transmit her political power to empower the ground level Dalit who continues to suffer as before? It is not her fault. There are wall of old prejudices, upper caste pig headedness, vested interests, desire to perpetuate upper caste domination of the society and the exploitative forces who find fresh opportunities in the every situation, old or new. In the new situations they work better having inherited advantages. In recent years we see a diabolic ragging incidents in the educational institutions. These too have the overtones of casteism. The disease is spreading.
To understand Dalit tragedy a sweeping glance at caste history from Manu to Maya’s social engineering is required. Casteism was a curse put on the Hindu society in the name of Manu by the scriptors of our tenets. Manu was a myth created by Brahmins for using as a divine brand to sell their own ideas about the Hindu social order under caste system. The lowest caste was ordered as untouchables to be used as beasts of burden in the human society. Shorn of power and resources, the untouchables, the later day Dalit suffered for ages silently being treated worse than animals. The upper castes drew sadistic pleasure in persecuting and tormenting them. The feudal system and religious order combined to exploit the helpless situation of Dalits. No other section of human society has suffered such social and religious injustice as the Dalits of Hindu society. There was no hope for Dalits.
Then in the last millenium’s early centuries Muslim invaders began to make forays in India. They came as liberators for Dalit trapped in the caste system. The Dalits had a option now. They could convert to Islam and say Khuda Hafiz to caste system. The Muslim invaders were as ruthless as upper castes who were now under pressure. They had to tone down their persecution of Dalits. In the later half of the millenium India social reformers raised their voice against the injustice against Dalits. Some folk poets also ridiculed the attitude and self serving beliefs of the upper castes. Then Englishmen arrived alongwith Christian missionaries. They also provided additional escape routes to the Dalits. But majority of the ignorant and illiterate Dalits were too tramatised mentally to think of options due to centuries of oppression.
The Dalit struggle at political level really began with the arrival of B.R. Ambedkar who himself carried scars of social injustice, humiliation, abuse, mistreatment and discrimination. Dr. Ambedkar pioneered political movement to gain Dalits their basic human rights and social justice. Later, Kanshiram and Mayawati carried forward his battle under the banner of ‘DS-4′ and BSP’. The latter always drew inspiration from Baba Saheb Ambedkar. For once it appeared the very name of Ambedkar was the key to the success of Dalit politics and it was exploited by regional and national parties even.
Dr. Ambedkar who wrote the Constitution for India was a circumspect and farsighted person. Even during the freedom struggle of India against the British he was more concerned about the post-independence situations than the independence itself. He was looking beyond the political freedom of the country. For him the political freedom of 1947 was merely a stop over and not the final destination. Then social issues were not given much importance as it was assumed in the joyous atmosphere of independent India all the social problems would be solved amicably by all concerned parties in the spirit of brotherhood. It proved to be grossly utopian wishful thinking. India was a society of caste infected minds who would use the politically free situation too to entrench themselves along caste lines. Those social problem still exist even after more than sixty years of independent India. Nothing seems to have changed. Some thought the education will liberate minds from the narrow thinking and discriminations will evaporate. But the Indian mind was insulated with deep coatings of age old prejudices whom the education to make reforming impact.
The entire philosophy of Dr. Ambedkar could really empower and energize the nation. His ideas on economic reconstruction were never tried. He and others who mattered remained logged down in social issues. Non acceptance of his ambitious Hindu Code Bill is pointer to the prejudiced mindset of the then political leadership. It showed how difficult the path of equality and self respect was for the down trodden masses.
Some persons deliberately beat the drum of minority terrorism so loudly that the majority society finds little time to pay attention to its own body that is half paralysed. After gaining independence who had stopped the leadership to pay full attention to solve Dalit problem by employing all resources at their command? But Dalits were expected to wait for another few ages with usual patience to get social justice.
Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi) and Baba (Ambedkar) had got a chance in 1932 to build a bridge of good will and fair understanding. After the ‘Second Round Table Conference’ the British had accepted separate constituency for untouchable castes of Hindu society. The step was seen as a conspiracy to divide Hindu society. On this issue Bapu went on ‘Fast unto Death’ saying he wanted to save Hindu society from dismemberment. But for social equality and unity the dominance of upper castes could not be sacrificed.
It was cronical that Gandhiji could launch ‘Non-Cooperation Movement’ and ‘Quit India’ movement against the British and through ‘Swadeshi’ campaign inflict economic disaster on them, yet on the social front he would not call for the boycott of exploiters and persecutors. He did not ask Dalits to stop skinning the dead cattle or stop carrying human excreta. It could have been a good social non-cooperation movement. No such movement was even thought of. After the indepenence was any such social movement launched? Why it all became just the concern of Dr. Ambedkar? Gandhiji did not even lend vocal support to Dr. Ambedkar when the latter started campaign to gain Dalits entry into forbidden temples or to draw water from public water sources. But Ambedkar was forced to sign ‘Poona Pact’ that took away the separate constituency provision.
Dr. Ambedkar made the sacrifice to save the life of Bapu and for the good will of other sections of the society for Dalits. The provision of the separate constituency could have groomed Dalit leadership. We could not banish the disparities borne by the caste system, casteism and discriminations.
After 1932, Gandhiji engaged in a grim battle for two years against the sick mindset of the upper castes. He even warned if they did not apologize for their sins Hindu society will get destroyed. He faced stiff opposition and even physical abuse was attempted on him. Although he led a fierce campaign yet he did not resort to Satyagraha, non-cooperation or boycott in his Dalit movement. As a result the entire effort was reduced to a social reforms exercise.
Ambedkar thought the caste system was the biggest hurdle in the way of social equality. The political power was the most effective method of eliminating social disparities. The political power indeed has played a big role in whatever benefits the Dalits have been able to gain. We can see the spirit of Ambedkar still working through late Kanshiram and now Mayawati. His spirit leads through organisation, education, struggle and social political rights. His farsighted wisdom will never get outdated and shall continue to lead Dalit movements.
BSP supremo Mayawati has carried forward the Dalit movement with dedication and in true spirit. She is the lone figure at present Dalits can pin their hopes on.
It was relatively single social engineering as long as UP only was her concern and fringe interest in some other state assemblies. But the road to Delhi is difficult. Mayawati would need more and more partners to reach Delhi. She should not allow any opportunist politician to use her or mislead her like last time the Left leaders did and got her cut a sorry figure.
Mayawati must remain true to her basic ideal of Dalit empowerment at ground level. Politically she has progressed theoratically from Dalit society to Bahujan Samaj politics. Inspite of other castes joining her band wagon her primary goal shall and should remain deliverence of the Dalits from abject deprivation and persecution. It is in the interest of the nation.
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