Ambedkar’s ideology is the only way for Dalit liberation in Nepal: Om Prakash Gahatraj

In conversation with Vidya Bhushan Rawat

Om Prakash Gahatraj is an encyclopedia of Ambedkarite movement in Nepal. I mentioned Ambedkarite movement particularly as he was associated with a vetran leader Mohan Lal Kapali who took Baba Saheb Ambedkar to various Dalit basties in Kathmandu when he visited there to attend the World Buddhist Conference in 1956.  He worked in different capacities with the government of Nepal to help them on various issues related to Dalits and their uplift.

                                                                                                                                          

          He is now engaged in Dalit movement of Nepal. He is also the Chief editor of “Pratinidhi” tri-monthly literary Dalit Magazine published in 80s. Writer of the Biography of Mr. Mohan Lal Kapali (Senior Leader of Dalit Movement) published by DNF/ESP. Published many articles in leading newspapers, journals etc. He spoke to Vidya Bhushan Rawat on various issues concerning the Ambedkarite Dalit movement in Nepal.

VB : You mentioned yesterday about the visit of Dr Ambedkar in 1956. It is interesting to see how the Nepali Dalit community welcomed Baba Saheb on his visit. I would like to listen from you a little more about this visit and who were the people who hosted him and which places did he visit. What did he advise to the people.

OM :   The Govt. of Nepal and Buddhist Group hosted Dr. Ambedkar. He visited Dalits areas (dwellings) specially Deopatan (Pasupati Temple Area), Sahagal (Lalitpur), Dhalku-Chettrapati( Kathmandu) and Bhaktapur. After looking the worst conditions of Dalits, he advised Dalits to go in struggle in large scale for emancipation from this condition.

VB : Where did he stay ? Who were the people who invited him ? 

OM:  The Govt. of Nepal and Buddhist Group invited Dr. Ambedkar  to play vital role to make success of Buddist Conference in Kathmandu on 1956. He stayed in Sital Nivas (Govt. Guest House- Presently President House).

VB: Baba Saheb redefined Buddhism in India. He felt it was the only way out for the emancipation of the untouchables. Did Buddhism play same emancipatory role in Nepal for untouchables or they have been culturally religiously remained Hindus. Is there any movement to carry this message of Baba Saheb in Nepal?

OM: As far I know no Buddhist did campaign in Nepal to emancipate Dalits from this caste based discrimination. They are remained religiously limited and very rarely they speak for equality in their religious speech. We social workers do movement to carry messages of Baba Saheb in Nepal. 

VB: According to your narratives of life of Mohan Lal Kapaliji, Baba Saheb also visited Pashupatinath temple. Are you sure of it? Is there any photograph available? What was his reaction to visit there?  Did he express his desire or it was the local community leaders who wanted him to go there.

OM:  The major area of Dalits was in Deopatan which is the area of Pasupati Temple. Formerly it was called Deopatan Area and now it is called Pasupati Area.  Dr. Ambedkar visited that area to see the condition of Dalits not to worship Pasupati Temple. On the way he saw Pasupati Temple being in the same locality of Dalits but did not worship. Even today there are thousands of Dalits living there. Neither the Dalit leaders wanted him to go there nor was his desire, it was on the way so he saw it.

VB: I can understand the pain Baba Saheb Ambedkar felt deeply disturbed on seeing the conditions of Dalits in Nepal. What was his initial reactions and what advise did he give to the people here. 

OM:  Dr. Ambedkar was angered with the behavior of Nepal Government towards Dalits of Nepal and said he was betrayed by the leaders of Nepal while talking in Delhi about Dalits of Nepal. After returning from the visit the leader of the team of Dalit leaders Mr. Saharsanath Kapali (Eldest brother of Mr. Mohan Lal Kapali) gave tea reception in honor of Baba Sahib at the Sital Nivas.  At the reception Baba Sahib called on Dalits of Nepal to go on struggle for rights.  

VB: You mentioned that Baba Saheb wanted to meet the prime minister but when the PM came to know about Dr Ambedkar's wish to meet him. He himself came to Sheetla Bhavan. Could you elaborate of that meeting? Did the PM give any particular assurance to Dr Ambedkar.

OM: I never mentioned that Baba Saheb wanted to meet the prime minister. When Baba Saheb visited Dalit Basti (Area) and saw the worst condition of Dalits, he became angered against the attitude of Nepal Govt. towards Dalits of Nepal. Seeing the anger mood of Baba Sahib, the liaison officer who was associated on behalf of Govt. in the visit reported the anger of Baba Saheb to the Prime Minister of Nepal (Mr. Tanka Prasad Acharya). After the return of Baba Saheb to the Guest House (Sital Nivas), Then Prime Minister Hon. Acharya invited Baba Saheb to his residence to talk about this matter. When Baba Saheb showed his reluctance to go in his residence, Hon Acharya himself came to the Sital Nivas and assured to Baba Saheb to give due attention to the development of Dalits.

VB: Where is Ambedkarite movement in Nepal ? What have been their achievements ? Could you share with us the role of Mohan Lal Kapali ji in promoting Ambedkarism and strengthening the Dalit movement in Nepal.

OM:  Ambedkarite movement is run by most of Dalit leaders not by non Dalits till now

in Nepal. Late Mr. Mohan Lal Kapali run Ambedkarite movement throughout his life in Nepal. We were also educated and informed about Baba Saheb from him. Now most of Dalit leaders in Nepal are convinced that Dr. Baba Saheb’s philosophy is only the way to get rid of caste based discrimination.

VB: What has the the civil society role in Nepal to eliminate discrimination against Dalit. Is there solidarity among various movements in Nepal with the cause of Dalit rights?

OM:  There is a little role of the civil society in Nepal to eliminate discrimination against Dalit. There is solidarity among various movements in Nepal with the cause of Dalit rights.  But most of the civil society organizations are led by Bramins so there is some problems to be done the work by heart.

VB: What is the status of Dalits in Nepal? Is there affirmative action on part of government for the Dalits in Nepal ?

OM:  No one Dalit is in the council of Ministers even today whereas Dalit’s population according to Govt. statistics is more than 13.2 %. Only one Dalit is Chief District Officer out of 75. Out of 601 Constituent Assembly members, only 41 Members are from Dalit community. There is less than one % Dalit recruitment in the Govt. civil service. There is very little affirmative action in the laws that too very poor implementation because all the top leaders of major political parties are Brahmins. They do not like to lose the existing opportunities of their families.

VB: Nepal has outlawed untouchability but discrimination against Dalits and practice of untouchability is prevalent. How does the government handle them? What is the role of NHRC and National Dalit Commission in all this. Do they have power to summon and dismiss the officials who are found violating the law of the land?

OM:  NHRC only can recommend to Govt to implement the laws. National Dalit Commission is not constitutional body so it has no power. It can only request to the concerned agency to provide justice. But the stakeholders so far are showing a deaf ear. The Govt. has assigned the job of over-throughing this problem to Dalits itself through National Dalit Commission and Dalit Development Committee. Non Dalits are not interested in this job.

VB:  How strong is the role of left organisations or parties in strengthening the Dalit movement in Nepal? Are they considered to be friend or allies? How do Ambedkarite organization, if there are any, consider them. What do you think has been the role of the Maoists in fighting for the rights of the Dalits in your country?

OM:  All they are using Dalits for their own and throw them into the garbage after use. This is reality. Most of the leaders of left parties also are Brahmins so it is easy to understand the reality.

 VB:  Are political parties ready to give fair representations in their structure or they still want to continue with patronizing attitude?

OM: They are giving very less representation to Dalits but not in decision making level in their parties to show inclusion to donors.

VB: What is the way out to eliminate caste discrimination and untouchability?

OM:  The only way out to eliminate caste based discrimination and untouchability is to follow Dr. Ambedkar’s philosophy “Be educated, Be organized and Do struggle”.

Democracy as legitimization of Jat terror in Haryana

Dalits of Bhagana village seek justice for rape victims

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat

Rape as an instrument of caste dominance

On March 23^rd when India remembers one of its greatest sons Bhagat Singh for his supreme sacrifice for the nation, in Haryana (unfortunately it was part of undivided Pepsu province when Bhagat Singh was executed) four Dalit girls belonging to Dhanak community were abducted from their village by five Jat boys of the same village at 8 in the evening. The girls were going out to fetch water in the evening and they would a white colored car rushing towards them and grabbed them inside the car. All four lost consciousness after getting drugged and raped. Next morning they found themselves at Bhatinda Railway station in neighboring Punjab State in utterly humiliating conditions but they were helpless as they did not know any one and had nothing with them.

The Sarpanch of the village was aware of the incident and was waiting for the families to contact him for ‘help’. After the families got intimation of the disappearance of the girls, all in their teens, the villagers went to the Sarpanch Rakesh who ‘assured’ them that all the girls would return their home by next day. The parents of the girls asked him to help otherwise they would file an FIR in the police station but he was just not ready to help them. Finally, when the villagers and parents of the girls threatened that they were going to lodge the FIR against the disappearance of the girls that the Sarpanch Rakesh and his uncle Virendra informed them that all the girls were at Bhatinda Railway station in Punjab which was about 170 kilometer away from their place. Sarpanch Rakesh accompanied with his uncle Virendra and others left in a car towards Bhatinda and found the girls exactly at the place where the Sarpanch had mentioned to them which clearly indicate that he had known everything in advance. They were terrified and in very bad shape. Immediately, they returned to their home. On their way back home, the Sarpanch stopped the vehicle in Hisar for a ‘tea break’ and put the girls in a room on the first floor. After some time, he went up in the rooms of these girls and threatened them with dire consequences if they speak anything about the incident.

An Administration with caste loyalties

The girls narrated the nightmare to their family persons who decided to go for a medical test of them and fight back. The Jats knew it well that hurting an Indian woman is easier as she would not go for the medical test but these girls have shown extraordinary courage to get justice. The medical test was done at Civil Hospital, Hisar on March 25^th. The callous and crude attitude of the doctors at the hospital was visible when they should have taken utmost care of the girls and their families, they were not attended. The families of these children who are in their teens actually reached the Civil hospital by 10 am but the by 1130 pm only one girl could be ‘officially’ ‘checked’. The parents blamed the Superintendent of Police Manisha Chaudhury for not supporting them and threatened them. Strange but true that in India your gender does not matter but your caste identities more than that. The entire ‘medical’ process was completed by mid-night at 1.30 am. No effort was made by the authorities to assure the families of justice. Instead they were asked not to report till last moment. At 2.30 am in the night the SSP Manisha Chaudhury took them for ‘statement’ in front of the ‘judicial magistrate’ under section 164. They were let off after that in mid night when it was raining heavily.

I have seen the documents. Both the FIR and the medical reports are written carelessly. The doctor’s reports are written in highly ‘medical’ language. Poor people may not know what has happened and what has the doctor said in the report. By the time, they come to know, the time is lost. Most of the cases in India have collapsed in the court of law due to negligence by the police and medical authorities. It is not just negligence but purely caste prejudices. It is shameful when India’s women’s movement was trying to hoodwink us that ‘women’ have no castes, the fact is caste and religious identities are more powerful in India than being a ‘woman’ identity and Haryana’s Dalit women have not got that much support from Indian middle classes, women’s movement who were shouting loud at top of their voices after December 16^th. It became a pilgrimage for everyone to refer to us about their relations with the ‘movement’ which was purely casteist and communal. Why the nation does not show same kind of restlessness for mass rapes due to caste and communal violence? Is it because the victims are Dalits, Aadivasis and Minorities?

In the meanwhile the victims of Bhagana returned to mini secretariat in Hissar after recording their statement as they were neither in a position to return home nor are they willing to go back there now. There was no consolation, no show of strength by a lady officer. Rather, they were scolded and rebuked. Over 200 villagers have been protesting in the mini secretariat in Hissar for the past two years for the economic social boycott imposed by the Jats on them. The fact is that it was the aim of the Jats to throw the entire community away from the village.  The police and administration ultimately filed an FIR on March 25^th in the evening but the police did not name the Sarpanch Rakesh and his uncle Virendra in it who are actually the masterminds of the entire operation. Where are our anti rape laws which we have been so powerfully speaking about?

Bhgana’s Dalit families had marched to Delhi last year as on May 21^st 2012 they have been thrown away from their village. In the hot summer they came bare-chested when the Jats of the village had imposed an economic sanction on them. It was clear that the Jats were not very happy with the growing assertion and ‘happiness’ of the Dalits. They were cheated first as Rs 1000/- was collected from them in the name of land allotment but that never happened. Huge village land is available in Haryana everywhere but the Jats are forcing the government not to distribute it to the Dalits particularly to the Dhanuks and Balmikis. When the Chudhas, Dhanuks, Dhedhs (all the most marginalized Dalit communities) raised question about their land rights, the Jats threatened with the same consequences like some other communities like Chamars and Kumhars.  

Shockingly, the Haryana government of Bhupendra Singh Hooda filed a case of sedition against one of the activist fighting for the rights of the Dalits. It happened with the Dalits were protesting against the callousness of the administration and burnt the effigies of the chief minister. Rather than compensating the Dalits the government and political parties across the spectrum have not taken care of their issues. Dalits are not allowed to visit the temples too if they wish to. Bhagana village’s incident is not alone, the Jats and their Khaps are a threat to very essence of democracy. Now the Khaps of over 58 villages have asked government not to distribute village communal land to Dalits. Actually, the real cause of tension between the Jats and the Dalits is the war between them for the land rights. The land reform have absolutely been failed by the powerful peasantry in India and in the Jat heartland of Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh as well as Rajasthan. The Dalits have been demanding their land rights for years but the Jat resistance is so powerful that no political party is ready to take up the issue for them.

The Dalits of village Bhagana have been on a protest sitting at the Mini Secretariat for over two years and now the police is forcibly evicting them.  They came to Delhi and sat on Jantar Mantar in the hope that something would materialize but nothing happened. Now this atrocious and heinous crime against Dalit women in Haryana and things are not moving.

Haryana is a classic case of how Indian democracy function and how India really remained unchanged as far as social structure is concerned in our villages. A story very similar to other ‘progressive states’ such as Gujarat, Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh where such kind of economic and social boycott have been a tool in the hands of powerful peasantry to demolish and crush the very identity and dignity of the people.

While the Dalits who remain at the receiving end in Haryana and elsewhere at the hands of Jaats have got nothing but powerful Jaats have been given OBC status. It is shameful that such a powerful and landed community is given such a status which is a clear violation of basic decency of political life. Jats have never considered them as OBC and always took pride in their being Aryan Jamindars, a term which others may not like.

Jantar Mantar’s irony

At the Jantar Mantar, I speak to Jagdish, a young Dalit activist and other elders from village Bhagana who are sitting on the protest from April 16^th. The young girls and their parents are there. Most of them are covered. How a tragic that those who commit crime walks openly while those who are victimized have to hide their faces. No police protection, no compensation, no assurances so far. The pain and anger is visible in their eyes as they are fed up with preaching and assurances by ‘leaders’. An old man walks in and begins the conversation in a very ‘informed’ way. ‘You should do ‘this,’ ‘that’ and involve activists, people, media’ in your efforts. ‘You must fight’, he says. This is the battle of dignity of women of India. By this time Jagdish loses his temper, ‘Who are you’, he asks.  The old man replies that he was part of December 16^th ‘revolution’. It was disgusting to see such idiotic brahmanical mannerism when we all know that the incidents in Haryana need more serious attention of the nation. Jagdish cry at him,’ Yes, Nirbhaya was an upper caste girl so you have pain for her sufferings but what about our sisters who face this humiliation at daily level in Haryana? Where are the people? We are Hindus when you need our vote but Dhanuks when we want to fetch water from the well and where is the media? Why don’t they come and support. Kejriwal belong to Hisar but did not even bother to visit them despite of the fact that we met him once and he absolutely had no assurances for us. No political party including BSP has shown any interest on this issue in these times of politics. Now, some of his colleagues even defended Khap Panchayats even knowing the fact that they have only one meaning in Haryana which is denigrate and humiliate Dalits at all cost. It is not just inter- caste marriages which is being opposed by these Khapists, they have become law unto themselves. Now they are challenging the very essence of being a Dalit. They do not want them to be in their village. If you have to live in the village work as labours and slaves where anything could happen to you and state apparatus would not do anything. The writ of Indian constitution does not work there. Jantar Mantar gives us false hope as it only listens to the brahmanical lies and not to the pains and agony of the Dalits. Jantar Mantar keeps us under the wrong impression that this country is a ‘secular socialist democratic republic’ where we have allowed protests but have we resolved those issues?

Yesterday some students of JNU protested in front of Haryana Bhavan. They will protest for a few more days. We all will get tired with it. We will start thinking them as burden. The state has this habit of making them burden by delaying things so after some time the victim accuse those who stand with them as things do not move accordingly.

Internationalize the issue:

Where do we go? India’s parliamentary democracy has failed Dalits. It has given  some of them political representation and some more government jobs, much lower than their actual percentage but it has only tried to coopt them into the structure and did not give them right to live on their own conditions. The National Human Rights Commission, The National Commission for Women, The National Commission for Schedule Castes and the National Commission for Safai Karmcharis, all are autonomous bodies but look helpless and are like any other ‘sarkari’ department. Their working pattern is similar to other government agencies and hence do not really give us hope though for small cases they can do wonders. The state of India is helpless to the Manuwadis violent gangs in the name of social identities. Harayana is India’s biggest scandal not in terms of land dealings but in terms of social chaos and politics of dominance. International agencies, human rights bodies must act. It is time to question India on all the international forums for its inability to implement rule of law in Haryana. The Dalits in Haryana have not got justice. Dalits have not got justice elsewhere. You count any massacre in India of Dalits where they have got justice? The Andhra Pradesh High Court has released all the accused of the Tsunduru violence which was one of the worst massacre of Dalits in Andhra Pradesh. Lakshmanpur Bathe and Bathani Tola in Bihar, Kumher in Rajasthan, caste victims of Dharmapuri, Bant Singh in Punjab etc have got no justice so far. It look justice eludes Dalits in India.

India’s integrity is at stake? India’s constitution is at stake. There is no point celebrating these fake ‘dramas’ of ‘democracy’ when we do not allow our people to live in dignity. It is disgusting, shameful and unbearable. I am writing India because Indian governments look helpless the powerful Jat lobby. It is not the question of which government comes to power in Delhi. Question is whether the Dalits in the villages will have right to live with dignity in their villages. Haryana’s Dalits are seeking the answers from Indian state. It is time the institutions of Indian state function and provides justice to these girls of Dalit community who have become victim of the tyranny of the arrogant upper castes who are roaring for a new set of government which could be anti Dalits. It is the same tyrannical caste which played havoc in Mujaffarnagar and got scot free. It is time to implement the constitution of India in the Jat land otherwise no point in boasting your power of a mighty nation when the original inhabitant of India cannot live in their own country with dignity and respect. 

Democracy as legitimization of Jat terror in Haryana

Dalits of Bhagana village seek justice for rape victims

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat

Rape as an instrument of caste dominance

On March 23^rd when India remembers one of its greatest sons Bhagat Singh for his supreme sacrifice for the nation, in Haryana (unfortunately it was part of undivided Pepsu province when Bhagat Singh was executed) four Dalit girls belonging to Dhanak community were abducted from their village by five Jat boys of the same village at 8 in the evening. The girls were going out to fetch water in the evening and they would a white colored car rushing towards them and grabbed them inside the car. All four lost consciousness after getting drugged and raped. Next morning they found themselves at Bhatinda Railway station in neighboring Punjab State in utterly humiliating conditions but they were helpless as they did not know any one and had nothing with them.

The Sarpanch of the village was aware of the incident and was waiting for the families to contact him for ‘help’. After the families got intimation of the disappearance of the girls, all in their teens, the villagers went to the Sarpanch Rakesh who ‘assured’ them that all the girls would return their home by next day. The parents of the girls asked him to help otherwise they would file an FIR in the police station but he was just not ready to help them. Finally, when the villagers and parents of the girls threatened that they were going to lodge the FIR against the disappearance of the girls that the Sarpanch Rakesh and his uncle Virendra informed them that all the girls were at Bhatinda Railway station in Punjab which was about 170 kilometer away from their place. Sarpanch Rakesh accompanied with his uncle Virendra and others left in a car towards Bhatinda and found the girls exactly at the place where the Sarpanch had mentioned to them which clearly indicate that he had known everything in advance. They were terrified and in very bad shape. Immediately, they returned to their home. On their way back home, the Sarpanch stopped the vehicle in Hisar for a ‘tea break’ and put the girls in a room on the first floor. After some time, he went up in the rooms of these girls and threatened them with dire consequences if they speak anything about the incident.

An Administration with caste loyalties

The girls narrated the nightmare to their family persons who decided to go for a medical test of them and fight back. The Jats knew it well that hurting an Indian woman is easier as she would not go for the medical test but these girls have shown extraordinary courage to get justice. The medical test was done at Civil Hospital, Hisar on March 25^th. The callous and crude attitude of the doctors at the hospital was visible when they should have taken utmost care of the girls and their families, they were not attended. The families of these children who are in their teens actually reached the Civil hospital by 10 am but the by 1130 pm only one girl could be ‘officially’ ‘checked’. The parents blamed the Superintendent of Police Manisha Chaudhury for not supporting them and threatened them. Strange but true that in India your gender does not matter but your caste identities more than that. The entire ‘medical’ process was completed by mid-night at 1.30 am. No effort was made by the authorities to assure the families of justice. Instead they were asked not to report till last moment. At 2.30 am in the night the SSP Manisha Chaudhury took them for ‘statement’ in front of the ‘judicial magistrate’ under section 164. They were let off after that in mid night when it was raining heavily.

I have seen the documents. Both the FIR and the medical reports are written carelessly. The doctor’s reports are written in highly ‘medical’ language. Poor people may not know what has happened and what has the doctor said in the report. By the time, they come to know, the time is lost. Most of the cases in India have collapsed in the court of law due to negligence by the police and medical authorities. It is not just negligence but purely caste prejudices. It is shameful when India’s women’s movement was trying to hoodwink us that ‘women’ have no castes, the fact is caste and religious identities are more powerful in India than being a ‘woman’ identity and Haryana’s Dalit women have not got that much support from Indian middle classes, women’s movement who were shouting loud at top of their voices after December 16^th. It became a pilgrimage for everyone to refer to us about their relations with the ‘movement’ which was purely casteist and communal. Why the nation does not show same kind of restlessness for mass rapes due to caste and communal violence? Is it because the victims are Dalits, Aadivasis and Minorities?

In the meanwhile the victims of Bhagana returned to mini secretariat in Hissar after recording their statement as they were neither in a position to return home nor are they willing to go back there now. There was no consolation, no show of strength by a lady officer. Rather, they were scolded and rebuked. Over 200 villagers have been protesting in the mini secretariat in Hissar for the past two years for the economic social boycott imposed by the Jats on them. The fact is that it was the aim of the Jats to throw the entire community away from the village.  The police and administration ultimately filed an FIR on March 25^th in the evening but the police did not name the Sarpanch Rakesh and his uncle Virendra in it who are actually the masterminds of the entire operation. Where are our anti rape laws which we have been so powerfully speaking about?

Bhgana’s Dalit families had marched to Delhi last year as on May 21^st 2012 they have been thrown away from their village. In the hot summer they came bare-chested when the Jats of the village had imposed an economic sanction on them. It was clear that the Jats were not very happy with the growing assertion and ‘happiness’ of the Dalits. They were cheated first as Rs 1000/- was collected from them in the name of land allotment but that never happened. Huge village land is available in Haryana everywhere but the Jats are forcing the government not to distribute it to the Dalits particularly to the Dhanuks and Balmikis. When the Chudhas, Dhanuks, Dhedhs (all the most marginalized Dalit communities) raised question about their land rights, the Jats threatened with the same consequences like some other communities like Chamars and Kumhars.  

Shockingly, the Haryana government of Bhupendra Singh Hooda filed a case of sedition against one of the activist fighting for the rights of the Dalits. It happened with the Dalits were protesting against the callousness of the administration and burnt the effigies of the chief minister. Rather than compensating the Dalits the government and political parties across the spectrum have not taken care of their issues. Dalits are not allowed to visit the temples too if they wish to. Bhagana village’s incident is not alone, the Jats and their Khaps are a threat to very essence of democracy. Now the Khaps of over 58 villages have asked government not to distribute village communal land to Dalits. Actually, the real cause of tension between the Jats and the Dalits is the war between them for the land rights. The land reform have absolutely been failed by the powerful peasantry in India and in the Jat heartland of Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh as well as Rajasthan. The Dalits have been demanding their land rights for years but the Jat resistance is so powerful that no political party is ready to take up the issue for them.

The Dalits of village Bhagana have been on a protest sitting at the Mini Secretariat for over two years and now the police is forcibly evicting them.  They came to Delhi and sat on Jantar Mantar in the hope that something would materialize but nothing happened. Now this atrocious and heinous crime against Dalit women in Haryana and things are not moving.

Haryana is a classic case of how Indian democracy function and how India really remained unchanged as far as social structure is concerned in our villages. A story very similar to other ‘progressive states’ such as Gujarat, Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh where such kind of economic and social boycott have been a tool in the hands of powerful peasantry to demolish and crush the very identity and dignity of the people.

While the Dalits who remain at the receiving end in Haryana and elsewhere at the hands of Jaats have got nothing but powerful Jaats have been given OBC status. It is shameful that such a powerful and landed community is given such a status which is a clear violation of basic decency of political life. Jats have never considered them as OBC and always took pride in their being Aryan Jamindars, a term which others may not like.

Jantar Mantar’s irony

At the Jantar Mantar, I speak to Jagdish, a young Dalit activist and other elders from village Bhagana who are sitting on the protest from April 16^th. The young girls and their parents are there. Most of them are covered. How a tragic that those who commit crime walks openly while those who are victimized have to hide their faces. No police protection, no compensation, no assurances so far. The pain and anger is visible in their eyes as they are fed up with preaching and assurances by ‘leaders’. An old man walks in and begins the conversation in a very ‘informed’ way. ‘You should do ‘this,’ ‘that’ and involve activists, people, media’ in your efforts. ‘You must fight’, he says. This is the battle of dignity of women of India. By this time Jagdish loses his temper, ‘Who are you’, he asks.  The old man replies that he was part of December 16^th ‘revolution’. It was disgusting to see such idiotic brahmanical mannerism when we all know that the incidents in Haryana need more serious attention of the nation. Jagdish cry at him,’ Yes, Nirbhaya was an upper caste girl so you have pain for her sufferings but what about our sisters who face this humiliation at daily level in Haryana? Where are the people? We are Hindus when you need our vote but Dhanuks when we want to fetch water from the well and where is the media? Why don’t they come and support. Kejriwal belong to Hisar but did not even bother to visit them despite of the fact that we met him once and he absolutely had no assurances for us. No political party including BSP has shown any interest on this issue in these times of politics. Now, some of his colleagues even defended Khap Panchayats even knowing the fact that they have only one meaning in Haryana which is denigrate and humiliate Dalits at all cost. It is not just inter- caste marriages which is being opposed by these Khapists, they have become law unto themselves. Now they are challenging the very essence of being a Dalit. They do not want them to be in their village. If you have to live in the village work as labours and slaves where anything could happen to you and state apparatus would not do anything. The writ of Indian constitution does not work there. Jantar Mantar gives us false hope as it only listens to the brahmanical lies and not to the pains and agony of the Dalits. Jantar Mantar keeps us under the wrong impression that this country is a ‘secular socialist democratic republic’ where we have allowed protests but have we resolved those issues?

Yesterday some students of JNU protested in front of Haryana Bhavan. They will protest for a few more days. We all will get tired with it. We will start thinking them as burden. The state has this habit of making them burden by delaying things so after some time the victim accuse those who stand with them as things do not move accordingly.

Internationalize the issue:

Where do we go? India’s parliamentary democracy has failed Dalits. It has given  some of them political representation and some more government jobs, much lower than their actual percentage but it has only tried to coopt them into the structure and did not give them right to live on their own conditions. The National Human Rights Commission, The National Commission for Women, The National Commission for Schedule Castes and the National Commission for Safai Karmcharis, all are autonomous bodies but look helpless and are like any other ‘sarkari’ department. Their working pattern is similar to other government agencies and hence do not really give us hope though for small cases they can do wonders. The state of India is helpless to the Manuwadis violent gangs in the name of social identities. Harayana is India’s biggest scandal not in terms of land dealings but in terms of social chaos and politics of dominance. International agencies, human rights bodies must act. It is time to question India on all the international forums for its inability to implement rule of law in Haryana. The Dalits in Haryana have not got justice. Dalits have not got justice elsewhere. You count any massacre in India of Dalits where they have got justice? The Andhra Pradesh High Court has released all the accused of the Tsunduru violence which was one of the worst massacre of Dalits in Andhra Pradesh. Lakshmanpur Bathe and Bathani Tola in Bihar, Kumher in Rajasthan, caste victims of Dharmapuri, Bant Singh in Punjab etc have got no justice so far. It look justice eludes Dalits in India.

India’s integrity is at stake? India’s constitution is at stake. There is no point celebrating these fake ‘dramas’ of ‘democracy’ when we do not allow our people to live in dignity. It is disgusting, shameful and unbearable. I am writing India because Indian governments look helpless the powerful Jat lobby. It is not the question of which government comes to power in Delhi. Question is whether the Dalits in the villages will have right to live with dignity in their villages. Haryana’s Dalits are seeking the answers from Indian state. It is time the institutions of Indian state function and provides justice to these girls of Dalit community who have become victim of the tyranny of the arrogant upper castes who are roaring for a new set of government which could be anti Dalits. It is the same tyrannical caste which played havoc in Mujaffarnagar and got scot free. It is time to implement the constitution of India in the Jat land otherwise no point in boasting your power of a mighty nation when the original inhabitant of India cannot live in their own country with dignity and respect. 

Resurrecting Sanjay Gandhi and his politics of hooliganism

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat

As media reaches the conclusion about the outcome of the general elections the Sangh Parivar and its excited ‘chhutbhaiyyas’ are competing each other in speak loud and threatening the opponents. One important thing the modern day politics teach us is that those who ride on the chariot of hype are dumped mercilessly by the same forces who are responsible for their rise. The example of Arvind Kejriwal is a pointer as how he was created by media as an alternative and how he has been dumped by the same media because at the moment media magnets and their ‘loudspeakers’ are anointing Narendra Modi as the future of India.

Modi has been hyped by media and its corporate honchos for their own dubious purposes. An image is created as if Modi is India and India is Modi. The ‘tiger’ of India is actually created exactly on the ‘replica’ of Dev Kant Barua’s Indira is India and India is Indira. It was followed by various statements by the ‘opposition’ leaders hailing her as ‘Durga’, most importantly by Atal Vihari Vajpayee, on her role in the liberation of Bangladesh. One must understand that in the post war Indira Gandhi with ‘anti-poverty’ grants under her hands became larger than life hero of the country. The opposition was nothing as India became the very ‘hope’ of India. Criticizing Indira Gandhi became as if someone is challenging the authority of power in Delhi. A number of leaders became her ‘devotees’ and her son Sanjay began to control the party. He was never a political man but more as a muscle man with ‘management’ skills which are needed to ‘win’ elections these days.

Sanjay Gandhi created a whole lot of ‘young’ shouting brigade to run down the opposition and make his ‘image’ as the ‘future’ prime minister of India. He would shout out the old ‘loyalists’ of the party. Many were humiliated in the party and asked to resign. In fact many of the serious issues were not even discussed in the cabinet and ministers were bypassed. The history of imposition of emergency on the night of June 25^th 1975 is well known to be described here when it is said that President Fakruhdin Ali Ahmed just signed the declaration without properly going through it. And after that what the country witnessed was the demolition of its constitutional values and total political anarchy. Sanjay Gandhi unleashed a set of goons on country who would harass individuals who protested against them.

The media was in their control and in 1975 that did not have to do much of the work as Aakashwani and Doordarshan were owned by the government. The newspapers were ‘crawling’ when they were asked to bend, said Lal Krishna Advani when remember those days.

Indira Gandhi depended too much on her ‘chamchas’ and the ‘CBI’ which was jokingly termed as 

‘Congress Bureau of Investigation’ and was used to harass people. She got defeated and even lost her own parliamentary constituency. That was a time when the party has not done anything hurting the poor but the whole issue of ‘PM’s integrity was under the threat. She could not handle the criticism and finally lost her way. The response of the Janata government was much worst and with leaders like Charan Singh and George Fernandese, Indira Gandhi was send to Jail and finally the Janata government fell due to its own contradictions paving the way for Indira Gandhi who sailed through a huge majority. Later, Indira Gandhi’s adviser’s like Vasant Sathe started chanting the mantra of ‘Presidential’ form of Government in United States so that they could rule the country without any hindrances. Vasant Sathe was disturbed with the growing strength of the marginalized communities and felt that it is essential to stop the ‘blackmailing’ through presidential form of the government where votes are sought in the name of leader and President and his ministers are ‘experts’ and not responsible to Parliament. Modi has actually taken a leaf out it and now he is a ‘national’ icon through 24 hours beaming of his rhetoric on our TV channels.

Now, the situation is vastly changed in the post 1990s after the Mandalisation process. Congress is unable to fight and defend the rights of the ‘capitalists’ and Hindu upper castes. In fact, under Sonia it has turned more towards the ‘socialist’ ‘secular’ route though half-heartedly so far but that is the root of Indira’s congress in 1971 when she nationalized Banks, focused on anti-poverty programmes and the most marginalized communities.

Today, what we are witnessing is a revisit to Sanjay Gandhi of those days who was more powerful than the Prime minister. So, Bansi Lal is replaced by an Amit Shah who can manage things here and there. The female brigade around Sanjay Gandhi was powerful and many stories were also published in newspapers but that did not stop him from doing what he wished to do. Coincidently, now with Narendra Modi are ready to even beat up the opponents on the TV channels. The rise of Meenakshi Lekhi, Kiron Kher, Smriti Irani, and Saina NC without any political background is clear replication of Sanjay’s goon brigade who will abuse the opponents and shout them in a much better way would be rewarded. There is a virtual competition between different youngsters particularly these female gang who are ready to go to any extent to accuse, abuse and lynch you on the TV studios or through their writings in the print. Anchors are promoting them and do not ask them tough questions. Now many like Madhu Kishwar and Tavleen Singh have left us without any doubt whether they should be called  journalists or spokesperson of the party.

During emergency in 1975, we criticized the two government channels for not broadcasting the opposition stories but today more than three hundred TV channels and huge number of print media in English and vernacular languages have been hijacked and controlled by the Modi brigade. Modi’s speeches are broadcasted in such way as if they are ‘amritwani’ while all other speeches are shown with an immediate ‘counter’ and ‘rejoinder’. No journalists ever tried to probe Modi. They are in awe with him with just watching him speak. It looks for Rajat Sharma, Madhu Kishwar, Sanjay Putalia and many more, Modi is a demi God and all those who question him are Sonia’s brigade members. It seems he is already the prime minister and media is just afraid of him or the other side of the story may be because of the corporate pressure and goon threats these journalists some of who were always termed as ‘brightest’, ‘ courageous’ , ‘secular’ and who reported from the ground in 2002 have simply shown their true color today.

The trend to create a wave through media has already started. They know that Modi has become larger than life out of nowhere through media. Well known to them is that the negative publicity is also great though media is ready to ‘protect’ and ‘defend’ them. If emergency period of 1975 was considered to be the worst in Indian media world for the pressure played by the government, I can say with firm conviction that 2014 elections will be remembered for how media resorted to lies, deceits, calumny in promoting the Hindutva brigade. At least during emergency we had a Ramnath Goenka, his Indian Express and Statesman which did not surrender to might of the state. This election is radically different. They show that state might has absolutely nothing and being controlled by the media and corporate. Today, it does not look that we have a Prime Minister. If you watch electronic media and print media both, the most powerful person of India is already been declared as Narendra Modi and media is not just crawling but prostrating to Modi humming Namo-Namo. This blatant exhibition of shamelessness and corporate control is basically an indication of what will be the future of our media, freedom of expression and freedom of choices.

Hence Modi is not really a threat. Much more threatening are the forces who are behind him, who planted him on our combined conscious, who created his large ego much bigger than what we have seen. To get their work done they are not going to leave him anywhere. Like Indira Gandhi’s PMO, Modi’s chums in media too want a strong Prime Minister’s office which can take decision without consulting the Parliament and compel the president to sign on dotted lines. Fortunately, we had seen the next day that both Indian Express and Statesman left their front page as blank. Even in 1989, when Rajiv tried to muzzle media through defamation bill there was Indian Express, The Hindu and Statesman which provided us the information but today the scenario is much more disastrous. Now, the editors are openly showing their loyalty and propriety and business ethics have been given a go bye. With the owners directing and guiding there is a scene of despondency inside the newsrooms. Wait for a few days and you will see how many of them will be rewarded for their ‘dutifully’ doing the commands and how many might be thrown away.

That is the ‘terror’ that we have the shouting brigade of Modi on our TV studios like Sanjay Gandhi’s brigade. Some are invited as ‘official’ spokesperson while others are as ‘commentators’ even when we know their open and unambiguous ideological moorings. The media in emergency did fight but today the media has just tamely surrendered to Modi and his team.  They can speak anything. More and more Babas are speaking and none challenge them. No uncomfortable questions to likes of Ramdev and Ravishankar even when their involvement and political campaigning is well known. The bureaucracy it seems is ‘reporting’ to Modi and not to the PM. It does not look we have a PM today. It is actually indicative of how things are going to happen.

When, Giriraj Singh, the BJP leader in Bihar said in the presence of Nitin Gadakari that all those who oppose Modi would be send to Pakistan. The party continues to support those who were responsible for instigating the violence in Muzzaffarnagar. Many of them have been fielded. Amit Shah was made in charge of Uttar-Pradesh. One does not know what is the political qualification of Shah for a politically conscious state of Uttar-Pradesh which gave India, a majority of its prime ministers?  Though they might ‘deny’ but what action has the parivar taken against Praveen Togadia for his fulminations. He is openly threatening to the Muslims and seculars and yet our media keep quiet or try to project them in a different way. The Ram Sena gang of Manglore is not sitting silent but waiting for their right moment. They are part and parcel of the entire saffron culture. Who can forget the two twin brothers of Maharastra. There will more such senas and army which will provide the ‘instant’ justice on the streets. And nothing will happen to them as the ‘team’ of Modi is ready to lynch them further on TV studios actively supported by the spineless anchors and reporters. Yes, their spine is gone.

These voices are not isolated. They know it well that they would be awarded. The idiocies of Swamy, Ramdev, Pramod Muttalick, Pramod Togadia are not just a matters of joke but serious matter inside the Sangh Parivar and their philosophy of hatred. At this time, they have active support from the corporate who are determined to make Modi the prime minister of India and then grab all our natural resources. If you have seen the recent statement by  Mr Amitabh Kant, DIPP secretary was worried that the new act has made impossible for land acquisition. He said, ‘"Land acquisition for roads, ports and similar other economic activities has not been happening ever since the new Land Acquisition Act came into being," Kant said. "A number of road and port projects are stuck up on account of the Act and there is an urgent need to fast-track road and port projects, which can be possible when necessary amendments are made to it.’

So with Hindutva and corporate going hand in hand, India will have tough times in the coming days as the biggest and most scandalous part being played by the corporate goons is to hide information, create new information suitable to their interest, shut and intimidate those who speak for their rights. Indian threw the emergency out in 1975 and after that none dared to do so but now we have similar situation. We do not need to wait as things are visible in the air and the gangs are ready to lynch you at every forum. With Namo Namo on their lips, you cannot expect anything from the paid media so we have a bit hope with social media and it will be under severe pressure and constraints as through paid media attempt will be made to curtail our freedom and shoot the messengers. Sanjay Gandhi could do nothing in his life time afterwards but Sangh Parivar has revived his politics and ‘thought’ for their own purposes. It is not the time to fear but fight and ally with like-minded people with deep faith in secular pluralistic India. Whatever is the result, we can see the trends. We still have time to defeat such forces who are not bothered about the people of this country for their narrow political sectarian goals. Idea of India is under the threat and we need to respond united now.

A Human Rights based solution is the way forward to end caste discrimination : Santosh Dass

Ms Santosh Dass, MBE,  Santosh was born in Punjab, India in 1959 and emigrated with her mother and brother to join her father in London in February 1968.  Santosh is a former civil servant who took early voluntary retirement in 2012 after 30 years working in a number of Central Government Departments.

In 2007, Santosh was awarded an MBE for her contribution to better regulation at the Department of Health. She collected this from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace in the presence of her mother. Santosh spends her time working with a number of NGOs on human rights and equality issues in the UK and holds a Community Governor post at a school in London. She is the President of the Federation of Ambedkarite and Buddhist Organisations, UK and the Vice Chair of the Anti-Caste Discrimination Alliance.

She has traveled extensively in Europe and the USA and makes regular visits to India In an interaction with Vidya Bhushan Rawat, she share her ideas and history of struggle for anti-caste legislation in Britain.

VB : When are we going to see the anti caste discrimination legislation passed by British Parliament becoming a reality ? 

SD: It’s already been passed as part of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013. The law has yet however, to be implemented and brought into force.

This Government has indicated that the legislation will be introduced in Summer 2015 and brought into force in October 2015.  So we are nearly there!

VB :  How did it happen ?

SD: Intense lobbying, and domestic (NGOs including Anti Caste Discrimination Alliance, Liberty , Parliamentarians, lawyers, and Government’s own Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and international (UN and European Commission) calls for legal protection for victims . 

The lobbying was underpinned by numerous reports since 2008 – including those by the Dalit Solidarity Network UK, the Federation of Ambedkarite and Buddhist Organisations, UK, the Anti Caste Discrimination Alliance and academic studies. All provided evidence of Caste-based Discrimination (CBD) in the UK. These reports and studies also established that the CBD extended to beyond personal relationships only - contrary to views expressed by people opposing legal protection for CBD.

VB:  I have read literature of Ambedkarites in Bedford and how they fought against discrimination and many of them have become hugely successful in business and other venture. It is sad that they had to face discrimination at different level and that too not through the hands of British but migrant Indians, the caste Hindus and Sikhs. Why have we not been able to leave our castes to our homes in India ?

SD: Caste continues to be part of the social fabric of many of the Asian Diaspora in the UK in varying degrees. There is a level of interest in ones descent and caste.

VB: The number of migrants from former British colonies to Britain is growing daily. I think the government here also promote the diversity in their services as well as private sector institutions. How much of this is implemented as far as Dalits are concern ? Is there any demand by the Ambedkarite or anti caste organisations in UK to provide representation to this huge segment at every sphere of life in UK including government and private services.

SD: There are affirmative targets for Ethnic Minorities (EMs) in the public sector already. This is consistent with other areas of Equality Law that helps address imbalances in the areas of for example, Gender, Disability etc. The EMs includes Dalits too.  No specific demands have been made for the need to identify ones caste as part of the legislation. Groups from both sides of the argument in respect of the law on caste discrimination were clear that they do not wish to see caste institutionalised in the UK. All must be done to eradicate the discrimination that has been sadly imported to the UK.

VB: What kind of discrimination do Dalits face in United Kingdom ? Is there any agency documenting these incidents and acting on them ?

SD: It’s the same as other forms of discrimination and harassment. In the workplace (cases of holding up career progression, pay progression, harassament, exclusion etc), in provision of services (case of an elderly lady not getting her full care because of her caste, or a medical practioner (e.g. doctor or a nurse) not treating a Dalit fully or resisting examining them), and cases of bullying and harassment in schools and universities.

There are numerous examples included in the Anti Caste Discrimination Alliance’s (ACDA) report “A Hidden Apartheid –Voice of the Community” 2009. Of the 300 responders in the ACDA report:

–       9% missed promotion at work

–       9% experienced verbal abuse

–       7% of under 12-year -olds faced threatening behaviour and 16% verbal abuse; 10% of perpetrators were teachers and 42% fellow pupils

–       58% had faced discrimination because of their Caste

-        80% said that police would not understand if CBD was reported to them

I don’t think there are any central government records. There will ofcourse be cases that go through the legal system and these will be well documented in due course.

VB:  One of the biggest causes of violence against Dalits in India in the 'love marriages'. I would not call them 'inter caste' marriages as there is no possibility of inter-caste marriages in India. Love marriages or self arranged marriages transcends beyond boundaries. They challenge the power of 'parents' or society over two individuals who have decided to marry but that is the root cause of violence against them. I suppose the number of honour killing in UK too is growing and they are not just in the Islamic societies but also in these kinds of marriages where the partners hail from different castes ? Is there any particular law to deal with it apart from your 'Forced Marriage Law'. 

SD: No UK laws other than those for honour killings or forced marriages

The law when implemented will not extend to personal relationships. Criminal law would deal with violence related to inter-caste marriage for example.

VB:  Your own journey to United Kingdom was very hard. You have been bold in accepting the fact that there is a gender imbalance with in the movement too. I hope it is not too much a personal question to share with us your struggle as girl child from your parental family to your journey in UK.

SD: In my view, there has been a gender imbalance in the movement at the top. Things are improving though. I am a prime example of this – I am the Vice Chairman of the Anti Caste Discrimination Alliance, and the President of the Federation and Ambedkarite and Buddhist organisations in the UK. I have been working in this field for over twenty years. In the past year, in demonstrations on caste discrimination law, we have had many Indian women (young and old) fully participating.

VB:  Did you face discrimination based on caste and colour in UK?.

SD: Yes. In employment when I worked with a predominately Asian workforce.

VB: How did you join the Civil Services in UK. What was the inspiration? Did you get support and encouragements from your near dear ones? Did you face discrimination based on caste?.

SD: Civil Service was seen as the next best thing to being a doctor/lawyer etc. I wanted to be an artist!.

 I was inspired by the work of the Department now known as the Department of International Development (DFID). When I joined it was part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.  I really believed at the time that aid to developing countries was very important and I wanted to be a part of a department that had responsibility for it. It was my first ever interview for a job and I was very pleased to get selected.

Yes, my family were fully behind me. When I joined DFID I worked in a central Government Department. There were hardly any EMs there. I remember seeing only one Indian lady in the Department when I joined in 1979. She was very junior in the hierarchy. I did not face Caste discrimination in DFID.

I remained in the civil service until I took early voluntary retirement in 2012.

VB : You got a British honour which was definitely a proud moment. Why were you chosen for such a coveted award ?

SD: I was awarded a Medal of the British Empire (MBE). Prince Charles presented it to me in 1997.  It was for services to Better Regulation and reducing red-tape at the Department of Health.

I did however, think long and hard about whether I should accept the award. This was because of the Honour system’s links to the days of the Empire. But my daughter persuaded me that I should accept it because she said it would help the movement.

It was a proud moment for my family and community. I took my mum and dear ones to Buckingham Palace to watch me receive the award. Mum always remembers that day as being one of the best days of her life. I think I was the first person from our community at to receive such an award. I may be wrong!

VB: You have been working with FABO and Anti Caste Discrimination Alliance and CasteWatchUK   for several years. Could you elaborate about their activities and achievements.

SD: Too many to mention. It’s all team work. Getting Caste discrimination legislation on the Statute book is one. Helping strengthen the position of the community in the eyes of the establishment (international (UN) and domestic) and those organisations that have hitherto marginalised a community, is another achievement.

VB: International Humanist and Ethical Union ( IHEU) is organising second world conference against Untouchability in Nepal a few days later. First time, we will be celebrating Ambedkar Jayanti in Kathmandu with other humanist Dalit rights activists in other parts of the world. IHEU perceive a non religious political and human rights based solution for the whole untouchability question. What message would you like to give to the participants in this conference.

SD: In my view, a human rights based solution is the way forward.

Together with this, always striving to improve the capability of the organisation; agreeing achievable strategic goals at the outset with clear time lines for action and outputs; presenting evidenced- based submissions to those who can influence or are in positions of power; excellent and consistent communication messages; and securing grass roots support. Integrity of the organisation and individuals that form it are key.