Adivasis in the Agency Areas of Vishakapattinam
By V.B.Rawat
150 kilometer away from Vishakapattanam towards Orissa in the Akru Valley and Anantgiri Mandal areas, Malaria has emerged as a major epidemic killing about 2000 people in two months, as per reports appearing in a section of Press. Being Agency area, this forest zone is home to a number of tribes, a number of them are Primitive one like Parang, Poraja, Gadaba and Konds. Other tribes here are Valmikis, Bhagata, Kondara, Nokdara. Most of them have been involved in the Shift cultivation in the forest but lately the forest department has not been renewing this facility therefore resulting a major livelihood crisis.
Onslaught of Malaria
As I pass through this beautiful region, the sun rays over the mountain looks like coronation the mountains. The beauty is unmatchable, simply superb. I take a tour of this region to understand as why people die. Why all kind epidemics comes in the mountains which we all pretend to return. Why the most beautiful zones on the earth free from pollution and corruption are prone to such dangerous perversion that even HIV Aid is spreading wings in the area. Is it ignorance of the communities living here or betrayal by so-called civilised world who have exploited the mountains and forests and made people strangers whose livelihood was forest and nature?
Village Mardagoda under Gram Panchayat Egyvasova in Anantgiri Mandal could be module village. A very clean village nearly half kilometre away from the main road and connected with a kuchha road, when I make a visit, it is rather surprising as why Malaria attacked here. A girl in her early teens is sitting in the front door of her house, her parents are away. We notice that she suffered from fever. In the 34 houses that this village has, with a total population of 119 persons, more then 75% people had Malaria but they all survived because the Primary Health Center was near and secondly, the local non governmental organisation ( NATURE) has been working here and mobilising them.
Adivasi Self Help
Kondwara works as an agricultural labour and earn Rs 30 for her work in the shift cultivation in the coffee plantation. She is a member of Van Sankrakshan Samiti. Her family looks better. The tribals speak their own language, which is not Telugu. The village definitely look much better as it is clean and houses are not adjacent to each other but have enough space between them. The road is a pucca one and we can see a school and primary health centre nearby. The fact is that the Adivasis want to a better life. They want a complete balance so their future generations are not left behind. Two Self Help Groups are functioning here since November 1999. Ishwari Group has 17 members while Bhavani group which was formed I 2003 has16 members. The Ishwari Group recently got an amount of Rs 1,73,000 as their credit from the Bank. They opted for sheep breeding. Even when the bank is about 25 kilometer away the group members feel proud to visit there. Today they have 119 sheep. One of them died due to anti Malaria spray.
Community Health Workers Kanthamma Chettum, has two children. One son and one daughter. They have five acres of land but that is shared by other members of the family also. The main crop was Rice, ginger. The Joint family is living together for years but the revenue department has not bothered to give them entitlement. The Public Distribution System is working here in the village. Rice, kerosene, oil, onions are the products which they get in it. Perhaps PDS here seems much better shaped then totally disorganised one in Uttar-Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. There is no work for the men. Mostly work is done on contract like drenching and bag filling. Forest department is the main employer as time and again they give work for digging and drenching.
This village has tribal sarpanch and Kora Sunita is member of Village Education Committee. When I ask her about the status of mid day meals in the school, she informs that about 55 children study in the school and they distribute rice with Sanbhar curry. Saturdays they give sweet to the children.
No Food to Eat
Social Organisation NATURE which has documented deaths in the region and whose vast network is creating an alternative grain bank and tribal identity in the entire agency areas of Viskhapattanam says that their reports suggests that over 1,200 people died in 11 Mandals of Visakhapattanam. This means that the entire Agency area with 244 Panchayat is under the severe threat of hunger and malnutrition. This virtually is a food crisis, says an aid worker. The Adivasis today have no food to eat. They are eating Ragi, a local tribal product, with boiling it in water. As a person myself from the mountains of Uttaranchal, I could understand the plight of tribals eating Ragi which is a great food if eaten as a supplement. One cannot survive just eating Ragi in boiled water. The absence of nutritional products in the food, gives rise to different kind of diseases ultimately make every one of them prone to starvation and malnutritional problem.
Unfortunately, since the shift cultivation is virtually a big No from the forest department, and land holding nothing, the tribals have nothing to eat. This phenomena has increased in past few years resulting in total lack of nutrition and food resources among the tribal. Tribal are working as bonded labours in many farms of big feudal lords here. The migration from Orissa has further put strain on the resources. Whatever revenue land is there is it barren. For the last three years, according to people working here, there has been no ‘ Food for Work’ programme as the Member of Parliament here belongs to Hyderabad.
With more tribal dying of malnutrition and the entry of Jindal to drench the rich bauxite mining resources of this area, the grand entry for the Naxalite is inevitable. There is evidence of the same. Infact, some of the activists here openly said that Naxals have provided better security to the tribals then others. No doubt, the NGOs are working here but they hardly influenced the government and most of the time becomes submissive to the authorities. Some of them even exploit the tribals but in a situation where the police after banning the Naxlites are looking for prey. Now, the landlords fear of the Naxal retaliation and the wages are given properly. But police terror has now started. They are picking up people and harassing them. Women have also become their target. In the absence of policewomen, they fear sexual harassment. It is reported that Gudan Kota Veethya, Chintapally are the areas controlled by the Naxlites. Tribals therefore are sandwiched between the police and Naxalites, as both are trying to extract information from them. Problem with the police is that they cannot provide protection to them.
Dance of death
In the high mountain range of Shimliguda, where we are informed we have a railway station, which is on then highest altitude, we are moving towards a village of PTGs i.e. primitive tribal group, who are about 46 families. The access road is deeply disturbing and might have worked on food for work programme. Most of them never got the food part and wages much below. That is our commitment to tribals that the schemes never reach them. We exploit their warmth and innocence. The communities here are mainly Kandauara, Kotiya, Paringpurja and kamari. This village is under Kottapalluguda Gram Panchayat , about 12 kilometer from Arku valley. The access to this village is really tough. It is around 7.30 pm and the sun has already gone behind. Walking up to village in the dense forest indicate the tough life of the people. From the above, village look good with a single bulb connection provided to all. 4 people died of Malaria in this village in which three belonged to a family. We meet Champa, who is just in her 20s. An innocent looking face, she lost her three family members last month due to Malaria. Hari, her husband 27 years of age died. His brother Guru 25 and Laichan 55, her mother in law also died. She has just an acre of land. Three months have passed and she has not received any help. She is living with her father in law which itself is a tricky relationship as fear of exploitation are more in such a situation.
Her husband complaint of vomiting and fever. He was taken to hospital, which is 12 kilometres away at Akru valley. It is difficult to take a person from here but they have no option. Water, it is said, contaminated in this area as a result of mining here. Her parents have virtually left and don’t want to look to her. So far she has not got any thing from the administration or the government. She is just surviving because of the villagers. Gram Nayak (village elder in tribal tradition) Govind is 35 years of age and is childless. His child died. He is here to resolve the crisis in the village. Resolve the inner community differences and deal with the land disputes also. He is also surviving on eating Ragi. ‘ Hunger is chronic and persistent in this area in the absence of land, sir. Land is not fertile. We eat Ragi and potato. In the absence of a proper meal, we develop TB and Malaria. To add to our woes is contaminated water.’
Samata Judgement and its misinterpretations
A geographically rich belt and yet remain hungry. But this hunger is not news. The mining has deforested a very big region and contaminated the water. Power hungry politician and their industrial cohorts know that hungry people live in richest areas. The poor tribal in this agency areas are living on the golden zone which Mr Naveen Jindal know better then them. The nationalist Jindal should understand that people are more important then the nation. In the absence of people, no nation can progress and survive.
The Bauxite ores in the region are a source of envy for big industries in India and abroad and the fifth schedule is a challenge to their freedom hence efforts are being made to change the entire schedule. During the last fifty years, it is the Adivasis who have bore the brunt of the developmental process. It is not that they don’t want development but whose development? The development added with macho nationalism has proved to be a death knell for Adivasi livelihood. Over it there are ‘experts’ making the lives of the Adivasis miserable.
The Agency areas all over the country are under the regulation of Scheduled Area Land Transfer Act, which prohibit the transfer of land or immoveable property from the tribals to non-tribal beneficiaries. Apart from this every state has enacted such laws, which are in conformity of the central law. But in spite of all these provisions to save the tribals from the onslaught of outsiders things went exactly in the opposite direction. Projects were sanctioned, railway track were laid inside the agency area and mineral based companies started operating in the area with the blessings of the State government and its officials. Big names like Andhra Phosphates Ltd, Indian Rayon Industries Ltd, Kalyani Minerals, Visaka Mines and Minerals etc have been working in the reserved forest area. One wonder where are our tiger fundamentalists who are opposing every act of distribution of land to the tribals and Dalits under the guise that the it will reduce India’s already dilapidated forest cover to nothing. While one should not ignore the wider environmental concern, but to attribute the degradation of the forest to the Adivasis is not only questionable but also condemnable. Those who have seen systematic isolation of the tribals during the past fifty years would verify what has development done to the tribals and what exactly is this ‘so-called’ preservation of forest. Of course, if the funding for the environmental cause comes from Industries milking the rich natural resources in the agency areas the what would you say about the ‘experts’.
The biggest challenge therefore was in the Borra Reserved Forest’ where the companies got renewable lease for more then 20 years. The tribals never got rehabilitated. And here comes the role of civil society organisations in making people aware of the dangers of such kind of development, which uproot people from their habitat and make them more vulnerable and on the other side, reduce the forest cover to nothing. The ‘tiger’ lovers remain mute to such deforestation. If you speak against the industries then you are termed as ‘jholawalas’ and outdated ‘communist’. Clearly, they feel all those who speak against this injustice have to be communists and none other then them. Tragic mentality, bankrupt ideas.
The historical judgement given by the Supreme Court on the writ petition filed by local civil society organisation SAMATA became benchmark for Adivasi Self Rule in each and every agency areas. Governments shied away from making entry in the forest again though industries were still working.
But how can you ignore the temptation of ‘Indian shining’. How can you ‘ignore’ the big companies who want to invest in your state? It is alleged that former Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu was keen that Schedule V should go and let the centre bring a new law eliminating Adivasis Self Rule as it was becoming too hot for the government to handle. Everytime, the Supreme Court rejected the petition. One cannot expect too much from the courts also as if we go by the recent judgements regarding NALCO, BALCO, on the issue of Narmada, Reservation, slums and many more, then not much should be expected from the courts. Of course, exceptions are always there and in the case of Samata, it is Justice K Ramaswami, who needed the applaud.
The Judgement clearly said that leasing the lands in the Scheduled Areas for mining or any other purpose to Non Adivasis contravenes the fifth schedule of the constitution which talks of Advasis autonomy in the these areas. In fact, the court recognised the importance of Gram Sabhas in protecting the safeguarding the community interests and natural resources.
State has the authority to suck the natural resources
However, one of the major points of the judgement was that ‘mining in scheduled areas can only be taken up by the State Mineral Development Corporation or a cooperative of Adivasis.’ After their failures in getting a redressal, this point seems to be working in the minds of the government. Interestingly, this has turned out to be antithesis of the entire judgement. This Judgement was once remarked historical, now turning out a bone of contention between state and Adivais and is prone to misinterpretation. That precisely is the aim of the state, which want to open up the debate and the issue not only in the court but also in the parliament.
It is reported that the Government has allowed AP Mineral Development Corporation Ltd to do the mining in the agency areas. It will provide raw material to the company of Jindals who have set up an office in the region. And the Jindal will then do the needful. Now, this is more then what Jindal would have expected. Now they have no problem. They can get things easier from the government in lesser resources and use the mineral to greater profit making. The Adivasis remain landless and prone to hunger. The deaths in the name of hunger are being portrayed as attack by Malaria. The recent rains have again played havoc in the forest. The Industries when came to the area were supposed to develop not only schools but also health centres and employment generation for Adivasis. While road network has developed in the area but for the deforestation purposes. The far-flung areas remain out of common facility and shift cultivation now being shut; a more active forest department has also started hitting on the tribals below the belt. The department remain the biggest challenge for the tribal, not only in terms of their exploitation but also in terms of providing employment. With land out of bound and shift cultivation also being closed, the Adivasis have nowhere to go and nothing to eat. They fear that with mining in the area again coming in disguised their lives would be endangered. It is at this point of time that the entry of Naxals cannot be overlooked. They remain the biggest source of protection of the tribals from the forest mafia and big industries. It is no point blaming them when the state has abdicated its responsibility and it feel satisfied with symbolic representations of some Member of Parliament in the name of Adivasi identity without taking into considerations the demand and fears of the community. Agency areas of Vishakapattinam need to be properly taken care of, otherwise, they could become another Satyamanglam forest, with government will have to share blame for its failure to protect Adivasi cultural heritage as well as their economic interest and livelihood.
Friday, May 12, 2006
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Communalism in Uttar-Pradesh
Dynamics of communal politics in Eastern Uttar-Pradesh By V.B.Rawat
Mau riots in October 2005 have shaken the entire constituency, which is famous for Banarasee saris. Mubarakpur town of this district is actually famous for weavers who are living in miserable conditions as the handloom sector faces doom from the mechanization process and demand for the Sari business reducing regularly. Mau is also known for Kalpnath Rai one of the mavericks in India politics but respected in the constituency as a ‘developmental man’. Today, Mau is represented in the UP Assembly by Mukhtar Ansari, one of the many assembly MLAs having various criminal charges. Ironically, Ansari comes from a very respected family of freedom fighters.
It is important to understand the dynamics of caste politics in Poorvanchal and how it is now looking for new identity for its operations as the continuous assertion of Dalits and backward communities have threatened the very caste and communal dynamics in the region. From Varanasi, Ghazipur to Azamgarh, Mau, Poorvanchal, once upon a time, was, domain of Communist Party of India. However, it is another matter that despite their cries for land reform, like Bihar, the comrades could not develop alternative Dalit-backward leadership in the region. Their leadership was caged in the status-quoist upper caste leadership who had large land holding and who were least bothered to disturb the existing equilibrium. The result was the emergence of new parties like Samajwadi Party, BSP and Rastriya Janata Dal in Bihar. The dominance of Bhoomhars, a powerful land owning community in both Eastern Uttar-Pradesh and Bihar, was threatened. The Thakurs and the Brahmins also felt the heat of Dalit assertion in the political circle. Unfortunately, the dominance of these upper caste communities, though, was challenged successfully by the Dalits and backwards, in the politics, the NGOs, civil Society, bureaucracy, business and trade unions, continued to be in the powerful grip of Bhoomihars, Bramins, and Thakurs. The Mafias of these communities became respected leaders of community, which allowed them unrestrained freedom to ruin the natural resources of the area. From Dhanbad to Varanasi, the operation of Coal Mafia are well known. The political connections are not necessary to be dealt here with but they are open secret. This caste Mafia did not get any threat from the Dalits and backwards, as their leaders did not take them in to account. The challenge came from another set of Muslim Mafia.
The Muslim Mafia was equally powerful and had political ambition. The Dalit, backward Muslim perception worked for them and therefore ‘secular’ politics was the best way and who could have been better secular than Mulayam Singh Yadav. He not only supported them but also brought them in his party. ‘ The only party fighting the ‘communal forces’, in the country, Mulayam would often retort and justify such elements. When disgusted with Mulayam, some of them switched to BSP for help who was more then willing to provide support. A majority of them, however, remained with the power elite at the moment, the backward caste and annihilate any one come in their way. The murders of Dalit political leader Raju Pal in Allahabad is a case example. UP has been witnessing such murderous assault on political rivals for the past few decades but one has rarely seen that even after first murder, second leader was also murdered from the same community in Allahabad, the Pal community, the shepherds, who always lived on the margins. There is no action so far. Perhaps none would ever be caught. One should not ignore the fact that a few years back Phoolan Devi was also killed on a broad day light in Delhi and her death was always a mystery.
It is under this light that for the Bhoomihar, Thakur, Brahmin communities, the best way was to go the Hindutva way and project them as the champion of the Hindu community. However, due to defeat of the Hindutva gangs and caste becoming more potent weapon then the religion, their leaders had a second thought. Many of them switched their loyalties to both the social justice parties: Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samajwadi Party.
One need to understand that these all had stakes in Railways and its coal business. The gang war between another Thakur from Banarase Brijesh Singh and that of Mukhtar Ansari are well known to be documented. It is alleged that Krishnanad Rai joined Brijesh Singh in their common war against Mukhtar Ansari in the region. Krishnanad Rai was BJP MLA from Mohammdabad, the traditional constituency of Mukhtar Ansari before he switched to neighboring Mau, but the war continued.
Political connections of Mafias in Uttar-Pradesh have brought the state into a shameless position where developmental and ideological perceptions mean nothing. Caste identities are being encouraged under the false garb of pride with a political manipulation in mind. Those who can capture booth and purchase the Sarpanches and district Sarpanches are in high demand. The Mafias in Uttar-Pradesh know it well that their communities are solidly behind them. They have carefully crafted Robin Hood image for themselves. They help ‘poor’ people. They have become so rich that most of them may not be involved in small time robbery or kidnapping. Since they travel in imported cars and have a huge following of their devotees, the supply for big money comes from bagging the government contract. Nobody feel betrayal if they betray the government. Hence most of them have high stakes at the government corporations, Railway contracts, timber market, coal mining, sand mining, petrol pumps, sugar factories and many more unexplored things. Looting the government funds does not create ruckus in the masses. The masses are happy in the absence of small gangsters to trouble people. Mohammdabad has 24 hour electricity whenever Mukhtar Ansari is in town. It is beyond imagination for the people of Uttar-Pradesh, particularly those living in rural areas, to have even 8 hour supply. In Seewan, Bihar, the constituency of Mohammad Shahbuddin, no doctor can extract more fee from the poor people. Colleges have sports hostel, rare for Bihar and schools open in time. There are no local gangs, which can operate that powerfully to disturb peace in the area unless he is against Shahabuddin. The Kols of Bundelkhand often narrate heroics of Dadua, another dreaded man who send at least five members of parliament and double of them to assembly in Uttar-Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. His caste men Kurmis call him a ‘rebel’, who joined rebellion to fight ‘social justice’ though the Brahmins of the region consider him a dacoit. Traveling to Mau recently, I was amazed to hear from a Brahmin neighbor about the greatness of Baba, Hari Shankar Tiwari, now and a respected Minister in Mulayam Singh government.
The fight between two gangs in Ghazipur has taken a new dimension. The Bhoomihars feel that the Muslim mafia can take over their domain. As large chunk of Dalits have shifted loyalty from their Bhoomihar bosses to the Muslims, a new strategy was being developed in eastern Uttar-Pradesh. Most of the upper caste communist leader could not help Dalits in getting their rights particularly land rights though they all claimed to have worked for the same. Secondly, none of the major parties could develop second rung leadership which could be called as representative in nature therefore Dalits found their way in Bahujan Samaj Party while backwards went with Mulayam’s Samajwadi party. This polarization has threatened the very base of the upper caste leadership in eastern Uttar-Pradesh. As caste polarization is not helping any one, the best way is to convert this gang war and caste polarization into bigger units of religious polarization. This suits both the Hindutva gangsters and the thugs of secularism in eastern Uttar-Pradesh.
The Killing of Krishnanand Rai, in Mohammdabad gave BJP bigger opportunity to present him as a Hindu leader and its president Raj Nath Singh started a Nyaya Yatra and sat on Dharana in Varanasi. Rajnath Singh was trying to revive the old upper caste loyalties to his party, which Mulayam Singh has taken in the form of people like Raja Bhaiya for Thakurs, Amarmani Tripathi and Hari Shankar Tiwari for Brahmins.
Mau Riots
Mau was part of district Azamgarh, land of revolutionary activist writer Rahul Sankrityayan. Today, not many know Sankrityayan’s struggle against caste. He is more known in his community or so-called ‘progressive circles’ of Bhoomihars, Brahmins and Thakurs. It is tragic but then there are many tragedies happening here.
Mau is also the land where Muslim live in sizeable number. They have political control over the Mau town-ship and normally have their Chairman of the municipal corporation. In the Mau town ship, Muslims are owner of looms and have fruit and vegetable vendors. They are also in the meat market. The commercial interest of Muslim vegetable vendors collide straight with the Khatiques, a Dalit community involved in meat selling business. It is equally important to understand the Khatiq also sale Pork. This contradiction is beautifully used by the Hindutva forces in fermenting riots and involving Khatiques in it. This is the modus operandi of the communal forces as they know well it would be difficult to fight the Muslims directly thereby involve the Dalits. Over the years, the Dalits and backward have got highly politicized in the cow belt and both of them look towards aliening with Muslims. The attraction of Hindutva in backward communities is not new. Except for Yadavas, who have been aliening with Samajwadi Party, and the oppressed backward communities with BSP, powerful Kurmi and Lodhs have found their ally in the Hindutva. Dalits, by and large, have remained outside the Hindutva fold therefore the power elite is playing its dubious role by making a dent in this relationship and the customs come handy for them.
Burdened Heritage
Riots may occur all of a sudden but if they go beyond a day, it clearly reflects that involvement of state. In Mau, the locals inform us, administration kept quiet during the riots. The issue of administration would be dealt separately. Let us first discuss why none of us including seculars (if they are) ever challenges the root cause of the riots. We all know that Hindus and Muslims fight for not only cows and pigs but also for commercial interests. It is well-documented fact that most of the communal riots in India have occurred in areas where Muslims have a sizeable presence and well developed business. Kanpur, Bhiwandi, Malegaon, Bhagalpur, Ahemdebad, Mumbai, Moradabad, Meerut, Bijnaur and Mau. Can any one deny that there would not have been business interest? It could be the other way round. Instigate sensibilities and settle business scores. Now, what are the pretensions to start a riot? Either there will be a rumor that the head of killed cow was found in a temple or the meat of pig found in a mosque. This apart, other cause of communal disturbances is totally administrative in nature. In this country, the ‘ religious sensibilities’ are easily available. Loudspeakers are used to deliberately provoke the ‘anti’ group. Processions become pretence for disturbances.
Mau has been the victim of a strange and condemnable tradition where not only the administration failed but also the right-minded people. A tradition is kept alive for the sake of religion and none of the parties ever felt that such obnoxious traditions even if a court ruling is on it, out dated. Shamelessly, during the Bharat Milap (Ram Leela ceremonies), the Hindus must kick the mosque several times. The Muslim count their steps and are ready to retaliate if there is more kicking. Similarly, during the Moharram’s Tajia ceremony, the Muslims are allowed to climb 3 stairs of a Sanskrit Pathshala nearby. Here are the Hindus are ready to retaliate if there is an effort by the Muslim to climb the fourth step. Those reading it might feel this narration awkward but the fact is that we have not been able to condemn a celebration, which means not victory of each other but humiliation of each other. Whatever might have been a court judgment; time has come to stop this nonsense. Over the years, the politics of processions and loudspeakers have damaged the social fabric. Indian state as well as civil society remains mute to such notorious system where everything is fare in the name of public sensibilities and religious values. Can the Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Jains come together and decide against taking public for granted for their so-called religious programmes. I am not writing about Christians and Buddhists as nothing particularly is found against them so far.
Now, the fact of the matter is that during the Bharat Milap ceremony Muslims had objection to loudspeaker usage as they were preparing for the Friday Namaz. But does the riots started just for that. As I said, sensibilities and sentiments are best work for politicians. One must not forget that in Mau town the local municipality is under Samajwadi Party’s Arashad Jamal, whose own political interest make him different to that of Mukhtar Ansari who is originally from Mohammdabad. Then there are Hindutva groups who have their own politics but with a larger game plan in the Eastern Uttar-Pradesh. While it is amply clear that riots will always occur if the administration does not take stern action against the unlawful activities yet the conspicuous silence of the so-called secular reports on the issue of Muslim Mafia strengthen the hands of the Hindutva rioters who blame not only the Muslims but also the seculars for every ills of the country. It is important to understand that like any other community and caste, Muslims of Mau are also fascinated by Mukhtar Ansari. He is their hero. Let us not be hypocrite. During my investigations most of the Dalits and Hindus blamed Mukhtar Ansari for the riots. The Muslim riot victims appreciated the role of Mukhtar Ansari. ‘ We were not given food for 72 hours. It is only after Mukhtar came, the jail authorities gave us food, said a group of Muslims who have been charge sheeted for instigating the riots.
One fact is there. Who ever spread the riots; the apathy of the administration cannot be ignored. And administration cannot remain mute without the connivance of the higher ups. It is not a point to say who lost what. I visited Muslim bustees totally lost, their faces grims and uncertain about their future. I have seen Dalits and their shops burnt. Their anger. The report is that most of the arrested people for rioting are either Dalits or Muslims. Those the champion of Hindutva and Islam remained totally out of bound for the administration.
Mahant Aditya Nath, a Thakur from the Uttarakhand and now the head priest of Gorakhanath temple tried to fish in troubled water. He had always been uniting the Hindu youths to prepare them against anti national forces. We all know who are anti national and what is the threat perception for them. With Krishna Nand Rai’s murder and Mau’s riots, Aditya Nath is trying to champion the cause of Hindutva. Everywhere, the Bajrang Dal is activated. This suits both Mulayam and BJP well. One would be championing the Muslim cause and the other the Hindutva cause and all others will be side trapped, but things are not that easy at the moment.
Story of riot victims
It is reported that over 300 houses/shops were looted during the riots. According to the locals it was one of the worst riots in Mau’s history and it has shaken the confidence of those who always cherished the mutual understanding between the two communities. Though, newspapers have widely reported this riot as ‘ massacre of Hindus’, the fact of the matter is that Muslims too bore the brunt of high handedness of police. A visit to Muslim localities of Ali Nagar’s Badi Kamharia and Rahjani’s Chhoti Kamharia present gory tails of complete antipathy of the administration and destruction and loss of property and human lives.
According to Hamir Hamaja who lost his wife in the riots “ every body was at home. It was Friday. I saw many people coming across the railway lines. I was coming alone. I told my wife to go. We have no children. I am 70 years of age. They started pelting stone at our side. They were more than 5000 people and shouting ‘ Har Har Mahadev’. The blue uniformed gun trotting policemen (Rapid Action Force) remained mute. At 5.30 in the evening they broke my home. I feared and shouted ‘ Allah oh Akbar.. They hit at my head. I felt unconscious. I do not know how some friends took me away immediately. After two days when I returned home, to my shock, I found my wife Anwari cut into three pieces.” Hamir is a vegitable seller and tears flow from his eyes narrating this incident. ‘ What is there for me now, he says.
Kamarunnisa, 50 wife of a much older man Manzoor has six children. She earn by working in the kothis as a domestic help and earn around Rs 600/- per month. Her husband is deaf and is too frail to work. The attackers destroyed her house, looted it with Almirah, fans, cycles etc. “ My daughter Jahan Ara, 11 years feared too much during the attack and hid herself in the ‘murgibada’. It was too suffocating for her to remain inside that dirt and she died after some time.” Her husband fell on the railway lines. The police arrested him and kept him in Jail for 18 days. Her son remained in Jail for 24 days. Says Kamarunnisa, “ My husband was kept in police station for 48 hours with out anything, just 100 gram roti.
“ The goons were fully protected by the police. We ran away with our children when they shouted, kill the women. We expected the police to act but they kept quite. My daughter died of fear, as none was there to save her. My grand daughter Noor Jahan, aged 5, had to be given 3 bottle of glucose in the hospital. Ayisya Begum 25, had been given 8 bottles of glucose to save their lives.
Tahir Ahmed, a teacher and local community worker said, “ I saw a crowd of over four thousand people crossing the railway line. We had small knives and we knew well that it would not work. I was standing at the roof- top of my house. I saw 25-30 Rapid Action Force personnel and felt secure. Soon they surrounded Nawabpura. I came on the ground that is in the middle of this bustee. Soon, I was surrounded by a group of people crying kill this bearded man. We were just 75-80 people and cannot face a crowd of five thousand people. We tried to run and cross the railway line but RAF called us and charged us under 302.”
It is shameful to see innocent faces charged under 302. Abdul Ali who does not seem to be over 19 year of age (according to him also) and work in powerloom is charged under this section. Kamarunnisa’s deaf husband and her son who are also charge sheeted in 302. Strange are the case of police that they are filing charges against those who have not only lost their property but also some of their nears and dears ones.
Shambhunath Chauhan is perhaps only non Muslims and to be precise, a backward community person living in the locality of the Ansaries. Many in the community blame him for guiding the rioters but Shambhunath refutes this. ‘ In fact, I was wearing a lungi when the crowd came and shouted pull his lungi, kill him. And when they tried to kill me, I shouted I am a Hindu. They spared me but my house was also looted.” The Muslims alleged that Shambhunath cooked up cases and guided people and got good
Compensation.
It is alarming to see that to visit these two areas of Muslims, one needs to pass through two Dalit-backward bustees. There is a narrow passage and therefore Muslims fear that their women could become easy target. There has been no harm to these localities, which clearly indicate that the rioters had well-connected network and they were well aware of the geographical situation of the area.
Hindu Case: In Salahabad area the house of Yadav family was looted and one person was killed. This has provoked violence. Mahendra, a Dalit activist see it as a conspiracy. He sees a clear effort of making Adityanath being made as a leader of Hindus and Mulayam Singh as protagonist of Muslim. Many Dalit shops have been looted and their business was target mercilessly. A large number of Dalit and backward social activist at the moment have openly blamed Mukhtar Ansari and Mulayam Singh Yadav as the real villain in this game. Dalit here allege that since the Muslims by and large were shifting their loyalty to BSP, such a split was eminent. The worst hit Dalit area has been Rauza where shops of Khatiqs and Chamars bore the brunt of violence. Khatiq as mentioned were meat seller and Chamar had leather business. One social activist who did not want to be quoted mentioned that Muslim feel ‘empowered’ with Mukhtar and therefore do not really care for the administration once they get signal from him. Many of the activist feel that Mukhtar was in fact not responsible for the riots and he was by best trying to avoid the riots. They also alleged that Mukhtar became victim of the well-orchestrated plan of the bigger groups trying to spread their wings in the area. Many feel that there was no political gains for Mukhtar in these riots while other rebut the charges saying that it was a matter of politics and every actor in this was looking for his own constituency of future.
There is another twist that a large number of shops owned by Dalits and backward in the city areas are owned by the Muslims who pay a meager rent of those areas, which are prime location areas. Therefore, resentment against the Muslim and Dalit tenants respectively was reflected in many areas where shops had been burnt. Hindus now feel that the Muslims are amassing weapons and that the riots can break out any day while Muslims clearly feel that the Hindus have gobbled all the money meant for riot victims. Muslims have also lost faith in the police force though they seem to be happy with current administration.
Where was State: For 72 hours there was no law and order in Mau says Shree Ram Nikumb a noted social activist here who was threatened by the Sangh Parivar for not working among the Muslim. Nikumb says that he gave shelter to two Muslim families. It is another matter that Nikumb live in a Muslim dominated locality and has very cordial relations there. The district magistrate and other authorities did not work in coordination resulting in media frenzy reports of ‘massacre’ of Hindus. As happen during the communal disturbances, the authorities do not act on a simple administrative issue and later presume that Muslims are the originator of the violence. The result is police and paramilitary forces become mute to retaliating ‘Hindu’ mobs incited by the political interest groups. For example one may feel that that in the main city the violence might have involved both the Hindus and Muslims and both the communities or their gangsters targeted financial and commercial interest of each other but how come the Muslim localities became target and no police action taken against the rioters. It is equally shocking that these Muslim localities are surrounded by Dalit bustees and nothing had happened to these bustees clearly those who attacked the area knew about these and had planned very well on the issue.
The Hindu groups were ready to spread all kind of rumor that administration is totally under the knees of Muslims or say Mukhtar Ansari, who happens to be the local Member of legislative assembly. One does not know what Mulayam Singh Yadav and his secular brigade think of this but definitely Mau is a big blot on his political career.
Conclusion:
It may look a small incident in comparison to Gujarat but the state must not forget that this incident has the potential to trigger communal disturbances in entire Poorvanchal. We must not ignore the fact that Poorvanchal today is under constant observation of international agencies. Dalits are asserting themselves and still we hear regularly deaths in the name of hunger, and other diseases. The Status quo is being threatened in this region of ‘revolution’ caged into the upper caste mindset. Poorvanchal is trying to get out of the upper caste feudal nexus and the more it does so the caste polarization would pose threat to both the Muslim interests and Hindu interest groups. It is basically a denial to Dalits who are exploring their own leadership and refusing to be under either the upper caste Hindu leadership or Muslim feudal leadership. The state must act as protector of the people and not allow such gangs taking leadership of both Muslim or Hindu communities. It is also time for communities to understand the dangers of communalism for the fight of two gangs must not take the shape of communal battle. People must not feel that since the gangsters are not hurting them directly, therefore they become idols or their heroes. Any effort to gain from this by the Hindutva gangs must be exposed in the similar way as Mulayam’s projection as a protector of Muslims. Muslims or Hindus, both must think that the state has to fulfill its responsibilities and both the chief minister and his government are not doing any favour if they are protecting the law and order. The upcoming communal violence bills must contain stringent measures against instigating communalism by political parties. Their recognition must be seized and police officers and district magistrates must be warned of dismissal from the services if they buckle under political pressure. They must be seen working to uphold the secular principles of the state. Time has come to seriously ponder over the representation of minorities and Dalits in our police, paramilitary and administrative services. The more we delay this issue and run away from the reality, bigger will be challenges. The forces would be communalized. We need an egalitarian, secular force and police administration and without participation of Muslims, Christians and other minorities including Dalits, it would always be exploited by the majority community sentiments. Meanwhile, civil society, social organizations, academics should focus on bringing the different communities together and talking of their differences and issues to iron them out otherwise the gang war in Poorvanchal would always turn into a communal affair, damaging peace and communal harmony of the region.
* Poorvanchal : Eastern Uttar Pradesh consisting of district Banarase, Allahabad, Ghazipur, Mau, Azamgarh, Deoria, Kushinagar, Sonebhadra, Gorakhpur etc
Mau riots in October 2005 have shaken the entire constituency, which is famous for Banarasee saris. Mubarakpur town of this district is actually famous for weavers who are living in miserable conditions as the handloom sector faces doom from the mechanization process and demand for the Sari business reducing regularly. Mau is also known for Kalpnath Rai one of the mavericks in India politics but respected in the constituency as a ‘developmental man’. Today, Mau is represented in the UP Assembly by Mukhtar Ansari, one of the many assembly MLAs having various criminal charges. Ironically, Ansari comes from a very respected family of freedom fighters.
It is important to understand the dynamics of caste politics in Poorvanchal and how it is now looking for new identity for its operations as the continuous assertion of Dalits and backward communities have threatened the very caste and communal dynamics in the region. From Varanasi, Ghazipur to Azamgarh, Mau, Poorvanchal, once upon a time, was, domain of Communist Party of India. However, it is another matter that despite their cries for land reform, like Bihar, the comrades could not develop alternative Dalit-backward leadership in the region. Their leadership was caged in the status-quoist upper caste leadership who had large land holding and who were least bothered to disturb the existing equilibrium. The result was the emergence of new parties like Samajwadi Party, BSP and Rastriya Janata Dal in Bihar. The dominance of Bhoomhars, a powerful land owning community in both Eastern Uttar-Pradesh and Bihar, was threatened. The Thakurs and the Brahmins also felt the heat of Dalit assertion in the political circle. Unfortunately, the dominance of these upper caste communities, though, was challenged successfully by the Dalits and backwards, in the politics, the NGOs, civil Society, bureaucracy, business and trade unions, continued to be in the powerful grip of Bhoomihars, Bramins, and Thakurs. The Mafias of these communities became respected leaders of community, which allowed them unrestrained freedom to ruin the natural resources of the area. From Dhanbad to Varanasi, the operation of Coal Mafia are well known. The political connections are not necessary to be dealt here with but they are open secret. This caste Mafia did not get any threat from the Dalits and backwards, as their leaders did not take them in to account. The challenge came from another set of Muslim Mafia.
The Muslim Mafia was equally powerful and had political ambition. The Dalit, backward Muslim perception worked for them and therefore ‘secular’ politics was the best way and who could have been better secular than Mulayam Singh Yadav. He not only supported them but also brought them in his party. ‘ The only party fighting the ‘communal forces’, in the country, Mulayam would often retort and justify such elements. When disgusted with Mulayam, some of them switched to BSP for help who was more then willing to provide support. A majority of them, however, remained with the power elite at the moment, the backward caste and annihilate any one come in their way. The murders of Dalit political leader Raju Pal in Allahabad is a case example. UP has been witnessing such murderous assault on political rivals for the past few decades but one has rarely seen that even after first murder, second leader was also murdered from the same community in Allahabad, the Pal community, the shepherds, who always lived on the margins. There is no action so far. Perhaps none would ever be caught. One should not ignore the fact that a few years back Phoolan Devi was also killed on a broad day light in Delhi and her death was always a mystery.
It is under this light that for the Bhoomihar, Thakur, Brahmin communities, the best way was to go the Hindutva way and project them as the champion of the Hindu community. However, due to defeat of the Hindutva gangs and caste becoming more potent weapon then the religion, their leaders had a second thought. Many of them switched their loyalties to both the social justice parties: Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samajwadi Party.
One need to understand that these all had stakes in Railways and its coal business. The gang war between another Thakur from Banarase Brijesh Singh and that of Mukhtar Ansari are well known to be documented. It is alleged that Krishnanad Rai joined Brijesh Singh in their common war against Mukhtar Ansari in the region. Krishnanad Rai was BJP MLA from Mohammdabad, the traditional constituency of Mukhtar Ansari before he switched to neighboring Mau, but the war continued.
Political connections of Mafias in Uttar-Pradesh have brought the state into a shameless position where developmental and ideological perceptions mean nothing. Caste identities are being encouraged under the false garb of pride with a political manipulation in mind. Those who can capture booth and purchase the Sarpanches and district Sarpanches are in high demand. The Mafias in Uttar-Pradesh know it well that their communities are solidly behind them. They have carefully crafted Robin Hood image for themselves. They help ‘poor’ people. They have become so rich that most of them may not be involved in small time robbery or kidnapping. Since they travel in imported cars and have a huge following of their devotees, the supply for big money comes from bagging the government contract. Nobody feel betrayal if they betray the government. Hence most of them have high stakes at the government corporations, Railway contracts, timber market, coal mining, sand mining, petrol pumps, sugar factories and many more unexplored things. Looting the government funds does not create ruckus in the masses. The masses are happy in the absence of small gangsters to trouble people. Mohammdabad has 24 hour electricity whenever Mukhtar Ansari is in town. It is beyond imagination for the people of Uttar-Pradesh, particularly those living in rural areas, to have even 8 hour supply. In Seewan, Bihar, the constituency of Mohammad Shahbuddin, no doctor can extract more fee from the poor people. Colleges have sports hostel, rare for Bihar and schools open in time. There are no local gangs, which can operate that powerfully to disturb peace in the area unless he is against Shahabuddin. The Kols of Bundelkhand often narrate heroics of Dadua, another dreaded man who send at least five members of parliament and double of them to assembly in Uttar-Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. His caste men Kurmis call him a ‘rebel’, who joined rebellion to fight ‘social justice’ though the Brahmins of the region consider him a dacoit. Traveling to Mau recently, I was amazed to hear from a Brahmin neighbor about the greatness of Baba, Hari Shankar Tiwari, now and a respected Minister in Mulayam Singh government.
The fight between two gangs in Ghazipur has taken a new dimension. The Bhoomihars feel that the Muslim mafia can take over their domain. As large chunk of Dalits have shifted loyalty from their Bhoomihar bosses to the Muslims, a new strategy was being developed in eastern Uttar-Pradesh. Most of the upper caste communist leader could not help Dalits in getting their rights particularly land rights though they all claimed to have worked for the same. Secondly, none of the major parties could develop second rung leadership which could be called as representative in nature therefore Dalits found their way in Bahujan Samaj Party while backwards went with Mulayam’s Samajwadi party. This polarization has threatened the very base of the upper caste leadership in eastern Uttar-Pradesh. As caste polarization is not helping any one, the best way is to convert this gang war and caste polarization into bigger units of religious polarization. This suits both the Hindutva gangsters and the thugs of secularism in eastern Uttar-Pradesh.
The Killing of Krishnanand Rai, in Mohammdabad gave BJP bigger opportunity to present him as a Hindu leader and its president Raj Nath Singh started a Nyaya Yatra and sat on Dharana in Varanasi. Rajnath Singh was trying to revive the old upper caste loyalties to his party, which Mulayam Singh has taken in the form of people like Raja Bhaiya for Thakurs, Amarmani Tripathi and Hari Shankar Tiwari for Brahmins.
Mau Riots
Mau was part of district Azamgarh, land of revolutionary activist writer Rahul Sankrityayan. Today, not many know Sankrityayan’s struggle against caste. He is more known in his community or so-called ‘progressive circles’ of Bhoomihars, Brahmins and Thakurs. It is tragic but then there are many tragedies happening here.
Mau is also the land where Muslim live in sizeable number. They have political control over the Mau town-ship and normally have their Chairman of the municipal corporation. In the Mau town ship, Muslims are owner of looms and have fruit and vegetable vendors. They are also in the meat market. The commercial interest of Muslim vegetable vendors collide straight with the Khatiques, a Dalit community involved in meat selling business. It is equally important to understand the Khatiq also sale Pork. This contradiction is beautifully used by the Hindutva forces in fermenting riots and involving Khatiques in it. This is the modus operandi of the communal forces as they know well it would be difficult to fight the Muslims directly thereby involve the Dalits. Over the years, the Dalits and backward have got highly politicized in the cow belt and both of them look towards aliening with Muslims. The attraction of Hindutva in backward communities is not new. Except for Yadavas, who have been aliening with Samajwadi Party, and the oppressed backward communities with BSP, powerful Kurmi and Lodhs have found their ally in the Hindutva. Dalits, by and large, have remained outside the Hindutva fold therefore the power elite is playing its dubious role by making a dent in this relationship and the customs come handy for them.
Burdened Heritage
Riots may occur all of a sudden but if they go beyond a day, it clearly reflects that involvement of state. In Mau, the locals inform us, administration kept quiet during the riots. The issue of administration would be dealt separately. Let us first discuss why none of us including seculars (if they are) ever challenges the root cause of the riots. We all know that Hindus and Muslims fight for not only cows and pigs but also for commercial interests. It is well-documented fact that most of the communal riots in India have occurred in areas where Muslims have a sizeable presence and well developed business. Kanpur, Bhiwandi, Malegaon, Bhagalpur, Ahemdebad, Mumbai, Moradabad, Meerut, Bijnaur and Mau. Can any one deny that there would not have been business interest? It could be the other way round. Instigate sensibilities and settle business scores. Now, what are the pretensions to start a riot? Either there will be a rumor that the head of killed cow was found in a temple or the meat of pig found in a mosque. This apart, other cause of communal disturbances is totally administrative in nature. In this country, the ‘ religious sensibilities’ are easily available. Loudspeakers are used to deliberately provoke the ‘anti’ group. Processions become pretence for disturbances.
Mau has been the victim of a strange and condemnable tradition where not only the administration failed but also the right-minded people. A tradition is kept alive for the sake of religion and none of the parties ever felt that such obnoxious traditions even if a court ruling is on it, out dated. Shamelessly, during the Bharat Milap (Ram Leela ceremonies), the Hindus must kick the mosque several times. The Muslim count their steps and are ready to retaliate if there is more kicking. Similarly, during the Moharram’s Tajia ceremony, the Muslims are allowed to climb 3 stairs of a Sanskrit Pathshala nearby. Here are the Hindus are ready to retaliate if there is an effort by the Muslim to climb the fourth step. Those reading it might feel this narration awkward but the fact is that we have not been able to condemn a celebration, which means not victory of each other but humiliation of each other. Whatever might have been a court judgment; time has come to stop this nonsense. Over the years, the politics of processions and loudspeakers have damaged the social fabric. Indian state as well as civil society remains mute to such notorious system where everything is fare in the name of public sensibilities and religious values. Can the Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Jains come together and decide against taking public for granted for their so-called religious programmes. I am not writing about Christians and Buddhists as nothing particularly is found against them so far.
Now, the fact of the matter is that during the Bharat Milap ceremony Muslims had objection to loudspeaker usage as they were preparing for the Friday Namaz. But does the riots started just for that. As I said, sensibilities and sentiments are best work for politicians. One must not forget that in Mau town the local municipality is under Samajwadi Party’s Arashad Jamal, whose own political interest make him different to that of Mukhtar Ansari who is originally from Mohammdabad. Then there are Hindutva groups who have their own politics but with a larger game plan in the Eastern Uttar-Pradesh. While it is amply clear that riots will always occur if the administration does not take stern action against the unlawful activities yet the conspicuous silence of the so-called secular reports on the issue of Muslim Mafia strengthen the hands of the Hindutva rioters who blame not only the Muslims but also the seculars for every ills of the country. It is important to understand that like any other community and caste, Muslims of Mau are also fascinated by Mukhtar Ansari. He is their hero. Let us not be hypocrite. During my investigations most of the Dalits and Hindus blamed Mukhtar Ansari for the riots. The Muslim riot victims appreciated the role of Mukhtar Ansari. ‘ We were not given food for 72 hours. It is only after Mukhtar came, the jail authorities gave us food, said a group of Muslims who have been charge sheeted for instigating the riots.
One fact is there. Who ever spread the riots; the apathy of the administration cannot be ignored. And administration cannot remain mute without the connivance of the higher ups. It is not a point to say who lost what. I visited Muslim bustees totally lost, their faces grims and uncertain about their future. I have seen Dalits and their shops burnt. Their anger. The report is that most of the arrested people for rioting are either Dalits or Muslims. Those the champion of Hindutva and Islam remained totally out of bound for the administration.
Mahant Aditya Nath, a Thakur from the Uttarakhand and now the head priest of Gorakhanath temple tried to fish in troubled water. He had always been uniting the Hindu youths to prepare them against anti national forces. We all know who are anti national and what is the threat perception for them. With Krishna Nand Rai’s murder and Mau’s riots, Aditya Nath is trying to champion the cause of Hindutva. Everywhere, the Bajrang Dal is activated. This suits both Mulayam and BJP well. One would be championing the Muslim cause and the other the Hindutva cause and all others will be side trapped, but things are not that easy at the moment.
Story of riot victims
It is reported that over 300 houses/shops were looted during the riots. According to the locals it was one of the worst riots in Mau’s history and it has shaken the confidence of those who always cherished the mutual understanding between the two communities. Though, newspapers have widely reported this riot as ‘ massacre of Hindus’, the fact of the matter is that Muslims too bore the brunt of high handedness of police. A visit to Muslim localities of Ali Nagar’s Badi Kamharia and Rahjani’s Chhoti Kamharia present gory tails of complete antipathy of the administration and destruction and loss of property and human lives.
According to Hamir Hamaja who lost his wife in the riots “ every body was at home. It was Friday. I saw many people coming across the railway lines. I was coming alone. I told my wife to go. We have no children. I am 70 years of age. They started pelting stone at our side. They were more than 5000 people and shouting ‘ Har Har Mahadev’. The blue uniformed gun trotting policemen (Rapid Action Force) remained mute. At 5.30 in the evening they broke my home. I feared and shouted ‘ Allah oh Akbar.. They hit at my head. I felt unconscious. I do not know how some friends took me away immediately. After two days when I returned home, to my shock, I found my wife Anwari cut into three pieces.” Hamir is a vegitable seller and tears flow from his eyes narrating this incident. ‘ What is there for me now, he says.
Kamarunnisa, 50 wife of a much older man Manzoor has six children. She earn by working in the kothis as a domestic help and earn around Rs 600/- per month. Her husband is deaf and is too frail to work. The attackers destroyed her house, looted it with Almirah, fans, cycles etc. “ My daughter Jahan Ara, 11 years feared too much during the attack and hid herself in the ‘murgibada’. It was too suffocating for her to remain inside that dirt and she died after some time.” Her husband fell on the railway lines. The police arrested him and kept him in Jail for 18 days. Her son remained in Jail for 24 days. Says Kamarunnisa, “ My husband was kept in police station for 48 hours with out anything, just 100 gram roti.
“ The goons were fully protected by the police. We ran away with our children when they shouted, kill the women. We expected the police to act but they kept quite. My daughter died of fear, as none was there to save her. My grand daughter Noor Jahan, aged 5, had to be given 3 bottle of glucose in the hospital. Ayisya Begum 25, had been given 8 bottles of glucose to save their lives.
Tahir Ahmed, a teacher and local community worker said, “ I saw a crowd of over four thousand people crossing the railway line. We had small knives and we knew well that it would not work. I was standing at the roof- top of my house. I saw 25-30 Rapid Action Force personnel and felt secure. Soon they surrounded Nawabpura. I came on the ground that is in the middle of this bustee. Soon, I was surrounded by a group of people crying kill this bearded man. We were just 75-80 people and cannot face a crowd of five thousand people. We tried to run and cross the railway line but RAF called us and charged us under 302.”
It is shameful to see innocent faces charged under 302. Abdul Ali who does not seem to be over 19 year of age (according to him also) and work in powerloom is charged under this section. Kamarunnisa’s deaf husband and her son who are also charge sheeted in 302. Strange are the case of police that they are filing charges against those who have not only lost their property but also some of their nears and dears ones.
Shambhunath Chauhan is perhaps only non Muslims and to be precise, a backward community person living in the locality of the Ansaries. Many in the community blame him for guiding the rioters but Shambhunath refutes this. ‘ In fact, I was wearing a lungi when the crowd came and shouted pull his lungi, kill him. And when they tried to kill me, I shouted I am a Hindu. They spared me but my house was also looted.” The Muslims alleged that Shambhunath cooked up cases and guided people and got good
Compensation.
It is alarming to see that to visit these two areas of Muslims, one needs to pass through two Dalit-backward bustees. There is a narrow passage and therefore Muslims fear that their women could become easy target. There has been no harm to these localities, which clearly indicate that the rioters had well-connected network and they were well aware of the geographical situation of the area.
Hindu Case: In Salahabad area the house of Yadav family was looted and one person was killed. This has provoked violence. Mahendra, a Dalit activist see it as a conspiracy. He sees a clear effort of making Adityanath being made as a leader of Hindus and Mulayam Singh as protagonist of Muslim. Many Dalit shops have been looted and their business was target mercilessly. A large number of Dalit and backward social activist at the moment have openly blamed Mukhtar Ansari and Mulayam Singh Yadav as the real villain in this game. Dalit here allege that since the Muslims by and large were shifting their loyalty to BSP, such a split was eminent. The worst hit Dalit area has been Rauza where shops of Khatiqs and Chamars bore the brunt of violence. Khatiq as mentioned were meat seller and Chamar had leather business. One social activist who did not want to be quoted mentioned that Muslim feel ‘empowered’ with Mukhtar and therefore do not really care for the administration once they get signal from him. Many of the activist feel that Mukhtar was in fact not responsible for the riots and he was by best trying to avoid the riots. They also alleged that Mukhtar became victim of the well-orchestrated plan of the bigger groups trying to spread their wings in the area. Many feel that there was no political gains for Mukhtar in these riots while other rebut the charges saying that it was a matter of politics and every actor in this was looking for his own constituency of future.
There is another twist that a large number of shops owned by Dalits and backward in the city areas are owned by the Muslims who pay a meager rent of those areas, which are prime location areas. Therefore, resentment against the Muslim and Dalit tenants respectively was reflected in many areas where shops had been burnt. Hindus now feel that the Muslims are amassing weapons and that the riots can break out any day while Muslims clearly feel that the Hindus have gobbled all the money meant for riot victims. Muslims have also lost faith in the police force though they seem to be happy with current administration.
Where was State: For 72 hours there was no law and order in Mau says Shree Ram Nikumb a noted social activist here who was threatened by the Sangh Parivar for not working among the Muslim. Nikumb says that he gave shelter to two Muslim families. It is another matter that Nikumb live in a Muslim dominated locality and has very cordial relations there. The district magistrate and other authorities did not work in coordination resulting in media frenzy reports of ‘massacre’ of Hindus. As happen during the communal disturbances, the authorities do not act on a simple administrative issue and later presume that Muslims are the originator of the violence. The result is police and paramilitary forces become mute to retaliating ‘Hindu’ mobs incited by the political interest groups. For example one may feel that that in the main city the violence might have involved both the Hindus and Muslims and both the communities or their gangsters targeted financial and commercial interest of each other but how come the Muslim localities became target and no police action taken against the rioters. It is equally shocking that these Muslim localities are surrounded by Dalit bustees and nothing had happened to these bustees clearly those who attacked the area knew about these and had planned very well on the issue.
The Hindu groups were ready to spread all kind of rumor that administration is totally under the knees of Muslims or say Mukhtar Ansari, who happens to be the local Member of legislative assembly. One does not know what Mulayam Singh Yadav and his secular brigade think of this but definitely Mau is a big blot on his political career.
Conclusion:
It may look a small incident in comparison to Gujarat but the state must not forget that this incident has the potential to trigger communal disturbances in entire Poorvanchal. We must not ignore the fact that Poorvanchal today is under constant observation of international agencies. Dalits are asserting themselves and still we hear regularly deaths in the name of hunger, and other diseases. The Status quo is being threatened in this region of ‘revolution’ caged into the upper caste mindset. Poorvanchal is trying to get out of the upper caste feudal nexus and the more it does so the caste polarization would pose threat to both the Muslim interests and Hindu interest groups. It is basically a denial to Dalits who are exploring their own leadership and refusing to be under either the upper caste Hindu leadership or Muslim feudal leadership. The state must act as protector of the people and not allow such gangs taking leadership of both Muslim or Hindu communities. It is also time for communities to understand the dangers of communalism for the fight of two gangs must not take the shape of communal battle. People must not feel that since the gangsters are not hurting them directly, therefore they become idols or their heroes. Any effort to gain from this by the Hindutva gangs must be exposed in the similar way as Mulayam’s projection as a protector of Muslims. Muslims or Hindus, both must think that the state has to fulfill its responsibilities and both the chief minister and his government are not doing any favour if they are protecting the law and order. The upcoming communal violence bills must contain stringent measures against instigating communalism by political parties. Their recognition must be seized and police officers and district magistrates must be warned of dismissal from the services if they buckle under political pressure. They must be seen working to uphold the secular principles of the state. Time has come to seriously ponder over the representation of minorities and Dalits in our police, paramilitary and administrative services. The more we delay this issue and run away from the reality, bigger will be challenges. The forces would be communalized. We need an egalitarian, secular force and police administration and without participation of Muslims, Christians and other minorities including Dalits, it would always be exploited by the majority community sentiments. Meanwhile, civil society, social organizations, academics should focus on bringing the different communities together and talking of their differences and issues to iron them out otherwise the gang war in Poorvanchal would always turn into a communal affair, damaging peace and communal harmony of the region.
* Poorvanchal : Eastern Uttar Pradesh consisting of district Banarase, Allahabad, Ghazipur, Mau, Azamgarh, Deoria, Kushinagar, Sonebhadra, Gorakhpur etc
Secularism's French Experience
Secularism’s French experience By V.B.Rawat
French state is celebrating 100th year of its secular heritage of famous law of separation between church and state. In a conference organized recently by International Humanist and Ethical Union, an international organization of secular, humanists and atheists organizations all over the world, French intellectuals and activists made it clear that the state need to be completely secularized and need intervention anywhere when the religious intolerance violate the basic human rights of an individual or a community.
Issue of prohibition of religious marks in the schools and government institutions was raised. Many of us felt that it is a violation of civil liberties and individual freedom. Why doesn’t French want to enjoy multiculturalism, said a few. The French people overwhelmingly voted in several referendums for secular state machinery. This legacy of French secularism is unique particularly when in Europe where the history of Church’s unnecessary interventions in the state matter is a well-known fact. If state’s nature is secular, its institutions need to be secular and should not discriminate on the basis of their religious identities. The thing is that when you come in your symbolic dresses to an institution of state, you are prone to be discriminated in case the majority of people don’t like you. A Muslim girl using headscarf may become an easy target in a school in Europe where anti Islamic feeling are growing day by day. Secondly, by continuously portraying our religious choices in public, we in fact, display a complete rejection of the secular heritage of the state.
Now France may look rigid in their stand but their law of separation has a lot to offer to India. Unlike France, Indian State adopted a very different meaning of secularism meaning ‘equal’ respect to all religions. That too was not a bad idea if state remains neutral to religious values and practices. But it has become a disastrous for our polity that Indian state has converted this secularism into appeasing the religious leaders and increase religiosity. Our students are told to read ‘greatness’ of every religious school of thought. We are told as if we have been a ridiculously religious society and rationalism and humanism have never been part of it. One should not forget that various indigenous stream of religions like Buddhism and Jainism came out against the brahmanical caste practices and its violent nature. Prior to that the philosophy of Materialism and Lokayat darshan were the hallmark of Indian traditions, where philosophers challenged the very existence of God itself.
Unfortunately, in the post independent India, secularism is used as a term interchangeably for pluralism, when we negated everything a secular constitution meant. Rather then remaining neutral, the state started appeasing every religious group and ignored the issues of the common man, which veteran cartoonist R.K.Lakshman, regularly remind us. Hence Muslim Mullahs might have been happy with a ‘secular’ which mean safety of Muslims do anything except reforming his own community, which he would term as interference in the personal affairs. And any efforts of the liberal secular Muslim would term as affront to very concept of Islam. This in fact helped the fanatic group elsewhere shouting they were being discriminated. The Akalis took over the Sikh community and the Christian community is also being looked over by their religious priests.
One is not against multiculturalism and variety of faiths prospering in the country. But should multi culturalism be just related to the heads of the religious sects? Can a Muslim without a beard in tie suit or a Sikh without turban also represent that very culture or not? Using multiculturalism as an identity tool spreading hatred and discontent against democratic norms ultimately and secularization process is the biggest challenge today. Hence despite the fact that such identity politics of blaming others for their ills has become a breeding ground for religious fanatics to spread their agenda everywhere.
The Indian state does not have a will to do it. A mighty state felt that secularism’s best practices are to keep every religious gang happy and change the law when issues like Imrana confronts us. The alleged response of Mulayam Singh Yadav on this issue need to be condemned as he has not helped the cause of secularism but breeding fanaticism.
The state would do well to address the basic needs of Muslim youths, men and women together. Ensure their fair participation in national life, in the government services and elsewhere. It is not the duty of state to find out whether our brothers are able to go for Haj or not? Why should Indian state offer a huge sum to celebrate four hundred year of Sikhism in Amritsar. The entire Delhi Hardwar highway remains closed for several days every year to facilitate the Kanwar Yatra. And every year the Kanwarias beats up people, block traffic and nothing happen to them. When the religious guru of Hindus is arrested under charges of murder, we sit on dharanas as if this could not happen. Why this immunity to religious leaders when even the politicians don’t enjoy.
Unfortunately, everything that is secular would be resented as an affront to religious freedom and interference by the state. Such thing ultimately gives rise to a majoritarian fundamentalism who often term minority rights to appeasement. So there has to be a line of control between the religious freedom and the issue of individual’s right with in every religion. When we ask for religious freedom, then we should free the individual from the yoke of a fatwa. A democracy based on religious identities without resolving the question of common man will ultimately turn into a fascist state where religious leaders will have impunity against anything and freedom would always be a distant dream. If India has to be a modern society it must strengthen secular laws and civil society and address the core issue of development and poverty.
French state is celebrating 100th year of its secular heritage of famous law of separation between church and state. In a conference organized recently by International Humanist and Ethical Union, an international organization of secular, humanists and atheists organizations all over the world, French intellectuals and activists made it clear that the state need to be completely secularized and need intervention anywhere when the religious intolerance violate the basic human rights of an individual or a community.
Issue of prohibition of religious marks in the schools and government institutions was raised. Many of us felt that it is a violation of civil liberties and individual freedom. Why doesn’t French want to enjoy multiculturalism, said a few. The French people overwhelmingly voted in several referendums for secular state machinery. This legacy of French secularism is unique particularly when in Europe where the history of Church’s unnecessary interventions in the state matter is a well-known fact. If state’s nature is secular, its institutions need to be secular and should not discriminate on the basis of their religious identities. The thing is that when you come in your symbolic dresses to an institution of state, you are prone to be discriminated in case the majority of people don’t like you. A Muslim girl using headscarf may become an easy target in a school in Europe where anti Islamic feeling are growing day by day. Secondly, by continuously portraying our religious choices in public, we in fact, display a complete rejection of the secular heritage of the state.
Now France may look rigid in their stand but their law of separation has a lot to offer to India. Unlike France, Indian State adopted a very different meaning of secularism meaning ‘equal’ respect to all religions. That too was not a bad idea if state remains neutral to religious values and practices. But it has become a disastrous for our polity that Indian state has converted this secularism into appeasing the religious leaders and increase religiosity. Our students are told to read ‘greatness’ of every religious school of thought. We are told as if we have been a ridiculously religious society and rationalism and humanism have never been part of it. One should not forget that various indigenous stream of religions like Buddhism and Jainism came out against the brahmanical caste practices and its violent nature. Prior to that the philosophy of Materialism and Lokayat darshan were the hallmark of Indian traditions, where philosophers challenged the very existence of God itself.
Unfortunately, in the post independent India, secularism is used as a term interchangeably for pluralism, when we negated everything a secular constitution meant. Rather then remaining neutral, the state started appeasing every religious group and ignored the issues of the common man, which veteran cartoonist R.K.Lakshman, regularly remind us. Hence Muslim Mullahs might have been happy with a ‘secular’ which mean safety of Muslims do anything except reforming his own community, which he would term as interference in the personal affairs. And any efforts of the liberal secular Muslim would term as affront to very concept of Islam. This in fact helped the fanatic group elsewhere shouting they were being discriminated. The Akalis took over the Sikh community and the Christian community is also being looked over by their religious priests.
One is not against multiculturalism and variety of faiths prospering in the country. But should multi culturalism be just related to the heads of the religious sects? Can a Muslim without a beard in tie suit or a Sikh without turban also represent that very culture or not? Using multiculturalism as an identity tool spreading hatred and discontent against democratic norms ultimately and secularization process is the biggest challenge today. Hence despite the fact that such identity politics of blaming others for their ills has become a breeding ground for religious fanatics to spread their agenda everywhere.
The Indian state does not have a will to do it. A mighty state felt that secularism’s best practices are to keep every religious gang happy and change the law when issues like Imrana confronts us. The alleged response of Mulayam Singh Yadav on this issue need to be condemned as he has not helped the cause of secularism but breeding fanaticism.
The state would do well to address the basic needs of Muslim youths, men and women together. Ensure their fair participation in national life, in the government services and elsewhere. It is not the duty of state to find out whether our brothers are able to go for Haj or not? Why should Indian state offer a huge sum to celebrate four hundred year of Sikhism in Amritsar. The entire Delhi Hardwar highway remains closed for several days every year to facilitate the Kanwar Yatra. And every year the Kanwarias beats up people, block traffic and nothing happen to them. When the religious guru of Hindus is arrested under charges of murder, we sit on dharanas as if this could not happen. Why this immunity to religious leaders when even the politicians don’t enjoy.
Unfortunately, everything that is secular would be resented as an affront to religious freedom and interference by the state. Such thing ultimately gives rise to a majoritarian fundamentalism who often term minority rights to appeasement. So there has to be a line of control between the religious freedom and the issue of individual’s right with in every religion. When we ask for religious freedom, then we should free the individual from the yoke of a fatwa. A democracy based on religious identities without resolving the question of common man will ultimately turn into a fascist state where religious leaders will have impunity against anything and freedom would always be a distant dream. If India has to be a modern society it must strengthen secular laws and civil society and address the core issue of development and poverty.
Danger of Stereotyping a Community
Dangers of stereotyping a community By V.B.Rawat
After Imrana’s case, there has been a spurt in the cases of Muslim women in the media here in Delhi and elsewhere. I happened to be present in various conferences in India and abroad on the issue of secularism and religious hatred. When the issue of Imrana cropped up in Indian media, a lot of debate and discussion went that such thing has not happened. Some other said Muslim women always live in such fear. There was a complete lack of understanding of the entire issue. I want to raise one more issue of ethics here. Media forgot its own line of control in not naming the ‘rape’ victim. But in the cases of Muslims, such sanctity is never adhered to, why? Why has media always named Muslim women raped while the same is not done in the case of others? No raped women and their families are normally shown on ‘TV’, at least their faces are blurred but in the case of Imrana, they are not only debating but discussing it wildly and some time idiotically repeating the same thing all over.
I, for one reason would not like to comment on the veracity of the case that has happened to Imrana. But I would like to focus here on another aspect of which we in India have become victim. Like our secularism, our news media has also become victim of symbolism. Hence when issues like Imrana come out in public, the loudmouthed get the maximum space, for they provide better sound bytes to the already hungry news channels. The problem that the Muslim community is facing today is marginalisation on the one side and loudmouth Mullahs on the other side who are waiting to react on everything happening on the earth. It is this quest to speak which give them space in the media and create an unwanted controversy putting the entire community on the dock. The common man is interested in his work and job. He is conscious of his identity and follow Islam accordingly. However, cases like Imrana’s need a little more introspection on part of all of us. Secondly, Muslim men will have to come out openly against any evil practices that have crept in. Muslim intelligentsia should not see every such information as an affront to Islam. It is often blamed that Muslim intelligentsia rarely speaks against injustice in their own system while cry against the external threat.
It is easier for those in power and majority to term minorities as conservative and fundamentalists. Long ago in the debates on the issue of minorities, Sardar Hukum Singh said “ every act of assertion on part of minorities would be termed as communalism and threat to the nation, while every act of majority community would be termed as ‘nationalism’. Therefore, media in general need to be careful in pushing down the community.
My problem started with the media which does not give liberal voices a space in the same way as it give to loudmouthed. Whatever happened to Imrana was uncalled for and may be attributed to the primitive practice and has a lot to do with socio economical condition prevailing in our society. Secondly, what happened to Imrana may not be entirely attributed to Islamic values as such. More then that it is the issue of an entire region. Let me explain this before many of my friend try to bulldoze me as a Hindu basher writing in a Muslim journal.
The green belt of India namely Western Uttar-Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab has in fact nullified the Zamindari abolition of 1950’s. The land concentration again grew in the hands of families therefore the concept of joint family system strengthened in the area. It is a well-known fact that joint family system in our country has been very conservative and thoroughly patriarchical in nature. A father figure dominates the entire family. In fact, during the last decade, the Bombay film industry and TV channel boasted this so much that it looked sickening. The gender ratio in this green belt dipped down to abysmally low and a matter of concern for every one of us. In fact, the gender ratio among the Muslim is far better then their Hindu brethrens. Now, feudal values are part of the green belt and it is rather foolish to link these values to Muslim alone.
We have seen caste Panchayats in this area deciding about young children. Not many months ago, in the Baliyan Khap when the local Panchayat decided that the two Jat families who got their children married should break the marriage. They reason that the lineage of girl and boy seems to be from the same village. Even when the parents of both boy and girl agreed to get them married, the Panchayat decided against them. The Panchayat passed a resolution that since the boy and girls come from the same gotra hence they are brother and sister. The same kind of story has come from Haryana this year when the Panchayat order the husband to leave his wife who was pregnant, as their gotra remain the same. Interestingly, the husband accepted the Panchayat’s verdict but the woman refused to accept her husband as her brother. Ultimately, some civil society organization went to the court and got injunction from the Chandigarh High court. There is a purdah system among the Rajput women in Rajasthan but the government is busy glorifying the entire tradition including that of Sati, because old is gold and sale well in the time of market economy. We protest here and there but that is not that much to bring them to TV studio and question them the entire night. I am sure Zee TV does not have the courage to do so.
Recently, the issue of Sikh families involved in polyandry has been reported by a section of media. To save their land from disintegration the brothers have decided that they better live with one woman. So Draupadi tradition is returning. I have traveled a large part of Haryana and found the gender ratio alarmingly low. I am surprised that there is no movement against it in the media. One is pained that these does not become our headlines as the people in Haryana are buying women from as far as northeast because there is no girl child left. It is shameful that such issues of concern never prick our conscious. All our Balle-Balle mediamen remain quiet on the continuous killing of unborn girl children in the private nursing homes in the green belt. So these feudal values are secular in this Ganga-Jamuni belt. And the answer lies in a joint movement against feudalism and evil practices irrespective of religion. And there is no need for any one of us to quote religious text to justify our wrongdoings.
I have met many Muslim social workers men and women in India and abroad. All of them have one concern, particularly related to women and education in Muslim society. There are hundreds of activists, common men among them who are working day and night to make their dream successful. There are Muslim women who are in the films, media, social work and what not. There are Muslim men who do not necessarily listen to the Mullahs and do their duties. Many of them have their own perception of life. I have found Muslim women who smoke and still claim that they follow Islam strictly, not in the Taliban sense but they have their own interpretation. There are hundreds of organizations coming up against such evils in society which violate basic human rights of women and they are raising their heads against injustice. This is not a bad sign but the vitality of a community. There are several Muslim personal Law Boards, even Muslim women have started them. I don’t want to go into legality of these different Personal Law Boards but what make me happy that these are signs of people’s perception in dissent and they are not ready to accept whatever one ‘wise’ person can say and decide about every one else. Many of them came out strongly of what happened against Imrana, but none of them got right space in the media.
Is it important for all of us to involve a religious person to define what they should do or not do? There are many scholars among Muslims who can interpret Quran much better then what the illiterate Mullahs who have nothing to do with this world, for they live in the other world.
Therefore, it is important for us is not to stereotype the entire community with certain cases which have more related to certain geographical region and also has a socio-economical background. A majority of Muslims in India are socio-economically backward and education is a matter of great concern. Muslim community has learnt a lot during the past 50 years and the voices of changes with in the community is growing every year. Imrana should get justice and hopefully she will get it. But let us not make it a political point to justify our positions and score over the religious values. The need is to defend the rights of an individual and strength of civil society. Let us not make a Shah Bano out of Imrana to feed the ‘revolutionary’ Hindutva brigade whose concept of women’s freedom are well known to all of us. Let us talk of justice and rule of law and defend the saner voices everywhere. It is in the interest of every one of us that social evils and problems in our system are rectified and not politicized for the benefit of votes.
After Imrana’s case, there has been a spurt in the cases of Muslim women in the media here in Delhi and elsewhere. I happened to be present in various conferences in India and abroad on the issue of secularism and religious hatred. When the issue of Imrana cropped up in Indian media, a lot of debate and discussion went that such thing has not happened. Some other said Muslim women always live in such fear. There was a complete lack of understanding of the entire issue. I want to raise one more issue of ethics here. Media forgot its own line of control in not naming the ‘rape’ victim. But in the cases of Muslims, such sanctity is never adhered to, why? Why has media always named Muslim women raped while the same is not done in the case of others? No raped women and their families are normally shown on ‘TV’, at least their faces are blurred but in the case of Imrana, they are not only debating but discussing it wildly and some time idiotically repeating the same thing all over.
I, for one reason would not like to comment on the veracity of the case that has happened to Imrana. But I would like to focus here on another aspect of which we in India have become victim. Like our secularism, our news media has also become victim of symbolism. Hence when issues like Imrana come out in public, the loudmouthed get the maximum space, for they provide better sound bytes to the already hungry news channels. The problem that the Muslim community is facing today is marginalisation on the one side and loudmouth Mullahs on the other side who are waiting to react on everything happening on the earth. It is this quest to speak which give them space in the media and create an unwanted controversy putting the entire community on the dock. The common man is interested in his work and job. He is conscious of his identity and follow Islam accordingly. However, cases like Imrana’s need a little more introspection on part of all of us. Secondly, Muslim men will have to come out openly against any evil practices that have crept in. Muslim intelligentsia should not see every such information as an affront to Islam. It is often blamed that Muslim intelligentsia rarely speaks against injustice in their own system while cry against the external threat.
It is easier for those in power and majority to term minorities as conservative and fundamentalists. Long ago in the debates on the issue of minorities, Sardar Hukum Singh said “ every act of assertion on part of minorities would be termed as communalism and threat to the nation, while every act of majority community would be termed as ‘nationalism’. Therefore, media in general need to be careful in pushing down the community.
My problem started with the media which does not give liberal voices a space in the same way as it give to loudmouthed. Whatever happened to Imrana was uncalled for and may be attributed to the primitive practice and has a lot to do with socio economical condition prevailing in our society. Secondly, what happened to Imrana may not be entirely attributed to Islamic values as such. More then that it is the issue of an entire region. Let me explain this before many of my friend try to bulldoze me as a Hindu basher writing in a Muslim journal.
The green belt of India namely Western Uttar-Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab has in fact nullified the Zamindari abolition of 1950’s. The land concentration again grew in the hands of families therefore the concept of joint family system strengthened in the area. It is a well-known fact that joint family system in our country has been very conservative and thoroughly patriarchical in nature. A father figure dominates the entire family. In fact, during the last decade, the Bombay film industry and TV channel boasted this so much that it looked sickening. The gender ratio in this green belt dipped down to abysmally low and a matter of concern for every one of us. In fact, the gender ratio among the Muslim is far better then their Hindu brethrens. Now, feudal values are part of the green belt and it is rather foolish to link these values to Muslim alone.
We have seen caste Panchayats in this area deciding about young children. Not many months ago, in the Baliyan Khap when the local Panchayat decided that the two Jat families who got their children married should break the marriage. They reason that the lineage of girl and boy seems to be from the same village. Even when the parents of both boy and girl agreed to get them married, the Panchayat decided against them. The Panchayat passed a resolution that since the boy and girls come from the same gotra hence they are brother and sister. The same kind of story has come from Haryana this year when the Panchayat order the husband to leave his wife who was pregnant, as their gotra remain the same. Interestingly, the husband accepted the Panchayat’s verdict but the woman refused to accept her husband as her brother. Ultimately, some civil society organization went to the court and got injunction from the Chandigarh High court. There is a purdah system among the Rajput women in Rajasthan but the government is busy glorifying the entire tradition including that of Sati, because old is gold and sale well in the time of market economy. We protest here and there but that is not that much to bring them to TV studio and question them the entire night. I am sure Zee TV does not have the courage to do so.
Recently, the issue of Sikh families involved in polyandry has been reported by a section of media. To save their land from disintegration the brothers have decided that they better live with one woman. So Draupadi tradition is returning. I have traveled a large part of Haryana and found the gender ratio alarmingly low. I am surprised that there is no movement against it in the media. One is pained that these does not become our headlines as the people in Haryana are buying women from as far as northeast because there is no girl child left. It is shameful that such issues of concern never prick our conscious. All our Balle-Balle mediamen remain quiet on the continuous killing of unborn girl children in the private nursing homes in the green belt. So these feudal values are secular in this Ganga-Jamuni belt. And the answer lies in a joint movement against feudalism and evil practices irrespective of religion. And there is no need for any one of us to quote religious text to justify our wrongdoings.
I have met many Muslim social workers men and women in India and abroad. All of them have one concern, particularly related to women and education in Muslim society. There are hundreds of activists, common men among them who are working day and night to make their dream successful. There are Muslim women who are in the films, media, social work and what not. There are Muslim men who do not necessarily listen to the Mullahs and do their duties. Many of them have their own perception of life. I have found Muslim women who smoke and still claim that they follow Islam strictly, not in the Taliban sense but they have their own interpretation. There are hundreds of organizations coming up against such evils in society which violate basic human rights of women and they are raising their heads against injustice. This is not a bad sign but the vitality of a community. There are several Muslim personal Law Boards, even Muslim women have started them. I don’t want to go into legality of these different Personal Law Boards but what make me happy that these are signs of people’s perception in dissent and they are not ready to accept whatever one ‘wise’ person can say and decide about every one else. Many of them came out strongly of what happened against Imrana, but none of them got right space in the media.
Is it important for all of us to involve a religious person to define what they should do or not do? There are many scholars among Muslims who can interpret Quran much better then what the illiterate Mullahs who have nothing to do with this world, for they live in the other world.
Therefore, it is important for us is not to stereotype the entire community with certain cases which have more related to certain geographical region and also has a socio-economical background. A majority of Muslims in India are socio-economically backward and education is a matter of great concern. Muslim community has learnt a lot during the past 50 years and the voices of changes with in the community is growing every year. Imrana should get justice and hopefully she will get it. But let us not make it a political point to justify our positions and score over the religious values. The need is to defend the rights of an individual and strength of civil society. Let us not make a Shah Bano out of Imrana to feed the ‘revolutionary’ Hindutva brigade whose concept of women’s freedom are well known to all of us. Let us talk of justice and rule of law and defend the saner voices everywhere. It is in the interest of every one of us that social evils and problems in our system are rectified and not politicized for the benefit of votes.
Chhatishgarh's Fight against 'Naxalism'
War against Naxals in Chhatishgarh: Will Brahmanical alternative work
By V.B.Rawat
Naxal operations in Chhatishgarh have threatened the very basis of the governance in rural Chhatisgarh. Earlier one used to hear about secret combats in far away areas but today the Naxals are ambushing the police parties and taking over the villages. Chhatishgarh’s Hindutva government is busy with attracting more investment and subsidizing the ‘rambhakts’ for Kailash Mansarovar, an attempt to placate the Hindutva groups while deliberately raise high pitch against the Muslim appeasement. Those of us who are worried about this situation are not only opposed to such silly actions of the government but also the unnecessary subsidy that the government provides to the Muslims for Haj. There is no need for that as Muslim scholars have also spoken against the same.
The city of Raipur remains as chaotic as any other unplanned township and could easily be considered as a ‘mosquito’ capital of the country. In the activists circle things have become too secretive. That reflects the nature of Chhatishgarh today where every two person meeting has several people from the Intelligence Bureau and other agencies looking for some clue. Even journalists seems to be under the scanner of these agencies as one journalist friends from a National Magazine informed me how his background material was ‘researched’ by IB and how his editors were informed not to be ‘sympathetic’ to Naxals.
Journalist as IB suspects
Therefore, every journalist is a possible suspect in Chhatishgarh. While police may be tapping his phones, the activists keep away from them for the fear of being a possible intelligence agent. Some confided that a number of stingers are in the government payroll otherwise how could they be traveling in cars and enjoying a much better life, when ordinary mortals are fighting their battle for livelihood. In the seminar, a journalist friend was sitting and talking about Salwa Judam project of the government of Chhatishgarh. Everybody knows this paid project of the Chhatishgarh government is not working. The journalist wanted response from the NGOs but none of them came up to reply. In fact, every one assumed that the fellow was a sure IB agent. Poor fellow remained marginalized unless one evening he showed me his identity card and other details. Such is the condition of the journalists reporting from Chhatishgarh. In Raipur a Television journalist had the same narratives about government’s anti Naxal operations. “They do not want us to go report from the Naxal infected areas. They would like us to write what they believe is correct and would not like any news of police torture or harassment of the common men. Is it not important for the government to introspect its policies as why have people rebelled against it”, says the journalist. He is more worried now with a proposed legislation by the Chhatishgarh government which could curtail media’s right to criticize the government. Like POTA this ordinance is equally damaging and dangerous and creative people should oppose it.
Issue of Land Alienation of the tribals
Is Chhatishgarh’s government interested in introspection? While Ajit Jogi started inviting companies and sold even rivers to private cronies, the current government of the Bharatiya Janata Party did not leg behind in denying people right over resources. The tribal and Dalits of Chhatishgarh today are at the receiving end. when they speak up for their rights and ask for justice they are easily termed as Naxalites or their sympathizers. For the poor people it is double aged sword. In the village if they come out against the officials they are beaten and if they do not then the community may term them as anti Naxal. The repression from both the side is brutal.
The issue of Naxalism in Chhatishgarh and other parts of the country is being treated as an administrative problem. The government still thinks that by using heavy arm forces it can win over the people who it has cheated. K.P.S.Gill has become panacea for every thing that is ailing in Chhatishgarh. One has to see what he did in Punjab. Gill did not succeed in Punjab. It was people’s will to participate in democracy that has changed Punjab. Gills administrative faults are still remembered in Punjab with much contempt. It is the same Gill who has hijacked Indian Hockey Federation and does not want its growth. Where has he time for Hockey amidst his politics. So, Gill would authorize his police to go for a kill.
It is interesting to note that Chhatishgarh government is using Salwajudam project to bring Adivasis into its fold in their fight against the Naxals. Problem is that government’s bureaucracy is so corrupted that it will take years for them to make the people feel about their intention. With out speaking about people’s right over resources, without giving them a job security, the government wants to fight against the Naxal menace. If the government is interested why does not it recruit Adivasis and Dalits into its police force and its wider administrative machinery, which is filled with corrupted upper castes. But is it possible for a government who look the issue of Naxalism from the prism of an upper caste brahmanical mindset?
Big companies, local feudal lords, water companies, forest department, every body seems to have joined hand in Chhatishgarh to rob people of their wealth. Former Congress government sold river Sheonath to a private party denying fishermen and farmers right to cultivate their land and fish there, the current government is following the same path. Every body need development but can we call such development sensitive which does not take care of people’s need and uproot them from their homes with out being rehabilitated?
Dominance of non-tribals
Chhattishgarh is predominantly an Adivasis-Dalit state and yet the irony is it is being run by the non-Adivasis. While the Hindutva party is here to put its casteist agenda, the old horses of the country’s original brahmanical party remain the same. One also has to see that it is not the chief minister or Ministers who rules the state. Chhatishgarh at the moment is completely in the grips of Sikhs, Sindhis and Jains. Barring a few families of them who have been compensated land due to partition; a majority of them have mischievously taken land meant for tribals by inducing the officials and using money and muscle power. This money and muscle power is creating a great unrest in Chhatishgarh and its villages. If that is none taken care of earlier, the situation may go out of hand.
A local Muslim who was taking me in his auto informed how his brother who had completed his BA did not get the government job despite bribing the local officials.
The Dalits and tribals are living a life of misery. In the absence of any radical Dalit movement, the situation here remain grim because of the growth of new power Sadhus and Babas. That Satnamis, the largest Dalit community has been cleverly embedded into the brahmanical Hinduism is one of the biggest tragedies of Chhatishgarh. It also happen when Ambedkar was made icon of certain communities and parties. Miracle Gods are happening in Chhatishgarh and more and more Dalits and Adviais are becoming victim of superstition and blind faith.
No body knows his flight since he is not Jessica Lal but a marginal Dalit
Jessica Lal and Mehar were no ordinary women. They came from upper strata of society. Definitely, we have sympathies with their families and those committed crime must be brought to book. But have not we seen this over dose of injustice to them in the media? Why do we not feel the same pain and anguish when a landless Dalit is hacked to death. Why our media do not write reams of pages on the conditions of Dalits and violence against them. Why the electronic channels keep mum over the violence against the Dalits and tribals. Perhaps they do not even know where are other people who face same problems. Yes, Ramesh Kumar’s case is much more threatening than Jessica Lal and Mehar since he lost his father and brother in front of his eyes. Because Ramesh, survived in that battle of brutal sword power added with the help of state machinery. Today, Ramesh is a threatened person despite police protection. Ramesh Kumar 27 face one of the serious threat to his life. Today, a police guard is round the corner protecting him. Ramesh, a Satnami by caste and small farmer lost his father and brother last year on September 10th, when a group of migrant Sikhs and Jaats of Punjab and Haryana lynched both of them. The reason for the killing was clear. Ramesh’s father Kartik Ram owned some land in village Bhurki under thana Bemtara in district Durg. Ram Chander Jaat of Haryana along with other friends of Haryana and Punjab had been on a buying spree in the area. They had settled in this area some years ago and were threatening people to sale their land to them. This has become a well-known factor in Chhatishgarh and other mineral rich states that the powerful farmers and business community is coming and alluring people for small money. Kartik Ram 56, and his elder son Puneet Ram, 31 were obstacles in the plot being hatched by Ramchandar. ‘ Why should I sale my land to people from outside. I lived on this land and earn my livelihood from it. Where should I go once I sale it to these oppressors’, said Kartik Ram to his sons. They went to police station and lodged a complaint against the immigrants. The oppressors themselves are expert in crookedness of the paper work, which our corrupt officials flaunt to exploit the poor masses. The Thana incharge of this area was another Haryanavi Shyam Sunder Sharma. One can understand the interest of one upper caste to save the skin of his Haryana brothers. Sharma started threatening the poor Dalits under the pretext that they had theft the tractor light of the Haryana farmers. He kept them waiting in the police station. Poor people spoke to area MLA Chetan Singh Verma against the harassment..
At around 4 pm, Sharma send them to Bhurki which was about 8 kilometer from the police station. All the three father and the sons came back to their home. Kartik and Puneet went to take a bath at the village pond. Ramesh was also there when the Haryana people came in tractors along with guns, swords and rifles. Ramesh ran to save himself. He was attacked by Sword. He survived. He father could not run. His brother was killed by Ajay Jaat with the sword. His father was hit by Ramchander. They cut his hands and slit his throat. Ramesh was on the run. He was crying. His mother Kamala Bai also came in between to save her husband. He went to Avneeesh Rathore, a local Congress Party Member who provided all assistance. By that time the village crowd had gathered in the area and started pelting stones. Today Ramesh is the only witness along with her mother and wife. He face severe threat to his life. The policemen on his security leave him in between. Like the police station in charge, he also seems to curse him. His wife is pregnant at the moment. The Farmhouse owners have threatened him with dire consequences. They are threatening him not to speak in the court when the case comes for hearing in May. Let us see how the administrators of Chhatishgarh act in this matter. We shall have an eye over this case.
(We will follow up this case with more details)
Dalit denied Justice in the Law University
Abhishek Priya Anand is a bright Dalit scholar who passed his Masters in Chemistry from Andhra Pradesh by 68%. He joined the combined course of the National Law University three years back on his own merit. He opted for a course of M.phil/Ph.D/LLM which was a four years course. According to structure, he should have been provided M.Phil degree in the very first year but that did not happen. His M.Phil was prolonged for one year and finally he got his worksheet for M.Phil after two and a half year. There has been no notification issued in writing to him as why has his case being delayed. Even when Abhishek wanted to enroll for the Ph.D, the University has shown no interest in dealing with him. When he enrolled for this comprehensive integrated course, he never realized that he would face a severe threat to his career. He was supposed to get teaching assignment from the second year but was denied the same. The students from other castes are clearly favored. He got his stipend of Rs 5,000/- for just two months only and that too in the second year only. Most of the other student received it for over 5-6 months. None of them have been informed as why the stipend was not given. In the third year, Abhishek was supposed to get Rs 10,000/- per month to pursue his Ph.D. According to documents made available to us, a three member committee formed to look into the matter had come to unanimous conclusion that Abhishek be enrolled for the Ph.D programme. The Vice Chancellor of the University Dr M.K.Shrivastava has not only not taken any interest in the case but also seems to have a prejudiced mind. After three years of staying at a place, the Vice Chancellor ordered Abhishek be thrown out of the University Hostel. Abhishek was told that since there is no faculty for his specific case, he couldn't be enrolled in the University as a Ph.D student. It is amusing that a University which officially offer courses in certain categories deny the same to one bright student and that too from a Dalit community which remain marginalized, not due non availability of merit or meritorious students, but with deep rooted prejudices in our system. It was easy for the Vice Chancellor to ask the student to go back but where would the student go. Abhiskeh has written to every one in the University including the Vice Chancellor and other State authorities but so far nothing has happened. It is imaginable that a student cannot go too far fearing a backlash from higher authorities who are out to destroy his career.
(We have submitted a memorandum to NHRC regarding Abhishek)
Conclusion : Chhatishgarh came into being to fulfill the aspiration of the tribals. Today, tribal remain more marginalized than any other community. The land is being occupied by not only the private companies and forest-department but also by the outsiders who are flourishing at the cost of the locals. The government may look more into the Naxal problem by bringing more funds for the home ministry but in the absence of a proactive reform particularly on land and forest management, government would be betraying to its own self. By throwing tribal away from their own area and denying them dignity, the government cannot expect anything. The corrupt and contemptuous officials have to go. Cases if like of Kartik and Abhishek Anand are not isolated. This is a trend in Chhatishgarh. One does not what is the domicile policy of Chhatishgarh. Has the government ever taken people into confidence on the issues such as land, water and forests?
If the government wants to tackle the Naxal threat it has to introspect on its own position. It cannot deny tribals and Dalit their legitimate right over their resources. If the state apparatus continue to become more brahmanical by giving huge, palatial land to the corrupt Babas while the marginalized languish of hunger and malnutrition, nothing will move. You cannot win a war against violence by pretending to look it with administrative viewpoint. Let the Dalit and tribals have more fare representation in police, administration and policymaking. The day government does its work sincerely the problem will automatically disappear. If things were so great let them ponder why the tribal remain landless in its own land and why people have to buy water in Chhattisgarh. It is equally important to find out as why Chhattisgarh which used to supply electricity to other state, today, is reeling under sever electricity cut. One is sure; tribals and Dalits are not the reason of this mess of Chhattisgarh. The mess in Chhattisgarh is created by the corrupt upper caste beaurocracy with active blessings of political leadership and it need to come clean. It cannot win a war against Naxals by scuttling the criticism or voices of dissent by putting innocent people into jails in the names of fighting naxal violence. It will have to show results by winning people’s heart and giving a positive programme in the villages.
By V.B.Rawat
Naxal operations in Chhatishgarh have threatened the very basis of the governance in rural Chhatisgarh. Earlier one used to hear about secret combats in far away areas but today the Naxals are ambushing the police parties and taking over the villages. Chhatishgarh’s Hindutva government is busy with attracting more investment and subsidizing the ‘rambhakts’ for Kailash Mansarovar, an attempt to placate the Hindutva groups while deliberately raise high pitch against the Muslim appeasement. Those of us who are worried about this situation are not only opposed to such silly actions of the government but also the unnecessary subsidy that the government provides to the Muslims for Haj. There is no need for that as Muslim scholars have also spoken against the same.
The city of Raipur remains as chaotic as any other unplanned township and could easily be considered as a ‘mosquito’ capital of the country. In the activists circle things have become too secretive. That reflects the nature of Chhatishgarh today where every two person meeting has several people from the Intelligence Bureau and other agencies looking for some clue. Even journalists seems to be under the scanner of these agencies as one journalist friends from a National Magazine informed me how his background material was ‘researched’ by IB and how his editors were informed not to be ‘sympathetic’ to Naxals.
Journalist as IB suspects
Therefore, every journalist is a possible suspect in Chhatishgarh. While police may be tapping his phones, the activists keep away from them for the fear of being a possible intelligence agent. Some confided that a number of stingers are in the government payroll otherwise how could they be traveling in cars and enjoying a much better life, when ordinary mortals are fighting their battle for livelihood. In the seminar, a journalist friend was sitting and talking about Salwa Judam project of the government of Chhatishgarh. Everybody knows this paid project of the Chhatishgarh government is not working. The journalist wanted response from the NGOs but none of them came up to reply. In fact, every one assumed that the fellow was a sure IB agent. Poor fellow remained marginalized unless one evening he showed me his identity card and other details. Such is the condition of the journalists reporting from Chhatishgarh. In Raipur a Television journalist had the same narratives about government’s anti Naxal operations. “They do not want us to go report from the Naxal infected areas. They would like us to write what they believe is correct and would not like any news of police torture or harassment of the common men. Is it not important for the government to introspect its policies as why have people rebelled against it”, says the journalist. He is more worried now with a proposed legislation by the Chhatishgarh government which could curtail media’s right to criticize the government. Like POTA this ordinance is equally damaging and dangerous and creative people should oppose it.
Issue of Land Alienation of the tribals
Is Chhatishgarh’s government interested in introspection? While Ajit Jogi started inviting companies and sold even rivers to private cronies, the current government of the Bharatiya Janata Party did not leg behind in denying people right over resources. The tribal and Dalits of Chhatishgarh today are at the receiving end. when they speak up for their rights and ask for justice they are easily termed as Naxalites or their sympathizers. For the poor people it is double aged sword. In the village if they come out against the officials they are beaten and if they do not then the community may term them as anti Naxal. The repression from both the side is brutal.
The issue of Naxalism in Chhatishgarh and other parts of the country is being treated as an administrative problem. The government still thinks that by using heavy arm forces it can win over the people who it has cheated. K.P.S.Gill has become panacea for every thing that is ailing in Chhatishgarh. One has to see what he did in Punjab. Gill did not succeed in Punjab. It was people’s will to participate in democracy that has changed Punjab. Gills administrative faults are still remembered in Punjab with much contempt. It is the same Gill who has hijacked Indian Hockey Federation and does not want its growth. Where has he time for Hockey amidst his politics. So, Gill would authorize his police to go for a kill.
It is interesting to note that Chhatishgarh government is using Salwajudam project to bring Adivasis into its fold in their fight against the Naxals. Problem is that government’s bureaucracy is so corrupted that it will take years for them to make the people feel about their intention. With out speaking about people’s right over resources, without giving them a job security, the government wants to fight against the Naxal menace. If the government is interested why does not it recruit Adivasis and Dalits into its police force and its wider administrative machinery, which is filled with corrupted upper castes. But is it possible for a government who look the issue of Naxalism from the prism of an upper caste brahmanical mindset?
Big companies, local feudal lords, water companies, forest department, every body seems to have joined hand in Chhatishgarh to rob people of their wealth. Former Congress government sold river Sheonath to a private party denying fishermen and farmers right to cultivate their land and fish there, the current government is following the same path. Every body need development but can we call such development sensitive which does not take care of people’s need and uproot them from their homes with out being rehabilitated?
Dominance of non-tribals
Chhattishgarh is predominantly an Adivasis-Dalit state and yet the irony is it is being run by the non-Adivasis. While the Hindutva party is here to put its casteist agenda, the old horses of the country’s original brahmanical party remain the same. One also has to see that it is not the chief minister or Ministers who rules the state. Chhatishgarh at the moment is completely in the grips of Sikhs, Sindhis and Jains. Barring a few families of them who have been compensated land due to partition; a majority of them have mischievously taken land meant for tribals by inducing the officials and using money and muscle power. This money and muscle power is creating a great unrest in Chhatishgarh and its villages. If that is none taken care of earlier, the situation may go out of hand.
A local Muslim who was taking me in his auto informed how his brother who had completed his BA did not get the government job despite bribing the local officials.
The Dalits and tribals are living a life of misery. In the absence of any radical Dalit movement, the situation here remain grim because of the growth of new power Sadhus and Babas. That Satnamis, the largest Dalit community has been cleverly embedded into the brahmanical Hinduism is one of the biggest tragedies of Chhatishgarh. It also happen when Ambedkar was made icon of certain communities and parties. Miracle Gods are happening in Chhatishgarh and more and more Dalits and Adviais are becoming victim of superstition and blind faith.
No body knows his flight since he is not Jessica Lal but a marginal Dalit
Jessica Lal and Mehar were no ordinary women. They came from upper strata of society. Definitely, we have sympathies with their families and those committed crime must be brought to book. But have not we seen this over dose of injustice to them in the media? Why do we not feel the same pain and anguish when a landless Dalit is hacked to death. Why our media do not write reams of pages on the conditions of Dalits and violence against them. Why the electronic channels keep mum over the violence against the Dalits and tribals. Perhaps they do not even know where are other people who face same problems. Yes, Ramesh Kumar’s case is much more threatening than Jessica Lal and Mehar since he lost his father and brother in front of his eyes. Because Ramesh, survived in that battle of brutal sword power added with the help of state machinery. Today, Ramesh is a threatened person despite police protection. Ramesh Kumar 27 face one of the serious threat to his life. Today, a police guard is round the corner protecting him. Ramesh, a Satnami by caste and small farmer lost his father and brother last year on September 10th, when a group of migrant Sikhs and Jaats of Punjab and Haryana lynched both of them. The reason for the killing was clear. Ramesh’s father Kartik Ram owned some land in village Bhurki under thana Bemtara in district Durg. Ram Chander Jaat of Haryana along with other friends of Haryana and Punjab had been on a buying spree in the area. They had settled in this area some years ago and were threatening people to sale their land to them. This has become a well-known factor in Chhatishgarh and other mineral rich states that the powerful farmers and business community is coming and alluring people for small money. Kartik Ram 56, and his elder son Puneet Ram, 31 were obstacles in the plot being hatched by Ramchandar. ‘ Why should I sale my land to people from outside. I lived on this land and earn my livelihood from it. Where should I go once I sale it to these oppressors’, said Kartik Ram to his sons. They went to police station and lodged a complaint against the immigrants. The oppressors themselves are expert in crookedness of the paper work, which our corrupt officials flaunt to exploit the poor masses. The Thana incharge of this area was another Haryanavi Shyam Sunder Sharma. One can understand the interest of one upper caste to save the skin of his Haryana brothers. Sharma started threatening the poor Dalits under the pretext that they had theft the tractor light of the Haryana farmers. He kept them waiting in the police station. Poor people spoke to area MLA Chetan Singh Verma against the harassment..
At around 4 pm, Sharma send them to Bhurki which was about 8 kilometer from the police station. All the three father and the sons came back to their home. Kartik and Puneet went to take a bath at the village pond. Ramesh was also there when the Haryana people came in tractors along with guns, swords and rifles. Ramesh ran to save himself. He was attacked by Sword. He survived. He father could not run. His brother was killed by Ajay Jaat with the sword. His father was hit by Ramchander. They cut his hands and slit his throat. Ramesh was on the run. He was crying. His mother Kamala Bai also came in between to save her husband. He went to Avneeesh Rathore, a local Congress Party Member who provided all assistance. By that time the village crowd had gathered in the area and started pelting stones. Today Ramesh is the only witness along with her mother and wife. He face severe threat to his life. The policemen on his security leave him in between. Like the police station in charge, he also seems to curse him. His wife is pregnant at the moment. The Farmhouse owners have threatened him with dire consequences. They are threatening him not to speak in the court when the case comes for hearing in May. Let us see how the administrators of Chhatishgarh act in this matter. We shall have an eye over this case.
(We will follow up this case with more details)
Dalit denied Justice in the Law University
Abhishek Priya Anand is a bright Dalit scholar who passed his Masters in Chemistry from Andhra Pradesh by 68%. He joined the combined course of the National Law University three years back on his own merit. He opted for a course of M.phil/Ph.D/LLM which was a four years course. According to structure, he should have been provided M.Phil degree in the very first year but that did not happen. His M.Phil was prolonged for one year and finally he got his worksheet for M.Phil after two and a half year. There has been no notification issued in writing to him as why has his case being delayed. Even when Abhishek wanted to enroll for the Ph.D, the University has shown no interest in dealing with him. When he enrolled for this comprehensive integrated course, he never realized that he would face a severe threat to his career. He was supposed to get teaching assignment from the second year but was denied the same. The students from other castes are clearly favored. He got his stipend of Rs 5,000/- for just two months only and that too in the second year only. Most of the other student received it for over 5-6 months. None of them have been informed as why the stipend was not given. In the third year, Abhishek was supposed to get Rs 10,000/- per month to pursue his Ph.D. According to documents made available to us, a three member committee formed to look into the matter had come to unanimous conclusion that Abhishek be enrolled for the Ph.D programme. The Vice Chancellor of the University Dr M.K.Shrivastava has not only not taken any interest in the case but also seems to have a prejudiced mind. After three years of staying at a place, the Vice Chancellor ordered Abhishek be thrown out of the University Hostel. Abhishek was told that since there is no faculty for his specific case, he couldn't be enrolled in the University as a Ph.D student. It is amusing that a University which officially offer courses in certain categories deny the same to one bright student and that too from a Dalit community which remain marginalized, not due non availability of merit or meritorious students, but with deep rooted prejudices in our system. It was easy for the Vice Chancellor to ask the student to go back but where would the student go. Abhiskeh has written to every one in the University including the Vice Chancellor and other State authorities but so far nothing has happened. It is imaginable that a student cannot go too far fearing a backlash from higher authorities who are out to destroy his career.
(We have submitted a memorandum to NHRC regarding Abhishek)
Conclusion : Chhatishgarh came into being to fulfill the aspiration of the tribals. Today, tribal remain more marginalized than any other community. The land is being occupied by not only the private companies and forest-department but also by the outsiders who are flourishing at the cost of the locals. The government may look more into the Naxal problem by bringing more funds for the home ministry but in the absence of a proactive reform particularly on land and forest management, government would be betraying to its own self. By throwing tribal away from their own area and denying them dignity, the government cannot expect anything. The corrupt and contemptuous officials have to go. Cases if like of Kartik and Abhishek Anand are not isolated. This is a trend in Chhatishgarh. One does not what is the domicile policy of Chhatishgarh. Has the government ever taken people into confidence on the issues such as land, water and forests?
If the government wants to tackle the Naxal threat it has to introspect on its own position. It cannot deny tribals and Dalit their legitimate right over their resources. If the state apparatus continue to become more brahmanical by giving huge, palatial land to the corrupt Babas while the marginalized languish of hunger and malnutrition, nothing will move. You cannot win a war against violence by pretending to look it with administrative viewpoint. Let the Dalit and tribals have more fare representation in police, administration and policymaking. The day government does its work sincerely the problem will automatically disappear. If things were so great let them ponder why the tribal remain landless in its own land and why people have to buy water in Chhattisgarh. It is equally important to find out as why Chhattisgarh which used to supply electricity to other state, today, is reeling under sever electricity cut. One is sure; tribals and Dalits are not the reason of this mess of Chhattisgarh. The mess in Chhattisgarh is created by the corrupt upper caste beaurocracy with active blessings of political leadership and it need to come clean. It cannot win a war against Naxals by scuttling the criticism or voices of dissent by putting innocent people into jails in the names of fighting naxal violence. It will have to show results by winning people’s heart and giving a positive programme in the villages.
Gadhaladda : Dying Under the burden of Tradition
Gadhaladda
Dying under the burden of tradition By V.B.Rawat
In the Amirpura municipal area of Mau town, about 20 families belonging to Gadhaladda community face severe starvation yet the first sight of an NGO make people feel as if the campaigners have come to give the Polio drop to the children. ‘ What is your problem with the polio drop’, I ask an elderly woman in the village. “Why should they come every Sunday when we have already given them polio-drops. We fear that the children may not be well and develop impotency’, says the woman.
Such pathetic socio-economic conditions showcase the plight of Gadhaladda community who follow Islam. One may feel amused about the traditional occupation of this community and why is the community still sticking to age-old practices if the tradition has not fetched its results. Gadhaladda own donkeys and their trade is loading and unloading the bricks. Most of them work in the difficult conditions in the brick kiln and earn about Rs 150/- per day. Out of this Rs 50/- goes to service of donkeys and rest for the family. With the advent of other mode of good transport, Gadhaladda’s are finding them highly irrelevant. Today, they are not even earning the same amount for 6 months. They remain out of work for next six month. Traditional occupational hazards have caged them in their past and hence Gadhaladdas do not even fix anywhere in the new scheme of things. The maximum they could afford to do is basic labor work. Ishtiaq Ahmed, 25, says that ‘the work is very difficult particularly in rain. It is difficult to get work due to problems of the brick kiln. Since June 2005, there has been no work for us here. If we do not get the work in next few days, our families would starve. We are already debt ridden and the ‘bhatta’ owner would not give more now.’ For every one thousand rupees taken as a loan, if they fail to return the money on a stipulated period, the lender would take away the donkey and provide another Rs 500/- to the Gadhaladda. The economic condition of this community reflects clearly in their household. Women look frail, children anemic and animals hungry and unwell.
None of the women in the family work, unlike the Ansaris in the powerloom sector where the entire family-work. They feel that women should do the family work. “The root of the problem is illiteracy among the women. While the women feel that there is a need of developmental process to begin at their area, unfortunately, NGOs have not ventured in among the Muslims’ says Shri Ram Nikumb, a prominent secular activist of Mau town, who helped a number of Muslim friends during the recent riots. Nikumb and his organization plan to start Self Help Groups ( SHGs) in the Muslim dominated areas as he feel that formation of women’s group would help counter the communal forces as well as the atrocities on Muslim men. Women are power center and we must bring them out and make them vocal on their issues, he suggests.
The community lives in utter desperation and almost one hundred percent illiterate. The only thing they could recite is Arabic verses of Quran they learnt from Madrasa. Due to illiteracy, bigger families are a norm in the community though the younger generations feel that they want to smaller families. Majida Khatun 60, has 9 children. Four daughters and five sons. None of them is literate.
Due to illiteracy and the burden of tradition, the community remained highly apolitical and socially backward. No political leader ever visited the community and inquired about their condition.’ ‘We know about our ward member but very difficult to contact the ‘big leaders’, says an elderly person. In fact, Jubaida 60 is a widow without any family support and yet does not have a ration card. Strangely, no widow pension has ever been sanctioned in the community. The other members of the community have simple BPL ration card, which mean nothing, as they do not have the strength to buy ration from the ration shop.
The work of Gaddhaladda is tremendous. From the early morning around 5 am they start their work and get back to home around noon. After relaxing for a while, they go out to graze the donkeys and return in the evening. The occupation is not honorable one, as they have to hear abuses and jokes from the people. Some time, people do not even like that the donkeys be allowed to pass through their streets.
The community of Gadhaladda claim themselves as Sheikh Farookhi, who was a saint in Medina. According to Mustafa, 60, Sheikh Farookhi led the foundation stone of holy shrine in Medina. They were construction worker and the tradition continues afterwards. The community has its own Panchayat which decide in the matters of disputes and marriages and divorce. Elder people of the community informed that divorce is highly objectionable to the community and should be avoidable. Dowry is practiced but not forced in the community. The community Panchayat is headed by one elected elder of the community and supported by several elders. The community still feels themselves bigger then Ansaris though the latter are far better economically. The marriages are strictly within the community as nobody accepts them.
The young people of the community want change of occupation. ‘ We have been doing this work out of traditional gratitude but it does not fetch us. We are on the verge of starvation as we do not know any other work.’ Says Naseer Ahmed. He further says that he would like his son to educate and become a government servant. And what about family size, I ask him, ‘ I want a small family, say Naseer. How would he do it I ask him? I am ready to use all the modern method to keep my family size small. I have a son and I do not wish to have more than two. It is difficult to run family in such a situation.
Before, I conclude this article, there is one threat perception looming large over several hundred Gadhaladdas families living in Shahi Katra, Mau who face threat of eviction. They had settled in that area for over 200 years doing their traditional occupation. None of them have any other land and if they are evicted, we may find them dying much before their actual death. Unfortunately, the area which has sizeable Muslim presence with ‘powerful’ leaders making international headlines, remain completely unaware of such atrocious state of living conditions. Shameful, that the government has not been able to provide any hope and development to this community/
It is important that social activists, NGOs understand the need of the community and develop mechanism for an overall sustainable development of the community. Equally important is to come out of the shell that ‘old is gold’. There is ample space for openness and moderation. However, mere donation would not work. Need is to start schools and vocational training programme for the community. Gadhaladda’s are facing burden of tradition, let us unburden them with the new wave of alternative modules for their survival. It is only hoped that the organizations interested in social cause would come forward and take the initiative.
Dying under the burden of tradition By V.B.Rawat
In the Amirpura municipal area of Mau town, about 20 families belonging to Gadhaladda community face severe starvation yet the first sight of an NGO make people feel as if the campaigners have come to give the Polio drop to the children. ‘ What is your problem with the polio drop’, I ask an elderly woman in the village. “Why should they come every Sunday when we have already given them polio-drops. We fear that the children may not be well and develop impotency’, says the woman.
Such pathetic socio-economic conditions showcase the plight of Gadhaladda community who follow Islam. One may feel amused about the traditional occupation of this community and why is the community still sticking to age-old practices if the tradition has not fetched its results. Gadhaladda own donkeys and their trade is loading and unloading the bricks. Most of them work in the difficult conditions in the brick kiln and earn about Rs 150/- per day. Out of this Rs 50/- goes to service of donkeys and rest for the family. With the advent of other mode of good transport, Gadhaladda’s are finding them highly irrelevant. Today, they are not even earning the same amount for 6 months. They remain out of work for next six month. Traditional occupational hazards have caged them in their past and hence Gadhaladdas do not even fix anywhere in the new scheme of things. The maximum they could afford to do is basic labor work. Ishtiaq Ahmed, 25, says that ‘the work is very difficult particularly in rain. It is difficult to get work due to problems of the brick kiln. Since June 2005, there has been no work for us here. If we do not get the work in next few days, our families would starve. We are already debt ridden and the ‘bhatta’ owner would not give more now.’ For every one thousand rupees taken as a loan, if they fail to return the money on a stipulated period, the lender would take away the donkey and provide another Rs 500/- to the Gadhaladda. The economic condition of this community reflects clearly in their household. Women look frail, children anemic and animals hungry and unwell.
None of the women in the family work, unlike the Ansaris in the powerloom sector where the entire family-work. They feel that women should do the family work. “The root of the problem is illiteracy among the women. While the women feel that there is a need of developmental process to begin at their area, unfortunately, NGOs have not ventured in among the Muslims’ says Shri Ram Nikumb, a prominent secular activist of Mau town, who helped a number of Muslim friends during the recent riots. Nikumb and his organization plan to start Self Help Groups ( SHGs) in the Muslim dominated areas as he feel that formation of women’s group would help counter the communal forces as well as the atrocities on Muslim men. Women are power center and we must bring them out and make them vocal on their issues, he suggests.
The community lives in utter desperation and almost one hundred percent illiterate. The only thing they could recite is Arabic verses of Quran they learnt from Madrasa. Due to illiteracy, bigger families are a norm in the community though the younger generations feel that they want to smaller families. Majida Khatun 60, has 9 children. Four daughters and five sons. None of them is literate.
Due to illiteracy and the burden of tradition, the community remained highly apolitical and socially backward. No political leader ever visited the community and inquired about their condition.’ ‘We know about our ward member but very difficult to contact the ‘big leaders’, says an elderly person. In fact, Jubaida 60 is a widow without any family support and yet does not have a ration card. Strangely, no widow pension has ever been sanctioned in the community. The other members of the community have simple BPL ration card, which mean nothing, as they do not have the strength to buy ration from the ration shop.
The work of Gaddhaladda is tremendous. From the early morning around 5 am they start their work and get back to home around noon. After relaxing for a while, they go out to graze the donkeys and return in the evening. The occupation is not honorable one, as they have to hear abuses and jokes from the people. Some time, people do not even like that the donkeys be allowed to pass through their streets.
The community of Gadhaladda claim themselves as Sheikh Farookhi, who was a saint in Medina. According to Mustafa, 60, Sheikh Farookhi led the foundation stone of holy shrine in Medina. They were construction worker and the tradition continues afterwards. The community has its own Panchayat which decide in the matters of disputes and marriages and divorce. Elder people of the community informed that divorce is highly objectionable to the community and should be avoidable. Dowry is practiced but not forced in the community. The community Panchayat is headed by one elected elder of the community and supported by several elders. The community still feels themselves bigger then Ansaris though the latter are far better economically. The marriages are strictly within the community as nobody accepts them.
The young people of the community want change of occupation. ‘ We have been doing this work out of traditional gratitude but it does not fetch us. We are on the verge of starvation as we do not know any other work.’ Says Naseer Ahmed. He further says that he would like his son to educate and become a government servant. And what about family size, I ask him, ‘ I want a small family, say Naseer. How would he do it I ask him? I am ready to use all the modern method to keep my family size small. I have a son and I do not wish to have more than two. It is difficult to run family in such a situation.
Before, I conclude this article, there is one threat perception looming large over several hundred Gadhaladdas families living in Shahi Katra, Mau who face threat of eviction. They had settled in that area for over 200 years doing their traditional occupation. None of them have any other land and if they are evicted, we may find them dying much before their actual death. Unfortunately, the area which has sizeable Muslim presence with ‘powerful’ leaders making international headlines, remain completely unaware of such atrocious state of living conditions. Shameful, that the government has not been able to provide any hope and development to this community/
It is important that social activists, NGOs understand the need of the community and develop mechanism for an overall sustainable development of the community. Equally important is to come out of the shell that ‘old is gold’. There is ample space for openness and moderation. However, mere donation would not work. Need is to start schools and vocational training programme for the community. Gadhaladda’s are facing burden of tradition, let us unburden them with the new wave of alternative modules for their survival. It is only hoped that the organizations interested in social cause would come forward and take the initiative.
Media Ethics : Making of a Pramod Mahajan
In June 1980 when Sanjay Gandhi died in an aircrash the entire country came to standstill particularly for the government controlled electronic media. We witnessed tribute by the ministers and every one in the Congress party. Those like us who were young students felt dismayed over the nature of tributes and broadcasting. It was an opportunity for the 'chatukars' to show their loyalty to the highcommand. We remained helpless in hearing those imposed obituries on radio and tv.
Nearly 27 years later, when Pramod Mahajan died, the media this time was not controlled by the government and yet fully obliged by going overboard. No doubt, Mahajan was BJP's breadwinner, a great networker, but does that make him take so much of space on our TV channels. Not only TV channels, the magazines and newspapers who normally do not carry the same headlines which tv channels do, devoted large space to him.
One need to ask the question to our editors as what was Mahajan's contribution to our national life. We all know how contemptuous our media is towards the political leaders. Our channels cannot understand the popularity of Dr Rajkumar in Karnataka ? How many of us showed the same kind of senstivity in reporting from Banglore ? Late President K R Narayanan died a few months back ? What did our channels show ? They perhaps did not have time to give some tributes and backgrounder of his life. Yes, we witnessed just a 2 minutes story or 4 column report.
This time it was not the government media but so called private channels. We did not really have that much of option as journos were obsessed with Mahajan puran. I respect Mahajan and also his families right to grieve in private. Did the media give them space to do so ? So we not allow people to moan their near and dear one. BBC and CNN never broadcast things such as we watch on our TVs. Editors will have to think of media ethics.
watching the other story along with Mahajan was reporting on OBC quota. One fact is clear that there is no organise movement against quota in the country. Yet, this has taken more space than anything else. A small march of 300-500 people is presented as an all India protest against quota. One should not forget how student organised themselves during the JP movement or even anti Mandal agitation in North India. One need to argue why the voices in support of reservation have remained unheard. Why is that the rallies in support of reservation are not reported.
I am not surprised as why this happen. Going through the websites of many news channels as well as newspapers, we are witnessing an aggrassive hate mongering propaganda all over. These hate mails are against any one who talk of sanity and human rights. Perhaps, that is one reason why the channels seems to be doing a 'balancing act'. Bring one Sitaram Yetchury and then counter him with a saffron Ravi Shankar Prasad or Abhishek Manu Singhvi of Congress. To keep religious gurus also in good humour, good to invite Swami Agnivesh or an Udit Raj for speaking for Dalits. Don't you in the media promote identities. You have fix secular people to respond on Gujarat. You never look for new people working on ground. Since activisim in India means these days filing a PIL in Supreme Court or do some Hangama at Rajghat or Jantar Mantar, those who are silently working on the ground leave your attention. That is why the well connected maverics masqurading as leaders are being projected as great leaders, future ministers or future Prime Ministers. Similarly, things are true with other 'experts' also who do 'social work'. Ultimately, almost all of them have similar high profile background.
Which brings us to question that is it media which make and unmake a leader ? Perhaps the reporter sitting at the studios might think so. If we allow the reporters to make prime ministers of India, you will be making an Amitabh Bachchan, a Sachin Tendulkar, an Amar Singh, Rajeev Shukla or Mahendra Singh Dhoni, an Aishwarya Ray or Nandal Nilkeni as our leaders. Thankfully, Indian people do not vote according to the fancies of anchors sitting in the studios otherwise we would have been in difficult times.
Nearly 27 years later, when Pramod Mahajan died, the media this time was not controlled by the government and yet fully obliged by going overboard. No doubt, Mahajan was BJP's breadwinner, a great networker, but does that make him take so much of space on our TV channels. Not only TV channels, the magazines and newspapers who normally do not carry the same headlines which tv channels do, devoted large space to him.
One need to ask the question to our editors as what was Mahajan's contribution to our national life. We all know how contemptuous our media is towards the political leaders. Our channels cannot understand the popularity of Dr Rajkumar in Karnataka ? How many of us showed the same kind of senstivity in reporting from Banglore ? Late President K R Narayanan died a few months back ? What did our channels show ? They perhaps did not have time to give some tributes and backgrounder of his life. Yes, we witnessed just a 2 minutes story or 4 column report.
This time it was not the government media but so called private channels. We did not really have that much of option as journos were obsessed with Mahajan puran. I respect Mahajan and also his families right to grieve in private. Did the media give them space to do so ? So we not allow people to moan their near and dear one. BBC and CNN never broadcast things such as we watch on our TVs. Editors will have to think of media ethics.
watching the other story along with Mahajan was reporting on OBC quota. One fact is clear that there is no organise movement against quota in the country. Yet, this has taken more space than anything else. A small march of 300-500 people is presented as an all India protest against quota. One should not forget how student organised themselves during the JP movement or even anti Mandal agitation in North India. One need to argue why the voices in support of reservation have remained unheard. Why is that the rallies in support of reservation are not reported.
I am not surprised as why this happen. Going through the websites of many news channels as well as newspapers, we are witnessing an aggrassive hate mongering propaganda all over. These hate mails are against any one who talk of sanity and human rights. Perhaps, that is one reason why the channels seems to be doing a 'balancing act'. Bring one Sitaram Yetchury and then counter him with a saffron Ravi Shankar Prasad or Abhishek Manu Singhvi of Congress. To keep religious gurus also in good humour, good to invite Swami Agnivesh or an Udit Raj for speaking for Dalits. Don't you in the media promote identities. You have fix secular people to respond on Gujarat. You never look for new people working on ground. Since activisim in India means these days filing a PIL in Supreme Court or do some Hangama at Rajghat or Jantar Mantar, those who are silently working on the ground leave your attention. That is why the well connected maverics masqurading as leaders are being projected as great leaders, future ministers or future Prime Ministers. Similarly, things are true with other 'experts' also who do 'social work'. Ultimately, almost all of them have similar high profile background.
Which brings us to question that is it media which make and unmake a leader ? Perhaps the reporter sitting at the studios might think so. If we allow the reporters to make prime ministers of India, you will be making an Amitabh Bachchan, a Sachin Tendulkar, an Amar Singh, Rajeev Shukla or Mahendra Singh Dhoni, an Aishwarya Ray or Nandal Nilkeni as our leaders. Thankfully, Indian people do not vote according to the fancies of anchors sitting in the studios otherwise we would have been in difficult times.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Dalit Dissent against Scriptures
Dissent or disrespect By V.B.Rawat
Dalits face charges of spreading communal disharmony in Lucknow
It was a meet to celebrate Periyar Jayanti under the auspices of Visha Shudra Mahasabha headed by Acharya Jugal Kishor Shastri, of Sri Ram Janaki Math in Ayodhya. Therefore, on January 15th (the date is not really related to Periyar but the programme was organized in his memory) to discuss the “ communalization of state machinery and behavior of state’, various activists, intellectuals and academics had gathered at the community hall of Dar-ul-safa, Lucknow. One need not to elaborate here that Uttar-Pradesh has seen a vicious campaign against minorities and marginalized since the independence. However, situation had worsened during the past 20years. The Hindu Muslim divide exists more than ever with regular bout of ‘communal’ riots. The state apparatus act as an upper caste Hindu instrument to protect their interest and Muslim, Dalits and other marginalized sections of the society have almost lost faith in them resulting in their ghettoisation and identifying their welfare with respective communities.
The Mandalisation process of 1991 helped many backward communities to look for their icons in Uttar-Pradesh and therefore Periyar, Jyoti Ba Phule, Sardar Patel and Shahuji Maharaj, came to Uttar-Pradesh. Among all of them, Periyar was the most fascinated icon, respected and loved by both the Dalits and radical backwards alike. The reason for this love and affection are the stories of Periyar’s Self Respect Movement in Tamilnadu and how he took on the powerful Brahmins and their divine beliefs. Therefore, the Hindutva group vehemently opposed the move of Ms Mayawati, as chief Minister of Uttar-Pradesh, to install a statue of Periyar along with other icons of Dalit emancipation namely Buddha, Dr Ambedkar, Jyoti Ba Phule, and Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj, at the Parivartan Chowk, in Lucknow. They charged that Periyar had denigrated the Hindu gods and scriptures and his memories should not be allowed in the Hindi heartland. Yet, thanks to Mayawati, she did not buckle under the pressure of the notorious Hindutva gangs and went ahead with her plan.
It is equally interesting to note that Periyar had visited Lucknow in early Sixties on the invitation of some Dalits and Buddhists and was welcomed with brickbats and stones as the orthodox Hindus surrounded him and did not allow him to speak at his public meeting. No harm could be done to Periyar as he was surrounded and safely escorted by his supporters. It is another matter that Periyar did not visit Uttar-Pradesh again but his legacy continue to enchant thousands of radical activists all over the state.
Therefore, memory of Periyar was a right occasion for the Dalits, backwards and oppressed of the Hindu orthodoxy to vent their anger against the brahmanical literature and divine religious texts, which have denigrated Dalits and Shudras. As the seminar began to unfold the anger of the activists started building. It is reported that some of them burnt the Vedic scriptures like Upanishads, Manu Smriti and garlanded the idol of ‘Lord Rama’ as mark of their protest against the brahmanical values and system.
The news of the ‘ denigration’ of Hindu Gods and scriptures spread like wild fire in Lucknow and political parties jumped into the fray. The Hindutva gangs, who feel no shame for demolition of the Babari Masjid, had arrived on the scene and filed FIR against seven of the activists terming them anti Hindu and hurting the sentiments of the community.
It is another matter that most of these activists belong to powerful backward community of Kurmis, who are backbone of the Hindutva laboratory in the state against the Yadav domination of Mulayam Singh Yadav. Moreover, Acharya Jugal Kishore Shastri heads the Ram Janaki Math in Ayodhya and is editor of ‘ Aydodhya ki Awaj’. Among the ‘anti social elements’ the police have also arrested one Buddhist Monk. In all, seven activist of Vishwa Shudra Mahasabha have been charged by the Lucknow police for spreading communal disharmony and hurting religious sentiments of different communities under section 153A. The seven arrested activists are Mr Jagdish Patel, Usha Patel, Praveen Kumar, Rajesh Kumar, Jugal Kishore Shastri, Babri Tist, and Skand Das.
According to Mr S.R.Darapuri, vice President, Ambedkar Mahasabha, Lucknow, the activists were badly beaten by the police and no legal assistance was allowed to them. The gangs of Hindutva and Shiv Sena ( which has nominal presence) had already arrived at the scene forcing the police officials to act against the ‘culprits’. Darapuri also felt anguished as why as the police booked them under Section 153 A, for ‘spreading’ communal disharmony. ‘Do they not have a right to express themselves’ he asks. They were just protesting at a seminar in the Memory of a proclaimed atheist and rationalist icon of our country. Have the police taken any action against the provocative and abominable cries of Bal Thackrey in Mumbai. His goons can attack any media institution and spread a riot and halt the trains and yet the governments prove shamelessly spineless’, add Darapuri, who is also a retired Inspector General of the State Police.
The activists were not allowed to hire a lawyer. The upper caste Hindu lawyer threatened the backward community lawyer who decided to file case on behalf of these activists. He was also beaten badly. The court rejected their bail application on January 17th, 2006. Mr. Darapuri also charged that the activists were beaten inside the jail by the under trials in the presence of police. The activists were brought to a city court on 8th February 2006 but the court has reserved its judgment till 17th of February. The Hindutva organizations have condemned this incident and asked the state government to book all the ‘culprits’ in the National Security Act, as their act has threatened the nation.
Freedom of conscience and right to protest
Lucknow’s case has again highlighted the fact that article 153A could be misused by not only politicians but also by the religious gangs against dissent. Dalit’s dissent against orthodox Varna system has been projected not only historical writings Hindu values and Hindu social system is well-documented fact. Dr B.R.Ambedkar had burnt Manu Smriti, the law book of the Hindus, on December 25th, 1927 at Mahad, in Maharastra, along with a large number of his followers. In Tamilnadu, Periyar’s self respect movement was against the Hindu text and Hindu God, which he projected as barbarians. Jyoti Ba Phule also challenged the brahmanical orthodoxy in Pune and faced their wrath. It was not that all of them wanted to tease the Brahmins. Their grievances were that these divine books have been written by the Brahmins and aimed to lower the dignity of Dalits and Shudra communities to maintain the unchallenged brahmanical hegemony. Most of them wrote their own history with Ambedkar taking the lead with writing‘ Riddles of Hinduism’. The Hindutva protest against the same was countered by massive Dalit protest in Maharastra forcing the government to publish the book.
Dalits have on many occasions demanded that the so-called sacred text be rewritten or the denigrating texts may be deleted from these books. As caste loving Hindus want to retain these texts under the pretext of ‘freedom’ of the author, the Dalits have every right not only to reject that system but also to burn those texts, which belittle them and degrade their occupations.
Dalits face charges of spreading communal disharmony in Lucknow
It was a meet to celebrate Periyar Jayanti under the auspices of Visha Shudra Mahasabha headed by Acharya Jugal Kishor Shastri, of Sri Ram Janaki Math in Ayodhya. Therefore, on January 15th (the date is not really related to Periyar but the programme was organized in his memory) to discuss the “ communalization of state machinery and behavior of state’, various activists, intellectuals and academics had gathered at the community hall of Dar-ul-safa, Lucknow. One need not to elaborate here that Uttar-Pradesh has seen a vicious campaign against minorities and marginalized since the independence. However, situation had worsened during the past 20years. The Hindu Muslim divide exists more than ever with regular bout of ‘communal’ riots. The state apparatus act as an upper caste Hindu instrument to protect their interest and Muslim, Dalits and other marginalized sections of the society have almost lost faith in them resulting in their ghettoisation and identifying their welfare with respective communities.
The Mandalisation process of 1991 helped many backward communities to look for their icons in Uttar-Pradesh and therefore Periyar, Jyoti Ba Phule, Sardar Patel and Shahuji Maharaj, came to Uttar-Pradesh. Among all of them, Periyar was the most fascinated icon, respected and loved by both the Dalits and radical backwards alike. The reason for this love and affection are the stories of Periyar’s Self Respect Movement in Tamilnadu and how he took on the powerful Brahmins and their divine beliefs. Therefore, the Hindutva group vehemently opposed the move of Ms Mayawati, as chief Minister of Uttar-Pradesh, to install a statue of Periyar along with other icons of Dalit emancipation namely Buddha, Dr Ambedkar, Jyoti Ba Phule, and Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj, at the Parivartan Chowk, in Lucknow. They charged that Periyar had denigrated the Hindu gods and scriptures and his memories should not be allowed in the Hindi heartland. Yet, thanks to Mayawati, she did not buckle under the pressure of the notorious Hindutva gangs and went ahead with her plan.
It is equally interesting to note that Periyar had visited Lucknow in early Sixties on the invitation of some Dalits and Buddhists and was welcomed with brickbats and stones as the orthodox Hindus surrounded him and did not allow him to speak at his public meeting. No harm could be done to Periyar as he was surrounded and safely escorted by his supporters. It is another matter that Periyar did not visit Uttar-Pradesh again but his legacy continue to enchant thousands of radical activists all over the state.
Therefore, memory of Periyar was a right occasion for the Dalits, backwards and oppressed of the Hindu orthodoxy to vent their anger against the brahmanical literature and divine religious texts, which have denigrated Dalits and Shudras. As the seminar began to unfold the anger of the activists started building. It is reported that some of them burnt the Vedic scriptures like Upanishads, Manu Smriti and garlanded the idol of ‘Lord Rama’ as mark of their protest against the brahmanical values and system.
The news of the ‘ denigration’ of Hindu Gods and scriptures spread like wild fire in Lucknow and political parties jumped into the fray. The Hindutva gangs, who feel no shame for demolition of the Babari Masjid, had arrived on the scene and filed FIR against seven of the activists terming them anti Hindu and hurting the sentiments of the community.
It is another matter that most of these activists belong to powerful backward community of Kurmis, who are backbone of the Hindutva laboratory in the state against the Yadav domination of Mulayam Singh Yadav. Moreover, Acharya Jugal Kishore Shastri heads the Ram Janaki Math in Ayodhya and is editor of ‘ Aydodhya ki Awaj’. Among the ‘anti social elements’ the police have also arrested one Buddhist Monk. In all, seven activist of Vishwa Shudra Mahasabha have been charged by the Lucknow police for spreading communal disharmony and hurting religious sentiments of different communities under section 153A. The seven arrested activists are Mr Jagdish Patel, Usha Patel, Praveen Kumar, Rajesh Kumar, Jugal Kishore Shastri, Babri Tist, and Skand Das.
According to Mr S.R.Darapuri, vice President, Ambedkar Mahasabha, Lucknow, the activists were badly beaten by the police and no legal assistance was allowed to them. The gangs of Hindutva and Shiv Sena ( which has nominal presence) had already arrived at the scene forcing the police officials to act against the ‘culprits’. Darapuri also felt anguished as why as the police booked them under Section 153 A, for ‘spreading’ communal disharmony. ‘Do they not have a right to express themselves’ he asks. They were just protesting at a seminar in the Memory of a proclaimed atheist and rationalist icon of our country. Have the police taken any action against the provocative and abominable cries of Bal Thackrey in Mumbai. His goons can attack any media institution and spread a riot and halt the trains and yet the governments prove shamelessly spineless’, add Darapuri, who is also a retired Inspector General of the State Police.
The activists were not allowed to hire a lawyer. The upper caste Hindu lawyer threatened the backward community lawyer who decided to file case on behalf of these activists. He was also beaten badly. The court rejected their bail application on January 17th, 2006. Mr. Darapuri also charged that the activists were beaten inside the jail by the under trials in the presence of police. The activists were brought to a city court on 8th February 2006 but the court has reserved its judgment till 17th of February. The Hindutva organizations have condemned this incident and asked the state government to book all the ‘culprits’ in the National Security Act, as their act has threatened the nation.
Freedom of conscience and right to protest
Lucknow’s case has again highlighted the fact that article 153A could be misused by not only politicians but also by the religious gangs against dissent. Dalit’s dissent against orthodox Varna system has been projected not only historical writings Hindu values and Hindu social system is well-documented fact. Dr B.R.Ambedkar had burnt Manu Smriti, the law book of the Hindus, on December 25th, 1927 at Mahad, in Maharastra, along with a large number of his followers. In Tamilnadu, Periyar’s self respect movement was against the Hindu text and Hindu God, which he projected as barbarians. Jyoti Ba Phule also challenged the brahmanical orthodoxy in Pune and faced their wrath. It was not that all of them wanted to tease the Brahmins. Their grievances were that these divine books have been written by the Brahmins and aimed to lower the dignity of Dalits and Shudra communities to maintain the unchallenged brahmanical hegemony. Most of them wrote their own history with Ambedkar taking the lead with writing‘ Riddles of Hinduism’. The Hindutva protest against the same was countered by massive Dalit protest in Maharastra forcing the government to publish the book.
Dalits have on many occasions demanded that the so-called sacred text be rewritten or the denigrating texts may be deleted from these books. As caste loving Hindus want to retain these texts under the pretext of ‘freedom’ of the author, the Dalits have every right not only to reject that system but also to burn those texts, which belittle them and degrade their occupations.
Merit of the Meritorious
Reservation Debate
A Great opportunity to restrengthen Dalit Bahujan Alliance By V.B.Rawat
One need to give due credit to V.T.Rajshekar, editor of Dalit Voice, Banglore, for wonderfully explaining the issue of merit and reservation. Rajshekar himself faced threat when he was in Delhi during those heydays of anti Mandal agitation of the upper caste youths 1990-91. Mr Rajshekar has a sharp mind who understand well the brahmanical crookedness and has been really well ahead of his contemporaries in analyzing caste system in India.
He is quoted two excellent judgment of Justice Krishna Iyer and Justice Chinappa Reddy in his thought provoking article “ The Myth of Merit and Efficiency Dalit Voice January 16th, 1987. I take liberty in quoting the wonderful judgment of Justice Krishna Iyer and Justice Chinnapa Reddy from the article for the benefit of readers.
Justice Krishna Iyer of the Supreme Court says in the ABSK Sanghcase 1981)
"Trite arguments about efficiency are a trifle phoney. ... We are not impressed with the misfortune about the governmental personnel being manned by morons, merely because a sprinkling of harijans and Girijans happened to find their way into the service. The malady of modern India lies elsewhere, and the merit monger are greater risks in many respects than the native tribals, and slightly better off lower caste. .. The fundamental question arises, as to what's 'merit' and 'suitability'? Elitists, whose sympathies with the masses have dried up, are from standards of Indian people, least suitable to run the government and least meritorious to handle the state business. ... A sensitized heart and vibrant head tuned to the tears of the people, will speedily quicken the developmental needs of the country... Sincere dedication and intellectual integrity - these are some of thecomponents of merit and suitability- not a degree from Oxford or Cambridge, Harvard or Simian. Unfortunately, the very orientation of our selection process is distorted and those like the candidates from Scheduled Castes whom from their birth, have a traumatic understanding of the conditions of agrestic India, have in one sense more capability than those who lived under affluent circumstances and are callous to the human lot of thesorrowing masses."
According to Justice Chinnappa Reddy of the Supreme Court :
"There is no statistical basis or expert evidence to support the assumptionthat efficiency will be impaired if reservation is continued or ifreservation exceeds a certain percentage or reservation is extended topromotional posts."
Justice Chinnappa Reddy of Supreme Court said (in the Railways case 1881)"Therefore, we see that when the posts ... are reserved ... to members ofScheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other socially and economicallyBackward Classes it is not a concession or privilege extended to them, itis in the recognition of their undoubted fundamental right to equality ofopportunity and ...and to secure to all its citizens, justice, social,economic and political and equality of status and opportunity ... toensure their participation on an equal basis in the administration of thecountry ... Every lawful method is permissible to secure the duerepresentation of SCs and STs in the public services."
(The Myth of Merit and Efficiency- Dalit Voice January 16, 1987: the entire text is available on www.ambedkar.org)
What is merit ?
Perhaps those campaigning against reservation may not even know that Justice Krishna Iyer, one of India’s most illustrious judicial reformists made such a scathing remark on the issue of merit. The fact of the matter is that upper Hindus, their masters in the media and business rarely read books. They are not bothered about human rights. Rarely would they feel apologetic about what their forefathers have done to the Dalits. The violence against Dalits, Adivasis and backward communities is still rampant. None of our brothers want to discuss on this and carry a campaign against the same.
They are equally not bothered about getting a seat through money and muscle power. Watch at any railway station they would like to book reserve seat for them. Why cannot they go in general category if they are so enamored with General. You oppose reservation where you feel others will damage your 5000 years hegemony. You support it where you can buy it.
The same upper caste Hindus are back in action after a long wait of useless sitting. They did not come in the street when Gujarat was burning. No doctor boycotted Praveen Togadia, a shame on medical profession who warned doctors not to treat the Muslims. They did not come to the street when Ayodhya’s Babari Mosque was demolished 1992. They cannot come to the street when Hindus in Kashmir are massacred. They do not cry against the Sharmas who are involved in a majority of criminal cases for the last ten years. Beginning from the tandoor famous Sushil Sharma to Shivani murder case R.K.Sharma and then onwards hundreds of Sharmas are behind the bar facing criminal charges. No upper caste in the street come forward to condemn Sharmaisation of crime. During the British period the same upper castes with the help of their British bosses declared some of the Dalits and backward communities as criminal tribe. If one Mushhar was caught for stealing a piece of bread, the entire Mushhar community was branded as thief. Similarly, Gujars were declared as criminal tribes. Upper castes have no time to think over it, for they think it is not their issue. They are born to rule the country and therefore when the political system is Mandalised, they still feel they can still rule the country through media and bureaucracy. Sorry, their time has gone.
Debate on Merit therefore is gaining ground. We are hearing Trivedis, Chaturvedis, Malhotras, Guptas, Sanghvis, Chawalas on the virtue of a ‘meritorious’ society. One does not know what do they mean by meritorious society. Let us start to unravel some facts of merit.
As Ambedkar once wittingly said that Hindus failed to write even their two great epics the Mahabharata and Ramayana. We all know that these epics were written by sage Vyasa and sageValmiki. The third Epic, the constitution of Modern India was written by Ambedkar himself. All three happened to be Dalits.Where was the merits of upper castes. Of course, when a Brahmin heads the Maths in Badrinath or Chennai, Varanasi or Tirupati, there are no open tenders. In all other communities including Christians, Sikhs, Muslims, any one can become priests. There are some procedures and when they pass out they become priests. In the racist Varnashram Dharma there is no meritorious quota fixed for being a priest. After all, a priest should be not only knowledgeable but also look respecting the ‘freedom, equality and liberty’. Instead, they abuse and spit fire. That is Hindu way of life. Always being crooked, cunning and pretending very liberal. Where are liberal Hindus who can discuss quota?
South Indian states led by Tamilnadu have more than 69% quota and as a recent report in Frontline suggests not a single institution has been affected due to efficiency of merit.Karnatka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh are also following the same pratice and yet without any social backlash. In fact as noted Bahujan historian Kancha Illaiah rightly says, South Indian states are better governed than their north Indian states despite high dose of reservation. There is no such protest against reservation. But after making Banglore the hub of North Indian activities, they are back to same dirty tactics.
Meritorious reporters
Strangely, the debate on merit is started by those who are not meritorious at all and sitting there from one connection or others. Editors once upon a time were sensitive enough to social cause but today their first loyalty is towards their supplier. Most of the editors are more involved in ‘Jugad’ with political parties, sitting with them and asking for a favor. Can the editors and those pretty faces on the TV channels claim they are the best to represent the country? Since you do not want to see the ugly side of your own faces, you close eyes and say you are unaware of it. Let us discuss some of the merits of our editors.
Some of them got to the job with political connections. One editor of a famous news weekly has a Sangh background. It was said that he could not write even two pages of a report in English. Today, he heads such a big organization and under him are a number of meritorious editors suffocating and grinning. There are similar stories in other media organizations where the meritorious reporters and editors have to work with politically crooked fellows. I would not like to name here personally but the fact is those preaching us merit should disclose their educational background and where they stood in their classes. It would make anything by just saying that they passed out. Writing, they say, come from sensibilities of society. British and European scholars visit India, stay in villages and respect its diversity and have contributed more than our own social scientists because of the dishonesty of its upper caste intellectual class. Why are Indian editors and writers behaving racially? Why is that the Dalits are now forced to write their own history? It is simply because our history has been a victim of brahmanical notoriety, the value system of Hindus which hid everything which was meant for social justice.
It is also necessary for these upper caste reporters to understand what India is. You cannot understand India by just reporting from Kargil from the bunker of army? Neither can you report from injecting upper caste mind on all us. For any reporter, understanding India’s diversity and social issues is a must. But then why should TV channels bother about these. Their concern is to make a few of them as star.
Those who have watching TV for the past 12 days would certainly want to ask question on the merit of the editors. Do we deserve 24 hours Mahajan Puran for several days on our bedrooms? No doubt he was a young leader who died an unnatural death. Surely, he was a great manipulator of things, so-called strategist but that does not make him a mass leader. Going by the same criteria the channels should have devoted a few days to inform us about the greatness of Dr Rajkumar, a great Kannadiga or MGR who people worshipped in Tamilnadu. The same channels and great editors would not give a page or 5 minutes tribute to K.R. Narayanan or Gyani Jail Singh, two great former presidents of India. The caste Hindus and their dirty minds would always play game in India. They would like us to believe what they believe. Fortunately, we still do not vote according to the whims and fancies of these insincere reporters, a complete prostitution of a sane profession.
Mandela failed in getting justice to South African Blacks
A number of backward castes and Dalit intellectuals have been roped in to inform people that reservation is against merit. Indian Express recently carried out a report from South Africa and how it is working on affirmative action. The fact of the matter is Nelson Mandela was unable to extract any thing specific for the blacks. One has to see history that Mandela is more popular abroad than in his communities. The demand for participation in power has to come through quota. If the same whites who ruled Africa for years and crushed it, are ruling without any challenge on their authority with a ‘black’ head of state, that does not mean any change. One has to remember that Mandela after his release came to India first in February 1991 when the country was facing the worst-ever upper caste protests against reservation. Mandela refused to speak on it. Clear enough, Mandela became bigger than the issue of South African blacks. The result was that South African cricket team still is a white team and the bureaucracy is still dominated by the whites. If change of power mean transfer of power from one prime minister to other, then South Africa has achieved all its goal but if change means power to the people, South African leadership has failed in that direction. One is sure Mobuki knows this better than his predecessor.
The Neighboring Zimbabwe when tried to implement Land Reforms, the white human Rights Organizations came against Robert Mughave. He was termed as racist and undemocratic. Every time there has been efforts by Robert Mughave to provide land to the black poor, international agencies criticized him. Even when he won elections on a massive mandate, charges of forgery made against him. This is West’s style to downgrade democracy and put in their interests.
Land Reform and Reservation: Undoing Historic Wrongs
One has to understand that reservation and Land Reform go hand in hand. Land Reform brings to a large number of rural landless people into the mainstream. It is meant to undo historic wrong while quota in the government services mean representation in power structure. It has to be proportionate based. Often argument is given that Dalits and backward do not compete with the upper caste students. What could be far from truth is that such lies continue to spread through media. I am sure they should know that a large number of Dalits in the bureaucracy are functioning relatively better than their upper caste counterparts. Some of them have been writing in daily newspapers. Dalit academia has come up and writing their history which has been concocted by the upper caste historians.
The case of Justice KG Balakrishnan is a reminder. Justice Balakrishnanas’ name was
Suggested by late President K.R.Narayanan. The media made hue and cry. Narayanan
wrote that there are many efficient judges from Dalits, Backward and tribal categories
and they should be given representation in judiciary. The answer he got from the
Government was that Balakrishnan was competent judge but underage. But the real fear
was that if Justice Bala Krishanan is not denied due opportunity, he would be one of the
longest serving Chief Justices of Indian Supreme Court, nearly for six years. That is the
matter of concern for the manipulators. Upper castes wanted judiciary to remain in their
hands so that all the executive order are abolished by judicial judgments under the false
pretext of Public Interest Litigations. Hindus are expert in these litigations and become
leaders after filing them in the court. It is not easy for any other community particularly
for Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis to file PIL and get accepted.
Recently, an outlook story pointed out how a senior officer belonging to Scheduled
Castes was first made Deputy Governor and then demoted. Such injustices against Dalits
happen in large number. If there is no quota, we know the upper castes have no respect
for merit. They will want an India led by the North Indian Brahmins and their Bania
chums. Since the political environment has changed therefore they are targeting
educational institutions.
Our Industries so far are domain of Marwaris run on family business. I am sure Rahul
Bajaj would not appoint any other meritorious person as head of his organization against
his own children. I am sure he wont claim that he has the best brain.
Dalit and backwards are running business now
As far as Dalits and backwards are concern, no body can put any doubt on their merit.
They are running business institutions and even banks. Siddhartha Bank in Maharstra,
Kunbi cooperative Bank in Konkan, Banks in the name of Ambedkar in and around
Madhya Pradesh are working and succeeding. Blaming Dalits for just 2% of job is
Another calumny, which the Hindus are experts in over the year. One needs not to tell
these guys as who are the people who make ‘Dastkar’ or ‘Fab India’ what they are today.
How come the upper castes minting money on the excellence and work of Dalit Adivasi
women in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharastra. Do upper caste reward them with this merit?
Today, Dr Narendra Jadav is one of the most respected Economists in Government of
India and deputed to Central Bank of Afganistan to support build financially strong
Afganistan. This upper caste phobia of reservation against merit has to be rebutted. To
run a country and its administration, we need diversity reflected in our masses. A few
Brahmins and Marwaris cannot represent India. You have to give fare representation to
Linguistic and religious minorities. Dalits, Adivasis and backward communities have
faced discrimination for years and therefore they need special attention by the
governments.
Lesson for backward communities: Dalits face brunt of the upper castes for supporting backward communities. It is not unusual that Dalits were in the forefront of support to Mandal Commission Report. That was a time when Dalit Bahujan concept materialized. Unfortunately, because of short term gains of our political leaders, all succumbed to Hindutva game plan. Backwards became champion of Hindutva gang and started hitting the Dalits in their respective power domain. Whether it is Yadavas in UP and Bihar or Thewars in Andhra or Gujjars in Uttar-Pradesh and Haryana, backward communities worked as a foot soldiers of their brahmanical bosses. But in this important battle for reclamation of their rights, backwards have found that they lack a complete political will to fight this battle. They should now humbly follow the Dalits in this battle of reservation. Dalits have Ambedkar, Phule as their icons and backwards would do well to gain from Ambedkar and his writings.
In the meanwhile, all Dalit bahujan should join hand against the upper caste onslaught on their rights. Remember, the brahmanical forces of the cow belt are afraid of losing their hegemony. They have already lost the political battle. They run politics on crookedness. It is time the Dalits, backwards, Adivasis come together and give a fitting reply. Organise debates and debunk the upper caste merit. Merit is nothing but a Dronacharya syndrome. That was past. Today in the 21st century such Dronacharyas would be taught a lesson. India cannot gain if a majority of its population is absent from power structure. Let us force the government to implement quota fully. Let government bring out a white paper on reservation and tell us what exactly is the percentage of Dalits,and backwards in government services. Give us report categories wise. Let us demand that where are 27% backward IAS officers or 17.5% Dalit IAS officers in government if quota is fairly implemented. Meanwhile, the Medical students would do well to study their classes and think of their future. Such blackmailing on part of them would be counterproductive for India’s health. Let this debate also build up a formidable alliance of Dalit Bahujan which got derailed in the past. The upper caste protest therefore will ultimately help us realize the long cherish dream of unity of all the oppressed communities led by the Dalits. For the Dalit backward Member of Parliament, it is time to awake and arise. Put the entire reservation for OBCs, Dalits and Adivasis in IX Schedule of the constitution so that it remained outside the judicial scrutiny, as has been the case in Tamilnadu. Perhaps, this anti reservation rhetoric of the upper caste ‘spiritual’ medical practitioners, a majority of whom are unethical and follow Tantra and have allowed to build temples outside ICUs of the hospitals against rational medical practices, will help Dalits and bahujan communities to sink their differences and draw a common strategy to secure their future.
A Great opportunity to restrengthen Dalit Bahujan Alliance By V.B.Rawat
One need to give due credit to V.T.Rajshekar, editor of Dalit Voice, Banglore, for wonderfully explaining the issue of merit and reservation. Rajshekar himself faced threat when he was in Delhi during those heydays of anti Mandal agitation of the upper caste youths 1990-91. Mr Rajshekar has a sharp mind who understand well the brahmanical crookedness and has been really well ahead of his contemporaries in analyzing caste system in India.
He is quoted two excellent judgment of Justice Krishna Iyer and Justice Chinappa Reddy in his thought provoking article “ The Myth of Merit and Efficiency Dalit Voice January 16th, 1987. I take liberty in quoting the wonderful judgment of Justice Krishna Iyer and Justice Chinnapa Reddy from the article for the benefit of readers.
Justice Krishna Iyer of the Supreme Court says in the ABSK Sanghcase 1981)
"Trite arguments about efficiency are a trifle phoney. ... We are not impressed with the misfortune about the governmental personnel being manned by morons, merely because a sprinkling of harijans and Girijans happened to find their way into the service. The malady of modern India lies elsewhere, and the merit monger are greater risks in many respects than the native tribals, and slightly better off lower caste. .. The fundamental question arises, as to what's 'merit' and 'suitability'? Elitists, whose sympathies with the masses have dried up, are from standards of Indian people, least suitable to run the government and least meritorious to handle the state business. ... A sensitized heart and vibrant head tuned to the tears of the people, will speedily quicken the developmental needs of the country... Sincere dedication and intellectual integrity - these are some of thecomponents of merit and suitability- not a degree from Oxford or Cambridge, Harvard or Simian. Unfortunately, the very orientation of our selection process is distorted and those like the candidates from Scheduled Castes whom from their birth, have a traumatic understanding of the conditions of agrestic India, have in one sense more capability than those who lived under affluent circumstances and are callous to the human lot of thesorrowing masses."
According to Justice Chinnappa Reddy of the Supreme Court :
"There is no statistical basis or expert evidence to support the assumptionthat efficiency will be impaired if reservation is continued or ifreservation exceeds a certain percentage or reservation is extended topromotional posts."
Justice Chinnappa Reddy of Supreme Court said (in the Railways case 1881)"Therefore, we see that when the posts ... are reserved ... to members ofScheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other socially and economicallyBackward Classes it is not a concession or privilege extended to them, itis in the recognition of their undoubted fundamental right to equality ofopportunity and ...and to secure to all its citizens, justice, social,economic and political and equality of status and opportunity ... toensure their participation on an equal basis in the administration of thecountry ... Every lawful method is permissible to secure the duerepresentation of SCs and STs in the public services."
(The Myth of Merit and Efficiency- Dalit Voice January 16, 1987: the entire text is available on www.ambedkar.org)
What is merit ?
Perhaps those campaigning against reservation may not even know that Justice Krishna Iyer, one of India’s most illustrious judicial reformists made such a scathing remark on the issue of merit. The fact of the matter is that upper Hindus, their masters in the media and business rarely read books. They are not bothered about human rights. Rarely would they feel apologetic about what their forefathers have done to the Dalits. The violence against Dalits, Adivasis and backward communities is still rampant. None of our brothers want to discuss on this and carry a campaign against the same.
They are equally not bothered about getting a seat through money and muscle power. Watch at any railway station they would like to book reserve seat for them. Why cannot they go in general category if they are so enamored with General. You oppose reservation where you feel others will damage your 5000 years hegemony. You support it where you can buy it.
The same upper caste Hindus are back in action after a long wait of useless sitting. They did not come in the street when Gujarat was burning. No doctor boycotted Praveen Togadia, a shame on medical profession who warned doctors not to treat the Muslims. They did not come to the street when Ayodhya’s Babari Mosque was demolished 1992. They cannot come to the street when Hindus in Kashmir are massacred. They do not cry against the Sharmas who are involved in a majority of criminal cases for the last ten years. Beginning from the tandoor famous Sushil Sharma to Shivani murder case R.K.Sharma and then onwards hundreds of Sharmas are behind the bar facing criminal charges. No upper caste in the street come forward to condemn Sharmaisation of crime. During the British period the same upper castes with the help of their British bosses declared some of the Dalits and backward communities as criminal tribe. If one Mushhar was caught for stealing a piece of bread, the entire Mushhar community was branded as thief. Similarly, Gujars were declared as criminal tribes. Upper castes have no time to think over it, for they think it is not their issue. They are born to rule the country and therefore when the political system is Mandalised, they still feel they can still rule the country through media and bureaucracy. Sorry, their time has gone.
Debate on Merit therefore is gaining ground. We are hearing Trivedis, Chaturvedis, Malhotras, Guptas, Sanghvis, Chawalas on the virtue of a ‘meritorious’ society. One does not know what do they mean by meritorious society. Let us start to unravel some facts of merit.
As Ambedkar once wittingly said that Hindus failed to write even their two great epics the Mahabharata and Ramayana. We all know that these epics were written by sage Vyasa and sageValmiki. The third Epic, the constitution of Modern India was written by Ambedkar himself. All three happened to be Dalits.Where was the merits of upper castes. Of course, when a Brahmin heads the Maths in Badrinath or Chennai, Varanasi or Tirupati, there are no open tenders. In all other communities including Christians, Sikhs, Muslims, any one can become priests. There are some procedures and when they pass out they become priests. In the racist Varnashram Dharma there is no meritorious quota fixed for being a priest. After all, a priest should be not only knowledgeable but also look respecting the ‘freedom, equality and liberty’. Instead, they abuse and spit fire. That is Hindu way of life. Always being crooked, cunning and pretending very liberal. Where are liberal Hindus who can discuss quota?
South Indian states led by Tamilnadu have more than 69% quota and as a recent report in Frontline suggests not a single institution has been affected due to efficiency of merit.Karnatka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh are also following the same pratice and yet without any social backlash. In fact as noted Bahujan historian Kancha Illaiah rightly says, South Indian states are better governed than their north Indian states despite high dose of reservation. There is no such protest against reservation. But after making Banglore the hub of North Indian activities, they are back to same dirty tactics.
Meritorious reporters
Strangely, the debate on merit is started by those who are not meritorious at all and sitting there from one connection or others. Editors once upon a time were sensitive enough to social cause but today their first loyalty is towards their supplier. Most of the editors are more involved in ‘Jugad’ with political parties, sitting with them and asking for a favor. Can the editors and those pretty faces on the TV channels claim they are the best to represent the country? Since you do not want to see the ugly side of your own faces, you close eyes and say you are unaware of it. Let us discuss some of the merits of our editors.
Some of them got to the job with political connections. One editor of a famous news weekly has a Sangh background. It was said that he could not write even two pages of a report in English. Today, he heads such a big organization and under him are a number of meritorious editors suffocating and grinning. There are similar stories in other media organizations where the meritorious reporters and editors have to work with politically crooked fellows. I would not like to name here personally but the fact is those preaching us merit should disclose their educational background and where they stood in their classes. It would make anything by just saying that they passed out. Writing, they say, come from sensibilities of society. British and European scholars visit India, stay in villages and respect its diversity and have contributed more than our own social scientists because of the dishonesty of its upper caste intellectual class. Why are Indian editors and writers behaving racially? Why is that the Dalits are now forced to write their own history? It is simply because our history has been a victim of brahmanical notoriety, the value system of Hindus which hid everything which was meant for social justice.
It is also necessary for these upper caste reporters to understand what India is. You cannot understand India by just reporting from Kargil from the bunker of army? Neither can you report from injecting upper caste mind on all us. For any reporter, understanding India’s diversity and social issues is a must. But then why should TV channels bother about these. Their concern is to make a few of them as star.
Those who have watching TV for the past 12 days would certainly want to ask question on the merit of the editors. Do we deserve 24 hours Mahajan Puran for several days on our bedrooms? No doubt he was a young leader who died an unnatural death. Surely, he was a great manipulator of things, so-called strategist but that does not make him a mass leader. Going by the same criteria the channels should have devoted a few days to inform us about the greatness of Dr Rajkumar, a great Kannadiga or MGR who people worshipped in Tamilnadu. The same channels and great editors would not give a page or 5 minutes tribute to K.R. Narayanan or Gyani Jail Singh, two great former presidents of India. The caste Hindus and their dirty minds would always play game in India. They would like us to believe what they believe. Fortunately, we still do not vote according to the whims and fancies of these insincere reporters, a complete prostitution of a sane profession.
Mandela failed in getting justice to South African Blacks
A number of backward castes and Dalit intellectuals have been roped in to inform people that reservation is against merit. Indian Express recently carried out a report from South Africa and how it is working on affirmative action. The fact of the matter is Nelson Mandela was unable to extract any thing specific for the blacks. One has to see history that Mandela is more popular abroad than in his communities. The demand for participation in power has to come through quota. If the same whites who ruled Africa for years and crushed it, are ruling without any challenge on their authority with a ‘black’ head of state, that does not mean any change. One has to remember that Mandela after his release came to India first in February 1991 when the country was facing the worst-ever upper caste protests against reservation. Mandela refused to speak on it. Clear enough, Mandela became bigger than the issue of South African blacks. The result was that South African cricket team still is a white team and the bureaucracy is still dominated by the whites. If change of power mean transfer of power from one prime minister to other, then South Africa has achieved all its goal but if change means power to the people, South African leadership has failed in that direction. One is sure Mobuki knows this better than his predecessor.
The Neighboring Zimbabwe when tried to implement Land Reforms, the white human Rights Organizations came against Robert Mughave. He was termed as racist and undemocratic. Every time there has been efforts by Robert Mughave to provide land to the black poor, international agencies criticized him. Even when he won elections on a massive mandate, charges of forgery made against him. This is West’s style to downgrade democracy and put in their interests.
Land Reform and Reservation: Undoing Historic Wrongs
One has to understand that reservation and Land Reform go hand in hand. Land Reform brings to a large number of rural landless people into the mainstream. It is meant to undo historic wrong while quota in the government services mean representation in power structure. It has to be proportionate based. Often argument is given that Dalits and backward do not compete with the upper caste students. What could be far from truth is that such lies continue to spread through media. I am sure they should know that a large number of Dalits in the bureaucracy are functioning relatively better than their upper caste counterparts. Some of them have been writing in daily newspapers. Dalit academia has come up and writing their history which has been concocted by the upper caste historians.
The case of Justice KG Balakrishnan is a reminder. Justice Balakrishnanas’ name was
Suggested by late President K.R.Narayanan. The media made hue and cry. Narayanan
wrote that there are many efficient judges from Dalits, Backward and tribal categories
and they should be given representation in judiciary. The answer he got from the
Government was that Balakrishnan was competent judge but underage. But the real fear
was that if Justice Bala Krishanan is not denied due opportunity, he would be one of the
longest serving Chief Justices of Indian Supreme Court, nearly for six years. That is the
matter of concern for the manipulators. Upper castes wanted judiciary to remain in their
hands so that all the executive order are abolished by judicial judgments under the false
pretext of Public Interest Litigations. Hindus are expert in these litigations and become
leaders after filing them in the court. It is not easy for any other community particularly
for Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis to file PIL and get accepted.
Recently, an outlook story pointed out how a senior officer belonging to Scheduled
Castes was first made Deputy Governor and then demoted. Such injustices against Dalits
happen in large number. If there is no quota, we know the upper castes have no respect
for merit. They will want an India led by the North Indian Brahmins and their Bania
chums. Since the political environment has changed therefore they are targeting
educational institutions.
Our Industries so far are domain of Marwaris run on family business. I am sure Rahul
Bajaj would not appoint any other meritorious person as head of his organization against
his own children. I am sure he wont claim that he has the best brain.
Dalit and backwards are running business now
As far as Dalits and backwards are concern, no body can put any doubt on their merit.
They are running business institutions and even banks. Siddhartha Bank in Maharstra,
Kunbi cooperative Bank in Konkan, Banks in the name of Ambedkar in and around
Madhya Pradesh are working and succeeding. Blaming Dalits for just 2% of job is
Another calumny, which the Hindus are experts in over the year. One needs not to tell
these guys as who are the people who make ‘Dastkar’ or ‘Fab India’ what they are today.
How come the upper castes minting money on the excellence and work of Dalit Adivasi
women in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharastra. Do upper caste reward them with this merit?
Today, Dr Narendra Jadav is one of the most respected Economists in Government of
India and deputed to Central Bank of Afganistan to support build financially strong
Afganistan. This upper caste phobia of reservation against merit has to be rebutted. To
run a country and its administration, we need diversity reflected in our masses. A few
Brahmins and Marwaris cannot represent India. You have to give fare representation to
Linguistic and religious minorities. Dalits, Adivasis and backward communities have
faced discrimination for years and therefore they need special attention by the
governments.
Lesson for backward communities: Dalits face brunt of the upper castes for supporting backward communities. It is not unusual that Dalits were in the forefront of support to Mandal Commission Report. That was a time when Dalit Bahujan concept materialized. Unfortunately, because of short term gains of our political leaders, all succumbed to Hindutva game plan. Backwards became champion of Hindutva gang and started hitting the Dalits in their respective power domain. Whether it is Yadavas in UP and Bihar or Thewars in Andhra or Gujjars in Uttar-Pradesh and Haryana, backward communities worked as a foot soldiers of their brahmanical bosses. But in this important battle for reclamation of their rights, backwards have found that they lack a complete political will to fight this battle. They should now humbly follow the Dalits in this battle of reservation. Dalits have Ambedkar, Phule as their icons and backwards would do well to gain from Ambedkar and his writings.
In the meanwhile, all Dalit bahujan should join hand against the upper caste onslaught on their rights. Remember, the brahmanical forces of the cow belt are afraid of losing their hegemony. They have already lost the political battle. They run politics on crookedness. It is time the Dalits, backwards, Adivasis come together and give a fitting reply. Organise debates and debunk the upper caste merit. Merit is nothing but a Dronacharya syndrome. That was past. Today in the 21st century such Dronacharyas would be taught a lesson. India cannot gain if a majority of its population is absent from power structure. Let us force the government to implement quota fully. Let government bring out a white paper on reservation and tell us what exactly is the percentage of Dalits,and backwards in government services. Give us report categories wise. Let us demand that where are 27% backward IAS officers or 17.5% Dalit IAS officers in government if quota is fairly implemented. Meanwhile, the Medical students would do well to study their classes and think of their future. Such blackmailing on part of them would be counterproductive for India’s health. Let this debate also build up a formidable alliance of Dalit Bahujan which got derailed in the past. The upper caste protest therefore will ultimately help us realize the long cherish dream of unity of all the oppressed communities led by the Dalits. For the Dalit backward Member of Parliament, it is time to awake and arise. Put the entire reservation for OBCs, Dalits and Adivasis in IX Schedule of the constitution so that it remained outside the judicial scrutiny, as has been the case in Tamilnadu. Perhaps, this anti reservation rhetoric of the upper caste ‘spiritual’ medical practitioners, a majority of whom are unethical and follow Tantra and have allowed to build temples outside ICUs of the hospitals against rational medical practices, will help Dalits and bahujan communities to sink their differences and draw a common strategy to secure their future.
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