Death of Ethics

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat

There has been no news from the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Art regarding the deaths of three sanitation workers who died in the campus on July 14^th while cleaning the sewage line near to AC plant. The families of deceased have not heard anything from the company which has Rajesh as supervisor. The National Human Rights Commission and other government bodies need to act on it as one of the prime witnesses of the issue is Chhotu, 30 who was part of the team and survived. In an interaction, Chhotu and his mother provided horrific details of the incidents and how they have been treated at the hospital.

It was early morning at 7.30 am on that day when Chhotu along with his friends Rajesh and others started from Trilokpuri for the ‘work’. He was not told the nature of the work. He was informed that he would have to clean water tank, he said. At 8.30 am they reached Indira Gandhi National Centre for Art and the watchman at the gate took them to the AC plant side to carry out the work.

Chhotu was perhaps the youngest and hence was worked more than his elderly colleagues.  There was no big deal in cleaning the five pits as they did not have gas but just ‘water’. They had cleared five pits. Bahadur, the watchman of the Centre  helped them. They had pump also but that was not used fully. Bahadur left after the five ‘holes’ were cleared. It was five in the evening. A couple who too was working had gone out to have tea.

Chhottu felt that it was time to finish the last one too and go. As he entered the sixth pit, there was gas inside it. He could not face it and fell unconscious. His friends from the above were watching. So, they pulled him up but the person who tried to save him actually died.  He was Satish. Each one of them was trying to save but actually died. Satish, Ashok and Rajesh died trying to save each other facing the terrible gas. There was no staff of IGNCA. The couple who had gone out for tea had returned. There was commotion as they called police at 100 number. It came fast and took all the victims to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital where Satish, Ashok and Rajesh were declared dead while Chhotu was admitted. He was responding to the treatment.

The death of medical ethics

Chhotu’s parents at Trilokpuri were informed late in the night and both of them rushed to hospital. His wife was pregnant and got worried. His mother was in a very disturbed condition. At the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital, they found them unwelcomed. The doctors were not interested in them. The mother rushed here and there but finally found the boy in the ward. He was unrecognizable as the body was completely oil and absolute black. None in the staff could think of cleaning him or washing his dirt. In the early morning when Chhotu came to senses, he saw his mother and asked her about his children. ‘They are all fine’, said the mother. He then inquired about Rajesh and others and his mother said that they too were fine. His mother was worried about his condition and hence felt that it was good not to inform him. Suddenly, he got up and went outside the ward. He was feeling unease and uncomfortable. It was very unfortunate and shocking that when he, returned to his bed after 10 minutes, the doctor and the nurse did not allow him. They were asked to leave. The doctors did not even give them the papers of their treatment and what he needs. His mother begged but the doctors at Ram Manohar Lohia hospital did not bother to address.

Both mother sun due remained at the hospital only. Now, Chhotu had realized that his three other colleagues were dead as the families of them were already in the hospital. He was in deep shock but fortunately he could tolerate all this. Despite in terrible mental and physical condition, he helped the families of the deceased and was there with them till they had got the bodies of the three victims.

If we see the pattern of treatment meted out to all these victims including Chhotu, then one thing is clear that the doctors in India suffer from prejudices and perhaps not ready to touch those who clean the human excreta and other garbage in our cities as well as go deep into these sewage lines, the modern day night-soil. All of them were acknowledged as ‘unknown’ and their concerns were not addressed. Their families got the dead bodies at 12 pm next day. One can understand the amount of seriousness that the doctors showed. They were not given any report and when they asked for Post Mortem Report, they were asked to come after 40 days. Why are the doctors denying the patient the post mortem report?  Shockingly, the cause of death is not mentioned in the certificate issued so far.

  

Some More Fact

After speaking to Chhotu, who is the witness to the event following facts emerged and must be inquired.

The entire work was being supervised by Rajesh who is no more. He took them and promised Rs 300/- each for cleaning. They were promised that there was no sewage pipe but water pits at the Centre.

The other fact is coming to the notice is that Rajesh was employed at the IGNCA by a private company who has so far not approached the family after death. It needs to be seen as why IGNCA has not spoken on the issue. Who is responsible for the deaths of these people? Why has the police not filed an FIR and if yes, why the copies of FIR not provided to the family. It needs to be seen whether the FIR contain any case of negligence against civic authorities or IGNCA. What are the rehabilitation measures done so far? After the privatization process, contractors have given it to subcontractors and hence no social security for those who enter. Most of the time, it is the younger member or older one, who are not employed or are wage labour enter into the pit just for earning a few rupees. Despite High Court’s order in the past, why were these people not informed about the last pit which was not really of ‘water’ but contained ‘oil’ which was really dangerous and contained gas. Chhotu informed us that till the five pits were covered, the watchman Bahadur was with them but when they opened the last pit, very suspiciously Bahadur left that time. The question is whether Bahadur had known what contained in that pit and if yes then why did he not inform them. They were clearly told that unless they clear each of these pits, no payment would be made to them.

Defied death

Chhot defied death. He is a daily wage worker. He parents are sweepers at different places. His mother works in a local hospital and is too concerned about him as he is the only son. Fortunately, they have their own house unlike other colleagues who died. Chhotu’s mother clearly does not want him to do this work.  ‘I would have died if anything had happened to him’. She is more than happy. Just next day after Chhotu came back from this danger zone, his wife delivered a baby girl and now his mother says,’ the daughter has brought her father back, so she is a special child. He is now father of four children and one shudder to think the event which happened in his life.  His daughter was born one day after this horrific incident had happened. So for mother, this daughter has brought her father back. 

Chhotu’s story is of deprivation, denial and rejection. It is a social violence brutally legalized by the state apparatus which has failed to provide protection to Dalits all over the country. The state which claims to work on the secular principles of its constitution has not been able to construct a secular bureaucracy which treats all of its citizens without any preconceived notions.

There are serious questions from this incident and I am sure it is not the last despite our wishes because neither the people nor the civic authorities have any civic sense here. They go scot free because the power elite have not taken these issues seriously. There are provisions for protection and punishment for violating yet shamelessly nothing moves. Can the NDMC, MCD, Delhi government or Ministry of Social Justice keep quiet on the issue since the entire sanitation work is now ‘privatised’. The problem is that things remain the same. The death occurs in the heart of Delhi and at the premium institution of India. It has shown the callousness of our police which did not show any concern of the people. We don’t even know what they are doing as far as this case was concern. The story of RML doctors is well known who did not even bother to give full treatment to Chhotu. He is still going to the doctor at the Lal Bahadur hospital in East Delhi. He is still not well and faint but the authorities have no botheration. One does not know whether they have any shame now even so many days of the death of three ‘murders’ which has been committed to keep our city safe. Where are the masks, gloves and machines meant for this work? We hear so much of mechanization process and yet we send people from a particular community to die in these gas chambers without proper protection measures or medical insurance.  Manual scavenging is prohibited legally and on papers and in the heart of our capital city, the community which has been compelled to do this work is dying daily without any dignified response to their issues including rehabilitation.

A challenge to human values and constitution

The deaths in sewage system and subsequent treatment given to those who died and those who continue to suffer doing this inhuman work need to be properly investigated. The role of each agency must be clearly mentioned. Doctors and other medical staff, Delhi Jal Board, New Delhi Municipal Corporation or Municipal Corporation of Delhi, private contractors should not be allowed to go unquestioned. Let there be heavy penalties on them. Let them answer for the deaths of all these people and maltreatment to them. Will the National Human Rights Commission and National Commission for Scheduled Caste wake up? They take up suo-motto actions which are published in newspapers but what happens to things which are not taken up by the media seriously? It is wakeup call and time for a decisive battle against all form of  manual scavenging has come which will not disappear just with mechanization process but will need a complete overhauling of our social value system as well as strict implementation of anti-discriminatory laws including SC-ST prevention of atrocities act. In the meantime, we wish the authorities to answer to the families of the victims as what is their planning for them. Who is responsible for these deaths and what is being done to the families of these people who languish in humiliation and uncertainty of life. Each death in the sewage line or toilets is an upfront to our constitution as it is the very negation of society based on equity, liberty and fraternity as envisaged by Baba Saheb Dr Ambedkar.

Issue of Medical Ethics in India

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat

It was an invitation that I could not ignore as the subject was close to my heart and being organized by a premier medical institution in the capital of India. The issue was ‘medical ethics’ and the main speaker was a humanist philosopher from Utrecht University in Netherlands. As it was being organized for the students, who were future doctors emerging out from this premier institution, my friend suggested that there could be two other speakers who should express their opinion in the beginning for the benefits of the students. One was a former alumnus of the institution; a well-known doctor now settled in US but is contemplating to start working with communities in India and second was myself who was supposed to give some factual analysis of what happens here in India.

The other speaker finished in 5 minute time allotted to him and the host invited me to speak of my experiences so that our main speaker also has an idea. I started through bullet points and wanted to inform that I do not generalize but all these things have happened and we face it, though there are exceptions.

‘Friends, a few days back three sanitation workers died cleaning the sewage line in the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Art. The police took their bodies to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital and all the three were declared brought dead but their details were mentioned as unknown, unidentified etc. and their families got information next morning. There is no cooperation with families of the poor.

In Uttar-Pradesh and Bihar, most of the Primary Health Centers do not have proper facilities and sweepers and non-medical staff do even perform minor surgeries. You might have seen latest report of death of a child in Balia on the NDTV. I want to tell you why this happen. It reflects the class-caste bias among our medical fraternity. Since the upper caste-class in the villages or rural India prefer to private hospitals, it is the rural poor who go to these PHCs and hence we don’t want to touch them. It is this prejudices that we carry on further that result in unwanted deaths.

In Delhi, I am amazed to see the small temples outside the ICUs of many prestigious hospitals where people go and break coconut before entering the ICU. Is that ethical? Should we allow such thing inside the hospitals? Does it not violate the spirit of inquiry and scientific temperament?

My own experience at a hospital was that doctors don’t really appreciate when you want to donate organs and body after death.

The emergency wards of most of hospitals are horrible. I have gone through personal experiences when in a place like AIIMS, we had to wait since morning and finally the patient could only be admitted in the evening at 9 pm.

The doctors and nurses speak with their patient in most rustic way and forget that patient too deserve respect from the doctors and their staff. In the big hospitals, doctors do not inform the patients or their wards about the ailment and most shocking are the event when due to lack of money hospitals refused to give away the dead body.

Gynecologists normally discourage women for family planning if they have daughters.

Today, many of the psychiatrists in Delhi are promoting the ‘Gayatri Mantra’ to get rid of tension. What will they advise to Muslims, Christians or atheists to get rid of depression?

And finally, dear friends, the biggest ethics is to treat each patient without discriminating on the basis of their identity. You must have heard Praveen Togadia. Some people say, he was a doctor…’ (I am not allowed to complete my statement by a teacher who gets up and snatch microphone from my hand)

Suddenly, there is unease in the heart of some one. The participants are listening but the man at the end row gets up shouting,’ why have we been invited to ‘waste’ our time here? It is an ‘academic’ seminar and we cannot allow ‘anyone’ to speak here’. I am taken aback but keep my calm. The students and audience are stunned. The man comes and snatches the microphone from my hand. He does not allow me to speak. He just asks me to go. I don’t know how to react as every institution has a hierarchy. I give in and silently go and sit on my seat. I don’t retaliate as I feel the people who have invited me should have done or may have their problems. The ‘professor’ now takes charge.  He starts condemning me and countering everything that I spoke. He justifies statues of gods and goddesses inside the hospitals suggested there was nothing wrong with Gayatri Mantra to give ‘strength’ to patient. Everybody is just shocked. Anyway, I decide not to walk out as I was not a designated speaker but only requested to speak. I want to listen to the guest from Netherlands and hence decide to not to make a fuss of it but as I don’t know the internal politics inside the institution which is very natural in all these big institutions.

Our friend from Netherlands speaks and explain beautiful what medical ethics is and the issue he focuses on is that  we have to go beyond just being ‘doctor’ in technical sense. We have to respect scientific temperament and have humanist values. He spoke about prejudices of different kinds in our societies everywhere and how and why the doctors should keep away from it. We cannot be seen supporting alternative medical methods. We have to support all that which come through scientific inventions after years of hard work. Of-course, he raises the issues of prejudices against untouchables and disabled people. In many countries, there is a clear war against homo sexual and therefore he suggest that the doctors cannot go according to the prevailing notions of society but according to what science is and what medical research speak about.

After the lecture is over the students are silent but the organizers tried to have some questions answer session but not everyone is ready after all this. A girl stood up and asked how to deal with homo sexuality issue in India where society still treats it as taboo. And again this philosopher friend speak with same conviction that according to all report, there is nothing wrong about homo sexuality and it is the decision of two individuals to decide how should they live. We cannot criminalize homo sexuality and their country was the first one to allow the gay marriages too.

Feeling much uncomfortable again, this ‘professor’ again gets up to argue against that. ‘I have no problem with homo sexuality but it cannot be termed as normal behavior as there are no studies suggesting that. We live in a society which does not respect it. How can we justify gay marriages?’

The hall is silence and none want to respond to him. The silence has said so many things. The students in these institutions live under tremendous pressure and hence try not to offend their faculties. Secondly, these institutions still have people who are actually a shame to the name of teaching profession. It is also true that all kind of elements have entered into the medical profession who join it to earn money and in that humanity becomes the biggest victim of their deeds. The fact that we still feel sympathetic to the likes of Praveen Togadia and Maya Kodnani, shows that we still carry our caste and religious prejudices along with us and medical ethics don’t work for us. I am happy that most of the teachers that I spoke afterwards agreed with my view point though they disagreed direct ‘naming’ of an individual though I felt they should have stood up and objected but I also know that these institutions are always suffer from inter departmental politics and games are played to disturb the programme and hence I did not fall prey to their politics and kept quiet.

The profession of a doctor is noble one. They were considered as God. Their soft voice worked like balm on the patient. I never generalize the issue but the trend is visible. And when we were discussing things at the college, it means we are friends of society, after all, those who invited me to their institutions have been aware of my writings and my work for long. Even if they have not known my work, what were the things which violated the basic ethics? Did I speak anything which violate the basic decency but what I realize very fast was that once I uttered Togadia, the professor could actually visualize as what was coming next and being a sympathizer or a member of the organization, he could not allow such things to go but these fellows do not know that they can stop me from their institution but not from general public.

It is shameful that academic institutions where the freedom of expression and dissent should be honored are becoming highly intolerant to criticism. Each philosophy and ideology failed here because the caste and religious prejudices. The arrogance of being ‘powerful’ and ‘twice born’ still exist in our society. Medical profession has grown tremendously and money has become the major criteria yet with in this age of market and money, modernity has become the biggest victim. Medical ethics transcends nationality, caste, religious and all kind of boundaries and that is why doctors have been respected world over as their only respect is meant for humanity and trying to save a human life irrespective of his faith and political ideologies which actually look dim in India where our prejudices are superseding them. It is time the institutions start a cleanup operation so that our doctors are not just respected for their knowledge but also for their human values and medical ethics too. Our academic institutions can only do it once they shed their caste prejudices and allow wider diversity in these places of learning so that India as a whole grow and people here particularly those who are poor and not among ‘them’, do not suffer out of these prejudices.

The 'death holes' of India

By Vidya  Bhushan Rawat

The news of three deaths of sanitation workers in sewage line at the prime location of Indira Gandhi National Centre for Art (IGNCA) in Delhi on July 14^th, has passed off ‘peacefully’ as the country is ‘busy’ in many things and media has no time to raise the issue as these are not ‘political deaths’, to raise pitch on our studios. The government is unable to bring new law so far as the parties have no time to pass it. Our huge growth and infrastructure developmental activities are unable to find machine to clean sewage lines and we need a particular community of Balmikis to enter into it. And poverty, isolation, oppression force the young men of the community to enter into these ‘hellish’ ‘death holes’ or ‘shit bombs’ knowing fully well the dangers involved in it. Authorities continue to get their things done despite deaths of hundreds of workers in past few years in these ‘death holes’ and the responsible civic agencies like Delhi Jal Board, Municipal Corporation of Delhi and New Delhi Municipal Corporations put blame on others. So far not a single official has been booked for this criminal negligence. Question is how long will we allow these incidents go scot free without any one being made accountable for these deaths? Secondly, what are the rehabilitation measures for those who have died in these plants and thirdly when will we see a complete prohibition of people entering into these ‘death-traps’ It is time to ask questions and fix responsibility on people. Sewage work is another name of manual scavenging for which government of India and state governments are claiming that they have ‘eliminated’ from their states. It is the new form of manual scavenging much more dangerous as it completely kills human spirit, degrade them and compel them to do things for purely economic reasons. No one would like to enter into these death traps. The death of three young workers in Delhi and the treatment meted out to them in death itself shows how much dirt exists in our mind. That those who make our cities clean are treated worse than animals in their death too. That their bodies are treated as ‘unknown’ by the police and medical doctors and families are not informed adequately about their deaths. The height of negligence is when IGNCA authorities refuse to accept, tender apology or even speak to the families of these deceased. So far none of the so-called authorities have visited them. Families are left to fetch themselves. It is a story of our criminal neglect, poverty, desperation, isolation, caste indignities, racist society and barbarianism. We must hang our head in shame.

The death in the hole

It was Sunday and Rajesh 35 decided to go to work thinking that he would earn a few bucks more to bring to his family. He took along with him Ashok, Satish  and  Chhotu to Indira Gandhi National Centre for Art (IGNCA) in the Lutyen’s sprawling Delhi for the days ‘cleaning’ operation. Little did they know that this would be perhaps the last ‘working’ day for them? They were supposed to clean 6 sewage pits near the AC plant in the IGNCA and hence they started early morning at 7 am from the home so that he could finish that on time around 5 pm in the evening and get back home to do his additional work of Rickshaw pulling which was essential for him to run his family. It is not well known so far as whether they were hired by the company or whether IGNCA had subcontracted the work to any company. It needs thorough investigations and criminal case of murder must be file d for those responsible for this.

In the semi urban locality of Trilokpuri nearly 50,000 Balmiki families live to earn their livelihood through various kinds of engagements. A majority of them now work with the private contractors after the sanitary work was privatized. The MCD and NDMC jobs became lucrative and out of reach for most of them. Many of them actually work in absence of those who ‘sign’ in the register. The signatories get the salaries but most of these youngsters work for someone and get a meager sum of money for their survival. Some others are destined to work with private contractors as they can’t get any other job. The private contractors squeeze them and pay well below the minimum wages and take a minimum of 8-12 hours’ work a day against all the norms of the government. There is no social security benefit as well as no leaves and holidays for them. They can be called at any moment and even there it is not known how many of them are truly registered as employees. So, most of them actually, despite working regularly with these private contractors are treated as daily wage workers and hence their condition is pathetic.

Rajesh was a supervisor in the private company and was earning Rs five thousand a month. Living along with his wife, a son and a daughter, he was the sole bread-winner of the family. A few months back he had lost his elder daughter who was about eighteen years of age. Just two months ago, he got his second daughter married. The neighbor says that he was a very hard working man, who after coming from work used to ply rickshaw till the night. ‘How much can you really make in Rs 5000/- when you have to shell out nearly three thousands for rent, says an elderly woman in the neighborhood. He was under tremendous pressure as his second daughter got married two months ago and we know he had taken a loan of Rs 100,000/-.  The pressure is so much that the family has not been able to return the money. It is this reason that Rajesh and many like him actually work in the evening and ready to exploit their bodies further.

In the first floor house lives this family. Rajesh’s son is too young to understand. He does not go to school. I asked why,’ mere paas vardi nahi hai’, he said, I don’t have school uniform’. And one can understand the pain in his eyes in saying so. We know how the Balmiki students are humiliated in the schools. They are normally asked to sit at the last and if they come late the teachers beat them and scold them in best known expletives.

The family was therefore aware that he was going for some extra work. There was no information at home till late in the evening at 11 pm two boys came and asked them about the where about of Rajesh and his number. In the night police came to inform them about his death. They died in sewage line but surprisingly and shockingly the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Art is shamelessly ignoring the facts about their presence. Rajesh parents are no more. His wife is in a state of deep shock and his son has no mean to go to school. His brothers live elsewhere so for this family now life has become more challenging and traumatic. The family does not even have a ration card leave alone of having a BPL card. One does not know what are these card made of and for whom if the most oppressed of the people have no access to it.

Similar scenes were visible at the house of Ashok who too was living on a rented place. With 4 children, two daughters and two sons, Ashok was paid Rs Five Thousand for his work every month by the company. His father is too old and his younger brother was worried about him particularly his growing daughter who is expected to get married in November. His family is living in a difficult shape as they pay Rs 4000/- as rent and his two sons are too young and don’t know whether they would be able to go school again or not. The families do not know what to do and where to go, who to approach. They become vulnerable to exploitation further.

Bodies treated as ‘Unknown’

According to preliminary information from the hospital three persons, Rajesh, Satish and Ashok were brought dead there by the Parliament Street Thana Police. It is surprising, shocking and disturbing that there is no information filled up in the police form and the initial form provided to the family of diseased looks as if they are ‘unknown’ and found dead lying in the street. Three deaths were recorded everywhere as unknown which means neither the IGNCA nor the contractors have anything to do with this issue at present. If that is true than how can police take up this matter without registering a case of negligence against those responsible for it? Is it just the case of negligence or our lack of humanity and basic dignity provided to Balmikis for doing all the work which none other can do? It raises basic question of how we treat our people who doing the most dangerous work. Did the police make any arrest in this regard? Did they speak to any one on the issue or just want to close the file? Were these people working without any body’s knowledge? How can they enter sewage pit when it is prohibited? Who is responsible to manage and maintain sewage lines? Can the IGNCA get away without any penalty? The three workers were working with private contractors so it needs to be investigated whether they were working on the guidelines of the private contractors. If yes, then what was the role of the authorities to stop such things?

We all know that Delhi and other parts of India shamelessly use the poverty of people to fulfill their ulterior agenda. The manual scavenging in India continue and is on the increase and without any sincere effort to eliminate it. How can the authorities treat the persons who were doing this work as ‘unknown’ and lawaris? Rajesh, Ashok and all others had not only their mobile phones with them but had some cash as well as their company Identity Card. They would not have entered the IGNCA air-conditioned block without the entry at the gate and if it is not entered then why? The pain is that we have seen deaths for years without changing the pattern of our governance system as well as social attitude.

Who is responsible for these deaths?

After showing these deaths as ‘Unknown’ not a single official from either IGNCA or the private contractor where Rajesh and other worked visited their homes. And it is till yesterday evening 6 pm when I was speaking the families had neither the copy of the FIR nor any other details as how their people died.  Leave aside asking about their people, there is something fishy as all the families were not informed properly by any responsible authority about this ‘accident’, which is clearly a murder.  The families are shocked that no one from these ‘responsible’ bothered to ask about them.

The deaths seem to occur at 8.30 in the evening but families were not informed properly about this. In fact, people were sent casually to find out the whereabouts of these people as well as their contact details. It is late in the night when they were informed by the police about the ‘accident’ and asked them to visit Ram Manohar Lohia. Ashok’s brother actually informed that they got information next morning. It is shameful that our authorities do everything to kill the information and hence any investigation further becomes a mere formality.

It is well known that after such pressure a token amount could be given to the next of diseased yet the way everyone has behaved here shows the criminal apathy of governance, civil society and media. Except for DNA, there was not even news on the issue. The news which die next day and none try to find as what happen to families who’s everything is lost.

Impartial Inquiry and comprehensive rehabilitation of the families

Rajesh, Ashok and Satish are no more. None cry for them except their family people. Government of India has not been able to bring a bill in Parliament to eliminate manual scavenging and rehabilitate the manual scavengers. It is shocking negligence by each apparatus of our system that the families of these people suffer in agony and uncertainty. On the one hand we want to stop it through legislation and the other side there is no security for them. Strangely and disgustingly their families do not possess ration cards here as they live on rented houses. The government facilities do not reach them. Fact of the matter is, it is difficult for any Balmiki family to get a house on rent in a ‘normal’ locality. The community which should have been on our agenda to eliminate not just discrimination but caste discrimination to be precise is suffering all humiliation.

While an impartial inquiry is important yet the most important is fixing up of responsibility and rehabilitation of the families who lost their members.  You cannot allow people to die in suffocation and suffering and hence the government must compensate adequately to the families. It is time when bodies like NHRC, NCSC must take suo-moto action against the private contractors, NDMC/MCD /Jal Board officials for gross dereliction of duty and negligence resulting in deaths of three young men. The government on the other hand must come out with comprehensive rehabilitation measures completely banning entry of human being into these ‘death holes’ as well as other forms of manual scavenging. It is gross violation of human rights to live with dignity and show our caste and racial prejudices, a ‘divine reservation’ which has been meant for Balmiki community. It would be better if the government address the issue seriously and show some sign of action at the ground before other deaths take place in these death traps. 

How police make Naxals from common men

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat

It could have been an encounter if the names were Muslims. They could have been easily made scapegoat like jehadis from Lakshar or Indian Muzahidin which our security agencies are habitual of whenever they arrest anyone whose name sounds a Muslim name but somewhat it did not happen. Reasons may be different but the fact is they became victim of highhandedness of our forces. What was their fault? They went to a village to spread awareness and did not have the ‘permission’ to organize a nukkad natak in the village in East Champaran. I did not know that as I never required that. Perhaps governments want us to apply for permission for doing everything. That will never work in India. In fact, that would be counterproductive.
Last night was a disturbing one for me. Namo Narayan Meena, a student of MSW in Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidya Peeth called me at 7 pm suggesting he has been arrested by CRPF along with 8 other students from BHU and other colleges of Varanasi who had gone to East Champaran in relation to a programme in a village. I asked as why they were arrested. Namo Narayan said that they have a theatre group which comprises mostly students and it is usual for them to go to villages and perform their ‘nukkad’ nataks and speak to the people about the current situation. CRPF people felt them suspect and arrested them. They were beaten up too. Namo Narayan was quite sure that they are in a difficult situation but he was keeping a brave front. ‘ I just wanted to inform you sir, that we are not doing anything wrong, but our friends must know where we are’. I assumed that they will be put in a Thana and released later on. At 9 pm, Namo Narayan called me again saying that the police was taking them some unknown place and that he feared an encounter. Such things will automatically come in the minds of people who are in the villages and fighting for people’s right. I knew the fact that it would be difficult to get in touch with any one at the moment and hence I started trying contacting people in Bihar. It was disappointing not to find any one. One ray of hope was Khalid Ansari, who spoke to Mr Ali Anwar, the JD ( U) MP. I also passed the number to Namo Narayan and asked him to contact me once he is able to speak with Anwar Saheb.
Unfortunately, after 1030 pm, there was no connectivity. I was trying hard but nothing materialized. In the morning again, I first send a message and then called but situation remain the same. I was worried but did not know what to do. At around 730 in the morning, I called up another friend of Namo Narayan, to find out what was happening and whereabouts of these students but Pankaj too had no information. He promised me to find out. Actually, Namo Narayan was tried to speak to Mr Ali Anwar when they reached Motihari but the police officer snatched his phone and that is why we were unable to contact them till the time of their release. This is a big violation of their rights to disallow them to speak to either their lawyer or their leader. CRPF and other Police officer must be asked to respond to this as why they not allow the students to speak to their people. This is nothing but totally dictatorial.

For me it was more of a helpless situation as all these young boys have been very active and I had enjoyed some of my days with them speaking on Ambedkarism to Marxism and other forms of discrimination. They have zeal and determination to do things. I encouraged them to campaign for Humanise India and broaden their horizon. At around 11 am, Pankaj called and informed that all of them were brought to Gaya and that they would be released by the noon. I was still worried about it and hence tried to contact them. At around 4 pm when they were released Namo Narayan said that they have been released as police find nothing in them. They had been taken to Motihari. All these students are returning to Varanasi after this horrible experience where you cannot speak in your own country and you will have to take permission for every small thing to speak and write. Is it democracy? Is it the freedom that we all got from the British Raj.

Police was active in their PR exercise in Motihari that they have arrested Maoist suspect but the problem with our security agencies is their stupidities and absurd ways of functioning. For a foot march in 2008, I was hounded by the same security apparatus for nearly a year and finally the local police officer asked me whether I was a communist or not. I laughed at him but living in rented place means you are at the mercy of your owner who was more than willing to give him Rs five hundred note and verify on my behalf that I was not a ‘communist’ as he perceived.

These are the dirty games. I have many more anecdotes about these idiotic officers who feel too proud of being power of the ‘Government’ and look down upon everything else because we are just powerless. We can’t get things done at our own but at the moment; I have a request to our friends. I know they are eager to go out and do things as they have passion to do things. Please inform your friends and relatives whenever you are planning to go to some interior place. It is important to have a local contact and be in touch. Equally important is to inform immediately to friends about any suspicious activity. These things are essentials as Indian police can murder you and put an AK-47 in your hand any time and make you a terrorist. Hence it is important that just because there is a fear, we cannot leave our work. The only thing is that we have to be alert and work cohesively and in a better planned way. It is time that all the democratic forces who believe in social justice and secularism should join hand and fight democratically against such anti-democratic forces. In the meanwhile, I hope Nitish Kumar will not raise the bogey of Naxalism to fulfill his poll agenda. It is time, we take this political battle against communal fascism and brahmanical capitalism to a logical conclusion and it is only possible if we learn a few lessons with such incidents. We cannot believe in the ‘democratic’ nature of our police and state. Let us be careful in future so that such incidents are not repeated as we don’t want to lose our young who are future of the country and will be our strength.

In the meanwhile I will only say to our police and paramilitary forces that there struggle is important but they should focus on their work and not work in isolation. Unless they work with the people and understand their sentiments, they would only be outsiders and none will help them. At the end of the day, you are only fighting battle against your own people and torturing and humiliating innocent youngsters will only create more enemies and distrust among the masses and the reality is that no battle can be won without their cooperation. So, it is not the guns but the mind and heart that will make them victorious.

We must strongly condemn this incident as it violate our right to speak to our fellow citizens and villagers. More so, because it criminalize the activities of students who wanted to visit villages and make people aware of their rights. This is a warning to all of us and only answer to this is fight jointly against such anti democratic measures of the state

Ugly Face of Vanniayar politics in Tamilnadu

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat

The death of E.Ilavarsan in Tamilnadu might be a single column report in our newspapers but it has reflected the mindset prevailing in India and deep rooted caste prejudices against the Dalits in our society. It has also proved that the Dravidian politics has not been able to overcome its own prejudices against Dalits and they large represent the politics of powerful politicized OBCs who at the social level have been at the loggerheads with Dalits. It is not strange therefore that none of the mainstream Dravidian parties have spoken unambiguously on the issue though the political parties particularly representing Dalits, such as Puthia Tamilgam and Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi have sought action against PMK, yet so far no visible action is seen on the ground by the Tamilnadu government. The Madras High Court is now observing this matter as the family of Ilavarsan has asked for a second autopsy as they refuse to believe that it is a case of suicide.

It is deeply regrettable that the party which is responsible for this act and has outrageously spoken against Dalits by supporting the anti-Dalit violence among the Vanniyar community in Dharmapuri district of Tamilnadu is roaming freely and propagating its hate philosophy. In fact, PMK had warned against the love marriages as well as abrogation of Prevention of Atrocities Act. The Vanniyar community members have been instigated by PMK and its leaders who had been organizing various meeting against the marriage of Divya, their community girl with Ilavarsan, a Dalit boy from Dharmapuri. It saw violence by the Vanniyar community against Dalits after the marriage. Afterwards, Divya’s father committed suicide under intense social pressure resulting in more pressure of breaking of marriage. The social pressure was so high that Divya was compelled to break the marriage unilaterally in the High-Court without informing Ilavarasan. She told Madras High Court that she would not like to live with Ilavarasan anymore. It is reported that heartbroken Ilaverasan committed suicide after that.

PMK has been part of government both at Centre and in the state and it is reprehensible that they could be so irresponsible in addressing this issue. Their stand replicates the values of Khap Panchayats in Haryana who have been violating the laws of the land but without any action from the government of Haryana merely because of political reasons.  Contrary to this action has been taken against Dalits who have been speaking against violence.  This shows the connivance of the state with powerful communities. It is true that these issues are socio-cultural in nature and need social response. Unfortunately, politicians have proved to be too petty in such cases and we still feel a big vacuum after Periyar’s death in Tamilnadu who could have spoken against such violence.

Today, some of the parties might condemn the incident but just as a passing reference while many pretend that it is a ‘social issue’. One does not understand what is the meaning of ‘social issue’? Is Indian constitution not applicable on ‘social issues’? If that is true then we have accepted that it is the Manusmriti which rules India and not the constitution of India and all those parties who speak against brahamanical order have in fact strengthened them to strengthen their own political position and anti Brahmanism remained a mere rhetoric for them to control the levers of powers. Unfortunately this tendency and pattern is absolutely contrary to the thoughts and actions of Periyar who not only raised a banner of against the system but also provided alternatives through self-respect marriages but today it look as if these marriages are more political and less social. Therefore, a few such marriages will not change the situation in Tamilnadu.

It death of Divya’s father actually reveal the reality of village life of Tamilnadu where religiousity and caste supremacy remain intact. It means that Periyar’s movement did reach and ignite some of the OBC communities but not all. And more over, these communities revolved around him not in their social process but purely for political empowerment. Dr Ambedkar had always mentioned that in the absence of social equality our political power would be nothing but a big humbug and would help the lowest of the law.  In a society where caste prejudices are highly prevalent and where individual’s choices are secondary to community, the role of politicians and local goons promoted by them cannot be absolved. The fact is that Divya’s father committed suicide because of the very thought of facing possible humiliation of having married his daughter to a lower caste boy as PMK had already been organizing people on those lines.  He could not accept his daughter’s choice and the daughter pursued her own choice and was happily living with Ilavarsan because individual’s choice never matters on ‘social’ issues and give a big ‘agenda’ to political parties to actually ‘celebrate’ without working too much for people. And this is one of the reasons where parents face social pressure, mostly the local politicians, relatives who make politics of everything and use it for their benefits. Definitely, her father committed suicide to force his daughter to break the marriage which she refused. This means that Divya did not agree to family blackmail of not marrying to Ilavarasan as he was her love. But after his suicide, the pressure came on the daughter. Once you live with your family where your marriage or action is considered as the reason of father’s death then one can understand what decision would a girl or a boy take. They are emotionally blackmailed and if that too fails then they are ‘managed’, whether through calling off the marriage or getting ‘rid’ of the ‘obstacles.  There is no other option for them except than surrendering to ‘community’ wishes. And therefore Divya’s affidavit in the highcourt cannot be taken on face value as it is six months pressure on her which resulted in her statement. The pressure of isolation, losing everything and most importantly pressure of losing her own life, a sense of guilt for being ‘responsible’ for her father’s death. How could a girl alone face such pressure from a brutal and barbaric society? After having lost her father, it was possible she might have felt the intense pressure on her mother and she would not like to lose her mother.  And this resulted in another death. Whether the death is suicidal or a murder, it needs to be thoroughly investigated but the cause of Ilavarsan’s death for sure is the caste system and the political parties using this for their own purposes. You will have to deep into the reasons of death and you will find the dirty games of political parties and that is why it is important for the government to bring out a law against honored killing which had been shaming humanity.

It is time for government of India to bring out caste violence act exactly on the ground of communal violence bill so that parties who thrive on caste hatred cannot do so. It is shameful that the Party like PMK have been part of power in Delhi as well as in Tamilnadu and the way the party leaders have behaved shows clearly that they violated the constitution of India and spread hatred. In fact, PMK leaders must book for the death of Ilavarsan and election commission must warn them of future action if they don’t mend their ways. As Madras High Court is hearing this petition, they must order free and fair investigation into the matter so that politicians who use caste hatred as a tool to mobilize their communities could be taken to task.

Ilavarsan’s death and our conspicuous silence also reflect the hypocrisy of our society, its activists who will raise all the issues and come out with candle light marches.  Why has this issue not outraged us and pricked our conscious?  India shame continue unabated as a boy is killed for loving a girl from Dalit community and the state of India is unable to protect them and those responsible for his death are ‘well connected’ leaders who have had held senior positions in the government and are wandering free and threatening people. Is India a society which hate love and which still live in their own myopic social order which violate all principles of equality and social justice? We are signatory to various international covenants and yet we allow such incidents to happen and don’t even raise a slogan shows how our world is much narrow and pathetically racist.

The painful thing is that all this is happening in the state of Periyar who was much ahead of his time, who promoted women’s rights and talked against caste system. Unfortunately, Periyar’s followers hailing from powerful backward communities became much worse than Brahmins and looked down upon all the Dalits. That is one reason why despite Dravidian government in Tamilnadu, violence against Dalits is very high in the state. It makes a mockery of our constitution that at many places Dalit Sarpanches cannot hoist the national flags on Independence Day or republic day. The incidents in Tamilnadu have bigger message for us all that mere negative agenda will not work and without ensuring participation of wider section of people in governance and political structure we cannot ensure social justice. It means that mere anti Brahmanism will not make any one as pro Dalit or pro social justice. The idea of social justice is to create a level playing field for all and not simply to destroy hegemony of a community and create another one, a more brutal one, which happened in Tamilnadu. The creation of monopolies is the very idea of brahmanical structure and need to be dismantled at all level and only then we will have an equitable society.

Right and wrongs in India have become victim of caste identities. We keep quiet and speak only when it suits us. That is the most disgusting part of the new generations of Indians who have kept quiet on the issue which is of greatest importance in India as it exposes our political parties as well as social system. It is easier to speak against ‘state’ violence and oppression in India but very difficult to speak against social oppression and varnashram dharma. That is why we will finds activists, lawyers, journalists speaking on ‘state’ ‘oppression’ but remain out of bound on these issues as they exposes the very nature. Issue of love and caste are ‘private’ and hence our ‘activists’ don’t speak on them and political parties just use it if that suits their interest. While we can have complained against PMK, what is shocking that none of the parties speak on the issue openly for the fear of losing Vanniyar votes?

Vanniyars will never gain anything if they have parties like PMK which is not a community party but a family enterprise like any other party in India. Parties like DMK and others which swear in the name of Periyar and social justice must not ally with PMK and the ruling government must file cases against them. The state of India must effectively and strictly implement its laws and all those who marry as per their choice must be encouraged and protected. India cannot afford to lose its young who dare to take step against an oppressive system and despite threats to life still move ahead and love.

Ilavarsan was killed by Indian caste order and the point is that such killings have not raised any outrage is another reminder that despite all the self-proclaimed progress India remain notoriously a caste society with deeply injected prejudices. Tragedy is that we have seen lot of candle light marches for everyone but so far have not seen any one coming forward to raise a candle light for the martyrdom of Ilavarasan. Yes, Ilavarasan is a martyr for the cause of love who was killed by our notorious caste minds and Indian state could not protect him. Let us light a candle for his courage and love despite known hatred of Vanniyars against him and his community. The fact is that the Vanniyars have been duped by the parties in ‘false’ ‘community pride’ which make them above the Dalits. Why should the Dalit feel that they are below them? The very thought of such graded inequality as Baba Saheb had put, the battle of Dalit Bahujan much more difficult. Unfortunately, we are not ready to address these issues where we will be required to work with people. A constructive work is difficult as it will need energy, commitment and also lots of moderation skills to bring communities together and making them part of the process. All human beings are equal declared the UN Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 and our constitution provided equal opportunities to all but how shamelessly we are following the same path of considering people less equal. It is more disturbing that after so many years of ‘political empowerment’ if the Dravidian politics remain victim of caste identities and controlling and maintaining status quo then you cannot blame ‘others’ for the deeds of these parties. Caste identities will only divide Dalit Bahujan and the only way is a complete cultural change which Baba Saheb Ambedkar felt was important for India otherwise ‘strengthening’ caste identities will only help those who have maintained status quo and developed these contradictions of our life.

Arms response to political issues a threat to secular democratic forces in India

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat

The top leadership of Congress party in Chhattishgarh came under a well-coordinated attack from the Maoists in Darba Ghati in Sukma in the southern part of Bastar region. The Congress leadership had been campaigning in the state as part of their ‘Parivartan Yatra’ as Chhattishgarh goes for polls during the year end with many other states. Those who were killed are leader of opposition and a well-known Aadivasi leader Mahendra Karma, president of Chhattishgarh Congress Committee Mr Nand Kumar Patel as well as his son, some other senior leaders of the party. Former Union Minister Mr Vidya Charan Shukla suffered from four bullets and is battling for life in a hospital in Delhi while Ajit Jogi too survived as he flew from Sukma to Raipur. The leaders after finishing their rally at Sukma were going to Jagdalpur when the Maoists ambushed their caravan resulting in killing of over 29 party workers including senior leaders of Congress Party. Let me explain here that when we condemn the attack on the political workers does not mean we condone all their acts of using the state administration to intimidate people. Many of these leaders were highly unpopular because of their action but they had their huge followers too.

The audacity of this attack has rightfully shocked the nation. The enormity of the assault on the political structure was so high that the top leadership of the Congress Party had to discuss the issue in an emergency meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence and their Vice President Rahul Gandhi reached Raipur in the late night and met those injured. The Prime Minister and Congress President has just visited the state capital and expressed solidarity with their party workers.

Now, there are two important aspects in the entire incident. One that those who were targeted were political people and not the paramilitary forces or the local police and hence it is an important issue of deliberation and must be discussed with candid way as why the Maoist did so and whether they want the same reaction from the security agencies to eliminate their top leadership? What Chhattishgarh and Baster in particular lacked was the politicization process in which aadivasis must be made part of the democratic structure. The state apparatus remained contemptuous towards the aadivasis and hence they went to Naxal for basic support like getting their issues resolved through the ‘Jan Adalaits’ which are Kangaroo courts and do not place in any civilized society but because of ‘instant justice’ they instill fear in the small population who then have no option other than following the ‘sarkar’. The government of Chhattishgarh remained in Raipur with read beacons and politicians using mining to strengthen their pockets and here Maoists were engaged in their propaganda of ‘state’ as people’s ‘enemy’. Corruption, exploitation all those things which we are romantic of explaining could be best used by the ‘revolutionaries’ after all we get frustrated with a system only when we face corruptions and delays and this gives rise to ‘victimised’ mindset. One victimized mindset is completely developed then the radicalization process start and it is also true that we start believing that our ‘world’ is just around us. We stop to see the world in bigger sense. The propagandists will always speak in terms of ‘speaking’ for ‘people’. They will always claim a bigger representation from people. The fact is that Maoists have people’s support in those regions but whether this support is due to fear or without it does not matter. It only reflects that our governance structure is completely collapsed in Chhattishgarh and it needs special treatment. It need serious thought while violence must be handled with great caution, it is important that innocent people do not become victim of this ‘collateral damage’ as military ‘experts’ always claim.

It need to be understood that Chhattishgarh still has high number of investment and companies and other mining giants are still functioning in the state in spite of the so-called Naxals. Then we have religious gurus who have big ashrams in Chhattishgarh and no attempt have been made to respect the aadivasi identity. In fact the whole project of Hindutva is to ensure that Aadivasis remain as part of the Hindu system and there has been no effort by the so-called Maoists or Naxals to ensure that resulting in the continuous oppression of aadivasis by both the religious thugs as well as economically powerful people. Chhattishgarh and Jharkhand today are dominated by the outsiders. They have procured land and there is no stoppage to it. All the government schemes cannot function without those who are ‘dominating’ the area hence a basic question how are these outsiders able to work so independently who are fighting against ‘foreign domination’.

It is also a well-known fact that aadivasi areas have been without any road links, hospitals, schools and other basic facilities. Our system has not reached them and there is no participation in administration and political structure. Bastar’s issues cannot be resolved from Raipur and it is important that an independent Bastar Zone should be created with assurance of aadivasi control over mining and other natural resources. If the government had taken proper care and helped aadivasis to acquire space and not to strengthen aadivasi middlemen in the region, they would have not faced this scenario. Today, there is so must of mistrust that any action of the government is taken as an attempt to intrude in aadivasi zone.  In the crisis of mutual trust, it is the Maoists who dominate and their propaganda work hence to maintain their hegemony they bring threat, intimidation and different stories of government efforts to control the natural resources. It was time for sincere thinking where government could have sought to talk with aadivasi leadership in the region. Who are the aadivasi leaders who government can speak? Did the government ever call for a meeting of Aadivasi social activists, academics, leaders, panchayat leaders from different part of the country including Chhattishgarh to discuss their issues? You do not do and the result is today aadivasi leadership in all these ‘revolutionary’ Zones is in the hands of non aadivasis and if we see their track record they have systematically eliminated all those leaders who differ with them and were a challenge to them.

To say that Naxals or Maoist ‘revolutionaries’ are isolated bunch is ridiculous and therefore we need to look into the political aspect of these killings. Simply because the killings are done by Naxals or Maoist does not make it beyond political conspiracy. There are chances of these killings are political as Naxals or Maoists are too smart and take part in the political activities. They know well who to eliminate and who to protect and politicians across spectrum need them and that is the only reason why they are surviving.  The failure of political leadership and the criminalization of our political structure actually help the Naxals very well. It is true that the aadivasis seek their help to get justice and protection but what is the alternative they are providing? Is the ‘Jan Adalat’ not like Khap Panchayat which provides instance justice to the people through various torturous ways in which people are killed.

Our crisis is bigger as those who are voices of reasoning are not liked. These are times of pamphleteers and mouthpieces and those writers and academics who live in their one particular worldview and anyone who differ is anti-people or anti national. Indians are experts in tagging people whenever they differ. Human Rights defenders have to face the worst.  This is also a fact that today human rights have also become instrumental or frontal organizations for those who have no faiths in rights at all. Whenever we condemn the violence by extra state actors, we are told that you are a ‘state’ agent. Whenever a poor aadivasi is killed, he is termed as a ‘state’ agent. My question has been how come a poor aadivasi who want his right and protection from people become a state agent if he participate in NREGA or speak to a political leader. Why the Maoists want to stop my choice to vote to politicians of our choice. If they were true to their beliefs, we should have seen the best politicians in Telangana, Andhra, Odisha, and Chhattishgarh but some of the most corrupted politicians who are hand in glove with business and corporates, who exploit poor, who amassed huge land and other natural resources, still hail from these regions. Why these regions most of the people remain highly apolitical and no independent Dalit aadivasi leadership is allowed to develop so that it could contest elections. So, terming anyone who differ with you, stand in front of you become a state agent. And I have a simple question that in India extra state actors are more powerful. India is run through the constitution of Manu in reality. 

Here we see how the right wing Hindutva brigade targets the Dalits, Aadivasis and Muslims through administration, media images and social oppression. In 2002 Gujarat massacre happened and the murderers came to power and became ruthless in isolating the minorities particularly the Muslims. They got the benefit of communalization and nationalization through the Ayodhya movement too. Today the same leaders are having free time in Chhattishgarh, Maharastra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh. It became their laboratory and we could not stop them. Big companies have come there and exploited people and we are witnessing the lethal cocktail of capitalism and brahmanism. Where are the revolutionaries? How many times they took on the right wing Hindutva nationalism which is a big threat to the country and today our corporate and business are ready to thrust those forces on us and such incidents only strengthen them.

No, they won’t speak against communalism as it is not their issue. They will call for poll boycott and what is the result of these poll boycotts. Jharkhand, Chhattishgarh are gone to non aadivasis and Hindutva forces? What have they done for stopping this? How can the top leadership of the Maoist speak against migrants’ leadership when their top leadership itself is exported from Andhra Pradesh? Speaking against Indian state is easier than challenging the brahmanical system which is the ‘extra state actor’ in India and root cause of our evils but then when the top echelon of the Maoist leadership hail from the brahmanical customs then what to expect from them.

If over 200 districts of India are under Maoist influence then who stops them to form a political party and contest elections. If they think they have the people’s support without the intimidation of their AK 47 then why not influence the political process. But once you pick up guns don’t expect the state to respond to you with roses. And this is the most troublesome part. In that they have killed a generation of tribal who should have grown to participate. Yes, the government is responsible, our political parties are responsible and like the tribal of Bastar we all are victim of this system and need to clean it. We need to do so but what way?

I have no sympathy with those in power. They have failed us. They have used the bogey and used the Naxals. The doublespeak of Hindutva gangs and their sympathizers in media is visible. Everybody is busy with the Indian Paisa league and the amount of corruption in it. Why has the loudmouth in the TV chat room kept quiet on the issue? Will he ask question to Chhattishgarh government and its abject failure to protect the political opponents? The ‘future’ of India tweeted that ‘we must fight this battle together’. The Ayodhya Sarathi said he is pained and we have to fight together. Everybody wants to fight against it. All of them will enjoy this in the forest but it is the common secularist who faces the intimidation from state. It is they who are victimized in their daily lives and human rights become dirty word.

Why are we silent? A few years back, I happened to meet a general in a conference who said that the Maoists are ‘our own people’. And that explain the things and mindset. What do you mean by ‘our own people’? Why are the Kashmiris not our ‘own people’. Yes, if this big operation was done by some Hizbul or any XYZ organization in the name of Islam, do you think, we should be watching or debating IPL or satta bazar on our TV? Do you think that we would have been these subdued responses? The entire country would have been tense and every Muslims would have been asked to show ‘Vandemataram’ on his chest. This is a reality. Since a majority of the leadership from Naxals are ‘well educated’ and hail from ‘good’ upper caste families hence they are our own. Their biggest certificate is that they are not ‘Muslims’ and their name is not ‘Khan’ hence the state apparatus in India protect them. It protects them for political purposes. Political leaders settle scores through them and therefore tribal or aadivasis are just a tool, they are sandwiched between the brahmanical Indian state and brahmanical Moists, both don’t want solution. Indian state want to handover tribal land to big industries and the Maoists want to continue with it.

If both are true to resolve the issue then the Indian state must begin with a complete moratorium on the land dealing or forest resources from Chhattishgarh first. Let the Maoist surrender with their arms and let the government promise to rehabilitate them and later let the government withdraw paramilitary forces from the region in the name of operation green hunt. Let all the tribal who are arrested in the name of being Maoists be released. Let Indian state show its sign of magnanimity by announcing some non-military measures in specific term and time bound programme.  We have no issue with the issues raised by Maoists and there are people who are fighting for their rights, land and water all over the country and they still have faith in Indian constitution and its apparatus despite all our disappointments. The Muslims in India despite all victimization still believe in the constitution and fighting their battle politically. The Dalits who were the worst suffers of the brahmanical system are fighting for their rights and have got their space too. Our difference with them is purely on their methodology. The left movement is weakening in this country because they failed to win over the heart of dalits, aadvasis, muslims and others. They did not allow the leadership from these sections of society and hence the space was occupied by the rightwing forces. It is a great challenge. India cannot be handed over to rightwing nationalist. It is battle for all of us to unite and organise politically. The secular space is under severe threat. The Maoist threat and violence will only strengthen the militarized minds in the bureaucracy who will make a war cry. It will strengthen the right wing agenda of political parties and the end result would be that situation would turn more difficult for all those whose rights are violated particularly the most marginalized sections of our society whether it is Dalits or Aadivasis or Muslims and other backward communities. The challenge is bigger and it need a comprehensive political response as the arms response will only give state a right to enter in those zones and kill people in the name of these ideologies. It has happened till date and it will further marginalize the people in these zones.

Working towards Ambedkar’s vision of ‘Prabuddha Bharat’

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat

“I am prepared to pick and choose from everyone, socialists, Communists or other. I do not  claim infallibility and as Buddha says there is nothing infallible, there is nothing final and everything is liable to examination’ : Dr Ambedkar speaking in Rajya Sabha on 19^th march, 1955 on Article 31 or Right to Property.

A vicious debate started by some fringe groups about a month back that Ambedkar has not worked for the cause of Dalits and all his actions failed in its mission. Some said, he was influenced by American Economist in Columbia University and has depended too much on the state while other felt that it is time to call Ambedkar bluff as it has not done anything for the Dalits and time has come to ‘ideologically’ fight against it. It is not new for the ideologues of left, right and centre to denigrate Ambedkar as he is a challenge to their ‘intellectualism’.

There are many intellectuals who were shocked to see whether Ambedkar was anti-communist while the so-called communist leadership just blamed him as ‘agent’ of capitalism which emerge from his forthright debate on the issue of right to property and on the issue of Ceiling Surplus Land. Anyone who understands and if he or she is honest on the village system in India, would subscribe to what Dr Ambedkar said and suggested on the issue in the Constituent Assembly debates. We all know that Baba Saheb Ambedkar wanted nationalization of land and was against individual farming. In fact, he stated that though he was not a communist, he support the Russian model of state farming. A right winger author once write a book on him claiming he was a ‘British’ stooge while Gandhians have their own problem as Ambedkar rarely called Gandhi a Mahatma and trashed his formulations of India’s great culture and village republics.

‘Although, I am not a communist-the Russian system of collective farming is the only way by which we can solve our agricultural problem. To create peasant proprietorship and to handover land to peasant who have not got any means of production in my judgment would bring a complete ruination.’

In the backdrop of this, I wish to say that it is not necessary for Ambedkar to be a communist or a Gandhian or a socialist for being right or wrong. The attempt to fix Ambedkar in this fixed mode is nothing but belittling his contribution to the society. Countries and societies do not depend on ideological framework but work on pragmatism and local needs of the people. The intellectuals frame those positions to the benefit of their masses but if they become enslaved to a dogma then that perception is bound to fail. Today, one has to see who has won in India. Those who wanted revolution for the proletariat actually ensured that their caste brethren’s remain in safe heavens and rather than launching an anti-caste movement they started questioning others who fought against it and brought radical changes in society. The successful anti caste movement in India were never lead by the so-called champions of the proletariat. Rather people like Ambedkar, Periyar, Phule, Sri Narayan Guru, Birsa Munda , Sahuji Maharaj, Ayyan Kali and many others were never actually proclaimed communists though they were influenced by some of the traits of the communism and socialism as Ambedkar had mentioned many time, the issue of Dalits and other oppressed masses.

It was strange that the meeting did not discuss what failed communism in India and rather it focused more on Ambedkar’s failed mission and his ideology. It is normal practice for any group to discuss the issues related to their ideology and introspect about it as how much it has succeeded. It is therefore legitimate for the Ambedkarites to discuss how much they have succeeded and where they failed. Introspection of any ideology is an occasion for all kind of discussion without any hero worshipping and with an agenda on future of the ideology. One does not know as how many times our friends who initiated discussion in Chandigarh did that about Marxism. Why is Marxism failing world over and how can them make the labour movement a truly inclusive movement and not just event management on a certain date? How many times did we discuss as why Maoism could not go beyond China and why the Chinese governments have itself abandoned Maoism and its basic principles and why is china today focusing on the liberal principles of global economy ignoring the Maoist principles. Can they tell us as why Europe has adopted the name democratic socialism and not communism as most of the communist governments in Eastern European nation were deeply fascist in nature who denied freedom of expression and freedom to organize political dissent. It would be good for our Marxist friends to discuss the failure of Marx, Mao, Lenin and Stalin and think beyond them as why these legends are persona non grata in even in Russia today and no other Eastern European country want to listen about them?

Hence, it is unusual for the ‘revolutionaries’ to discuss on the issue which is not their own. They never considered Ambedkar their own so why is the problem? The brahmanical communists who love their ‘Janeus’ more than their ideology can never ever do justice to the issue of marginalized. Most of the communist leaders not only hailed from the upper castes but also upper classes. A number of times, we are asked question that Ambedkar always used caste as the main identity and we were told that communists believed in class system. I want to ask how many of the top leaders of the all the major communists parties hail from the so-called ‘proletariat’ classes. Despite my high respect for many of them, in terms of both class and caste, they hail from upper echelon of our society and betray the facts about classes which they claim. For years, we know that major communists’ parties in Uttar-Pradesh and Bihar were dominated by the powerful Bhumihar group which owned the maximum number of land. Similarly in Andhra Pradesh, they were led by powerful Reddy’s who were the biggest land owning community in their region and even today hold Andhra Pradesh to virtual ransom.  Why didn’t’ the issues of caste identities never came in the minds of our comrades when taking a political decision. Was not that an identity politics when power elite joined the parties? Where are proletariats in the leadership of the communist parties? All those who claim to work in the name of proletariat in these parties are either the too rich landed peasantry or the middle class bhadraloks of brahmanical variety who are expert in ‘articulations’ but their relationship with the Dalits and Shudras remain the same. Hence, ‘who failed whom’, is a question they should ponder over as how much they succeeded.

Ambedkar was clear about his mission. He knew every well what his people needed. It is not that he was not aware of Marxism but he knew that danger also in India. He did not want to talk in jargons and rhetoric as he wanted pragmatic and immediate solutions for his people. And he knew very well the hypocrisies of those who were talking about ‘international politics’ yet unable to focus on the hidden apartheid in the country. Is not it treacherous for the historians who never focused on the wide ranging discrimination based on caste and issue of untouchability in India?  Gandhi was speaking about foreign power but Ambedkar knew well that the transfer of power from British to Indian hands would be more dangerous if the interest of dalits were not negotiated. He had this fear of a Hindu Raj which he said would be a calamity if it comes to India and hence he was not much keen on buying Gandhi’s Swaraj which was being projected as end of ‘all kind of discrimination’ in India. Ambedkar said that ‘this view would be correct if it could be proved that with the disappearance of Imperialism all vestige of capitalism will also disappear from India.  But it does not require much intelligence to realize that even if the British depart from India, the landlords, the mill owners, and the moneylenders will remain in India and will continue to bleed the people and that even after Imperialism has gone labour will have to fight these interests just as much.’

Ambedkar was an iconoclast who never believed in hero worshipping. He exposed the holy text written in our religious books. He challenged them with greater articulations. He knew how Gandhi was being worshipped by the people and how any question to Gandhi was considered as a ‘challenge’ to loyalty to the nation. He cautioned India against hero worshipping. ‘For in India, ‘Bhakti’ or what may be called the path of devotion or hero-worship, plays a part of its politics unequalled in magnitude by the part it plays in the politics of any other part in the world’. Bhakti in religion may be a road to the salvation of the soul. But in politics, Bhakti, or hero worship is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship’, warned Ambedkar.

Yes, some of our friends may be unhappy with Ambedkar’s constitutional-ism but one must understand what he meant for that and why.  He knew that now we have a constitution where negotiations are part of political process hence it was important to fight a political battle and not use the extra constitutional methods to get your thing done. Today, we have seen mass protests in India which actually are aimed at undermining its democratic process and bring the American model of corporate version totally in the hands of the caste Hindus. Today, with more and more participation of Dalits and OBCs in our power structure, we are realizing that democracy is being undermined by the same political class who sings ‘songs’ of ‘greatness’ of Indian democracy and who are afraid of such wide scale participation from India’s diverse marginalized communities.

‘We must abandon the bloody methods of revolution. It means that we must abandon the methods of civil disobedience, non-cooperation and satyagraha. When there was no way left for constitutional methods for achieving economic and social objectives, there was some justification for unconstitutional methods for achieving economic and social objectives. But where constitutional methods are open, there can be no justification for these unconstitutional methods for achieving economic and social objectives. These methods are nothing but Grammar of Anarchy and the sooner they are abandoned the better for us.’

I would again emphasise that we have to see Ambedkar in his true perspective who admitted in the Constituent Assembly debate that there was nothing final and things have to be decided based on situations according to time. That is why the constitution provides opportunity to amend our laws according to the needs of the time which changes with the passage of time. It is not that Ambedkar is saying that we must not engage in political protest. His warning was clear that there will be many forces who are afraid of democracy and they can always bring such huge crowd to the ground. We know the dangers of Anna and Kejriwal movements which threatened the very basic of our constitution. We need to understand as why such movement became popular with our middle classes as well as media because there was a feeling of disgust with participation of India’s Dalits and Shudras and Anna and Arvind, they thought, would undo all the ‘provisions’ meant for the Dalits and OBCs. All the right wingers in India hate our constitution. They want to continue shout that it has failed but they don’t know what they are going to give us. What kind of governance model the RSS or Hindu Mahasabha would like to give us? What is the structure that a Maoist can provide us?  Will that be like the ‘democracy’ in China? So, it is important to understand who the forces are talking about all these ‘changes’. In the name of change, we must not succumb to brahmanical lies, all those jargon of internationalism, imperialism and what not, that ignore the Hindu imperialism of India, its hidden apartheid, its caste structure.

Yes, Ambedkar never said that this constitution is the greatest. He felt that it was the responsibility of the constituent assembly to make it and there were lots of issues. He also said that if the constitution would not work well he would be the first to burn it but he always felt that it is not the constitution which will fail us but if the constitution goes in the hands of those people who do not respect democracy, it is bound to fail. For that he said that India’s political democracy will never succeed unless we have social democracy. And today, if we see India and its abject failure, we have to salute Ambedkar for his forthright thoughts as why India is unable to stand up as a society because religious thugs have made hell of this nation. Caste system, untouchability and discrimination is still order of the day. Ambedkar did what he could do and much bigger than his strength. He was all alone in his struggle and yet could change so much. If the constitution is failing, it is not the fault of Ambedkar. If the Dalit movement is not growing, it is not the fault of Ambedkar. It is not the time to find fault with Ambedkar. It is time to understand him well. Ambedkar is not just father of India’s constitution but father of modern India after renaissance which could be called as humanist India. Actually, we need all social churning so that the real leaders emerges who have vision to carry forward that legacy of Dr Ambedkar which he espoused for sure, without a social revolution, India’s political democracy will be at peril. All those ‘champions’ of ‘democracy’ are failing India who are feudal in their personal lives and using democracy a tool to push forward their retrogressive dubious religious agenda on the country.

Gandhi’s India is the nation that glorifies caste hierarchies and village communes. It is an India that believes in the finality of religious text and hence suitable to all kinds of religious thugs who promote Gandhism to fulfill their own religious agenda. Ambedkar’s India will be an enlightened India which does believe in freethinking traditions, where you can challenge the religious books and restore the freedom to individual to decide about his life and choices. Ambedkar’s India does not believe in the ‘sanctity’ of ‘dogmas’ whether political or religious. The centrality of Ambedkar’s India would be the restoration human dignity and human rights for all and without that all ideals and political philosophies would be clear humbug.  Clearly, Ambedkar’s India want to restore us to the values of democracy, social justice and equality for all and hopefully once we achieve that, India would find its place in the comity of nations which can claim proudly to be civilized countries. In the absence of that, we will head for anarchy and chaos and the forces of religious nationalism will take over and the only state then we will have the Hindu Rashtra, which would be the greatest calamity that India can have as Ambedkar said. It is time we heed his warning. It is time we work hard to achieve Ambedkar’s vision of Humanist India or what he termed as Prabuddha Bharat.