DALIT's LIVES ALSO MATTER( updated)

BY K P PASWAN

There is a popular movement known as Black Lives Matter, going on in the US. Blacks were brought from Africa and treated like slaves, till President of US, Abraham Lincoln abolished the slavery.

In India, the situation is just reverse, Dalits, originally known as Shudras were not brought from some other countries. They were an integral part of a particular faith, practiced by majority of the people. The Religion was known as Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma. The word Hindus, was not known till the arrival of the Arabs. Slavery was not widely practiced in ancient India. Some of the historians point to Dass system in practice, but very little is known as the entire Dalits community were denounced as outcasts.

 But in India, it was the British who allowed the Dalits, by a series of laws, the equal status with others. Without the British, the possibilities of Indian Dalits. meeting the fate of Red Indians in US, was certain.  Hinduism, being followed by majority of people, is not homogeneous. This wonderful religion, rich in philosophy is divided into castes and sub castes, the total number of which is staggering.  During the Vedic period, we find division of society based on works, like Brahmans conducting rituals, Vaisey for trade and the Kshatriya for fighting war and Shudra for serving others.Shudras continue to serve others even to day.

Rigidity of Varna (cast) system led to fierce debate over the relevance of different Varnas.  Dominance and debate were the subject matter of such philosophical discourse. In absence of a central authority, dominance prevailed upon debate, and when certain sections of society refused to surrender their privileges, this prepared the ground for emergence of new religion like Buddhism, which preached social equality and denounced the caste system. The debates led to emergence of revelations in the famous Upanishads, which are devoted to find a reason for the presence of the universe. It is unfortunate that such wonderful revelations failed to make ways to poor Shudras, in fact these Shudras were denied the right to study and even listen to their recitation, they were to be killed if found either studying or listening to scriptures..

These interpretations take us very closer to theory of First Cause of the origin of the universe and even scientist, like the founding father of Quantum physics was greatly impressed by Vedanta. In fact, if we compare first cause as mentioned in the Brahamshutra, with the first cause advocated by Christian scholars, we are surprised to find extraordinary similarities.

  When the foreign invaders established their rule, they also noticed this division and the invaders took full advantage and indulged in conversion of the deprived classes, also known as Untouchables. We also find conversion of upper castes, but this conversion was, in most cases forced, and not voluntarily. When foreign invaders entered into India, the country was being ruled by hundreds of small and big rulers, but everywhere, barring exceptions, the Shudras were forced to live in isolation and outside of villages.  During this period, fragmented India witnessed birth of many thinkers like Shankara, Madhvacharya and a few others, who interpreted Vedic scriptures along with Upanishads, in scientific and rational manners and these interpretations are now essential features of modern Hinduism.

 The term Hindu was not known until arrival of the Arabs, who gave name Hindus to those people living in the kingdoms conquered by them. Historians are making different claims about the origin of word Hindu. It was the British who noticed social discrimination and tried to convert Dalits, by giving them equal opportunity, and those not converted, were not denied social equality. In fact, modern system of education was not denied by the British to these outcasts. Whether historians agree or not but, greater India is a gift from the colonial power. Before the British rule, India was divided into thousands of small kingdoms, independent of each other and fighting against each other. These local rulers were mostly cruel and barring exceptions, the Shudras remain in social isolation. Most of these outcasts earned their living by serving others.                                                                    

When the British proposed separate elector system for the Dalits, all the Congress leaders opposed the proposals and accused the British of dividing the society, little knowing that Indian society was already divided. It is noteworthy that when Kemal Pasha of Turkey abolished Ottoman empire, the Congress led by Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest of freedom fighter, opposed it as the Ottoman kings were also designated as Caliphate, meaning the leader of entire Islamic population. But the Ottomans were also  cruel, ruthless and indulged in horrendous killing of subjugated people. Several Islamic states were opposed to Ottoman empire and it goes beyond saying that the great Turkish leader Kemal Pasha knew the unpopularity of the Ottoman empire among the Islamic states and faced no violent opposition from any Islamic country. It is therefore surprising that separate voting system for Dalits was vehemently opposed by Mahatma, who even undertook fasting to oppose the proposal. Ultimately the proposal was withdrawn by the British.

UNTOUCHABILITY. India has in 1950, introduced, a national system of affirmative actions designed to abolish, the legacy of paste. Among its provisions are ones that help Dalits get into place of higher education and reservation in Govt jobs. This led to widespread resentment on the logic, that meritorious students among the upper casts would suffer. Of course, meritorious boys and girls belonging to upper castes must not be allowed to suffer by creating special zones for these students, but nobody should be allowed to establish monopoly without inviting troubles.  Nobody should be allowed to dictate the Dalits and advise them, how and what to eat and how to marry.

BRAHMINS FRIENDS. In every case it is wrong to blame for the sufferings of Dalits to Brahmans. I would like to narrate two incidents. In my area, we were opposed for getting education in the school, situated nearby our village by a particular landlord. So out of anger, seven of us (all Dalits) got admitted to a Christen school at a distance of two kms from our village. Our village is also having a sizeable number of Brahmans, one of the Brahmans was in the army. During yearly visit, he came to know the incident. He called a meeting of the elders and openly threatened to send the landlord to jail. Next day, more than one hundred people from our and nearby villages, flocked the Christian School and forced us to return to village school. Today our village is like a small town with many IAS and other civil servants. One of them reached the rank of Foreign Secretary. The local Church is now a hospital, where most of the doctors are Hindus.

 Second story is more inspiring. Outside the gate of a modern university in Delhi, three aspirants fled, as we could not tolerate the drug addiction among students. Two of the students were Brahmins from South India. The third person happened to be this blogger, a Dalit. Three of us promised to remain in contact with each other.  After three years we met again, in front of a sprawling house for interview. We cracked the examination and this time, a real everlasting friendship bloomed. One of my friends happened to be a grandson of former I.C.S and his father was a senior I.A.S. I visited his home in South India, several times and on one occasion, I started criticizing Hinduism, quoting from scriptures, my friend, his mother, were other members of family, participating in the debate. When I finished, then, my friend’s father and mother smiled and the would-be chief Secretary of a state asked me” OK Son, we are sailing in the same boat, we can abuse, criticize and demands reform in our religion and for this there is no need to convert to another religion. I happened to be a student of physics and I realized that the sky fell upon my head. Next, I concluded that I actually mocked my knowledge of physics, because the sky was not only upon my head but also beneath my feet.  The Brahmin boy who is now my best friend is posted in other side of the earth. His father is no more and I attended his last rites. There is some amount of devotion which is beyond all consideration. Otherwise it is my belief that most of the Brahmins are sworn haters of Dalits.

EVALUATIONS. The social discrimination and untouchability have never stopped. But there is marked improvement in every aspect of Dalits. Some of the upper castes, think that by abolishing reservations in Govt services and educational institutions, unemployment in India will come to an end.  But this is not true. Time has come to rectify the mistake.By conventional measures, the discrimination should have been ended, but suffering continues.  Dalits rarely make daily news headlines

FINAL WORDS Can Dalits be saved? May be, but they cannot save themselves, If the country has any hope of escaping the cycle of violence and discrimination, it will need the constitutional guarantee.  Separate assembly and parliament seats may be created and certain percentage of MPs and MLAs, are to be elected by Dalits voters only. These steps may not reduce the majority (Hindus) to minority which was apprehended when the British stipulated the same proposal. Dalits must not be allowed to live at the mercy of government. The shame of indifference, be reasons enough for actions. It appears that Dalits were borne in tears and perhaps will continue to flow till eternity. Blacks lives matter, but the Dalits lives, perhaps matter more.