The swelling tide of Dalit unity

It is possible to be “objective” even about serious matters which do not directly, immediately or personally affect one. The question is whether it is desirable to be objective and stand off from comment or personal involvement. But of course, I speak of the Una Independence Day Rally of Dalits, at the end of a 10-day, 400-km Dalit Asmita Yatra following a massive congregation in Ahmedabad on July 31.

Whatever one’s political, social or religious preferences, inclinations or beliefs, anybody who respects the Constitution of India would welcome the show of strength and the combined determination of Dalits who congregated from many states at Una.

Significantly, the mass gathering demanded azaadi from oppression, exploitation, inhumanity and indignity, and pledged not to handle dead animals or perform sanitation work – hitherto their deemed duties among other degrading and menial tasks assigned to them over centuries in a society dominated by “upper caste” people. What is also significant is that, in the agitation, there was no call for revenge, something the so-called upper castes need to learn from.

Flogging and killing of Dalits, raping, stripping, parading and dishonouring their women, and other unspeakable atrocities for committing “crimes” of skinning dead cows, wearing chappals, entering temples, drawing water from “upper caste” water sources, even becoming economically prosperous, has been happening for ages, but the occurrences of such atrocities are accelerating in recent times.

Dalits were, and continue to be, thought of as inferior and “dirty,” deserving of oppression, supposed to “know their place” and be “kept in their place”.

A Dalit, even inadvertently, stepping out of line invites a harsh and repressive punishment, especially in rural India. This is no different from the manner in which African slaves and their “free” progeny were treated in the USA up to 1965, or how Africans were treated in their own homelands by European settlers.

Reported crimes and atrocities against Dalits and adivasis by “upper caste” people and groups would take many volumes, and still be only the tip of the iceberg. The Una rally calls for going beyond enumerating and condemning atrocities; it calls for vision and hope.
There are many challenges ahead for Dalits to forge unity, realise azaadi and win justice, equality and liberty on par with other Indians. Two important challenges are “caste” and “communication.”

Internal differencesDalits are divided among themselves by that same monster of caste hierarchy, and Dalit disunity is clandestinely encouraged by upper caste machinations. This social hurdle is possibly the most important for Dalits to address and overcome.
Another hurdle is the language issue – a Dalit from a state in south India or east India cannot speech-communicate with her/his counterpart in another state. This may not be very serious in most of the north Indian states because communication is possible using Hindi of some sort.

But both hurdles are interconnected. Overcoming the internal caste divide will lead to the desire to unite, and overcoming the communication hurdle will facilitate pan-India unity.
B R Ambedkar clearly pointed the way, saying: “Ours is a battle not for wealth or for power. It is a battle for freedom. It is a battle for the reclamation of human personality.” A very serious challenge to the Dalit march towards freedom will be political, from inimical and disruptive forces stoking internal dissension.

It will call for the present Dalit leadership to have a clear vision, to chart a course and groom young leaders from within the Dalit communities to stay on that course, and network within themselves and with Adivasi communities which are also moving towards freedom.

Identifying the main challenges of caste and communication along with following Ambedkar’s advice of “...educate, agitate and organise; have faith in yourself,” might be the target for the leadership of tomorrow.

Shakespeare wrote: “There is a tide in the affairs of men; Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries;
On such a full sea are we now afloat.”

The Una rally is that sea.The Dalits demand nothing more than constitutionally guaranteed justice, equality and liberty, and will accept nothing less. The time is now. Jai Bhim!

(The writer, a retired Major General, is with People’s Union for Civil Liberties)