“Peace is a product of justice. They work for peace who work for justice”- --Mr. Julius K. Nyerere, late Former President of Tanzania
Mainstream Dalit leadership has a choice to make. They have benefited personally but little has flowed down to those in need. Dalit leaders will have to fight for issues affecting the less fortunate among them. If not, the common Dalit will be justified, in doing away with its leadership.
As early as1930, Ambedkar had said: To say that this country is divided by castes and creeds, and that it cannot be one united self-governing community unless adequate safeguards for protection of minorities are made a part if the constitution, is a position to which there can be no objection. But the minorities must bear in mind that although we are today riven by sects and atomized by caste, our ideal is a united India.
Vivekananda had tremendous love for the poor and sunken, the millions that formed the backbone of the nation. It pained Swamiji to see the miserable condition of the masses—illiterate, always on the verge of starvation, superstitious, victims of oppression by the upper castes and the cry that no political uplift was possible without raising them first.
He described India’s neglect of the masses as a national sin. He wrote: “So long as the millions live in hunger and ignorance, I hold every man a traitor who, having been educated at their expense, pays not the least heed to them.”
I strongly urge Dalit society to promote a paradigm of “Caring and sharing for each other and the Earth”. India has the men and women to rise to this challenge and ensure a future of racial harmony. I believe in universal love and dedicate myself to furthering it. The Buddha established a classless society by opening the gates of the Sangha to all deserving individuals, making no distinction between caste and class. The fundamental principle of Buddhism is equality. Buddhism was called the religion of the Shudra. Lord Buddha raised his voice against untouchability.
Today Dalits are at the crossroads. They are confused as to which road to take to continue their journey for emancipation. Their oppressors are actively promoting divisions among Dalits on the basis of sub-castes. There is lack of unity since majority of Dalits are poor laborers. They do not have the land, factories, businesses, trades and other means of production except a meager representation in Government jobs. Even this representation is not liked by their oppressors and a conspiracy is going on to take that away.
What should Dalits do?
There are three roads for us to succeed in India namely political empowerment, economic empowerment and social equality through religion. Universal suffrage has helped, to a certain extent, in achieving political empowerment. But, due to joint electorate, the Scheduled-Castes/Scheduled-Tribes (SC/ST) legislators are elected as per the wishes of caste Hindus even in reserved constituencies. They are obligated to follow party discipline to which they belong.
Therefore SC/ST legislators are not able to do much in spite of their sincerity. Economic empowerment is negligible as Dalits don’t have ownership of productive assets. They can acquire ownership when assets are redistributed or means of earnings are made available to them. However political will to ensure economic justice, which is an integral part of social justice, is missing.
I wish to suggest a few points for the development of SC/STs in India.
Creation of the post of Additional Collector in each district of every state. Implementation of the Atrocity Act and various developmental schemes for the Backward Castes will help in promoting social and economic justice.
Effective monitoring of relief to victims of atrocities due to caste consideration.
Houses should be provided to SC/NBs beneficiaries at their present city/town of residence. The model adopted by Andhra Pradesh and Haryana should be implemented throughout the country.
Dalit Basti Improvement Scheme: In Maharashtra, like elsewhere in India, Dalit/Harijan Basti (neighborhood) is located away from the main village. These settlements are very poor since benefits, available to other parts, seldom percolate down to the settlement. Government of India must start the Dalit Basti Improvement scheme, which aims to provide infrastructure facilities and basic amenities like internal roads, gutters, water supply, community hall, toilets, etc. in a cost effective way.
Power Development: Rural electrification is a must. Rent of Rs.10/- per month per beneficiary should be charged and meter system closed as well. The electrical connection to pumps should be prioritized and subsidized (50%).
Cooperative: All programs under SCP need to be revised so that SCP beneficiaries can benefit to the maximum. Increase in the rate of subsidy and income-ceiling limit is recommended.
Industrial and Minerals: Rural artisans, handicapped people and small businesses should be provided with financial assistance. Job related training as mechanics, masonry workers, etc. is highly desirable.
Animal Husbandry: Goat, sheep, farming poultry development schemes can be developed locally.
Dairy Development: Higher subsidy is recommended for SC/ST beneficiary. It is proposed that grant of supply of cows/buffaloes should be increased.
National Land Reform: An all India land reform scheme must be given top priority, which grants government lands to SC/ST families together with irrigation facilities, such as pumps, water supply, bullock cart, electrical pipes, seeds and fertilizers equipment. Collective farms can be introduced among two to five SC/ST farmers. Make loans available at a reduced rate of interest for smaller farms.
Information Technology: All SC/ST students must be given training in I.T. free of charge. Information Technology training institutes in India managed/run by SC/ST will be given financial assistance. With government financial assistance SC/ST students should be encouraged to avail higher education.
Cooperative Housing Scheme: Allows loan and construction subsidies to qualified beneficiaries by the Government. Indira Awas yojana is being implemented by the D.R.D.A. More money can be contributed by individual state-governments so that in a targeted manner housing can be provided to all needy families.
Educational schemes: There should be more government hostels (dormitories), ashram schools. Increases in financial awards to deserving students of the Government of India post Metric Scholarship and raising the family income limit ceiling to 80,000/- for general courses and 100,000/- for professional courses. Even though many schemes are currently being implemented there is a need to target them more towards women. Female literacy is an area of great concern.
The SC/ST are at a disadvantage. Major mineral and metal resources in India are located in tribal areas. It has been observed that the Government is exploiting these resources without adequate compensation to the tribals. I feel that agricultural laborers are always asset-less lot. Socially also they are in the worst situation. Any plan for the welfare of SC/ST has to first target this group. There is a need for amending Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989.
The government must classify all resources in tribal area as resources belonging to the tribals and spend the wealth accrued from these for the uplift of the tribal community. Women belonging to SC/ST were economically more independent than their counter parts from other communities yet they have been unable to escape poverty.
According to Flora Lewis of International Herald Tribune, privatization and globalization has had a negative impact on Dalits and tribals and will further affect them in the coming years. Dalit political leaders still seem to be obsessed with the question of reservations and have not yet realized the threat posed by globalization. I hope all politicians in India will think it over sooner than later.
Unemployment among Dalits is on the rise. It has been observed that commercial banks hesitate while giving them loans. Employment in the public sector has gone down and they have little chance of getting jobs in the growing private sector.
In India, the remarkable growth of highly educated technologists is largely due to the efforts of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister, who founded a network of scientific institutes. But now Nehru is blamed for having neglected the elementals. Half the population remains illiterate many villages have no schools, 500 million Indians subsist on $1 a day or less. This “digital divide” is now seen as a grave handicap. The whole country must be brought into the process of modernity if it is to work successfully.
I wish to mention that a Dalit has made it to the post of the President of India, (a largely ceremonial post) but nothing can erase the stark images of Dalits. “ No matter how many Lok- Sabha seats are reserved, it doesn’t do much good if the Dalits cannot drink from the public water taps and are condemned to live in the outer fringes of society.”
Mahatma Gandhi may have dismissed “Mother India”, Katherine Mayo’s hypercritical book in the 1930’s on the sub-continent as a “gutter inspector’s report”, but evidently the drain still stinks.
Dalits will refuse to be led by those, both Dalits and non-Dalits, who do not see the complete truth. If economic reforms do not provide the young Other Backward Castes (OBCs) and Dalits with employment opportunities, there is a real danger that they might swell the ranks of extremist forces.
