Nishikant Waghmare

Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar

July 31, 2002

His Excellency Dr. Suraj Bhan
Governor
Himachal Pradesh
Raj Bhavan, Shimla -171002
Email: rajhp25@hotmail.com

Poverty, Terrorism, Justice and Peace

Most Respected His Excellency Dr. Suraj Bhan Ji,

"The Hindus wanted the Vedas and they sent for Vyasa, who was not a caste Hindu. The Hindus wanted an epic and they sent for Valmiki, who was an untouchable. The Hindus wanted a Constitution, and they sent for me." –Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

Thank you very much for your three letters from Shimla and Lucknow Raj Bhavan, dated January 6, 20001, December 20, 2000 and November 20, 2000. I am sorry to state that since then I have sent you many emails, faxes and letters yet there is no reply from the good office of Himachal Pradesh Raj Bhavan. Sir! I am sorry to say that India got Independence 55 years ago and till today Dalits suffer for lack of basic needs for their daily survival.

On Tuesday July 31, 1956, forty-six years ago at his residence 26 Alipur Road, New Delhi, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar said to his Personal secretary Mr. Nanak Chand Rattu:

"Tell my people Nanak Chand…You people do not know what is troubling me and what makes me so sad. The first worry on my mind is that I have not been able to fulfill my life's mission. I wanted to see my people a governing class in my lifetime, sharing the political power in terms of equality with other communities. I am now almost crippled and prostrate with illness. Whatever I have been able to achieve is being enjoyed by the educated few, who with their deceitful performances have proved to be the worthless lot, with no sympathies for their downtrodden brethren.

"They have surpassed my imagination; they live for themselves and their personal gains. Not one of them is prepared to do the social work. They are treading the path of their ruination. I now wanted to divert my attention towards the vast illiterate masses in the villages that continue to suffer and remained almost unchanged economically. But life seems short.

"My lieutenants, in whom I had full faith and confidence to run the movement, are fighting among themselves for leadership and power, unmindful of the heavy responsibility that is going to fall upon them… Anyhow I have done a lot in spite of the abuses hurled at me from all sides and I will continue to do so till my death.

"So saying, with tears rolling down his cheeks, he looked at me and I had also no alternative but to look at him with tears in my eyes.

"And with a pained expression on his countenance whispered: 'Take courage, don't get upset. Life is to come to an end one day or the other.'

"After a little pause, wiping his tears, raising his hand a little above his glowing eyes, he said: Tell my people Nanak Chand: Whatever I have done, I have been able to do after passing through crushing miseries and endless troubles all my life fighting with my opponents.

"With great difficulty, I have brought this caravan where it is seen today. Let the caravan march on and further on despite the hurdles, pitfalls and difficulties that may come in its way. If my people, my lieutenants are not able to take the caravan ahead, they should leave it where it is seen today, but in no circumstances should they allow the caravan to go back.” (Last Few Years of Br.Ambedkar, Nanak Chand Rattu, page. 92; www.ambedkar.net, Mr. Yogesh Varhade, President-ACJP )

Now let us look back to the society forty-six years ago and the condition of the majority of our brethren and let us ask ourselves: In villages where 81% of India lives, has the practice of Untouchability gone? Do they get drinking water? Do they socialize like others? Have the human rights violations -- rapes, beatings, and cold-blooded murders, stopped? Who is responsible for it?

The answer is not the caste Hindus. We are responsible for this human tragedy. We, the educated, have become selfish and self-oriented. We talk big but do not want to spend the money. I wish to suggest that we can still fulfill Babasaheb’s dream by committing to the Dalit cause and giving at least 10% of our income. I do not see any other way!

As for commitment I wish to pledge that we Dalits must pay Rs.10000/- each and open a Bank in Mumbai or New Delhi and have MOU with Citi Bank in New York or affiliate with the Ford Foundation, Melinda Gate and Bill Gate Foundation for the development of Dalits in India. Kindly give any name to our forum and make any committee to enlist at least 2000 members to start. We can call it “Club 2000.” If 2000 Dalits will not come forward and respect the life and dignity of every person without discrimination or prejudice, how can we promote “A New vision towards a Casteless Society”

When the Union Human Resource Development Ministry felt that the standards of conducting Hindu rituals were going down, it thought of a three-month training course for students aspiring to become priest. The Karma Kand Kriya course conducted by the Utter Pradesh Sanskrit Sansthan was open to Hindus of all hues including Dalits. In a way it proved Dr. Ambedkar right: whenever the great religion is in crisis, it will find saviors in Dalits (The Week, July 14, 2002).

Sri Ravi Shankar (Art of Living) said, I think we are politicizing the Dalit issue. Don’t make Dalits just a vote bank. This is how politicians misuse religion. We have highlighted in our book Heritage of Dalits how many saints in the past have worked for the uplift of Dalits. Many of the saints we believe in and adore do not belong to upper castes. Among the thousand–odd rishis, just a handful of them are Brahmins. These facts are not known to people. All that they know is Ambedkar. Every Dalit has a right to the Hindu heritage is what we say. In our schools, 80 per cent of children are from the Dalit community (The Week, February 10, 2002)

Our greatest enemy is poverty and not human beings (upper castes Hindus) and if we want to progress, we will have to fight poverty. There is a need for people to understand that poverty is their common enemy and not another human. Our enemy is poverty! It is the root cause of our problems and it should be the object of our fight. We must eradicate poverty and illiteracy and reduce inequality within upper- castes and Dalits. Promote world peace through prayer: May Peace Prevail On Earth!

"The economic reforms through liberalization and globalization should not ignore the weak majority - the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the women who toil day and night, and make life worth living in our homes. The provisions we have already made in our social and economic policies and programmes must be strengthened, expanded and implemented with sincerity in order to deal successfully with the condition of all the marginalized section of our society."—Former President Mr. K.R.Narayanan’s farewell address to the nation on July 24th 2002.

Mike Moore Director General of the World Bank called poverty "a time bomb lodged against the heart of liberty." Insecurity and the sinister role that terrorism plays must also be confronted. "To speak of development fight is to speak also of a strong and determined fight against terrorism."

United Nations secretary-General Mr. Kofi Annan noted that in an increasingly globalized world, rich nations depend on the stability of poor ones more than ever. "We live in one world, not two," he said. "No one in this an world can feel comfortable or safe while so many are suffering and deprived."

RSS Pracharak Mr. Bizay Sonkar Shastri a few days ago was named as the new Chairman of the National SC/ST Commission. He said, "You must understand the mental frame of a Dalit. A Dalit when he gets educated always carries in his mind a fervent desire to improve his community."

And the only way Dalits can be served is by creating a casteless society.

His Excellency Dr. Suraj Bhan ji, I wish that you along with so many senior leaders in RSS-BJP such as Mr. Bizay Sonkar Shashtri, Mr. Sanghapriya Gautam M.P, Mr. Bangaru Laxman and Dr. Satyanarayan Jathiya will take up this task to uplift every Dalit of the Nation.

We owe this debt to Babasaheb and to our great grandchildren that may lead the life with full dignity as equal members of the human family.

President Mr. K.R. Narayanan in his last Republic Day address to the nation called upon the private sector to provide representation to the deprived classes. Socialism in private enterprise? Not quite. He wanted the private sector to emulate the example of corporate America by undertaking supplier diversity and affirmative action.

Mr.Narayanan’s appeal was based on the Bhopal Declaration, which is a new recipe for partnership in civil society drawn up by Dalit leaders at a conference organized by the Madhya Pradesh Government in January 12-13, 2002.

The Bhopal Declaration reflects the gains of Dalit politics in the past decade. Its importance lies in its vision of creating a Dalit middle class outside the state system, a dream fraught with interesting possibilities.

Untouchability, patriarchy, inequality, indignity, illiteracy, disease and the extreme poverty of his people were the issues that Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar fought against. They are the same issues over which our modern battles too should be engaged by all of us.

With Infinite Love, Peace and compassion,

May peace be in India! May peace prevail on Earth!

Yours in the Dhamma,

Nishikant Waghmare

Copyright ©2002 Nishikant Waghmare