Yet
another wonders of democracy is fast appearing on the political firmament of
India. Dalits remained a neglected and marginalized segment of the society in
India. With the efforts of many social reformers in the past and political
crusaders like Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker in the contemporary
times, particularly after the independence and the democratic polity under the
constitution, the fate of the suffering humanity took a turn for the better.
Political weight of Dalits was clearly established in the process of elections
and otherwise. The resultant economic and social empowerment of dalits in the
overall process of development and progress of the country also contributed
positively to the cause of dalits and made then aware of their rights and space
in the governance of the country. The political movement of Babu Kanshi Ram and
the leaders like K.R. Narayanan, Jagjivan Ram, Mayawati and others further
consolidated the position. The current position has reached a stage where it is
not easy to ignore the dalit community any more. The political and social
leadership fully understand that dalits are a sleeping tiger. Some of them
intend to awake the tiger and some of them think it fit to let it sleep
depending on the agenda. The great game is in the making.  |
| RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat releasing the books of Vijay Sonkar Shastri |
I
wrote earlier in my blog that Ambedkar’s acceptability is increasing by the day
in the last two decades. Earlier both the Congress Party and Jan Sangh/BJP and
other Hindu outfits were allergic to the name of Ambedkar. The Hindu intellectuals
like Arun Shourie and Sudhendra Kulkarni tried their best to down size Ambedkar
but could not sell themselves in the fast changing scenario owing to the
inherit strength of the dalit community.
No political force in India can afford to ignore the community now.
Efforts are being made to placate the community by owning their leadership
including Kanshi Ram. Of late, RSS has taken a renewed agenda to bring along
the dalit communities. Chief of RSS, Mohan Bhagwat last week released books
written by a BJP leader Vijay Sonkar Shastri on the three prominent dalit castes and said that it was not Hindus
who treated dalits badly and pushed them to margins but the Muslim and British rulers. Ashok Singhal of Vishav
Hindu Parisad also came out with a similar theory. They showed interest in
bring the dalits to the Hindu fold and recognized their identity with the
Hindus. PM Narendra Modi further reinforced the new agenda. He spoke at a
function in New Delhi to observe the anniversary of social reformer and dalit icon
of the south, Ayyankali. PM Modi said “Equality among dalits and forward
classes is not enough. There has to be a sense of compassion and brotherhood as
well.”
कुफर टूटा खुदा खुदा कर के !
The
situation is changing and changing fast. It is up to the dalit communities now
as to what they want. Do they want their due share in the economic and
political structures of the country or they want to remain marginalized and
degraded? Does the tiger still wants to sleep or get up and roar.
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