13.07.24.UT NEWS (Untouchables News)Chennai.26.(27000 trusted members/Readers and 160 wa groups)
Dalit teenager beaten and made to drink urine!
Gonda News: In the case of allegedly trying to make a Dalit teenager drink urine by filling it in a bottle in Shravasti district, the police have registered a case against three accused and arrested them.
Inspector-in-charge Mahima Nath Upadhyay told a news agency on Friday that a youth resident of Rampur Tribhauna of Gilaula police station of the district had met the Superintendent of Police on July 9, 2024 and lodged a complaint about the alleged incident. It was said in the complaint that Kishan alias Bhure Tiwari, a resident of the village, had asked his 15-year-old younger brother to put a DJ on a vehicle on July 1. After getting the DJ, he was also asked to load the generator. When the teenager refused, Dilip Mishra and Satyam Tiwari, residents of the same village, stopped him and said that he would be allowed to go from there only after loading the generator.
3 arrested in the case of trying to make a Dalit teenager drink urine
According to the complaint, during this time Dilip Mishra tried to forcibly make him drink urine by urinating in a liquor bottle. When the teenager protested, he was beaten up and threatened with death at gunpoint. When the victim complained about the case to the Shravasti Superintendent of Police, the local police registered a case on the basis of the complaint and arrested the three accused Kishan alias Bhure Tiwari, Dilip Mishra and Satyam Tiwari. He said that the case is being investigated by the Circle Officer, Ikouna.
Rajasthan: First the whole village was converted into a cantonment, then the Dalit brother-sister’s procession was taken out with great pomp and show
Rajasthan News: A village in Bharpur district of Rajasthan was converted into a police cantonment. A Dalit girl’s wedding and a Dalit groom’s procession was going out in the village, which some people opposed.
By: Satpal Singh, Bharatpur
Rajasthan News: A village in Bharpur district of Rajasthan was converted into a police cantonment. A Dalit girl’s wedding and a Dalit groom’s procession was going out in the village, which some people opposed. The Dalit groom’s procession could go out only after the police and administration reached the village.
However, even then the upper caste people were accused of pelting stones during the procession. Two people from the groom’s side were injured in the stone pelting and are undergoing treatment at the district hospital. The police chased away the people who were pelting stones and trying to stop the Bindoori.
The matter is of village Naugaya of Chiksana police station area which is about eight kilometers away from Bharatpur district headquarters. On the night of 11th July, the sister of Rajveer Singh, who belongs to the Dalit community, was getting married there.
Rajveer Singh wanted to end the old conservative tradition and take out his sister’s wedding procession and the groom’s bindori through the village just like all the upper caste people take out their wedding procession through the village. When the villagers came to know about it, they threatened Rajveer Singh for doing so, after which he complained to the district administration. The administration imposed restrictions on the upper caste people of the village.
Last night, before the arrival of the wedding procession, the police and administration officials reached the village with a heavy police force and the wedding procession and bindori were taken out through the village under police protection. More than 100 policemen armed with weapons were deployed for security arrangements in the village. The administration and police officials themselves were also present on the spot so that the Dalit groom’s wedding procession could pass safely. When the procession was passing by, the upper caste people of the village started pelting stones. But the procession was taken out under police protection.
What did the brother of the Dalit bride say?
The brother of the bride, Rajbir Singh, said that my sister Asha’s marriage was fixed with a man from Keluri Manoj of Nadbai police station area. The procession was coming tonight and the Bindoori was to pass through the village. The villagers had threatened me regarding the Bindoori. A complaint was made to the administration. Despite the presence of the police administration, the procession was pelted with stones in which two of our people were injured. We want that today there is democracy where everyone has the right to equality, yet the upper caste people do not allow the Bindoori of a Dalit groom to pass through the village.
Bharatpur District Superintendent of Police Mridul Kachhawa said that the Bindoori of a groom was taken out in the village. During this, the old wall of the roof was brought down by some anti-social elements. Two people have been injured in this. No policeman has been injured. There is peace on the spot. The entire procession has been taken out peacefully.
உண்மைகொலைகரணை காப்பாற்ற எல்லா வேலையும் நடக்கிறது.
Why did the BJP MP accuse his own party of being anti-Dalit?
Neither any agenda nor any policy was formulated in the interest of Dalits. On the contrary, during the last 10 years of Narendra Modi’s rule, Dalits were physically attacked by Hindutva supporters.
Ravikant
Karnataka BJP’s seven-time MP and former Union Minister Ramesh Jigajinagi has accused his own party of being anti-Dalit. After Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister for the third time, voices that were silent for the last ten years have now started becoming vocal. One reason for this is obviously Narendra Modi’s coalition government. Despite BJP being reduced to 240 seats, Narendra Modi succeeded in forming his government. But Dalits did not get any importance in his cabinet. Ramesh Jigajinagi, who was the Minister of State last time, was expected to be made a cabinet minister this time. He has alleged through his supporters that BJP is an anti-Dalit party. Upper castes dominate the BJP. Only upper castes were included in the cabinet. Obviously this is nothing new but the allegation made by a senior Dalit MP of BJP has its own meaning.
The humiliation and oppression of Dalits that has been going on for centuries has continued more or less even after independence. Although the rights of the Constitution and law have certainly provided them protection, the landless, weak, uneducated Dalits are doomed to be humiliated and beaten to death in the face of the arrogance and oppression of Brahminical feudalism that has taken root in the society. However, a small middle class has emerged among the Dalits due to the modern education system and the right to reservation. Social awareness has arisen. Through political consciousness, Dalits have started understanding their agenda and right to representation. But Brahminical forces have been active in erasing this change. In contrast to India’s politics of inclusion and social justice, the politics of Hindutva started only after independence. RSS is the operator and intellectual center of this politics. RSS first established the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951 under the leadership of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. Through Jansangh, RSS got the opportunity to come to power for the first time during the Janata Party government (1978-1980).
After the Janata Party government collapsed, Jansangh broke away. In 1980, RSS formed BJP in place of Jansangh. After this, it formed Samajik Samrasta Manch in 1983 to connect Dalits with BJP. This platform became a laboratory for Hinduization of Dalits. Participation of Dalits in the Ram Mandir movement gave wings to the hopes of RSS-BJP to come to power. A Dalit Kameshwar Chaupal was made to lay the first brick of the symbolic temple. Many conspiracies were hatched to erase the past and memories of Dalits.
Dalit messiah and constitution maker Baba Saheb Ambedkar passed away on 6 December 1956. This is a day of inspiration for the Dalit community. To erase the memories of this day, Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992 under a well thought out strategy. RSS, BJP, Hindu Mahasabha and other Hindutva organisations celebrate 6th December as Shaurya Diwas. The strategy of BJP-RSS is to blunt the consciousness of Dalits and use them to gain power. Social justice has been changed to social harmony. Its aim is to establish Hindu unity against Muslims-Christians while maintaining caste system and inequality.
Babasaheb Ambedkar burnt the Manusmriti on 25 December 1927. Babasaheb clearly believed that the caste system and the oppression of Dalits have been given divine sanction through religious texts. Therefore, religious texts should be blown up with explosives. The Hindutva of BJP-RSS is actually the new Brahmanism. The aim of Hindutva is to re-establish the caste system in the society and establish upper caste supremacy through the symbolic politics of religion, religious texts, temples and God. Therefore, to erase the memories of Manusmriti Dahan Diwas, Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth anniversary (25 December) started being celebrated on a large scale and it was called Good Governance Day.
After Narendra Modi came to power, Manusmriti started being propagated openly. In the name of ancient Indian knowledge tradition, continuous efforts are being made to include it in the curriculum of educational institutions. Earlier, Maharashtra government tried to include verses from Manusmriti in school education, now Delhi University’s Law Faculty is trying to include Manusmriti in the syllabus. Babasaheb had burnt Manusmriti because it considers Dalits, backward people (Shudras) and women as second class humans. According to Manusmriti, Dalits, Shudras and women do not have the right to education and to acquire property. Manusmriti enslaves these communities and gives the Brahminists the right to exploit them. Actually, Manusmriti is against the constitution and humanity. But for Hindutvawadis, it is a book to be recited in the morning. RSS has never hidden its love for Manusmriti, Manuism and Manusmritikar. Three days after the constitution was passed (26 November 1949), on 30 November 1949, RSS’s mouthpiece Organiser criticized the Indian constitution by saying that it does not contain Manu’s codes. Jaipur has also been a centre of the Ram Mandir movement. During this time, Manu’s statue was installed in the premises of the Rajasthan High Court. On the request of Padma Kumar Jain, the then president of the Rajasthan High Court Officers Association, Justice MM Kasliwala approved the installation of Manu’s statue in the name of beautification. Within just 23 days, Manu’s statue was installed in the premises of the Jaipur High Court on 28 June 1989. Its protest started from that very day. Under its pressure, a decision was taken to remove Manu’s statue in the administrative meeting of the High Court on 28 July 1989. But the Vishwa Hindu Parishad filed a petition against this decision. Even today, this statue is mocking the Constitution and the judiciary. Indirectly, RSS and BJP are behind this. Obviously, those who believe in Manu can never be Dalit-friendly.
Atal-Advani’s BJP had understood that power cannot be achieved without the support of Dalits. That is why in 2000, RSS-affiliated Dalit leader Bangaru Laxman from Telangana was made the national president of BJP. But he was removed within a year after a corruption case was exposed. Another proof of BJP being anti-Dalit is that till date BJP has not given a strong Dalit leader a place in a policy making and decisive position. Overall, BJP has been in power at the center for more than 15 years. BJP governments have been in power in more than a dozen states. But till now not a single Dalit has been made the Chief Minister. There is no strong Dalit face in the central government either. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is just a mask to woo Dalits by becoming Modi’s shadow. Similarly, former President Ramnath Kovind was also used for vote bank politics. But neither any agenda nor any policy was made in the interest of Dalits. On the contrary, during the last 10 years of Narendra Modi’s rule, Dalits were physically attacked by Hindutvaists. From cutting off moustaches to making people drink urine, rape and murder, such heinous and inhumane incidents are continuing unabated. Dalits are wandering for justice. Narendra Modi glorified the work of sanitation workers by washing their feet. But their children’s education, government jobs and reservation have been made almost meaningless. Not only this, a sanitation worker dies in the gutter in Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi, but his family does not get any justice. Gudiya Valmiki is raped in Hathras. Then she dies. But her family members are still wandering for justice. In Modi’s home state Gujarat, Dalits cannot enter temples in more than 100 villages even today. The strength of Brahminism under BJP’s rule is such that Ramnath Kovind was not allowed to enter the temples of Puri and Pushkar while being the President, but no action was taken against the priests. In Una, Gujarat, self-proclaimed cow protectors publicly beat up four Dalit brothers after stripping them naked for skinning a dead cow and released a video of it. But Narendra Modi only says, ‘Shoot me but don’t kill my Dalit brothers.’ This will be called a pretense. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Dalits openly opposed the BJP and gave a befitting reply to those who wanted to change the Constitution. Now, a BJP MP calling the BJP anti-Dalit means that the Manuwadi face of the BJP has been completely exposed among the Dalits.
(The author is a Dalit thinker and Assistant Professor in the Hindi Department of Lucknow University.)
Two booked for molesting Dalit girl
Pilibhit: A medical store owner and a salesman in Pilibhit were charged on Thursday for molesting, abusing and beating a 15-year-old Dalit girl who tried to return an expired face cream on Wednesday.
SHO Naresh Kumar Tyagi said, “The two accused have been charged under BNS sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354B (use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and appropriate sections of the Pocso Act and SC/ST Act. The accused have yet to be arrested.”
State acted like child: Court acquits medical shop owner charged under PC-PNDT ActMedical store owner acquitted in sex determination case after 8 years. Court criticizes state authorities for misuse of power. Ayurvedic pills found at the shop promising male child were not illegal under PC-PNDT Act.111700082
Why No Political Intent in Ngps Merc Accident Like Punes Porsche & Mumbais BMW Cases?Learn about the ongoing controversy surrounding the Ram Jhula accident case in Nagpur, as opposition leaders raise concerns over the slow pace of justice. Contrasts with high-profile hit-and-run cases in Pune and Mumbai are drawing attention.111645761
Dalit minor forced to drink urine in UP, three arrestedArrests made in UP after Dalit minor forced to drink urine. Incident in Shravasti district stemmed from payment dispute over audio system. Accused apprehended based on social media evidence and eyewitnesses. Learn more about this shocking news.111670101
Courtesy : TOI
Dalit girl accused a young man of sexual exploitation, police started investigation after registering a case – Dalit girl sexual exploitation case
In Jhalawar’s Panwad police station area, a Dalit girl has accused a young man of blackmailing and sexually exploiting her for a long time. The police have registered a case and started investigating the matter.
Jhalawar. In the district’s Panwad police station area, a Dalit girl has accused a young man from the same village of blackmailing and sexually exploiting her for a long time. The victim has filed a complaint at the police station and demanded strict action against the accused.
The victim told in the complaint that the accused made obscene photos and videos of her, which the accused kept raping her continuously for the past few years by threatening to put on social media. Now the victim, hurt by the incident, has also released her own video pleading for justice. Here, after receiving the complaint, Panwad police took immediate action and registered a case and detained the young man.
Jhalawar Superintendent of Police Richa Tomar said that a complaint has been received from a Dalit girl in Panwad police station area against a youth of the village for blackmailing her and making her nude content viral on social media. On which the police took action and registered a case and detained the youth and started investigating the matter. The SP has denied the involvement of any other victim in the case. Here, after getting information about the incident, there is a lot of anger among Hindu organizations. Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders have sent a complaint to Kota IG Ravi Dutt Gaur through mail and demanded strict action against the accus.
UTTAR PRADESH
Two booked for molesting Dalit girl
Pilibhit: A medical store owner and a salesman in Pilibhit were charged on Thursday for molesting, abusing and beating a 15-year-old Dalit girl who tried to return an expired face cream on Wednesday.
SHO Naresh Kumar Tyagi said, “The two accused have been charged under BNS sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354B (use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and appropriate sections of the Pocso Act and SC/ST Act. The accused have yet to be arrested.”
State acted like child: Court acquits medical shop owner charged under PC-PNDT ActMedical store owner acquitted in sex determination case after 8 years. Court criticizes state authorities for misuse of power. Ayurvedic pills found at the shop promising male child were not illegal under PC-PNDT Act.111700082
Why No Political Intent in Ngps Merc Accident Like Punes Porsche & Mumbais BMW Cases?Learn about the ongoing controversy surrounding the Ram Jhula accident case in Nagpur, as opposition leaders raise concerns over the slow pace of justice. Contrasts with high-profile hit-and-run cases in Pune and Mumbai are drawing attention.111645761
Dalit minor forced to drink urine in UP, three arrestedArrests made in UP after Dalit minor forced to drink urine. Incident in Shravasti district stemmed from payment dispute over audio system. Accused apprehended based on social media evidence and eyewitnesses. Learn more about this shocking news.111670101
Courtesy : TOI.
Karnataka: Efforts on to grab Dalit graveyard in Bellandur
They alleged that construction debris is being dumped across the graveyard to change its status.
BENGALURU: Land mafia is making efforts to grab the 1.39-acre graveyard at Bhoganahalli in Bellandur ward, according to Aam Aadmi Party’s state organising secretary Ashok Mrutyunjaya and Karnataka Dalit Rakshana Vedike’s Bengaluru East president Suresh BN.
They alleged that construction debris is being dumped across the graveyard to change its status.
Ashok and Suresh said no action has been taken though they filed a complaint four months ago against the alleged attempts being made to encroach upon the graveyard land worth Rs 100 crore.
“We filed the complaint with officials of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and the Revenue Department. Local MLA Manjula Limbavali is aware of it, but has not taken any action to prevent the encroachment of the graveyard. With no response from the officials and elected representatives, we are planning to launch an indefinite protest to protect the graveyard,” Ashok said.
Suresh said when he raised the issue in the past, police cases were filed against him.
“The Revenue Department transferred the land to BBMP in 2009. But a prominent builder claims that the land belongs to him. Dalits bury their dead in this graveyard. The Dalit community will fight for justice,” Suresh said.
A senior official from BBMP’s Mahadevapura Zone said the claims made by the AAP leader and Dalit activists will be looked into.
BBMP engineers from Bellandur ward will be asked to look into the matter and file a report. If there is any encroachment, or debris is being dumped at the graveyard, action will be taken against the offenders. The BBMP will check with the Revenue Department and fence the land,” the BBMP official said.
Courtesy : TNIE
Dalit woman mowed down with tractor in Kurnool over land dispute
Elaborating on the issue, police said the deceased woman, identified as Gundamma (50), was having disputes with another family over a piece of farm land for the past one year.
KURNOOL: A Dalit woman was mowed down with a tractor in her agriculture field at Naganathahalli village in Adoni mandal on Friday. Another person was injured in the incident.
Elaborating on the issue, police said the deceased woman, identified as Gundamma (50), was having disputes with another family over a piece of farm land for the past one year.
A native of Naganathahalli village, Gundamma, a widow, had purchased four acres of agricultural land in the village from another woman, Tirupatamma, who also belonged to the same village.
Differences between Tirupatamma’s family and their relatives surfaced over the sale of the land. Tirupatamma’s close relative Raghavendra Reddy and his family members had been claiming rights over the four-acre land and objected to Gundamma purchasing it.
They demanded Gundamma to return the land, but she refused.
On Friday, Raghavendra Reddy and his son, along with some other persons, went to the disputed land and began preparing the ground for cultivation. Gundamma rushed to the spot along with her relatives and tried to stop them.
SC, ST case booked against six persons
“Raghavendra Reddy’s son mowed down Gundamma with the tractor, resulting in her immediate death. Another person, Purushotham Reddy, who tried to stop the fight was also injured in this incident,” Adoni circle inspector Niranjan Reddy said.
A case under Section 302 of IPC and relevant Sections of SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act has been registered against six persons based on the complaint lodged by the family members of the deceased. Further investigation is underway, the CI said.
Courtesy : TNIE.
MAHARASTRA. CASTE DALIT.NEWS NATIONAL NEWS POLITICS
Dalit Politics at Crossroads: AIISCA’s Conference to Chart New Course Post-2024 Elections
While the Congress-led opposition successfully leveraged Bahujan issues to challenge the ruling BJP, traditional Dalit-led parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) struggled to make an impact. They failed to win any seats and saw a significant drop in their vote percentages, raising questions about their strategy and leadership.
Nagpur- The All India Independent Scheduled Castes Association (AIISCA) is organizing a one-day conference on July 21 in Nagpur to discuss the direction and future of Dalit politics. This comes in the wake of the 2024 general elections, which were primarily fought around the discourse of social justice.
The results highlighted the significant issues faced by Dalit-led political parties and raised concerns about the sustainability and effectiveness of independent Ambedkarite Dalit politics.
The 2024 elections marked a watershed moment for Dalit politics, as the discourse on social justice took center stage across the political spectrum. Dr. Rahul Sonpimple, Founder President of AIISCA, highlights the pivotal role played by these issues in shaping electoral outcomes.
The results underscored both the potential and challenges facing Dalit-led political entities, with traditional parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) facing setbacks in their electoral performance.
In an elaborate statement, Sonpimple explained the issues and raised pertinent questions that need to be addressed by Ambedkarites collectively. He wrote:
The End of Independent Ambedkarite Dalit Politics?
The 2024 general elections in India were primarily fought around the discourse of social justice. The opposition coalition led by the Congress (INDIA alliance) campaigned on the narrative that if the BJP came to power with a full majority, they would change the constitution and end reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC).
Conversely, the ruling BJP-led coalition (NDA) attempted to corner opposition parties by instilling fear that the INDIA alliance would give SC, ST, and OBC reservations to Muslims. Prime Minister Modi, speaking at a rally in the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh Lok Sabha constituency in Haryana, recently cited a decision by the Calcutta High Court that canceled five lakh OBC certificates. He claimed that reservations for OBCs were being given to infiltrators, meaning Muslims.
Issues like underrepresentation of SC, ST, and OBC in government jobs, education, private sector employment, mainstream media, the need for a caste census, implementation of reservations, and the protection of Babasaheb’s constitution have been central to Ambedkarite Dalit Bahujan discourse and the political parties led by Scheduled Castes and their supporters.
In these elections, these social justice-related issues became a major part of the opposition’s campaign and were able to challenge Prime Minister Modi’s extensive campaign successfully. However, it is even more surprising that parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) led by Behen Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) led by Advocate Prakash Ambedkar in Maharashtra, whose politics traditionally revolved around the discourse of social justice and issues, completely failed in these elections.
They failed to win even a single seat, and their vote percentage also fell significantly.
The resurgence of the opposition led by Congress and their better performance compared to previous elections has once again inspired the so-called progressive or liberal upper-caste intellectuals to imagine a strong anti-BJP-RSS political mobilization. However, they are ignoring the threat of the collapse of independent politics for the most marginalized people in India.
In this context, one could argue that the election results are a fair outcome of democratic electoral competition, but the moral question arising from the collapse of independent politics for Dalits and other marginalized communities’ parties should not be overlooked.
The question is, can we celebrate a strong opposition without the presence of independent Dalit politics? And we want to ask, what is moral in our democracy?
However, this does not exempt the political perspective and leadership decisions of independent Dalit-led parties, which have resulted in the complete collapse of independent Dalit politics in the electoral field.
Specifically, as mentioned above, when we know that the discourse of social justice in electoral politics in India has resulted from long-standing political activism, from the Scheduled Castes Federation (SCF) to the Indian Republican Party (RPI), from the Dalit Panthers to BAMCEF (BAMCEF), and from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA).
So why were Dalit-led parties like the BSP and VBA hesitant to make the discourse of social justice their main agenda during the election campaign? Their hesitation in raising social justice issues seems to have created distrust among their core vote bank and supporters.
As a result, their core vote bank, primarily Dalits in UP and Maharashtra (who proved to be the biggest game-changers in influencing the total victory numbers of the BJP), shifted to those other opposition parties that successfully centered their political campaign around the discourse of social justice.
Parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) led by Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) led by Advocate Prakash Ambedkar in Maharashtra, whose politics traditionally revolved around the discourse of social justice and issues, completely failed in the Lok Sabha elections.
Parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) led by Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) led by Advocate Prakash Ambedkar in Maharashtra, whose politics traditionally revolved around the discourse of social justice and issues, completely failed in the Lok Sabha elections.
Along with taking the Dalit vote bank lightly, both VBA and BSP have no engagement with grassroots Ambedkarite social movement organizations that work for the welfare of the community with very few resources and support, and most importantly, build an ideological base. We also know that unlike other upper-caste political parties that fight elections with the help of media, mafia, and money, Dalit-led parties lack resources and primarily rely on community support and voluntary activism by local workers.
However, we have also seen poor coordination between community-based organizations and Dalit-led parties. It is important to note that for the ruling BJP, there are many socio-cultural Hindutva ideological organizations, the most important being the RSS (RSS), which also exists as a social organization.
Before entering the election, the Congress formed a large chain of progressive social movement organizations under the banner of the Bharat Jodo campaign, which actively campaigned on the ground for the Congress and its alliance. Moreover, this election also sent a strong message that not only charismatic leaders but also issues related to everyday life matter.
Unfortunately, even after such a long journey, Dalit politics still revolves around excessive celebration of the leader’s charisma. There is very little space for organizational leadership in contemporary Dalit politics and discourse. The lack of strong local (second-tier) leadership further worsens the position of Dalit-led political parties.
As we know, after Babasaheb Ambedkar, Dalit politics has experienced both the rise and fall of leadership in national politics. Kanshiram Sahib emphasized building a cadre-based movement. However, current Dalit-led parties not only lack an internal democratic structure but also do not give importance to building a cadre at the grassroots level.
As a social movement organization (AIISCA), we believe that while independent Dalit politics and leadership have weakened in national politics, the grassroots Dalit movement has strengthened and continues through various non-party and non-electoral local organizations and groups that envision new Dalit politics and leadership.
We believe that the 2024 elections have once again highlighted the importance of the discourse of social justice and proved that elections can be fought and won by keeping social justice issues at the forefront. In this context, there is hope for a new beginning for Dalit political parties.
AIISCA believes that Ambedkarite Dalit parties must prioritize some key critical tasks to regain their natural vote bank:
Dalit-led parties should stop taking the Dalit vote lightly.
They should build second-tier leadership and grassroots leadership.
They should coordinate well with Dalit social movement organizations.
They should give importance to internal democratic party structures.
They should become a cadre-based political movement.
In this context, to discuss the direction and future of Dalit politics, the All India Independent Scheduled Castes Association (AIISCA) is going to organize a one-day conference on July 21, 2024, in Nagpur.
Courtesy : The Mooknayak
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Pope Francis in 2021. (Credit: Vatican Media.)
MUMBIA – A month after Narendra Modi became only the second prime minister since independence in 1947 to be sworn in for a third term, the country’s Catholic leadership met with the Hindu nationalist leader to press him on religious freedom and the rights of Christian minorities, including members of the oft-neglected Dalit and Tribal groups.
In particular, the bishops raised concerns about ongoing violence in the northeastern state of Manipur which has pitted a majority Hindu ethnic group against a minority Christian population, with an estimated 70,000 Christians displaced and roughly 400 churches destroyed.
Afterwards, the bishops reported a cordial exchange but little immediate progress on the substantive matters they raised.
The meeting took place on Friday, with the Catholic delegation led by Syro-Malabar Archbishop Andrews Thazhath, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, along with Bishop Joseph Mar Thomas of Bathery, the conference vice-president, and two other officials.
Thazhath presented Modi with a letter from the conference.
“On behalf of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), we extend our heartiest congratulations to you on the historic occasion of your assuming office as the Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive term,” the letter said.
“We assure you of our prayerful support as you continue to lead our nation with your charisma and vision in accordance with the Constitution of India,” the bishops wrote.
The bishops then expressed alarm over what they described as a rising tide of anti-Christian pressure.
“It is with a heavy heart that we express our anguish over the growing attacks on Christians and their institutions by antisocial elements in different parts of India,” they wrote. “There have been several instances of harassment and attacks under false allegations of forced conversions and the misuse of the anti-conversion laws.”
“We wish to clarify that the Church firmly opposes forced conversions,” they said.
“In solidarity with the people of Manipur, we urge you to intervene earnestly to bring peace and harmony in that state,” the bishops added.
Concerns about anti-Christian persecution in India have intensified since Modi’s Hindu nationalist movement came to power in 2014, and were recently echoed in a U.S. State Department annual report on religious freedom, which pointed to reports that “local police aided mobs that disrupted worship services over accusations of conversion activities, or stood by while mobs attacked them and then arrested the victims on conversion charges.”
The bishops placed special emphasis on the treatment of Christian Dalits, referring to members of the old “untouchable” class in India’s traditional caste system, as well as “tribals,” meaning members of the country’s Indigenous groups.
“We would like to bring to your attention that poor, Dalit, and tribal Christians often face discrimination and exclusion,” the bishops wrote.
“We appeal to you to extend reservation benefits to Dalit Christians, similar to those enjoyed by Dalits in other religious groups, so that there is no discrimination based on religion which is guaranteed in our Constitution,” the bishops said.
“In addition, we also appeal to you that the reservations provided to tribal Christians should be preserved intact and not withdrawn,” they said.
In India, reservation benefits refer to a form of affirmative action, promoting the presence of Dalits and Tribals in university admissions, hiring, political bodies and so on.
The letter emphasized the absence of Christians from a National Commission for Minorities and a National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions.
The bishops also complained that some Christian NGOs in India are facing what they described as legal and political harassment related to the renewal of their registration under Indian law as entities entitled to receive foreign donations.
According to Thazhath, during the meeting Modi acknowledged the bishops’ concerns but largely denied a government role in causing them.
“Our anxieties were heard in a way that he expressed solidarity, but he said every time (that) some fringe groups or somebody else is doing it. (That) it’s not the political party or government,” Thazhath said.
Thazhath said Modi did not give clear answers on the demands of Dalit Christians to be assigned reservation benefits, or concerns expressed by Tribal Christians about efforts in some states to deny them “scheduled tribe” status, another designation which triggers benefits for traditionally oppressed groups.
Going forward, these issues may prove especially challenging for Modi, who had been widely expected to win reelection in India’s recent elections. Nevertheless, his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nevertheless failed to win an outright majority in parliament, losing 63 seats with respect to the last election in 2019 and falling far short of expectations.
Exit polls after the voting showed a significant shift in Dalit support away from the BJP, which some analysts believe may compel the party to be more attentive to their concerns in future election cycles.
Regarding the violence in Manipur, Thazhath said Modi told the bishops that “it is an ethnic conflict, and it does not have a communal color,” meaning not a matter of Hindu v. Christian. Modi insisted, Thazhath said, that the government is “taking all steps” to restore peace.
Thazhath said the bishops did not specifically raise concerns about moves in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan to adopt its own anti-conversion law, becoming the 11th of the country’s 28 states to do so.
The bishops also reported that they urged Modi to try to speed up the possibility of a papal visit to India, and added that they will approach Francis about the prospect themselves.
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