A charade of eating food at Dalit’s home to cover up casteism
Two issues- village stay and stay at Dalit’s homes- were politically debated upon quite a bit when HD Kumaraswamy was the chief minister of the state. The subject of Chief Minister Kumaraswamy staying at a Dalit’s house was discussed both positively and negatively. It was termed as another way of encouraging untouchability and thus was an indirect insult to Dalits. At the same time, some experts opined that by staying at the homes of his people and listening to their problems, a chief minister could be closer to the people. In spite of such debates, village stay programme has brought some popularity to Kumaraswamy.
After the visit of Pejawar Mutt’s seer to dalit colonies grabbed the headlines. The seer provided an ‘opportunity’ to dalits to have his ‘paada pooja’ at dalit colonies. In Christianity, there is a practice that Pope himself would wash the feet of his devotees once in a year. Though touching the feet of another person or washing them is a symbol of slavery, there is a difference in a senior religious head washing the feet of his devotees and the devotees washing the feet of a seer. If the Pope washed the feet of his devotees, it would symbolize the equality. However, devotees washing the feet of the religious head would be the symbol of inequality. Had the Pejawar seer washed the feet of his dalits after visiting their colonies, it would have given a big message to the society. But the Pejawar seer has exhibited the washing of his feet by the Dalits as a favor to the community. This has further insulted the Dalit community instead improving their condition.
Now, it is the turn of central BJP leaders. They have been carrying out this charade of staying at dalits homes. Because of the RSS, the BJP has been facing the wrath of dalits across the country. After Koregaon Vijay Diwas, this anger exploded publicly. Close on the heels of mass atrocity on dalits in several parts of the country, the central government has tried to weaken the SC/ST law through the court. Opposing this vehemently, Dalits plunged into the streets and turned North India into a war field. It was reported that not only police but also BJP leaders fired against protesting dalits in which more than 10 dalits were killed. At this moment, some of the Sangha Pariwar leaders have talked about changing of reservation and Constitution. Not only this, Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde has termed the protesting leaders as “street dogs” against which dalits have protested in front of BJP national president Amith Shah in Karnataka. Across the country, dalits have started opposing the BJP and Sangha Pariwar. In order to pacify the dalits, the BJP and Sangha Pariwar have started another farce of “having food at the homes of dalits”. But there is a sign that even this would boomerang.
Any act of the BJP and Sangha Pariwar lacking honesty would once again salt the wounds of Dalits. The issue of an Uttar Pradesh BJP Minister having food at a house of dalit has become a point of contention. The leader who visited the house of dalit had food brought from a hotel. After knowing that the leader had even brought bottle water from the outside to drink, there is no further need to discuss his intentions. Statements of some BJP leaders are really shocking. One MP of Uttar Pradesh said that BJP leaders having food at the homes of dalits is like Sri Rama having food in their houses. According to them, the dalits would be purified if the BJP leaders had food in their houses.
Interestingly, Union Minister Uma Bharati herself condemned such statements,“I am not Sri Rama to purify dalits”she says. This statement is also an indirect insult to the dalits. What all these BJP leaders are saying in essence is that dalits are not pure or holy. Declining to have food at a mass programme organized at Naugaon, Uma Bharati said that “I am not Sri Rama to make dalits holy. We will become holy or pure only when dalits came to our homes and have food”, she added. This statement has maturity. Those who have been thinking that having food at dalits’ homes itself is a revolution or achievement are fixed in the filth of Manu theory. At the same time Uma Bharati also added another sentence that making Dalit leader Ramanath Kovind as the President itself is an instance that BJP has good relationship with dalits. Though such a statement seems to be right, one would suspect the very move of the party which has faith in Manu Smriti, in appointing a Dalit as the President. They might have conspired to change the Constitution through a Dalit President. On the lines how the Sangha Pariwar has been utilizing the dalits and backward classes, BJP might have been using dalits to implement anti-dalit law, remove reservation and change the Constitution. Dalit community would have to face more problems from a Dalit President who has been greatly influenced by Sangha Pariwar ideologies. Why are the attacks of Dalits increasing even after making a Dalit as the President of the country? Why did the court take a decision to make the SC/ST Act toothless? Why have they killed the protesting Dalits? Uma Bharati has to answer these questions.
Dalits will not become pure by having meals at the houses of Dalits. Efforts should be taken to ensure all rights entitled to dalits in the Constitution. Dalits would themselves improve their condition. Let the BJP leaders tell the dalits of this country about the programmes taken by the government in this regard. Apart from this, there is no much difference between what Gandhi termed Dalits as ‘harijan’ and BJP leaders having food at the homes of dalits to make them holy or pure. Ambedkar had asked when Dalits are the children of the God, what about the others. By having food at the homes of Dalits, the BJP leaders have been left scratching as to why their ‘graciousness’ has been rejected.
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May review decision of withdrawing support to Manipur’s BJP govt if CM is replaced: NPP
Imphal, Nov 21: The National People's Party (NPP), which recently withdrew support from Manipur’s BJP-led government alleging that the administration failed to resolve the crisis and restore normalcy, on Thursday said the party may reconsider the decision if the saffron party replaces Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
NPP national vice-president Yumnam Joykumar Singh also said that three of the party’s seven MLAs attended a meeting convened by the CM, but they should not have done so since support was withdrawn from the government.
The withdrawal of support on Sunday, however, did not have any impact on the BJP-led government, as the saffron party enjoys absolute majority with its 32 MLAs in the 60-member House. The Naga People’s Front and the JD(U) are also in the ruling coalition.
"CM Biren Singh has totally failed to bring normalcy to Manipur. That is the main reason for our national president (Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma) to withdraw support for it. In case Biren is replaced, there is a possibility that a new government might take the steps required to restore normalcy. The NPP may reconsider its position at that time," Joykumar Singh told PTI.
He claimed that three NPP MLAs might have joined the November 18 meeting chaired by the CM because of “confusion”.
“The meeting was for NDA legislators. We have withdrawn support to the Biren Singh-led government but we are still NDA partners. However, we have cautioned our MLAs that attending such meetings without prior approval from the state or national president may lead to disciplinary actions," the NPP vice-president said.
Asked about media reports on notices sent to the NDA MLAs who were absent at the November 18 meeting, he said he did not think anything like that was sent to NPP legislators.
“Three NPP MLAs were present at the meeting while four were not. We are not aware of any notifications sent by Biren Singh. He might have sent notices to the BJP MLAs but that is their internal matter. He has no mandate to send notices to NPP MLAs," Joykumar Singh said.
On the Centre's decision to deploy an additional 50 companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) in the state because of escalated violence, he said, "My assessment is no further deployment of security forces is required. The state is already over-saturated with security forces and it is a question of how to utilise them effectively."
Joykumar Singh, a former director general of police in Manipur, said that it appears from the current state of affairs that the additional companies of CAPF have been sent to protect the residences of MLAs and ministers.
Protestors recently attacked the residences of several ministers and legislators in Manipur.
Manipur has seen a fresh wave of protests after six people – three Meitei women and three children - went missing from a camp for displaced persons in Jiribam last week, following a gunfight between armed men and security forces that resulted in the deaths of 10 Kuki youths.
More than 220 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May last year.
