“On 26th January 1950, we are going to enter into a life of contradictions. In politics, we will have equality and in social and economic structure, continue to deny the principle of one man one value. How long shall we continue to live this life of contradictions? How long shall we continue to deny equality in our social and economic life? If we continue to deny it for long, we will do so only by putting our political democracy in peril. We must remove this contradiction at the earliest possible moment else those who suffer from inequality will blow up the structure of democracy which this Constituent Assembly has so laboriously built up.”

“I feel that the constitution is workable, it is flexible and it is strong enough to hold the country together both in peacetime and in wartime. Indeed, if I may say so, if things go wrong under the new Constitution, the reason will not be that we had a bad Constitution. What we will have to say is that Man was vile.”

“There is no nation of Indians in the real sense of the world, it is yet to be created. In believing we are a nation, we are cherishing a great delusion. How can people divided into thousand of castes be a nation? The sooner we realise that we are not yet a nation, in a social and psychological sense of the world, the better for us.”

“Independence is no doubt a matter of joy. But let us not forget that this independence has thrown on us greater responsibilities. By independence, we have lost the excuse of blaming the British for anything going wrong. If hereafter things go wrong, we will have nobody to blame except ourselves. There is a greater danger of things going wrong. Times are fast changing.”

“Our object in framing the Constitution is rally two-fold:

(1) To lay down the form of political democracy, and

(2) To lay down that our ideal is economic democracy and also to prescribe that every Government whatever is in power shall strive to bring about economic democracy. The directive principles have a great value, for they lay down that our ideal is economic democracy.”

Related articles

• LL.D. Degree Certificate of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar from Columbia University
• 06 Dec 1956: Mahaparinirvan Din
• Educational Biography of Dr B. R. Ambedkar
• Last day of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

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]]> http://drambedkarbooks.wordpress.com/2012/01/22/dr-b-r-ambedkar-on-republic-day-26th-january/feed/ 1 drambedkarbooks http://drambedkarbooks.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/achievements-of-bahujan-samaj-party-100s-reason-to-vote-for-bsp/ http://drambedkarbooks.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/achievements-of-bahujan-samaj-party-100s-reason-to-vote-for-bsp/#comments Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:25:35 +0000 Pardeep http://drambedkarbooks.wordpress.com/?p=775 ]]> –A great post by my friend Mr. Sandip Patil from Mumbai.

Vote and Support “Bahujan Samaj Party”

Besides, to honour these backward-born great “Saints, Gurus and Seers”, various magnificent spots, memorials, museums, parks, etc have been constructed in the state, on which the total budgeted government amount spent is even less than 1%; the remaining funds having spent on law and order, crime control, development and public welfare activities.

In the last four years, the central government did not release on time its share payable to the state totalling Rs. 21,385 crore. If this amount had been paid by the centre in time, achievements of the state government could have been far far better.

Not only this, the “special economic package’ of Rs. 80,000 crore sought from the central government for the total development of the state, especially Bundelkhand and Poorvanchal in view of the poor and pitiable economic conditions inherited from the previous governments, no money was received from the central government at all.

Thereafter, under government’s new development strategy several major projects /schemes on the PPP-model, like the Ganga Express-way, Yamuna Express-way and Upper Ganga canal were prepared to spur development in the state in which no central investments were involved except a departmental ‘no objection ‘ from them; the centre, however, did not cooperate even in this matter.

And yet, with “ correct mobilization of resources and improved financial management” the state government generated an atmosphere

Vote and Support “Bahujan Samaj Party”

Mayawati, extreme right with her parents Prabhu Das Dayal and Ramrati Devi and five of her seven siblings in the 1960s. Below On her 47th birthday Behan Mayawati with her mentor Sahib Kanshi Ram Ji.

Behan Mayawati giving a lecture and Sahib Kanshi Ram Ji sitting at the front row (middle)

Behan Mayawati receiving a bouquet from her mentor, Sahib Kanshi Ram Ji in 1995

Sahib Kanshi Ram Ji on bicycle march

Sahib Kanshi Ram Ji

Sahib Kanshi Ram Ji with his supporters.

Sahib Kanshi Ram Ji

Sahib Kanshi Ram Ji

Sahib Kanshi Ram Ji

Sahib Kanshi Ram Ji with his supporters.

P.S.: Photos (1 &3 ) are from book named Behenji: A political Biography of Mayawati by Ajoy Bose and I take no credit for rest of the pictures either.

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As all of us welcome year 2012 and greet each other with open arms, I visualise a dream. I have always said that I am a dreamer. Yes, I do have a dream, a dream (Begumpura) that Guru Ravidas saw about 650 years ago for everyone or a dream (Utopia) that nourished Dr Ambedkar or I have a dream that Martin Luther King Jr. saw for the blacks of America. Here is my dream for Dalits of India almost along the same lines what Guru Ravidas, Dr Ambedkar, Martin Luther King Jr. and many others saw for better world.

I have a dream that one day; Dalits will break the chains of caste discrimination and free themselves from the chains of slavery that has ruined Dalits for thousands years. Yes, it’s my dream to see casteless society. I do also dream that Dalit houses won’t be set on fire or Dalits won’t be boycotted anymore. Dalits won’t be killed for the same name as of upper caste people or Dalits won’t be forced to change their names or Dalits won’t hide their names to escape caste discrimination. I also dream with open eyes that untouchability will become history and there will be no untouchable.

Searching for a Dream? (Photo Credit: Ravi Shankar Suman)

I have a dream that one day; for Dalits justice won’t be delayed or justice won’t be just another word or justice won’t be alien to Dalits. I anticipate that Dalits won’t be told to wait, wait and wait bit more for justice; a wait that always meant never. A day won’t be far when everyone will be treated equal and will live with dignity and pride. That will be the day, when Buddha will smile upon India again!

I have a dream that one day; Dalit women won’t be paraded naked, raped or forced to commit suicide for nothing wrong. Not only the Dalit women but whole women society will not be forced to do menial jobs. Women won’t be disrespected, exploited, neglected or won’t be treated as a sex-object only in Indian society. I dream that one day, equality will come in all spheres and women suffering will come to end.

I have a dream that one day; Dalit students won’t be made to sit separately in classrooms, or won’t be discriminated and forced to commit suicide in schools and colleges. A day will come when Dalit students won’t be purified via sprinkling cow urine on them and Dalit students’ seats won’t be left unfilled in schools and colleges. No Dalit student will be forced to do cleaning work in schools, no student will deny food cooked by Dalit cook and Dalit students will be able to use the same playing grounds as other caste students do.

I have a dream that one day; Dalits will be able to sip tea from the same cup as so called upper castes do, there won’t be separate taps and Dalits won’t be forced to remove their shoes in upper caste people’s areas. There won’t be different barbers for Dalits and other castes or there won’t be separate chairs for Dalits in barber shops. I also dream that a day will come when there won’t be separate caste-wise columns in matrimonial and there won’t be mentioning such as ‘Dalits need not to apply/respond’. No more walls will be erected to separate Dalits from the village. Temples and other religious places won’t be barred for Dalits and there won’t be separate entry gates for Dalits in temples.

I have a dream that one day; there will be no more Dalit’s character assassination and there won’t be any degradation of Dalit characters’ in movies, serials and real life. (I have witnessed in my childhood that so called upper caste illiterate people calling my father (Principal in school) with nick names, that always filled me with outrage!) Police will change its attitude towards Dalits and Muslims and will work honestly. There won’t be any innocent Dalit or Muslim behind the bars.

I have a dream that one day; there won’t be separate work timing for Dalits and other caste people in offices. Dalits won’t be denied from renting houses and there will be proper postel delivery in every Dalit house. Dalits will be at peace after death and they won’t be buried or cremated on separate places.  PEACE AT LAST!

I have many more such dreams and I am optimistic about those dreams. Am I am dreaming so much and demanding too much from the society? But, I believe if India has to become a great nation, it has to free the society from all kind of discrimination, give Dalits equal rights, give Dalits freedom. I have a dream that one day Indians will think beyond caste and religion. I will end with words of Martin Luther King Jr. from his ‘letter from a Birmingham jail’ (just change colored, nigger, negro to Dalit and whites to so called upper caste and almost everything is so true)

“Wait.” But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six year old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five year old son who is asking: “Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?”; when you take a cross county drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading “white” and “colored”; when your first name becomes “nigger,” your middle name becomes “boy” (however old you are) and your last name becomes “John,” and your wife and mother are never given the respected title “Mrs.”; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of “nobodiness”–then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait.

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Movie: "Shudra- The Rising?" Poster

A bit of storyline:

Movie is based on story of 250million people born as untouchables (and today’s Dalits) in Hindu caste system and subjected to humiliation and slavery since ancient times. When aryans came to India with the intention of looting, they enslaved the peace loving natives. Manu – Hindu guru – imposed laws on untouchables and barred them from reading, writing and listening holy mantras. Natives were treated less than human, impure, unclean and were forced to do menial jobs.

In the movie you will see, Shudra denied water, (Dalits still fight for such rights) a Shudra child’s nose chopped off for chanting mantras, (Dalits are still not allowed to enter many temples in India), a pregnant Shudra women forced to sleep with upper caste people (Dalit women still are raped on Day to day basis in India) and many more heart touching scenes – the only crime of theirs – they are born untouchables.  Movie seems to be based on real events, if not real I bet, you might have heard such incidents once in a while in your life-time. It is believed that nature took ages to make man out of animal, but it took moments for certain men to make their fellow human animal again. “Shudra – The Rising?” highlights the depth that evil human mind can succumb, to cling on to power and supremacy.

Recently, the “Shudra – The Rising?” team has received screening Invitation for “Shudra – The Rising?” from South Asian Film Festival which will take place June 13-17, 2012, in Vancouver, and in the Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada.

My best wishes to the team

I strongly believe that movies on social issues should be made and given more emphasis. Sanjiv Jaiswal has chosen an important issue of caste discrimination, which has ruined millions lives and hopes. After watching trailers of movie, I can say that it’s a sincere effort by the team to put forward the caravan of Dr Ambedkar. I wish the team a grand success!

P.S.: Movie is going to release in Feb. 2012 and you can visit the movie site at http://www.shudrathefilm.com for latest updates. You can also follow producer and director – Sanjiv Jaiswal – on twitter at @sanjivjaiswal and join the facebook page of the movie at http://www.facebook.com/pages/SHUDRA-the-rising/102558246496607

Movie trailer (in Hindi)

Movie trailer (in English)

]]> http://drambedkarbooks.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/upcoming-movie-shudra-the-rising/feed/ 2 drambedkarbooks 23 http://drambedkarbooks.wordpress.com/2012/01/01/right-to-recall-a-dalits-viewpoint/ http://drambedkarbooks.wordpress.com/2012/01/01/right-to-recall-a-dalits-viewpoint/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:30:12 +0000 Pardeep http://drambedkarbooks.wordpress.com/?p=714 ]]> Few months ago, after raising the toast on the success of Jan Lokpal Bill, Anna & Co. started demanding right to recall, electoral reform and voicing pro-death penalty. Since then Anna is in controversies over his comments on Sharad Pawar’s slap-issue, over his treatment with drunken people in his village and then his comments on women and pregnancy pain. Anna’s latest stint with fast at Mumbai was unsuccessful. All these news remind me that in my previous articles, I’d promised to write on Right to Recall and Dalits. So, here I am.

I don’t want to discuss the cost of election, re-election and re-election because I do have other concerns, concerns much more important than the cost of election or re-election, such as how Right to Recall will affect Dalits-Bahujans. (I also don’t buy the argument that India is a poor country, especially when there is a hell lot of corruption.) I also don’t want to discuss how cumbersome this process of Right to Recall would be i.e. practical difficulties. It would be almost impossible for such a populated country like India to implement Right to Recall. (In the countries, where Right to Recall is working require certain number of signatures (about 70%) of people from the area where people are demanding to recall and then verification is also required for the signatures, only after that re-election takes place. And we also have to keep in mind that those countries (such as Venezuela and few states of USA) where “Right to Recall” is working do have much less population.) But, let’s ignore all these difficulties for the sake of argument and concentrate on few other concerns.

Three states of India, i.e. Punjab, Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh already do have provisions to recall leaders at the local level. “The Punjab Panchyati Raj Act” says,

…no-confidence against a Sarpanch be made to the Block Development and Panchayat Officer by a two-thirds majority of the total number of Panches of the Gram Sabha.

Punjab’s Dalits get a raw deal; and this is deepening caste fissures in the State. Problem arises in the villages when few upper caste panches files no-confidence motion against the Dalit Sarpanch due to caste prejudices or those upper caste panches don’t want to see Dalit ruling them or the village. Getting two-third majority for influential upper caste panches is not a big deal. As the result of caste politics and money at the village level Dalits suffer.

Few months ago, news from Patiala district of Punjab reported in which a Dalit Sarpanch gave statements that four of his colleagues never attended the panchayat proceedings and never allowed him to work properly. When the mandatory half term was over panches brought the no-confidence motion against him and removed him from the seat of Sarpanch. He asked that, how can panches say me in-efficient when they never allowed me to work for a single day? He also said, “I don’t know Anna Hazare, but whosoever is advocating for such a law (Right to Recall), is working against the spirit of democracy,”

In India, women are the most disrespected, exploited, unprotected and neglected person and if she is Dalit, only God helps then. Another case that came into limelight few months back was of about the suffering of Dalit Sarpanch in Panipat (Haryana). Dalit Sarpanch woman tried to stop the child marriage and village’s influential people resented! Influential people from the village started asking for her resignation stating that she had brought bad name to the village via stopping child marriage! I wonder what would be the bringing good name for the village, marrying children in the womb? This is what the real face of India’s villages, no matter how hard Dalits try to mend the unlawful laws; Dalits always suffer and think what would happen to Dalits if Right to Recall comes into picture.

According to the news of Forward Press magazine (August 2011 issue) Dalit Sarpanch woman of Karauvahdih (Chhattisgarh) was boycotted because she refused to give Rs. 50,000 as a bribe to son of deputy-sarpanch. Many similar incidents happened in the Karauvahdih in the past also where Dalits were penalised for not paying bribe and caste discrimination. Another Dalit Sarpanch woman and her husband from the Ambala district (Haryana) were thrashed over MNREGA work, influential casteist people wanted bribe from the money allotted for the work and she refused.

Last year, in Rohtak district (Haryana) Dalit Sarpanch was ostracized for contesting poll and when he was selected as a Sarpanch; casteist villagers refused to accept him as a Sarpanch and ordered residents to ostracize him and his family.

Few years back, in village Methwallya (Bihar), Dalit Sarpanch was refrained from hoisting a national flag on 26th January. He was not only refrained but beaten brutally and boycotted by dominant caste persons. Almost same news was reported from the Nasik (Maharashtra) where Dalit Sarpanch was stopped from hoisting a flag.

A survey by Navsarjan revealed that about 65% Dalit Sarpanches drink tea in separate cups and do have separate cups for drinking water in their own offices! And about 40% are not allowed to sit on the chairs! The purpose of discussing all these news reports is to let readers know that Dalits are being tortured for even raising a voice against the cruelty of casteism, child marriage or what not. Dalit women are raped, paraded naked, burnt alive or Dalit houses are set on fire on day to day basis and the story is no different throughout the India. If Right to Recall is brought in picture it should not make thing worse for Dalits of India. I don’t want Right to Recall but I surely want provisions, which lead to smooth functioning of Dalit leaders.

My Final Thoughts

All these news and reports are just the fraction of what is inside story of caste discrimination, caste politics and Dalits at village level and imagine what would be the condition at the national level? Dalits do suffer much more than one can imagine in day to day life and Right to Recall should not become an instrument to harsh and remove Dalits from the some hard earned posts. I do want that India develop and everyone be responsible for the work one is assigned but all of these not at the cost of Dalits killings or Dalits suffering. As per me, the best option for India is to make the service term of ruling short i.e. from 5years to 4year.

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History of India is nothing but the struggle between untouchables and so called upper castes. However the Indian historians have always misled us by not showing the true face of Indian History.

The glorious victory of few hundred untouchable soldiers over numerically superior Peshwas army in the battle of Koregaon, fought on 1st January, 1818, is one such chapter in Indian history whose significance has been carefully hidden.

On that day, when many were busy celebrating the new year, a small force of 500 mahar (an untouchable caste in Maharashtra) soldiers in the British army were preparing for a war against the most brutal Indian state of that times – Brahmin Peshwa rulers of Pune, Maharashtra.

In the history books, this battle is considered an important one and is known as second Anglo-Maratha war that resulted in the total destruction of Peshwa kingdom and sealed the victory of British Empire in India. However, there is a different historical dimension to this war that all of us need to be aware of.

Bhima Koregaon Pillar: Honouring the Bravery of Untouchable Soldiers

 This war was also between the Indian untouchables (who were condemned to live a life so miserable that you might not find any parallels in the world history) and Brahminism (manifested through brahmin rulers from Pune).

 For mahar soldiers, this was not just another battle but it was their   battle for self-respect, dignity and against the supremacy of Manusmriti. And these soldiers, just 500 of them, defeated the Peshwa army of over 30,000 in just one day. Their victory against a mighty force is perhaps unparallel in Indian history.

 Maharashtrian society under brahmin’s rule followed worst form of social discrimination based on caste wherein the lower strata of society such as untouchables were confined to the stringent Brahmanical laws and subsequently their mobility and development were impaired.

The untouchables had to carry a broom stick attached to their backs so that when they enter into city, their footprints would not pollute the path. They were forced to put a pot around their neck to carry their spit in the pot. They were not allowed to hold any arms and education was completely barred. Untouchables were killed if they did not follow these restrictions. Bhima-Koregaon battle was the answer of the untouchables to the brahmin ruling class of the country.

The Battle

This battle took place on January 1st, 1818, near the banks of Bhima River in Koregaon (north-west of Pune) between few hundred mahar soldiers from the British regiment of a Bombay Native Light Infantry and the Peshwa army that constituted 20,000 horsemen and 8,000 infantry soldiers. After marching down for more than 27 miles, from Shirur to Bhima Koregaon without food and water, the untouchable warriors fought the Peshwas army for next 12 hours and by the end of the day defeated them completely.

This battle is significant for many reasons. First, British army fought this battle with a minuscule army expecting the worst. Secondly, the battle of Koregaon was one of the most important events which helped British to tear down the Peshwa Empire and subsequently the Peshwa had to abdicate. Thirdly and most importantly, it was an attempt by the untouchables of Maharashtra to break the shackles of the age-old caste order.

The Memory

The men of the Bombay Native Infantry, who fought in this battle, were honored for their bravery. The official report to the British Residents at Poona recalls the “heroic valour and enduring fortitude” of the soldiers, the “disciplined intrepidity” and “devoted courage and admirable consistency” of their actions.

Much praise was showered on the untouchable soldiers, who endured the rigours of difficult marches when rations were low and diseases were high among men and animals. Whether they were charging ahead or were besieged or taken prisoner-of-war, whether they were storming fortresses or making tactical withdrawals, they always stood steadfast by their officers and comrades, never letting down the honour of their Regiments.”

A stamp issued by Indian Government in 1981

 The saga of the bravery of mahar soldiers was commemorated by the British in 1851, when they erected a Pillar (Vijay Stambh) at Koregaon inscribing the names of 22 mahar soldiers who were martyred in this battle. The pillar still stands today reminding all of us about the bravery of our forefathers and as an inspiration for our struggle against caste-system.

 Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar also used to visit Koregaon every year on 1st January to pay homage to the untouchable soldiers and to exhort Dalits to show similar courage and determination to end brahminism from the entire country. On 1st January, 1927, he organised a big convention in Koregaon and brought the memories of bravery of the untouchable soldiers in public knowledge.

 On this and every New Year eve, rather than indulging ourselves in mindless revelry let all of us pay rich tributes to our heroic forefathers who, through their bravery and courage, tore down the powerful Peshwai and brought freedom for untouchables from the fanatic brahmin rulers who ruled the land according to the diktat from Manusmriti. It is also a powerful occasion for all of us to become little more aware towards our rich history.

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Today is Christmas, 25th of December. It is celebrated all over the Christian world as the birth of Jesus Christ. But for the whole world of Dalits, it is an important day as “Manu Smruti Dahan Din”, as it was on this day in 1927 that Manusmruti was publicly burned by Dr. Ambedkar, during the “Maha-Sangharsha” of Mahad Satyagraha, and is an important mile stone in Dalit struggle against Brahmanism. Let us all remember this day with pride.

Manuvadis had arranged that Ambedkar does not get a ground for meeting, but a Muslim gentleman, Mr. Fattekhan, gave his private land. They had arranged that no supplies of food, water or anything else could be bought, so everything was brought from outside by our men. The volunteers had to take a vow of five items:

1. I do not believe on Chaturvarna based on birth.

2. I do not believe in caste distinctions.

3. I believe that untouchability is an anathema on Hinduism and I will honestly try my best to completely destroy it.

4. Considering that there is no inequality, I will not follow any restrictions about food and drink among at least all Hindus.

5. I believe that untouchables must have equal rights in temples, water sources, schools and other amenities.

Dr. Ambedkar came from Bombay by boat “Padmavati” via Dasgaon port, instead of Dharamtar, though it is longer distance, because in the event of boycott by bus owners, they could walk down five miles to Mahad.

Some people later tried to say that Dr. Ambedkar decided to burn Manusmruti at the eleventh hour, as he had to withdraw the programme of drinking water from Chavadar Tank under court orders and persuasion by the Collector. That is not true, because right in front of the pendal of the meeting a “vedi” was created beforehand to burn Manusmruti. Six people were labouring for two days to prepare it. A pit six inches deep and one and half foot square was dug in, and filled with sandle wood pieces. On its four corners, poles were erected, bearing banners on three sides. Banners said,

1. “Manusmruti chi dahan bhumi”, i.e. Crematorium for Manusmruti.

2. Destroy Untouchability and 

3. Bury the Brahmanism.

On 25th December, 1927, at 9 p.m., the book of Manusmruti was kept on this and burned at the hands of Bapusahib Sahastrabuddhe and another five six dalit sadhus.

In the pendal, there as only one photo, and that was of M. Gandhi, so it seems, dalit leaders including Dr. Ambedkar had yet to be disillusioned at Gandhi. At the meeting there was Babasahib’s historical speech. The main points of speech:

We have to understand why we are prevented from drinking water from this tank. He explained Chaturvarna, and declared that our struggle is to destroy the fetters of Chaturvarna, this was the starting point of the struggle for equality. He compared that meeting with the meeting of 24th Jan. 1789, when Loui XVI of France had called a meeting of French peoples representatives. This meeting killed king and queen, harassed and massacred the upper classes, remaining were banished, property of the rich was confiscated, and it started a fifteen year long civil war. People have not grasped the importance of this Revolution. This Revolution was the beginning of the prosperity of not only France but whole of Europe and has revolutionized the whole World. He explained French Revolution in detail. He then explained that our aim is not only to remove untouchabilty but to destroy chaturvarna, as the root cause lies there. He explained how Patricians deceived Plebeians in the name of religion. The root of untouchabilty lies in prohibition of inter-caste marriages, that we have to break, he thundered. He appealed to higher varnas to let this “Social Revolution” take place peacefully, discard the sastras, and accept the principle of justice, and he assured them peace from our side. Four resolutions were passed and a Declaration of Equality was pronounced. After this Manusmruti was burned as mentioned above.

There was a strong reaction in Brahmanical press, Babasahib was called “Bheemaasura” by one paper. Dr. Ambedkar justified the burning of Manusmruti in various articles. He ridiculed those people that they have not read the Manusmruti, and declared that we will never accept it. For those who say it is an outdated booklet so why give importance to it, he invited attention to atrocities on dalits and said, these are because Hindus are following this book. And further asked, if it is outdated, how does it matter to you if somebody burns it. For those who enquire, what is achieved by dalits by burning it, he retorted, what M. Gandhi achieved by burning foreign clothes, what was achieved by burning “Dnyana-prakash” which published about marriage of Khan-Malini, what was achieved by those who burned Miss Mayo’s book “Mother India” in New York, what was achieved by boycotting Simon Commission formed to frame political reforms? These were the forms of registering the protests, so was ours against Manusmruti.

He further declared, that if unfortunately, this burning of Manusmruti does not result in destruction of “Brahmanya”, we will have to either burn the “brahmanya-grast” people (i.e. affected by brahmanism), or renounce Hinduism.

Let all of us pay tribute to this great day.

http://www.ambedkar.org/Babasaheb/Manusmruti_Dahan_Din.htm

I was about sixteen years old the day Phoolan Devi was shot dead at Delhi. I don’t remember whether I know anything about her at that time, all I remember is that I had heard her name before. Maybe, I had read about her somewhere or watched her on television or my father had talked about her. So, the day she died I felt like low-caste people of India lost someone important. That’s all what I remember about the day, yes dated 25^th July, 2001 the day Phoolan Devi was shot.

Days rolled and years passed when few days back I got my hands on the book named “I, Phoolan Devi – The autobiography of India’s Bandit Queen”. As, I was turning pages while reading the book my heart sank many times and every time same question came to my mind why us? Why low-caste people have to suffer in their own homeland, why? Is it because, low-caste people were born under the dark stars? When will we be able to live peacefully without being assaulted? (After reading the book, I also watched the movie named “Bandit Queen” by Shekhar Kapoor and I must admit that the movie shows just a fraction of the sufferings Phoolan Devi endured and what I hate the most about the Shekhar Kapoor and his movie is that he didn’t even dare to meet Phoolan Devi once for the movie!) I was born brought up in a village and I’ve witnessed the pain and suffering women have to undergo. While reading the book, I decided that I’ll review-cum-summary the book as a tribute to the Phoolan Devi for her courage and suffering in the hands of so called upper caste people.

Book, “I, Phoolan Devi – The autobiography of India’s Bandit Queen” is a true story of Phoolan Devi, as narrated to French authors Marie-Therese Cuny and Paul Rambali. Phoolan Devi was born into a family of Mallahs, considered lower caste, in the village named Ghura Ka Purwa (Uttar Pradesh). This is a story of a woman who stood against the brutality of Thakurs and woman who decided not to be docile Indian women. Phoolan Devi’s mother always encouraged her not to accept injustice. In Phoolan Devi’s own words:

“The poor must bow down and touch the feet of the rich. The poor eat a few grains of millet while the rich feast on mangoes. The pain of hunger in the belly of the poor produces fear and submission. I tried to submit, as my father said I should, but I was unable. I was like my mother. There was too much anger in me.” 

Even at the tender age of ten, she took fight with her cousin, Mayadin, who had grabbed her father’s land; she forced the Panchayat to reopen the land case. She fought with Mayadin when he tried to cut Neem tree, which belonged to her family. At the age of 10, she could hold snakes without fear. She was a brave fighter from the start, never accepted the degradation and kept dignity above everything. There were times when her family had nothing to eat and her mother cursed for giving birth to girls. Mallahs as other lower castes were expected to do all kind of worst jobs such as herding the Thakurs’ animals, cut grass for those animals, collect dung, massage Thakurian’s head, and the worst was they were not allowed to ask anything in return. If, anyone refused to do work for Thakurs, they were beaten; even Phoolan was beaten more than once for refusing to do menial chores for Thakurs.

As it used to happen (or still happen) in India, she was married at the age of eleven to Putti Lal, aged around thirty. She didn’t even know what marriage is and became furious when people told her that Putti Lal is her husband. She was raped, beaten and raped time and again by her husband. Somehow, this torture news reached her parents and her parents rescued and brought her back to home despite objections from the society. So, at the age of eleven she was married, beaten and raped.

Even after coming back to her home, life wasn’t easy for her as there was no one to protect her and so called upper caste, Thakurs, took advantage of this and started taunting her, and passing foul comments. One day, son of sarpanch tried to rape her and she slapped him and ran away but village panchayat decided she be thrown away from the village. So, she decided leave the village despite her parents were not willing but her mother had no other option to agree with her and her mother gave her five rupee to take care and Phoolan went to her elder sister, Rukmani.

While she was at her sister’s place, robbery took place in her village and she was blamed for the robbery by her cousin, Mayadin. Police came and arrested her for nothing, no one tried to listen to her story. For few days she was locked up in the cell for investigation along with her father and police-men raped her in-front of her father. Later on she was sent to the jail for a week and released when her mother was able to produce the proof that she was with her sister when robbery took place in the village and she has nothing to do with robbery.

So, at around thirteen, she was married once, un-officially divorced, beaten more than once, raped more than once and was in jail for nothing. Even after so much humiliation nothing changed for her and not even the behaviour of so called upper caste people – Thakurs. Time came when people from the nearby villages started coming to her home to satisfy the uneasiness of their balls! It became very difficult for her to survive and hide, to hide herself; she started sleeping on the trees outside her home. Once she was raped in-front of her parents by so called upper caste people of her village.  This incident filled her with rage and all she wanted now was revenge. So, this was the first time she approached Thakurs of nearby village, those Thakurs had their personal conflicts with the Thakurs of her village. So, those Thakurs came and threatened the Thakurs of Phoolan’s village. But, very soon she realised that those Thakurs didn’t come to rescue her but to settle their own scores.

Later on, she was kidnapped by the gang of Babu Gujjar and Vickram Mallah on the suppari of so called Thakurs. When Babu Gujjar tried to rape Phoolan, Vickram killed him and saved Phoolan’s life and fell in love with her. In this way, Phoolan became the Bandit Queen and Babu Gujjar was the first person killed after her name. In her gang most of people were from Jatav, Chamar or Mallah community. Most of them had chosen this life because they couldn’t get justice from the police and upper caste people treated them worse. They led the life of modern Robin-Hood – i.e. taking from the rich people and donating to the poor and first time in life Phoolan felt secured and not helpless in the company of Vickram Mallah and rifle. People started trusting her and started supporting her in order to escape from the brutality of upper caste people. Many other gangs started working, using the name of Phoolan Devi!

I wanted to be able to put the bundles in their outstretched hands and punish the ones who tried to deprive them of their right to exist. – Phoolan Devi

But, this peaceful time was limited in the life of Phoolan, very soon when Vickram paid the Rs. 50000 for the bail of Shri Ram and Lale Ram (both brothers and Thakurs) Vickram was betrayed and killed by the Shri Ram. (This is a story of betrayal by the so called upper castes) Worst nightmare for Phoolan wasn’t over; she was kidnapped and raped continuously for weeks by Shri Ram and his gang-men. Shri Ram took her from one village to another and kept saying that this is what happen to low caste Devis. This incident filled Phoolan with more rage and now she only wanted the revenge from Shri Ram. While Shri Ram was taking her from village to village so that people could satisfy their lust a kind hearted Brahmin helped her to escape from this torture. She went back to forests and formed her own gang once again. Her only mission now was to see Shri Ram dead and once she heard that Shri Ram and his men are coming to a marriage in the village named Behmai. She went there with her gang and chased Shri Ram and his brother but they escaped but when she returned back to the village she saw that her gang-men had killed about 22 Thakurs!

And very next day, all newspapers, new-channels and media were covering the same story as if media had ever cared about the torture on Dalits in India. Great hunt for her started but somehow she was able to evade capture. First time in her life she was helicopters and helicopters bombarding! Later on she negotiated a deal with Madhya Pradesh government, which agreed not to give her death penalty and give her maximum of 8 years of jail term along with her gang-men. When asked why she wanted the jail term of 8 years, she said that she heard from reporters that I’ll get maximum of 8 years if I turn myself in! She turned herself in the mass function and spends 11 long years in jail without trail!  After 11 years, when she came out of jail, she was a different person…

Book, “I, Phoolan Devi – The autobiography of India’s Bandit Queen” describes the true nature of Indian attitude towards women and how two faced it is. When society consider and treat girl child less than evil or worse, when women who give birth to girl child are killed or taunted all the times – oh..! Girls again, aren’t you ashamed of yourself, Phoolan Devis are bound to rise. This book is a one woman’s fight to reclaim her dignity and pride under the gender and caste discrimination. If you want to know the real story on the plight of women in India, the discrimination women face or hard realities of caste discrimination in India; this book is for you. (Or you want to read and cry; this book is for you!)

P.S.: Phoolan Devi contested from the Mirzapur on the ticket of Samajwadi Party and elected as Member of Parliament twice. She was assassinated on 25^th July, 2001, by the family members of Thakurs killed by her gang in Behmai village.  

P. P.S.: I don’t support violence of any kind neither do I Casteism. In case you liked the above piece please click on Like button and share it with your friends! 

Last week, world’s number one university, Harvard, decided to exclude Janta Party’s leader Subramanian Swamy’s course from the Harvard summer school course.  This decision came after his hateful article in Daily News and Analysis (DNA) that appeared on 16^th July,2011 under the heading of “How to wipe out Islamic terror”. (DNA has removed this article but you can still find the same article on many other sites) His removal from the course started the debate over the freedom of speech so, I decided to search his article and decide what is right and wrong. I won’t say his article is controversial but hateful because it’s full of hatred towards Muslims and minorities.

Few hateful parts from the article are:

The first lesson to be learnt from the recent history of Islamic terrorism against India and for tackling terrorism in India is that the Hindu is the target….

Hindus can’t accept to be killed in this halal fashion…

(I believe not only Hindus but people from every religion get killed in bomb blasts not only the Hindus, bombs can’t differentiate who is Hindu and who is not. Can they or might be Subramanian Swamy have figured out such a weapon, about which he will be happy to write in next article for sure? This statement is as flawed as it could be.)

Islamic terrorism is India’s number one problem…

(What about caste discrimination, hunger, poverty, corruption, unemployment, farmer suicides, Dalits being assaulted everyday etc? Are these in the list of Subramanian Swamy or he has forgotten about Malegaon blasts and Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur?)

If any Muslim acknowledges his or her Hindu legacy, then we Hindus can accept him or her as a part of the Brihad Hindu Samaj (greater Hindu society) which is Hindustan….

(I think Subramanian Swamy might know that why people converted to Islam and who are the Muslims of India. Muslims of India not other than the Untouchables (Dalits) of India, untouchables who converted to Islam just to avoid the brutality of Hindu Caste System. Almost 80-85% of Muslims are low caste people. I wonder why Subramanian Swamy hasn’t written against the caste system. If he might have written then Muslims may have some options before conversion.)

India that is Bharat that is Hindustan is a nation of Hindus and others whose ancestors were Hindus. Others, who refuse to acknowledge this, or those foreigners who become Indian citizens by registration, can remain in India but should not have voting rights (which means they cannot be elected representatives).

(I believe Subramanian Swamy might also know that Hindu is a new term coined recently, how it can be ancient, I wonder. He has a dream of Hindu-Rashtra, which is much more dangerous than the terrorism.)

While suggesting solutions to blasts, killings and terrorism he says:

Remove the masjid in Kashi Vishwanath temple and the 300 masjids at other temple sites

(What an (fucking) idea sirji, you really proved that you have PhD degree from Harvard! Even an illiterate won’t suggest such a great idea worth shit! What he wants to say is nothing more than incite riots and destabilise India. Use your brain before writing! I don’t have a degree from Harvard nor I’m as old (experienced) as you might be but I know what equality and harmony mean. Do you have these two words (equality and harmony) in your dictionary or you would like to purchase a new dictionary?)

Implement the uniform civil code, make learning of Sanskrit and singing of Vande Mataram mandatory, and declare India a Hindu Rashtra….

(Yes, make learning Sanskrit, singing of Vande Mataram mandatory and take India back into Stone Age or Ice-Age! When world is going towards 22^nd century, people like you are planning to take India again into shit? Sanskrit is a language of discrimination and English is Dalit’s Goddess! Not only Dalits but English is the Goddess of everyone. At present we can’t afford to implement Sanskrit and take India back into Dark-age. Can we?

About Hindu Rashtra, declare it Hindu Rashtra with 17% Muslims, 25% Dalits, 2% Sikhs, 3% Christians, and 1% Buddhists, Jains each. When 50% population don’t consider themselves Hindus, would it make sense? May be according to your analysis it would make? But, declaring it Hindu Rashtra won’t solve any problem but deepen the hatred among different religions and religious groups. We need to learn from Pakistan i.e. what happened to the Pakistan, any nation which will be formed on the basis of religion would end like Pakistan. So, if you want same results go ahead and ruin the India! Dr Ambedkar said,” I am an Indian first and Indian last.” So, don’t try to incite people otherwise it won’t take much time for India to fall.)

Enact a national law prohibiting conversion from Hinduism to any other religion. Re-conversion will not be banned.

Welcome non-Hindus to re-convert to the caste of their choice provided they adhere to the code of discipline.

(Now, I’m losing both my temper and patience and I wish I could punch you right from my laptop! Basically, you are suggesting something similar to ‘Gujarat Religious Freedom Act’ and notably known as ‘Anti-Conversion Law’ introduced by the Gujarat (India) state government (infamous for persecuting religious minorities) in 2008. You need to think why people convert, why people leave Hinduism, it’s not because of plate of rice but because people are fed up of the caste discrimination, people want equal rights; people want to live peacefully without being degraded. Do Hinduism give them all these? No. So, why people would like to stay in the shit? Give them equal rights, give them caste free society and more than that give them freedom but then can Hinduism survive without these three?

I think governments should not interfere on which religion one should follow and government should work on planning and executing the projects that will get adequate drinking water, decent housings, and good education to the millions who are still deprived of these basic necessities. Also, rather than limiting religious freedom, governments should work on making people aware of their basic human rights, protecting freedom of selecting religion of their choice, only then we can be proud of our country.

What amazed me more and made me smile is that you still want caste system to hold even if Muslims or anyone converts to Hinduism. Are you nuts Mr. Swamy? Who would like to be discriminated and prosecuted for nothing? By the way, you showed the real face of Hinduism, there will be no existence of Hinduism without caste system and discrimination, without these two, Hinduism will fall)

Propagate the development of a Hindu mindset…

(Do people like you who claim themselves Hindus have mind (brain)? I doubt! Only person without brain can write such a hateful article!)

There are many other hateful parts in the article of Subramanian Swamy, such as at one point he seems to be in favour of building temple at Ayodhya, which is a controversial part. Before practicing freedom of speech, I believe one should have respect for everyone, (yes, including Dalits and Muslims!), one must make some sense, and one’s thoughts must be for the development of society and not incite anyone.

So, finally I welcome the Harvard University’s decision to remove his course from the catalogue because thinking and knowledge what Mr. Swamy have presented is dangerous for the society. For such an article Mr. Swamy should be brought into the court!

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P.P.S.: Views expressed here in this article are my personal, no-one needs to agree with me.