Sujit De
Why must Dalits celebrate their victory under the British army against the Peswa army at Bhima-Koregaon battle of January 1, 1818? How could Bhima-Koregaon become a pilgrimage for Dalits? Why did Bhim Rao Ambedkar go to this pilgrimage in 1927?
In her article, “Why Bhima-Koregaon challenges the nation” (Herald, Jan 11, 2018) Amita Kanekar traces a clear answer to those questions in Mukta Salve’s famous essay which was published in 1855 about the conditions of the Dalits under the Peswa rule. Just a few words from that essay can put anyone to shame, “Under Bajirao’s rule, if any mang or mahar happened to pass in front of a gymnasium, they would cut off his head and play ‘bat and ball’ with their swords as bats and his head as a ball, on the ground. When we were punished for even passing through their doors, where was the question of getting education, getting freedom to learn?”
We see that Dalits were treated like dirt and they did not enjoy even animal rights let alone human rights under the Peswa rule. And we must not forget what Tagore reminds us in his poem – Apamanita (Insulted) about the outcome of insulting human beings for centuries in such an inhuman way.
He said, “Those whom you push down will tie you/ down also,/ those whom you have kept at the back/ will pull you back./ The ones you have unwittingly hidden/ away/ are burying your wellbeing and/ creating a wide distance from you./ You will have to remember all of India/ deserves the blame for this situation./ For hundreds of years they have carried/ the weight of disrespect,/ you still don’t show your appreciation./ Can’t you see I lower my head for this/ contempt/ it has completely destroyed their/ confidence and faith in the divine power./ You should also share the insult with/ everyone.”
But is it still relevant to celebrate such an event after two hundred years? Is there any caste hatred at present? That caste hatred is still prevalent in our country is an open secret. Researchers from Jawaharlal Nehru University and University of Maryland have covered 42,152 households across our country to do a survey on untouchability in India in 2016. A whopping 27 per cent of the members of those households shamelessly declare that they practice untouchability. There must be some more people who cling to such inhuman prejudices without categorically declaring it to a study team for the fear of legal actions against them. This shows that a large section of our people like our ancestors, are still carrying almost the same horrifying apathy against Dalits.
We must weed caste hatred out lock, stock and barrel from the soil of our country to make India strong and united.
