Dalits are our brothers and sisters who have gone through a lengthy incarceration and have been humiliated by us for centuries. They have suffered quietly and uncomplainingly and now we must ensure that this wrong doing is stopped. The drama being played out at the IIT Madras Campus must come to a close and the curtains must be brought down. If B R Ambedkar has said certain factual things about the Hinduism, it’s high time we accept it here and now. The IIT Madras fracas on this issue and the subsequent de-recognition of the Ambedkar Perriyar Students Association for whatever grounds it has been taken, must be revoked.
There are many grievances that the Dalit groups have accumulated for years and must be faced immediately and squarely. The Central Government authorities must take this matter in hand and deal sternly with it. Instead they are blaming the Christians for creating some of these problems such as inducements to convert them.
Will Modi and the saffron brigade elements face the facts and take the bull by the horns and avoid the ugly situation they have got themselves into. They are pure unconverted Hindus after all. This is what the VHP, RSS, Sree Ram Sene, Bajrang Dal and other fringe elements of the BJP should be doing at present. Christians only admit those individuals who request admission after a due process of teaching scriptures has been gone through. Please remember that you are barking up the wrong tree in believing that peaceful Christians are stealing away the Dalits. Look after them and they will never leave you. But first you must realize your own mistakes. The rest will fall in place.
Blaming others for one’s own mistakes has become a favorite pastime in India today. All this started with political parties trying to hide behind a screen and blaming the others for their mistakes. The easiest way is to promote violence and communal conflict. Centuries ago, India was looked upon as a haven of peace and communal harmony, where everyone was treated equally and today there is 24X7 communal conflict all over.
Dalits have been the underprivileged, backward, neglected class for centuries. They had never been treated equally. They are mostly illiterate and have no morale or organization to back their claims for equality in opportunity. They are not allowed to enter the same temples, bathe at community wells, though Dr B R Ambedkar, the tallest of their leaders, is recognized as the father of the Indian Constitution.
Of late there are many organizations and prominent people who have taken up the fight for their emancipation, but the results are not very encouraging. Dalits hardly get a chance to pursue higher studies and so they generally cannot improve their lot. It will take many years for them to get out of the present rut and see a level playing field. They need all the help possible to improve their lot and join the others in ushering in a new era of equality and progress in India. The stigma of untouchability is also attached to them to make their life even more difficult.
We need a conducive atmosphere in India, where peace, tranquility, cooperation and tolerance can help them overcome their miseries and allow them to live happily and love their neighbours and our country as much as other citizens do. Then we can say that we have traveled on the road to progress. God bless India and all our brothers and sisters of the Dalit community.
