By setting its face against a discussion
on the caste-based oppression at the World Conference against Racism in
Durban, the Central Government has sparked off a debate. Surprisingly,
NGOs of all shapes and sizes suddenly became active and started blurting
out anything but arguments to include caste in the Conference agenda. In
their hurry to champion the cause of the dalits they failed to see the
greater economic designs of some countries and also the objectives of the
Fifth Columnists back home. Equating caste with race will give the developed
few another baton to beat with the first Indian entrepreneur they come
across. There have been instances to use social problems afflicting the
Indian society like the one of child labour, to further their trade-related
interests by the West. Notions based on caste are far too different from
race as a concept and discrimination based on caste identities cannot be
equated with racial discrimination. It is also true that the oppressive
caste order that prevails in some parts of the Indian countryside cannot
be equated with apartheid or Zionism. And in this sense, the Durban conference
may not he the place to discuss the caste-based oppression that may be
sparsely prevailing in India today. After all, racism or Zionism as they
exist (in some parts of the world) relate to the provisions in the legal
framework of such nations that clearly declare the exclusion of a set of
people from the sociopolitical setup. This definitely is not the case in
India. Unlike the apartheid that was in existence in South Africa or the
Zionist regime in Israel, our Constitution is categorically inclusive.
It does not exclude any social group from the institutions of' governance.
Yet, the fact remains that these actions have not brought about the desired
decisive transformation in Indian civil society. Attacks on dalits and
even massacres of men, women and children belonging to' the so-called lower
castes of the social order are a recurring feature in some parts of the
country. This surely provides the basis for the argument made by many organisations
outside the Government that the oppression of the dalits is no different
from the discrimination elsewhere against races and communities and their
exclusion from the political and other walks of life. In spite of the provisions
against such exclusion of communities in the Indian Constitution, the ground
reality in some parts of the country is sadly to the contrary. The Durban
Conference and the debate started can be turned into an occasion to introspect
and take a serious look at this country's record on the issue of the rights
of the social groups which continue to feel being oppressed. Such a challenge
cannot restrict itself to the social field alone. Related issues like the
question of land and ownership would also have to be attended to in this
context. Demonstrative actions rather than an academic debate is what is
expected of the Indian state exhibiting its political will and courage
to root out this ruinous phenomenon.