Author: S R Ramanujan
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Any high school student without specialization of any sort on mediaeval or modern history will tell us the circumstances under which we allowed invaders and colonialists to rule us for nearly a millennium. In a way we enslaved ourselves thanks to the people who helped or rather encouraged invaders' entry to sort out their own internal problems. An unprecedented hearing of the US Congress on October 6, on India's Dalits and the deposition by two champions of Dalit cause from India, one an academic - Prof Kancha Ilaiah and another an activist Udit Raj, before the US Congress sub committee on "India's Unfinished Agenda : Equality and Justice for 200 million victims of the Caste system" remind us of our historical past. It's only when we sought foreign intervention to overcome our own failings we weakened our polity and social fabric.
This is evident from the fact that Republican New Jersey Representative, Christopher Smith, who chaired the meeting, went beyond the scope of the subject. There was a subtle blackmail which of course is nothing new for American ruling class. Smith even tried to link the strategic partnership with India on civilian nuclear programme with Dalit cause saying that America "should not lose sight of India's serious human rights problems". According to him, the Indian government "condones, ignores and in some instances, has even promoted human rights violations". Did Smith visit India and study the Dalit problems in depth and come to this sweeping conclusion? No. What is the basis for him to take such an extreme position then? May be, the depositions of Ilaiah and Udit Raj and an American activist Nanci Ricks who runs an NGO "Dalit Freedom Network". Her antecedents have to be probed and it is possible that she or her outfit could be a cover for conversion of Dalits in India through American missionaries. Republicans are the God-fathers of US missionaries and President Bush is their patron for whom it is always the God who dictates to him whether to invade Iraq or Iran. That is the reason Smith talks about Hindu extremists and their opposition to the emancipation of Dalit Christians thanks to the programmes launched by Christian missionaries. Smith is also upset that many states in India had adopted anti-conversion laws in violation of India's constitutional protection for religious freedom.
None can deny the fact that caste system is the bane of Indian civil society. Any amount of argument that it was originally based on work division and that it was not intended to be linked to birth will not wash. What is disturbing is the present state of oppression though the intensity is not as it used to be at the dawn of Independence. We have various legislations in the statute book to punish those who still practice untouchability. It is not that our social reformers had been blind to this wretched problem either, even from the mediaeval days. It was saint-philosopher Ramanujacharya who opened the gates of Melkote temple to Dalits though Gandhiji emulated him centuries later. Many of the Alwars and Nayanmars of Tamil religious literature belonged to the Dalit community and they are worshipped even today by the upper castes as messengers of God. Though one dismisses such examples as past history, what about the 20th century? Gandhiji's relentless struggle for social equity cannot be written off. Narayana Guru, Basavanna, Mahatma Phule are wonderful examples for our social awakening. Mata Amritanandamayi is not from upper caste, but she is worshipped by millions of uppercaste men. K R Narayanan did not rise to the highest constitutional position because of his caste, but due to his own achievements and hard work. Caste did not come in his way nor did the caste prevent Sanjeevaiah to become the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. Mayawati or Uma Bharati or Karunanidhi are not from the upper castes, but the caste was not a hurdle for them to rise to the position of chief ministers.
Yes, these examples are all of political empowerment. In terms of social and economic empowerment where do the Dalits stand? The founding fathers of our Constitution did not close their eyes to their predicament. Reservations in education, jobs and promotions are meant to empower them socially and economically even as reserved constituencies are to ensure their participation in the political process. Loopholes in any system cannot be brushed aside. But what is important are the intentions and the sincerity behind implementation. It is nearly for a millennium we had been enslaved and it was a period of struggle for survival against the onslaught of aliens on our economy, political system, culture, civilization and social values. That was the time many social evils crept into our system leading to many aberrations. The thinking on reform process in modern India started in the early 20th century and the Independence helped us give legal and constitutional shape and protection to those reforms. Any reform is a slow process and centuries old social evils cannot be completely wiped out in five decades.
Without any clue on the complex social system of our society, when one Smith here or another Ricks there talk of human rights violation we can only ask them to stand before a mirror and ask such questions. Statistics show that the number of blacks in the US living in poverty is three times that of the white. People of minority ethnic groups are biased against in employment and occupation. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission of the US received 29,000 complaints in 2003 of racial bias in the workplace. Racial prejudice was behind more than half of America's 7489 reported hate crime incidents in 2003. There were 1019 anti-Muslim incidents in the US in the same year representing a 69% increase. Iraqis will tell you as to how the US has specialized the art of torturing prisoners. Can a standing committee of the Indian Parliament sit in judgement over these human right violations?
Let's see how various countries have reacted to the Human Rights Report of the US. Mexico's Human Rights Committee says "US is ethically unqualified to rank other countries on human rights. Russia calls the US human rights report a politically biased document that ignored the rest of the world's concerns of alleged US violations of human rights. For China, "the report wantonly interferes in China's internal affairs" and it is a blow to relations between the two sides. Sri Lanka's main Sinhala nationalist group accused the US of blatant interference in Sri Lankan affairs.
Our Dalit champions have deposed before one such sub committee of the US Congress which gives sermons to other countries instead of trying to set its own house in order. To cover up their guilt in going before a foreign government with our domestic problems,a fantastic theory has been floated that American companies in India should reserve jobs for Dalits and there should be reservation for Dalits in US visas. Caste system may be unique only to India. But there are social divisions and oppressions in every society. Is Pakistan treating all its citizens as equals? Can a Hindu or Ahmediya aspire for any constitutional positions in that country. How do our local champions expect the US to look at India in isolation? After all, US Congressmen are not going to fight elections in India!!