By Badre Alam and Sanjay Kumar for Twocircles.net
The Una incident has once again exposed the hypocrisy of the so-called ‘Gujarat model’ as championed by Hindutva brigades and some sections of corporate-owned media houses, a plank on which Modi was voted to power in 2014 general election. It has to be underlined here that the same BJP regime had earlier engineered communal riots against Muslims, which led to the killings of nearly 2,000 Muslims. In other words, one could argue that contrary to the ethos of India’s secular and democratic constitution, in the case of Gujarat both Dalits and religious minorities, especially Indian Muslims, have been widely victimised by political regime led by BJP- RSS combine.
The recent caste-based atrocities against Dalits have clearly indicated that Hinduvta politics is not only communal but also casteist in nature. To put it differently, Gujarat (Una) incident against Dalits have clearly shown that cow is not associated with Hindu society as whole but only used by upper caste Brahminical Hindutva forces as ‘Sacred symbols’ (Gau Mata) to maintain cultural hegemony in the public sphere.
Caste and communal violence
Caste-based atrocities against the Dalits and communal attacks on religious minorities, including curtailment of freedom of speech have continued unabated since BJP-led government came at the centre-stage of Indian politics. For instance, incidents such as Akhlaq killing, Muzaffarnagar riots, Kairana communal incident, Rohit Vemula’s tragic suicide, and consequent attack on public universities, crack down on student activism etc. have rightly indicated and exposed the tall claim of Modi government like “Sabka sath Sabka Vikas” and “appeasement of none and development of all” during his electoral campaign.
Take a look at the trends of caste-based discrimination and atrocities encountered by India’s Dalits in everyday lived experiences, particularly in BJP-ruled state, such as Gujarat, MP, Haryana, Rajashan, etc. compiled by government bodies and civil society groups.
A report compiled by the National Commission for Schedule Castes has rightly documented that BJP- ruled states such as Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan have reported the highest rates of crimes against Scheduled Castes in 2015. The data shows an almost 40% increase in incidence of crime against Dalits across India between 2011- 2014. In 2015, Gujarat reported the highest crime rate against Dalits (163.3%, 6,655 cases). Chhattisgarh came second (91.9%, 3,008 cases), followed by Rajasthan (58.5%, 7,144 cases).
It is unfortunate to note that the current Modi regime have launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, even as a majority of Dalit community is compelled to do inhuman practices such as manual scavenging despite the ban by the apex court. In this regards, a law has been also passed in 2003. However, manual scavenging is still continues unabated. And Census 2011 has estimated that nearly 8 lakh people were involved in it. According to Safai Karmachari Andolan over 1,300 manual scavengers died at work in 2014. It is interesting to highlights, what Modi have also said regarding manual scavenging in his book.
One could argue that recent rise of Hindutva politics is accompanied with increasing trend of caste and communal violence in the public domain. Therefore, it could be argued that BJP- agenda of ‘Social harmony’ (Samajic Samrasta) and other tall claims such as inclusive development as mentioned in his election Manifesto (2014) is nothing more than tapping into Dalits votes.
Una incident and Dalit assertion
Historically speaking, the cow protection movement led by Arya Samaj and the Sanatan Dharma Sabha were attempts to establish an ideological hegemony among the pluralists Hindu folk culture. RSS and BJP have had always try to historically build false Hindu identify and project Hindu caste- ridden society as homogenous community. However, it is sociologically relevant to point out that Dalits and Adivasis have had different ways of social and religious practices, mode of worship, food habits, which are completely different from upper caste Hindu religious rituals and norms. As earlier pointed out, Cow as religious symbols has always been used by communal forces to unit Hindu caste society and polarize community on lines of religion and faith to create external enemy by putting Indian Muslims as an ‘other’. While doing so, BJP-RSS combine have always tried to make political gains.
Besides, more recent (ongoing) case of caste atrocities against Dalit took place in Gujarat, which was ruled by present BJP nearly 15 year. To be very short, on July 12 four young Dalit man were beaten and publicly humiliated by group of Cow vigilantes in the village of Una, Gujarat because they were found skinning the animal. Apart from crime against Dalits, religious minorities especially, Indian Muslims have been also targeted by the Hindutva brigades in various part of the country. In the name of protecting cow, communal outfits have been regularly targeting religious minority groups and even beaten up to death. Dadri, Akhlaque lynching could be case in point. Even more recently, in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh, two Muslims Women have been beaten up brutally by ‘Gau Rakshak dal’ a Vigilante groups associated with communal outfits.
However, it is ironical to note that Modi government have celebrated Dr. Ambedkar’s 125th anniversary with much pomp and show but at the ground level nothing has been done to bring out change in socio-economic life of Dalit community as above facts clearly point out.
The suicide of Rohith Vemula and the Una incident have also prepared ground for a new Dalit movement and united all depressed and marginalised class across state.
The ‘Dalit Asmita yatra’ which began from Ambedkar chowk in Ahmadabad district is a step towards Dalit liberation and freedom from caste discrimination. Scholars have argued that violence, humiliation and caste discrimination have grown after the rise of radical Dalit assertion with demand of implementation of reservation, land rights, and share in resources. To put in this way, Vemula’s and Una caste uprising, are not confined as legal battle but have more radical potential to annihilate the caste and old century practices of social slavery .
However, the so-called mainstream political parties, and their mass organization have seems to be reluctant to support ongoing resistance against the caste and communal violence. In both movements, the oppressed and exploited masses such as social and religious minorities have came out on street as one force. In the case of Una incident this could be easily noticed when Dalits and minorities jointly organized the protest march and stand against the caste and communal violence.
In the given political and social context, it is the right moment and great opportunity for progressive political forces to capitalize this ‘revolutionary situation’ and transform into political struggle for building truly democratic and secular, caste-free society as envisioned by Dr Ambedkar and other Dalit-Bhujan thinkers. While doing so, it would be possible to defeat Hindutva politics in the long run.
Badre Alam is a Ph.D Research Scholar at Political Science Department, University of Delhi. Sanjay Kumar is Ph.D Research Scholar at Academy International Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.