Deadly Divide

BY: RANBIR MANHAS PUBLISHED ON JANUARY 9, 2018

For past few days, Maharashtra state of India witnessed violent demonstrations a call for which was given by eight organizations of Dalits. They raised pro dalit, pro azadi and anti BJP slogans. They also inflicted huge loss to public property and business besides causing intensive inconvenience to passengers, patients and students who could not reach their respective destinations viz. homes, offices, hospitals and schools. As a consequence, criminal cases have been registered against hundreds of violence mongers and Dalit leaders including Prakash Ambedkar, MLA Jignesh Maiwani and JNU student Khalid on the charges of instigating the mob and fomenting trouble.

Interestingly, Khalid is already facing charges of ‘sedation ‘ when he raised anti-national and provocative slogans like “Bharat Tere Tukre Honge—Insha Allah, Insha Allah” which means God willing India will disintegrate in pieces and “ Afzal (Guru) Ham Sharminda Hein, Tere Qatil Zinda Hein” which means Afzal Guru we are ashamed as your murderers are still alive.

Criminal case has also been registered against Maratha leader Sambhaji Bhide for instigating his community to confront Dalits who had reached Koregaon village in Pune, Maharashtra for celebrating annual function which was organized to pay homage to their war heroes at ‘Shakti Stambh’ as a matter of routine.The violence did not remain confined to Maharashtra only, it’s flames also spread up to BJP ruled states like Madhya Pradesh, Gujrat and UP.

The incident has invited reaction from different political schools of thought including Leftists (CPI, CPM etc.), Centrists (Congress, SP, TMC, etc.) and BJP. Whereas, the Centrists and Leftists have jointly criticized RSS and BJP for initiating trouble by suppressing voice of Dalits, RSS and BJP have categorically refuted the charges by putting the onus of violence on Congress for destabilizing BJP’s elected governments.

Who initiated the trouble and who did not is a matter of probe, but one thing is abundantly clear that Dalits are once again organizing themselves under a new, dynamic and young leadership leaving behind their old and traditional leaders like Mayawati who despite remaining in power for many decades did nothing except erecting statues of elephants across UP.

Emergence of this new brand of aggressive leadership has become source of attraction for Congress believing that it could climb up to the ‘throne’ by riding the crest of this upsurge as this combine has already given encouraging results in recently held Assembly polls in Gujrat.

Again, which party gains and which party loses due the new developments is not a matter of my concern, my concern in fact is the unity of the country which has a multi-cultural, multi- religious, multi ethnic and multi regional entity. Hectic and sincere efforts therefore must be made to bring all sections of society together to save the nation from the regular onslaught by neighboring enemies like China and Pakistan. In the backdrop of history however, this cannot be expected from Congress and Co. that has been dividing the society for its dirty and selfish vote bank politics. The onus of responsibility therefore lies on BJP alone which pleads for a strong united nation. For this its massive organizational set-up must work hard to bring all sections of Indian society including Dalits and minorities together by spearheading a social movement of educating people on the subject of unity at ground zero level. It should also work hard to address the genuine concerns like curse of untouchability to bring them at par with the elite society. “If deprived are kept further deprived, their anger and resentment will pile up making it easy for the anti-social and anti-national elements to exploit the social upsurge to the hilt”.