Ayodhya scandal: Ambedkarite approach

 

[This is a translation of an article published in Prabuddha Bharat on  January 1, 1993

Reference:  Book - "Dalit Vidroh" by Arjun Dangle.

Translation is done by me .Corrections are welcomed. This article is also published in Marathi on my blog. This article do not intend to promote hate and enmity between any religions, castes , faiths. ]

Prabuddha Bharat Newspaper

    December 6, 1992 was a day full of inconsistencies in the lives of Indians. Because December 6th was the 36th Mahaparinirvana Day of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar  who fought for equality and social justice in this country; fiercely attacked the tradition of exploitation by the upper castes in the name of religion; and established secular values in consistent with the modern era through the Constitution . On the same day, the religious fanatic mob trampled secular values , demolished the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya by cheering Hindutva and chanting Jai Shri Ram. Violence erupted across the country. 

    What happened in Ayodhya must be protested. Rather I find myself that there is a need of active resistance. Because this battle is not just on an ideological level. It is coming down on the streets. Different people will interpret the event in Ayodhya in different ways. But those who are Ambedkarites; the masses who have inherited the ideological legacy of Phule-Ambedkar should take this incident very seriously. This is the urgency of the time. In this situation, even if the self-proclaimed followers of Phule-Ambedkar will keep their mouth shut , there is no doubt that they will have to pay a heavy price in the future.

    The question is not just of demolition of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya. While it is important to discuss whether the BJP at state government  is responsible or the Congress at the Center, this incident has challenged the social order and should be discussed as a matter of priority. The Bharatiya Janata Party, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh were the main organizations involved in the Ayodhya incident. No one is interested in discussing that which of these organizations took the initiative in demolishing the mosque. Because the activists of all these organizations are advocates of Hindutva. The incident in Ayodhya has given a kind of moral strength to aggressive pro-Hindu activists or extremist pro-Hindu activists. This is a great tragedy in Indian social life. Pro-Hindus betrayed the Supreme Court, Parliament, the Indian Constitution, and behaved arrogantly that we are superior to all of these. The fact that the court treats all citizens equally, goes beyond caste, religion, language and creed and treats them as human beings,cultivates the principle of one man one value, they (extremist pro-Hindu activists)  have trampled on and indirectly told us that they intend to have belief in  laws of Manusmriti . In a way, this is a very cunning step taken to establish the dominance of upper caste Hindus over all sections of the society.

    In fact, they never discussed what Hindutva is, what Hindu Rashtra is, but in the name of religion, they have been working to provoke the feelings of common people. It is important to understand the causation. Today, young people from Dalit and backward communities have become dynamic in all walks of life. They are committed to the revolutionary thought of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. The OBC community will be on the path of progress due to the Mandal Commission. Pro-Hindu activists fear that OBC community too will be awakened with the same revolutionary sentiment.

    Pro-Hindu activists knew this well that if this situation continues, their  interests will be jeopardized. The years of dominance in the field of knowledge of power will be shaken. They were aware of this. So they touched the spirit of Hinduism with the Ayodhya issue and today they have succeeded in it. Today, even though the pro-Hindus seem to be only anti-Muslims, they know for sure that the Dalits in India will be an obstacle to Hindutva and the building of Hindu Rashtra. The General Secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad used to say in his speeches that ‘this is not just a question of building a Ram temple but an attempt to build a Hindu Nation’. If Hindu Rashtra is formed tomorrow, all but Hindus will be treated as second class citizens. The Indian Constitution will go and Manu's law will be established in its place and those who oppose it will be collectively beheaded. Because aggressive bigotry and religious domination is nothing but a form of fascism.

    There is a propaganda run by pro-Hindus that Muslims and Dalits are pampered. There is a constant attempt to inculcate in the minds of ordinary Hindus that injustice is done to our (Hindu)  religion. If you look at the central cabinet of India, state cabinets , you will easily see that there are 99 percent Hindus. This means that the power is in the hands of Hindus. Is there any ban on any religious program of Hindus? Have any Hindu temples been demolished? Has the Hindu minority been massacred? When nothing like this is happening, the cry that injustice is being done to Hindus is constantly going on.

    And sadly, the victims of this propaganda are the OBCs and the Bahujan people. These people are in a frenzy because of the saffron wave glorified by the upper caste Hindus to establish their power. In the actual battle or riots the followers of Manu are using the OBC's  and Bahujan society very cunningly .  The OBC's  and Bahujan society do not pay attention to socially important events like the Mandal Commission. Today, the majority of OBC community in Maharashtra has joined the BJP-Sena. Back in the Adaranjali Sabha at Chaityabhoomi, I had raised the issue of what percentage of jobs were given to Brahmin, Kayastha and Saraswat youth in banks, insurance companies etc. and what percentage of jobs were given to Maratha, OBC youth. . But no one answered. The implication is that the OBC community is being deceived in the name of Hindutva and in the name of Dharma.  

    Even if Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad are banned today, this saffron wave will not stop the business of sweeping the whole of India. I think this is a big challenge for the Ambedkarites . If we want to face this challenge, we have to introspect. You must first get rid of this inferiority complex that Congress or some other friends will come to your aid or you have no choice . For this, Ambedkarites should not only unite but also stand as a political force. Today if we do not do the politics of self-esteem and identity; If we are thriving on a piece of power with the helpless attitude of being dependent on someone, I don't think it is a long time to see the snoring on the buttocks and the appearance of pots on the neck in a few days. If we want to stop this saffron wave, the Ambedkarite masses will have to play an important role. We should stop talking as puppets. Because upcoming days will be decisive. So, if we want to survive in this, then the political power of Ambedkarite thought should stand on the map of India and I believe that this power can stop this saffron wave.

    This is a time of testing the political wisdom of the Ambedkarite masses. The real question is whether we will stand on our own feet and hold on to Indian politics without falling prey to the maze of Congress-BJP or other allies. This is a great opportunity for the organization of Ambedkarite thought, or alternatively for the Republican masses, in Indian politics. If we lose this opportunity , will we again resort to the politics of helpless bargaining? The Republican people have to answer this.