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Concept Paper for the seminar on Humanist Responses to Major Indian Issues
Humanist Alternatives to Indian Issues
V.B. Rawat and R.M. Pal
World’s biggest democracy suffers from various inadequacies despite proclaiming a secular constitution and free adult franchise immediately after independence. We declared ourselves as a socialist republic and untouchability was constitutionally abolished while women were given equal rights with men. That Dalits could get reservation in government jobs and minorities had the right to start their own public institutions.
Despite this, India saw worst kind of caste and religious violence. The upper caste goons in different states of India have massacred hundreds of Dalits in various cases of violence. These cases of violence have been simply against any kind of assertion of the Dalits. The more they assert their identity, the bigger the violence against them. Right from Kumher in Rajasthan to Lakshmanpur Bathe, Sadhupur, Tsundura, Karmchedu, India’s upper caste hatred towards the Dalits is well known. This has grown recently as the Dalits now are challenging the existing hegemonies and seeking participation in power structure.
With this growing assertion, the forces of the status quo in India, particularly those who believe in Brahminical supremacy, too have initiated that hate agenda. While the real targets are the Dalits, it is the Muslim and Christian minorities who are also on their hit list. The communal carnage in Gujarat is a blot, which cannot be erased from the minds of the civil society the world over, unless such issues are discussed in details. The Sangh Parivar has also unleashed its hate agenda in Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Maharastra also. In states like Uttar Pradesh, caste polarization has put a break on their growth but signals from the South are not encouraging for a secular India. Karnataka has become the entry point for Hindutva forces in the South.
The Hindutva and right wing forces in India are not growing with the growth of BJP or Sangh parivar itself, the so-called secular forces are not far behind in this development Hundreds of Babas have entered into the fray and using this spiritual market for their own benefit. Any question at the authenticity of this spiritualism is met with dire consequences and people are suddenly in the street to protest under the garb of cultural sensibilities. It is not just Taslima Nasreen who has been hounded badly by the Muslims in India but any one who questions the ‘norms’ faces this retaliation.
The spiritual growth of India has deprived people of their power to think independently beyond their families and clans. The resistance to opening up is so strong that young couples are being hacked to death for bringing ‘disrepute’ to their families. The sarva-dharma secularism keeps quiet on such issues, which are considered to be ‘internal affair’ of the community. Hence, nobody questions the wisdom of caste panchayats to order killings of young couples. None came out openly to support Taslima Nasreen for her remarks. Such politically incorrect things have become the hallmark of our ‘democratic secular’ fabric.
Apart from this, our natural resources are under threat. The concept of SEZ has virtually ruined the lives of millions of farmers, predominantly the Dalit-Bahujan communities. It is the neo-colonization process where the private companies have been asked to take over the area where Indian laws would not be applicable, a free estate within the country. Voices of protest have been met with plain brutality. The economic globalization is therefore bringing inequalities and unrest in the country. Right from Maharastra to Gujarat, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Tamilnadu, Haryana, Orissa, SEZ are creating unrest. In Chhatishgarh and Jharkhand private companies like Mittals, Tatas, Poscos and Jindals have acquired huge tracks of land and have displaced millions of tribals. Reliance in Haryana and UP is doing the same thing. Our forests are already out of bound for tribals and transnational corporations are controlling water.
The participation of Dalit-Bahujans in power is another subject, which has been a matter of great debate. The reservation is now a politicized issue and battle lines have been drawn between different caste groups. Reservation is considered as a soap given to the Dalits and tribals and they are considered inferior. But can any country survive or rest with peace without participation of these sections in power? Despite reservation, Dalits and OBCs are not being represented in our higher institutions of power. The casework of AIIMS is a clear example how the upper caste lobby is hell-bent to disallow them the benefit of reservation. Our courts are becoming shelter grounds for all those who are against social justice.
The anti-Muslim violence in the communal disturbances in India and the new laws enacted in the name of quelling terrorism has clearly one target and that is Muslims. Muslims who constitute second majority of India are not represented in our bureaucratic structure. Justice Sachar Committee report clearly indicated that Muslims’ condition in India is worse than that of Dalits. Their representation in civil services and other government institutions is absolutely minimal. In numerous communal disturbances, Muslims have been virtually slaughtered by the police. It is understandable that the demand for Muslims’ participation in power is not uncalled for. Yet, despite these known facts, the parties, courts, continue to object to the demand of reservation for Muslims in government services.
The religious tourism in India is increasing and so are the Babas. The humanist response in India is basically confined to these issues. Some of them take on to Sai Baba while others speak against some form of medicines or the other. But none of them speaks against caste violence against Dalits or the threat of communalism in India. It is tragic that on many points humanist viewpoints come closer to the Sangh Parivar. That happens because the humanist perception in India is still elitist and upper caste in nature and it tries to balance its act by terming both Hindu fundamentalism as equal to Muslim fundamentalism. It equates Christian issues of conversion to that of Hindus’ right not to convert. We did not hear humanist voices on Gujarat. There is absolutely nothing that we heard as to why Christians were being attacked in Orissa and Chhatishgarh. By just focusing on the cult of superstition (which, though important, is not the most important issue), and attack on Sai Baba, we turn ourselves into an escapist mode. Why do we keep quiet on caste issues? In fact, we do not even keep quiet. In fact, a majority of the humanists appear to be in the company of the upper caste Dalit haters. It is therefore important that with this seminar we bring a dialogue on the major issues confronting the country and what could be the humanist response to them.
These major issues are:
It is generally agreed that many of our social evils including untouchability cannot be eradicated unless the system of caste, the divinely ordained hierarchical system – ‘varna-system’ disappears. The question is how to put an end to this ugly relic of the past. Some months ago there was a suggestion from certain quarters of the SC/ST Commission that the state should be asked to abolish the system. On the question of theory of Karma the Hindu social philosophers have provided a theoretical justification for the ‘varna/caste/ system. It is not realized that a lasting Hindu solidarity can be achieved by the elimination of caste concepts, for the very idea of caste stands for division not solidarity. Our Hindu philosophers do not also realize that the great urges for Hindu unity/solidarity cannot come from internal organization. People like ‘Advani’ who maintain that all Hindus must say with Garva (pride) that ‘we are Hindus’, and the hold of the convenient theories of ‘Karma’ and transmigration of soul is so great on the Hindu mind that any hope of a movement against caste/varna system must come from the Hindu fold. Educated victims of the system believe that nothing but the most radical secular activity of the state can break the system.
One wonders that a good number of educated upper caste Hindus and even lower caste Hindu intellectuals have now come to hold the view that the authority of caste conception has started weakening in Hindu society. Honestly conducted research would however indicate that instead of weakening the authority is, in fact, strengthening. Our reformers and intellectuals may find the answer of this scenario instead of asking the state to abolish caste, whether one likes it or not the Hindu reformers even Gandhi had a very strong revivalist background. The source of Hindu greatness and the golden edge of that greatness provided that motive. I feel that a fresh analysis of the Amedkar-Gandhi debate on the question of annihilation of caste is necessary. As Prof. Rodriges has pointed out in his book ‘Essential Writings of Ambedkar’, that Gandhi advised his followers who were keen to take part in the reform movement that they should read Ambedkar’s writings on the question of caste before they jump into the reform movement. What did Gandhi mean by this? One thing is certain, that Gandhi recognized the fact that Ambedkar’s argument about annihilation of caste must not be dismissed. It is learnt that the IHEU is going to hold an international conference in London on the question of untouchability that exist in many parts of the world like Nigeria and Japan. The leaders of IHEU should know that the question of untouchability in India (unlike anywhere else) is linked with the divinely ordained system of caste and related questions like the theory of Karma and the theory of transmigration of soul. Therefore, in India the question of untouchability can be tackled only if we take up the question of annihilation of caste as suggested by Dr. Ambedkar, M.N. Roy and other intellectuals. As such, an intellectual meet must have a brainstorming session on this question.