Dalits are Victim of ‘Social Riots’

We became Independent more than six decades ago but nothing has changed for the lower caste people, especially Dalits, Scheduled Castes and Tribes and people from other lower strata of society. These people were subjected to discrimination, prejudices and atrocities, which continue even today. Their voice is not heard but rather suppressed. Forget about equality, they are not treated even as human beings.
It appears, as a nation we are trying to move forward in terms of growth and development but as far as social order is concerned, we are doing the opposite. The prejudice and hatred in our subconscious mind born out of social hierarchy has polluted our mind and our thought process. It does not pave the way for social harmony and social justice, which can ensure equality and tolerance as well as respect, compassion and care for all castes and classes.
Dalits fall victims when they are conspired to confront against the target community during communal violence but mostly they suffer from ‘social riots’ rather than communal riots. They are subjected to violence, forced to flee, not only after communal riots but also because of ‘social riots’. The Dalits who were protesting at Jantar Mantar for more than one year were also victims of ‘social riots’.
John Dayal, a social activist, told Radiance that freedom of faith is a precious fundamental right, for it is not just one of two or three attributes – another is nationality which many NRIs change more than twice in their life – that anyone can change.  People are aspirational, not just for money and high jobs in achche din, but also freedom from caste and other forms of oppression. These people have a right to do what they have done. Leaving a home which does not nurture and respect a person is another version of Ghar Waapsi.  The attack on them at Jantar Mantar is an expression of frustration of the power structures.  It is shocking and condemnable.
Dalits of Hisar in Haryana were attacked, their lands seized, and their families maltreated and forced to live like refugees in their own country at Jantar Mantar. Nobody bothered and nobody cared for them. And now when some one hundred Dalits have reverted to Islam, they are attacked and intimidated. Concerns for them are now being raised and people who are against their accepting Islam are persuading them, luring them and promising them to help conditionally only if they return to their religion of birth but not as human beings.
Professor Ram Puniyani, a social and human rights activist, told Radiance that Dalits have been converting to other religions from the past. As such it was this which has been the major cause of conversions in India. The biggest of such conversions was Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism. A few decades or so such conversions are there, the one of Meenakshipuram being very significant. The RSS combine wants to prevent this at any cost; so these attacks on them to intimidate them. This attack on those who converted is highly condemnable.
Dalits are only treated or considered at par with other people or caste only when in need and that is when the majoritarian mindset aspires to dominate politically. Otherwise they are Dalits and do not have any rights in a free society. Politically they are not untouchable but socially they are and will remain so unless and until the majoritarian mindset gets reformed to recognise human value and human dignity. It is true that in terms of numbers they are friends; but when they talk of social justice, they turn untouchables.
Dr. Apoorvanand, a professor at Hindi Department in Delhi University, while talking to a news channel reasonably said there is a continuous process going on to say and make feel the other caste people like Jats and other weaker sections as Hindu and we have seen that in Muzaffarnagar, Atali, Palwal and at many other places. When they require their numbers, they want them to be Hindu but when people from these castes demand equality, justice and end to prejudices and discrimination, they are treated as Dalits and other caste and are maltreated.
Now we all know that these Dalits have reverted to Islam and now they are facing another kind of atrocities. It is a conversion by choice and by knowing the demerits of the place and people they had lived and faced discrimination and suppression. They were also aware of the merits of Islam under the given condition in which they had to suffer. The Dalits will have to remain cautious because those who believe in divisive polity may try to cease this opportunity to polarise the mind.
Nusrat Ali, Vice President Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, while talking to Radiance, said that the views expressed by the protestors at Jantar Mantar revealed that they were influenced by Islam much before and were aware that in Islam there is equality and no discrimination. The injustice, violence and atrocities against them on routine basis made their belief stronger. So from what they said during their protest shows that they had soft corner for Islam. They were protesting at Jantar for more than a year and but when they accepted Islam they were attacked and manhandled. “Attempts could have been made to exploit and polarise the situation for some gain but the protestors cannot do so because these people are now aware of the attackers’ motives and may not get into their trap easily,” he said.
Bhai Tej Singh, National President, Ambedkar Samaj Party, in one of his Facebook posts, said, “This is the only way to get liberate our people from the clutches of Hinduism and I hope my people in other parts of the country shall follow it. I request my Muslim brethren to come forward without an iota of fear and insecurity and try to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood.”