Dalits - awaiting freedom (part 1)

India gained its freedom in 1947.

Sixty-nine years later a particular class of people is still awaiting emancipation from the fetters that have kept them shackled for more than 2500 years. These people go under many names. In the South of India, especially Tamil Nadu, they are called adi dravida. In Panjab, they are known as ad-dharmi or more frequently referred to as chura. They are mahar in Maharashtra and bhangi in most parts of North India. Other common names are panchama, chandala, dasa and asura. During the pre-independence era, Gandhi named them harijan; or children of God!

However, they prefer to call themselves ‘Dalit’ – the broken people!

At the outset, let me clarify two things.

One, my aim is not to point fingers at any specific political party for the current plight of Dalits. Simply because, every successive government has systematically failed to right the cause of this section of people! This article is therefore intended to make people aware that almost 17% of our great nation’s population currently lives a life that is less humane than some of the worst places in the world.

Two, like most people in our country, I was till recently blissfully unaware of the true plight of Dalits. To point a finger at anyone else for my ignorance would be wrong. It is only apt therefore that I accept the blame for my own lack of awareness. What shook me up more than the plight of the Dalits is the fact that I am not alone in my ignorance. A large section of our nation is unaware of the ordeal and humiliation that symbolizes the life of a Dalit man, woman or child!

While you and I sit in our house, content in the knowledge that we are live in a free country, there are more than 200 million Dalits who undergo the following:

• Every day, 3 Dalit women are raped
• Every day, 2 Dalits are murdered
• Every day, at least a dozen Dalits are mercilessly thrashed
• Every day, 2 Dalit houses are razed to the ground

It is said that for any change to manifest, it needs to be accompanied by knowledge; by awareness of what is happening around oneself and more importantly the knowledge of what might possibly happen in the future if things remain the way they are! And in this first of several articles on Dalits, I would therefore like to urge all my readers to expand their own understanding of the perils Dalits face in our country.

We live in a country that has a rich heritage. A nation that was once at the pinnacle of enlightenment! We have been a people that the world has looked towards when it needed clarity on what’s wrong and what is right! Today we stand on the brink of a great iniquity. A terrible evil is being committed against a large number of people. And the overriding reason for that is that they belong to a caste that has historically been looked down upon. We can either convince ourselves that someone else is going to make a difference to the situation or we can decide today that it is important for us to do our bit to help make a change!

If it is change that we seek to bring about, the first step would be to enhance our comprehension of what is happening to Dalits in our nation. By the time that is done, I am sure we would have gained enough motivation to do what is right!

Please share this article with as many people as you can. Learn more about what is happening with Dalits in India. Then let’s work towards bringing about a change that will let our children believe we truly live in a country that is worth dying for!