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The untouchables’ revolt in India: Will the Brahmins suppress the Dalits again?
Global Village Space |
Jawad Falak |
Ever since the rise of the Hindu nationalist thought, known as Hindutva, took power in India by the election of current Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the minorities of India have faced heightened oppression. There has been a multitude of horrifying attacks on Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs by emboldened Hindutva militants, otherwise known as Saffron terrorists. However, minorities within the Hindu religion itself have not been exempt from the wrath of their renegade co-religionists.
The public brutal beating of several Dalits by Gau Rakhaks in Una during the month of July 2016 unleashed massive Dalit protest movements.
But the rise of Hindutva vigilante is being resisted now. The Bhim Army is a Dalit activist organization that is striving for Dalit liberation via education. The Bhim Army was formed in 2015 by Vinay Ratna Singh & Chandrashekhar and it operates many free schools for Dalits in Western Uttar Pradesh. On May 22, over 10,000 Bhim Army members protested in New Delhi against the Anti-Dalit atrocity in Saharanpur and the Bhim Army is trying to register a pan-India presence. Its co-founder Chandrashekhar said in the rally that Bhim Army would protest against caste discrimination across the country.
Read more: Dalits uprising in India: a political sham that promotes violence
Persecution of the Dalits
With the ascendancy of Hindutva through the BJP, the scheduled castes known as Dalits have witnessed a storm of violence by Saffron terrorists who mostly belong to the upper castes. Recently, violence broke out during the procession of Rajput warrior-king Maharana Pratap in Saharanpur over loud music. In the violence one man was killed, 16 were injured and 25 Dalit houses were burned. The incident was connected to the ruling BJP MP from Saharanpur Raghav Lakhanpal. Before that, the public brutal beating of several Dalits by Gau Rakhaks in Una during the month of July 2016 unleashed massive Dalit protest movements. Several other cases of violence like lynching, rapes, arson etc against Dalits is commonplace throughout India
The Dalits, also known as the untouchables, are the lowest caste in the Hindu Varna system. The term Dalit, which means “oppressed” in Sanskrit, was coined by the great Dalit figure Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar in the 20th century.
While Hindutva leaders outwardly espouse anti-caste system views and call for Hindu unity, the reality has been quite the opposite.
It is noteworthy to mention that Hindutva was initiated by High caste Hindus in response to an assertion of rights by Lower caste Hindus. This is why many critics, mainly Dalit academics, term Hindutva to be an engine of Brahminist supremacy. Many Dalit activists view the Brahmin supremacy, called Brahminism, as their enemy and the Holy Text Manu Smriti as the religio-legal authority institutionalizing lower caste oppression. Dalit activism has been the most steadfast foe of Brahmin supremacy which has led them to a path of conflict with Hindutva itself.
Read more: Modi remains popular but faces disappointed voters in UP..!
That can be asserted to be the reason behind the special focus of Saffron terrorists against Dalits. While Hindutva leaders outwardly espouse anti-caste system views and call for Hindu unity, the reality has been quite the opposite. Hindutva groups especially the RSS, has been instrumental in protecting atrocities against Dalits which is why few Dalits are found among the Sangh Parivar ranks.
Read full article:
The untouchables’ revolt in India: Will the Brahmins suppress the Dalits again?
Global Village Space |
Jawad Falak |
Ever since the rise of the Hindu nationalist thought, known as Hindutva, took power in India by the election of current Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the minorities of India have faced heightened oppression. There has been a multitude of horrifying attacks on Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs by emboldened Hindutva militants, otherwise known as Saffron terrorists. However, minorities within the Hindu religion itself have not been exempt from the wrath of their renegade co-religionists.
The public brutal beating of several Dalits by Gau Rakhaks in Una during the month of July 2016 unleashed massive Dalit protest movements.
But the rise of Hindutva vigilante is being resisted now. The Bhim Army is a Dalit activist organization that is striving for Dalit liberation via education. The Bhim Army was formed in 2015 by Vinay Ratna Singh & Chandrashekhar and it operates many free schools for Dalits in Western Uttar Pradesh. On May 22, over 10,000 Bhim Army members protested in New Delhi against the Anti-Dalit atrocity in Saharanpur and the Bhim Army is trying to register a pan-India presence. Its co-founder Chandrashekhar said in the rally that Bhim Army would protest against caste discrimination across the country.
Read more: Dalits uprising in India: a political sham that promotes violence
Persecution of the Dalits
With the ascendancy of Hindutva through the BJP, the scheduled castes known as Dalits have witnessed a storm of violence by Saffron terrorists who mostly belong to the upper castes. Recently, violence broke out during the procession of Rajput warrior-king Maharana Pratap in Saharanpur over loud music. In the violence one man was killed, 16 were injured and 25 Dalit houses were burned. The incident was connected to the ruling BJP MP from Saharanpur Raghav Lakhanpal. Before that, the public brutal beating of several Dalits by Gau Rakhaks in Una during the month of July 2016 unleashed massive Dalit protest movements. Several other cases of violence like lynching, rapes, arson etc against Dalits is commonplace throughout India
The Dalits, also known as the untouchables, are the lowest caste in the Hindu Varna system. The term Dalit, which means “oppressed” in Sanskrit, was coined by the great Dalit figure Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar in the 20th century.
While Hindutva leaders outwardly espouse anti-caste system views and call for Hindu unity, the reality has been quite the opposite.
It is noteworthy to mention that Hindutva was initiated by High caste Hindus in response to an assertion of rights by Lower caste Hindus. This is why many critics, mainly Dalit academics, term Hindutva to be an engine of Brahminist supremacy. Many Dalit activists view the Brahmin supremacy, called Brahminism, as their enemy and the Holy Text Manu Smriti as the religio-legal authority institutionalizing lower caste oppression. Dalit activism has been the most steadfast foe of Brahmin supremacy which has led them to a path of conflict with Hindutva itself.
Read more: Modi remains popular but faces disappointed voters in UP..!
That can be asserted to be the reason behind the special focus of Saffron terrorists against Dalits. While Hindutva leaders outwardly espouse anti-caste system views and call for Hindu unity, the reality has been quite the opposite. Hindutva groups especially the RSS, has been instrumental in protecting atrocities against Dalits which is why few Dalits are found among the Sangh Parivar ranks.
Read full article:
The untouchables’ revolt in India: Will the Brahmins suppress the Dalits again?