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Dalit Drishti |
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Dalit Drishti |
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Caste-Hindus lack morals
Why is it that Hindus could never evolve a moral standard for
themselves? M ahatma Gandhi, Rabindra Nath Tagore, C. Rajgopala chari and
Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya are considered the greatest souls of 20th century India.
The feverish debates during the golden jubilee celebrations sought to revive the
legacies of ‘great heroes’ such as these. "Nation must internalise the moral
standards set forth by the great sons of India," was the war cry of the
caste–Hindu intelligentsia. During the media blitz accompanying the just
conducted elections for the 12th Lok Sabha, the caste–Hindu intelligentsia, once
again invoked the past and the legacies of the freedom movement was talked about
in print and electronic media. They were lampooning various political parties
and leaders, in most cases rightly so. Most newspaper editors and columnists resorted to the
time–tested method of chest–beating: ‘political morality has touched an all–time
low’, ‘people’s agenda has disappeared from nation’s polity,’ ‘criminals have
taken over politics’, ‘sacrifices of the freedom fighters is going in vain’,
etc., etc. Overnight, a host of ‘experts’ appeared on ‘entertainment channels’
to participate in a ‘political–soap–opera’ and also to ‘shape’ the destiny of
the Indian polity. Evidently, comedy dominated over tragedy in this tragi–comic
farce! The self-righteous caste–Hindu intelligentsia found it difficult
to do any introspection. They also made no attempt to see whether they
themselves live with the legacies of their heroes, and whether their ‘vision’ is
at all regulated by the ‘moral’ and ‘ethical’ standards evolved by the ‘great
sons’ of India? Most media establishments were feverish in their eagerness to
conduct poll–forecasts. The usual news pages were converted into poll-pages to
discuss the nation’s electoral agenda, fortunes of parties, and ‘objective’
reporting of the entire electioneering process. In the ultimate analysis, the
caste–Hindu intelligentsia emerged, from deep–slumber, as the ‘moral’ guardian
of Indian society and polity. The caste–Hindu intelligentsia revealed its true nature once
again. In the process of ‘exposing’ political thugs, they themselves became
appendages of one political bloc or the other. Almost without exception, they
indulged in the most blatant exercise of manufacturing ‘forecasts’ for their
respective parties. Questionnaire making is fundamental to any pre–poll survey. As
the ‘science’ of opinion polls reveals, the choice of "surveyed subjects" is a
highly subjective affair. Thus, a pollster can prepare a questionnaire and
approach survey–subjects of his choice, to reach the results he desires (or is
desired by the newspaper paying him). It is because of this
‘scientific–phenomenon’ that with his obvious pro–kulak leanings, N.Ram’s
Frontline predicted 130 seats for the United Front while Arun Purie’s
India Today, with an obvious preference for the right–Hindutva forces, went
on to predict 294 seats for the BJP Front. In the same manner that poll–forecast results can be doctored,
the ‘people’s national concern’ too can be created as per order. The "what is
your basic concern" posers before the electorate this time reveal the rather
threadbare moral fabric of caste-Hindu intelligentsia, and also their ‘ethical’
response to the legacies of the ‘great sons’ of India. What were the issues raised in these pre–poll questionnaires?
Did any of the issues fundamental to Dalit emancipation feature there? What are
these issues? l l Caste freezes class: The caste-character of society, in essence, the anti-democratic nature of Indian society, prevents upward mobility of large–sections of India society, and also is the major hurdle in the evolution of civil society in India. l The land-question: The larger part of the countryside still languishes under semi–feudal mode of production, which not only keeps food–grain productivity extremely low, but also leaves agricultural labourers at the mercy of landlords. The fact that the above issues did not figure in the questionnaires prepared by various media establishments, not only shows the limits of the caste–Hindu ‘vision’, it also proves that the ‘opinion–seekers’ had no plan to seek the opinion of Dalits and other deprived sections of India society. Pollsters apart, neither the print nor the electronic media ever debated these fundamental questions of the society. So much for their ‘moral standards’. It is widely believed that the first time Gandhiji generated mass hysteria in his favour, was in September 1932, when he went on a fast unto death, in the Yervada Central Prison of Poona. His six–day ‘epic–fast’ was not against British rule, but against the separate electorate status awarded to Dalits. The caste–Hindu intelligentsia remembers everything about the freedom movement phase, and about Gandhiji, except the Poona Pact, 1932. As a matter of fact, the Poona Pact is the first and the only occasion where untouchables and Hindus officially signed a document – On behalf of untouchables, Dr. Ambedkar, ‘agreed’ to withdraw from the provision of separate electorate, Hindus promised to abolish untouchability and all caste–related deprivation once and for all. When it comes to national heroes, the names of Guru Rabindranath Tagore, Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya, Rajaji, C. Gopalchari, G.D. Birla and Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru figure prominently. As a matter of fact, all these ‘great sons’ of India were party to the Poona Pact, and pledged to work for a casteless society in India. How is it that the caste–Hindu intelligentsia forgets and seeks to make people forget an important historical juncture when their prominent heroes had come together to promise a new social order for India? How is it that the Poona declaration does not form part of the legacy of the freedom movement? The caste–Hindu intelligentsia betrayed Dr. Ambedkar. This is understandable for, after all, he is not their hero. Why betray their own heroes? Politicians do not live with the legacy of the freedom movement. Again understandable, for, after all, they are morally bankrupt. Why does the caste–Hindu intelligentsia not display any moral standards? Why is it that Hindus could never evolve a moral standard for themselves – Is it a great civilizational problem? Chandra Bhan Prasad
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