From the mailbox: Stick To Your Ground

nov 6th

sri sri on those opportunists who are exploiting harijan misery.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: S
Date: Nov 5, 2005 9:52 PM
Subject: Stick To Your Ground
To:

Stick To Your Ground
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

In the village adjacent to the Art of Living ashram, a garbage truck dumps the waste of Bangalore city on the roadside. When the village youth realised this was a major health hazard, they decided to stop this. When the garbage truck came they punctured its tyres, instead of sending it away.

The garbage had to be dumped on the roadside in order for the tyres to be repaired. The purpose of the protest was to chase the truck away, but it ended up achieving quite the contrary. Often, our actions do not bring the desired goal. Instead of taking us towards the goal they take us away from it.

The actions of leaders such as Kancha Illiah have done more harm than good to the cause of Dalit upliftment. It's unfortunate for India that they have taken the issue to the US Congress. In the name of Dalit upliftment, they are pursuing their own personal agenda and damaging the image of the country.

If they are really interested in the betterment of the Dalits, they should work in the villages, instead of going to the US Congress. The only solution to the problem of caste discrimination is to educate people and make them realise that caste by birth is not sanctioned by religion.

This can happen only through grass-roots social reforms, not through foreign inter-ventions. History abounds in instances of reformist movements to address the caste menace in society.

Several saints such as Basavanna from Karnataka, Narayana Guru from Kerala and Swami Dayanand Saraswati of the Arya Samaj are shining examples of people who fought caste. Instead of highlighting such reforms, these people are maligning Hinduism for personal gain.

Rather than converting people to other faiths and running away from Hinduism, the most potent action would be to create Dalit purohits. Brahminism as understood some decades ago doesn't exist anymore. Today, there are innumerable instances of Brahmins serving under Dalit bosses.

No doubt, there are instances of atrocities, but these are not confined to the Dalit community alone. Often the members of upper castes have also been victims of social conflict. There are several instances of sadhus being attacked.

For instance, last year in Uttar Pradesh alone, 20 sadhus were brutally murdered. When the human consciousness is loaded with tension and mistrust, violence can erupt under any pretext. In the absence of ethics and morality, there are atrocities against women and children.

Similarly, oppression of the poor is a global problem, not confined just to the Dalit community. It's not just Dalits who are poor; poverty exists among people of all castes. Caste discrimination is a social problem and needs to be addressed through social reforms.

Politicising the issue and presenting a distorted picture of social atrocities to the world community is not going to solve the problem. It will only weaken national resolve to tackle the social menace.

There are thousands of committed soldiers of justice and equality, from among upper castes and NGOs, who are working for the betterment of Dalits. Indian Parliament and state assemblies have a large representation of Dalits. By taking the matter to the US Congress, these so-called community leaders are denigrating Dalit lawmakers.

Udit Raj and Kancha will do well to learn a few things from the US. They have to learn about national pride and progressive attitude from the Americans. There are three million homeless beggars in America, a little over 1% of the population.

But the American media never publicises it. No blacks, native Indians and minorities have ever asked another country to interfere in their internal matters. Caste discrimination can be solved only through reforms and educating people in human values, not by creating hatred between communities.

For sure, a Hindu hater can never bring about the needed reform in the Hindu society. Hatred will only polarise the society and create civil wars. Without the whole-hearted participation of upper caste people, Dalit empowerment will remain a dream.

The younger generation of upper castes cannot be held respon-sible for the discrimination practised by people of previous generations. If a section of society starts hating the upper castes and blaming them, how can they participate in the empowerment of the Dalits?

It is time to change the strategy. Sixty years ago during Ambedkar's time, when people were not open to change, a revolt was essential. But today, a reform is necessary as a revolt will not work. In the process of reform, people from all castes and communities have to be involved.

A reform is a social phenomenon where people from all caste and communities will have to be motivated to join. Reform can't happen out of anger or hatred; we need a sane mind and a loving approach.