http://www.counterc
Why India's Dalits Dont Trust The Maoists
By Thomas C. Mountain
10 April, 2010
Countercurrents.
India's Dalits really, really distrust the Maoist movement of India
and Nepal. As the Maoist movement begins to challenge for state power
in Nepal, and has struck a serious level of alarm in the ruling elite
in India, this question has important ramifications for the future of
south Asia.
The Dalit movement in India is the largest and fastest growing threat
to the status quo, followed at some distance by the Maoists.
Interestingly, almost all the Dalit leadership I know, mostly mid
level cadre in the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), India's third largest
national party and main force in the Dalit liberation movement, are
ex-Maoists.
When asked why they distrust the "Naxalites", the common term for the
Maoist movement, they point out, to start, the fact that almost all
the rank and file fighters in the Maoist movement are Dalits or
tribals and that almost all the leadership are "high caste". The
Dalits I know have had first hand experience with just how casteist
the "Naxalite"/Maoist leadership is.
When delving into the "political line" put forth by the Maoist
movement in India and Nepal, it is rare to find mention of
caste/varna, let alone any attempt to address caste/varna(
any sort of historical perspective. It would seem that the Maoist
leaders would prefer to blend class with caste and avoid any dealing
with such a potentially divisive question.
The Dalit movement exemplified by the BSP cadre I know is firmly
rooted in organizing Dalits into community collectives and focused on
mobilizing Dalits in exercising their voting rights. When it is
pointed out that no ruling class has ever peacefully relinquished
their priviledges, i.e; through elections, my Dalit comrades point out
that 85% of India Dalits still believe in the one, unifying tenent of
Hinduism, varna/caste/
being punished by God for sins in a previous life and their lot as
"untouchables"
today with the promise of a better re-birth in the next life , than
trying to lift yourselfs and your childrens lot above that of cleaning
the communal toilets is going against Gods Will. Sounds like a
brilliant scheme for social control using a religion, Hinduism, in the
opinion of all the Dalits I know.
Taking into consideration just how mentally enslaved most Dalits
remain, moving the masses of Dalits from being so crushed and broken
to real liberation might take a series of steps instead of one giant
leap, or so my Dalit comrades seem to feel. Dalits may have to see for
themselves that casting a vote is not going to midwife any real
liberation for the rank and file. While acknowledging that a series of
trial and error may mark their struggle and that the Maoist scorn such
an approach, Dalits feel that if the Maoist movement continues to
ignore varna/caste while still dependent on Dalits to win power,
Dalits are doomed to see their struggle for equal rights and justice
betrayed by the new Brahmins, the leaders of todays Maoist movement.
One fact remains utterly non debatable and that is that India and
Nepal remain overwhelmingly a society of villages. Equally non
debatable is that in India and Nepal's villages, caste rules . How the
Maoist movement can hope to succeed without even addressing this issue
in any real way bodes ill for any hopes the Maoist movement offers any
real solutions to the most barbaric, inhumane system of human
oppression in the world, Apartheid in India and Nepal.
In a previous life Thomas C. Mountain was the publisher of the
Ambedkar Journal and a founding member of the Phoolan Devi
International Defense Committee
thomascmountain at yahoo dot com
INFORMATION OVERLOAD?
Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to ZESTMedia-digest@yahoogroups.com, OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/
PARTICIPATE:-
On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to zestcaste@yahoogroups.com
TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:-
If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to ZESTCaste-subscribe@yahoogroups.com OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/
Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/
No comments:
Post a Comment