A rightward shift in Dalit politics
Ajay Gudavarthy
For Dalits, mobility by gaining acceptance looks far more tangible and achievable than the abstract and rather utopian idea of annihilating caste
Where is Dalit politics heading in India today? Dalits seem to have come a full circle from the agenda of “annihilation of caste” to “secularisation of caste,” and conversion from Hinduism to actively claiming the Hindu identity, as is evident from the spate of communal riots in Uttar Pradesh in the last few months which have been primarily between Dalits and Muslims. The dynamics in rural Dalit politics seems to have moved from challenging the upper castes to finding acceptance and becoming a part of the majoritarian polity that is under construction. Mobility by gaining acceptance looks far more tangible and achievable than the abstract and rather Utopian idea of annihilating caste. This acceptance can be perceived as a mobility as well as an undermining of the dominance of the upper castes by compelling them to recognise that they need Dalit support in rural hinterlands against the perceived aggression of Muslims, and that they are mutually interdependent.
Fractured identity
Dalit identity is itself internally fractured as the issue of conflicting interests, including the practice of untouchability between various Dalit sub castes, is coming to the fore and gaining political articulation. There is little that can hold the identity together, as was the case in the past. Further, the sustained mobilisation of Dalits by political parties, such as the Congress in the past, for various historical and sociological reasons, had benefited certain Dalit sub castes. Only those who feel the sense of having lost out are finding a new political space within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Similar is the case with the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), where mobilisation by parties such as the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Janata Dal (United) benefited the dominant factions of the OBCs such as the Yadavs and the Kurmis. Though the JD(U) under Nitish Kumar made an extra effort by subdividing the OBCs into Extremely Backward Classes and Most Backward Classes in order to reach out to the less privileged, this nevertheless has come to be perceived to be happening under the tutelage and patronage of the dominant OBC castes which is no longer acceptable. The coming together of Mr. Lalu Prasad and Mr. Kumar is precisely to put brakes on theBJP’s efforts in weaning away the less privileged OBCs from their fold.
Further, the larger sub castes among the Dalits have mostly converted to Christianity and some to Islam, leaving the smaller sub castes the sole option of moving to the Hindu fold. Moreover, the vulnerability felt by smaller sub castes — not so much to the upper castes but to their fellow Dalit sub castes who have eclipsed them and got relatively more benefits — can be overcome by the assumed power of aligning with the dominant Hindu religion. The weakness of size and social backwardness is sought to be overcome by accruing power in joining the majoritarian political construct.
Finally, all this is being further strengthened by the change in strategy by the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Both organisations are now considering the possibility of actively mobilising Dalits, without losing the support base of the so-called upper castes. While the BSP attempted this strategy bottom-up — by moving from the Bhujan to the Sarvajan, the BJP-RSS combine is attempting the same strategy top-down.
[. . .]
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/comment-a-rightward-shift-in-dalit-politics/article6405607.ece
|
