#Dalit Politics

[livewellnews]

SP MP R K Chaudhary Calls for Removing Sengol, Upholds Dalit Politics in UP

R K Chaudhary, a first-time Samajwadi Party (SP) MP from Uttar Pradesh, has sparked a debate by demanding the removal of the Sengol sceptre and emphasizing the importance of Dalit politics in the state. Here are the key points from his recent interview with The Indian Express:

The Sengol Controversy

Chaudhary, a former member of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), criticized the installation of the Sengol sceptre, suggesting it dilutes the significance of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution. He argued that the BJP and RSS prefer Manusmriti over the Constitution, reflecting a move towards monarchic symbolism rather than democratic principles.

Political Journey and Demands

Having been associated closely with Kanshi Ram and the BSP, Chaudhary outlined his political journey and reasons for shifting allegiance to the SP. His demand to replace the Sengol with a Constitution replica aims to reinforce democratic values and diminish symbols of monarchy.

Dalit Politics and Electoral Shifts

Chaudhary highlighted shifts in Dalit politics in Uttar Pradesh, noting how votes from the BSP moved towards the SP without direct solicitation. He emphasized the SP’s role in forming a coalition akin to the Bahujan Samaj, aiming to represent marginalized communities effectively.

Future Prospects and Criticisms

Regarding the recent UP Lok Sabha results, Chaudhary expressed confidence in Akhilesh Yadav’s leadership and the SP’s future prospects. He critiqued Mayawati’s leadership while acknowledging the changing dynamics within Dalit politics.

Conclusion

Chaudhary’s outspoken stance on constitutional values and Dalit empowerment underscores ongoing debates within Indian politics. His insights into electoral shifts and party dynamics reflect broader movements towards social justice and political representation in Uttar Pradesh.

Stay tuned for more updates on political developments and electoral strategies impacting Uttar Pradesh and beyond.

[ganga-times]

Why Hasn't India Had a Dalit Prime Minister? 4 Reasons

India is a diverse country with a rich history, but there’s something important missing in its political story – a Dalit Prime Minister. Even though India believes in democracy and fairness, we haven’t yet seen a leader from the Dalit community in the top position. Let’s take a closer look at why this is the case, considering both the history and what’s happening today. Why Has India Never Had a…

[lilithism1848]

[whippersnappersbookworm]

Bhai the meltdown of the "hindublr" is so funny 😂. Now they are suddenly realising that casteism is huge issue in India. Just few months ago , they were screaming at the top of their voice going on and on about how Casteism was a very practical practice and it doesn't exist in India or the realm of Hinduism. I am loving this 180 degree palat . I mean this is so ironic , iconic and funny 😂😂.

[anonymouswarriorhumanist]

We Need to Talk About RC and South Asian Representation in its Stories

Hey beautiful people, this is going to be a long post yet a very important one. From a Desi (A South Asian) to my fellow Desis and non-Desis (who especially need to hear me out).

I know the popularity of Romance Club as an interactive game. And being a South Asian makes me wanna pick literally any story that represents us. So, I went into RC's stories promising South Asian representation: Kali: Call of Darkness and Kali: Flames of Samsara. Apart from the poor research done on Indian culture which is too niche and trivial to be understood by everyone (relating to Indian languages and North-South differences), there is yet another aspect of Indian society that the game not only completely misrepresents but even whitewashes and this is very harmful to people, especially those with no knowledge of Indian culture, picking up the game to learn smth and that is: CASTE.

While playing the game, I am sure many of u may have come across such terms as 'Brahmin' or 'Kshatriya', 'Vaishya', or even 'Shudra'. And I am sure many of u may even have a rudimentary understanding of the same. This is the caste/ varna (Sanskrit term) that has plagued Indian society for thousands of years. And these terms basically divide desis even today. I especially want non-South Asians to understand that these terms carry a history of violence and discrimation. This was the chaturvarna or the 4 varna/caste sys wherein groups were ranked on their superiority to each other.

1.Brahmin-Priestly class

2.Kshatriya-Soldiers/ warriors/kings

3.Vaishya-merchants and traders

4.Shudras-Servants/slaves, (the lowest rung on the caste ladder and the most miserable)

Do keep in mind that this is not some class sys similar to feudal Europe or France, but this is CASTE which is very diff from what a non-South Asian may imagine. Notions of purity and pollution guide the caste sys (which may not influence class). A Shudra person was considered impure and hence an 'untouchable' and their mere shadows were considered polluting on the other 3 castes, so much so that they were ghettoized. In South Asia, servile work is generally considered 'polluting' and a complex history of multiple factors relegated this strict division of labourers, In simple lang, a Brahmin priest's son could only be a priest (which was a divine occupation and revered) and a Shudra's son could only do work considered appropriate of his caste which usually translated to things such as manual scavenging (still in India) and servile work considered 'polluting' from which they had no respite. This system was horrible towards Shudras in general as their labour was appropriated by the upper castes for their own gain very similar to how African slave labourers worked at white plantations if I hv to draw a rough comparison. Shudras/Dalits (the term 'Dalit' means broken/oppressed and was given by a Dalit leader and Indian legend Dr. Ambedkar to help uplift this community in Indian society) are subject to not only physical but structural violence. They were barred entry in schools, wells, tanks, roads and literally everywhere since their presence of 'polluting'. Now I have 2 more points:

In RC, I know everyone loves the male leads, and rightly so. But u need to understand that Ratan Vaish and Amrit Doobay won't give a fuck if a Dalit person died in front of them no matter how caring they might be. Since Brahmins were the priestly class, they hegemonized control over Hindu deities and mythology and only they could 'talk' to Gods (according to them ofc and their superiority complex). Amala is a Basu (a Bengali Brahmin surname) and hence both Doobay (again Brahmin) and Vaish (def upper-caste surname) r after her. If Amala was a Dalit, Amrit would hv raped and even killed her (Dalit women and the sexual violence enacted upon them by upper-caste men....again to draw a comparison similar to black women being raped by white men during slavery and jim crow eras: Google Hathras Rape case) and Ratan would have ignored her. ( Notice how Amrit was having an affair with that temple lady. She is most likely a Shudra as most Shudra women were forced into sexual slavery in temples by Brahmins like Amrit. Therefore, he treats her like an object and throws her away once Amala i.e. a woman of his caste falls in love with him. A Dalit woman's body is disposable and objectified here. Look at the complete whitewahing of power dynamics in that sexual encounter with Amrit and the temple dancer).We all need to understand that a similar fate would hv befallen Deviya Sharma (again a Brahmin woman) as even she would have been raped and ignored by other Brahmins and upper caste men in the story such as Ram/or Kamal etc. Arhat is likely a Shudra and Deviya will never bat an eyelash at him since his only job is to be in service to her tiger which Deviya probably treats with more respect than she does Arhat. My point is RC is mass producing these stories for the hyper-privileged White people of India i.e. the upper castes and that is Brahmins and Kshatriyas and Vaishyas. Dalits have rarely been entertained in representation much less in India than in abroad. But that is not what I am pissed abt. What I am pissed abt is that an American sitting in their home will check this story and see terms such as Brahmin or Kshatriya thrown abt without understanding them and then even internalize the harmful notions about these terms and caste in general in both stories abt a bunch of upper-castes freaking out over some goddess ritual.

Be very careful people in what u accept and what u don't bcoz even if it is a game, many non-Desi people may not have the relevant positionality (and that is completely fine!) to understand how the insidious caste sys is being shown and represented by RC. It is being glorified even (ik in the earlier chapters of KCD where Brahmins r shown as saviors of society and keeping Indian society stable when in reality they have done nothing but dehumanize and alienate Dalits for generations) and downplayed and even whitewashed as some trivial division. If RC wanted to publish a story about upper-caste people then pls go ahead but don't you dare whitewash it and glorify the caste sys. When impressionable audiences see all this, it is in their best interest to know the ugly truth about Indian society and not some cheap exotisation of the same. BE BETTER, especially for the Dalits who have suffered so much in South Asia. I am also attaching some material as I would greatly appreciate it if more people knew about the horrors of the caste system and how it plagues Desi society even today.

Discrimination (all types) r shitty and needs to kicked in the balls. Many times, it is subtle and while we may not know much, it is our responsibility to know more and try our best to stop it in whatever way we can.

Thank you for staying and take care y'all.

[enigma-the-mysterious]

The thing is, I don't give a fuck as to what the texts say. Maybe the texts advocating for the caste system wasn't actually implemented in ancient times. Maybe ancient Indian society was more fluid than what we perceive it to be. Maybe caste was actually once a societal necessity.

I don't care. I don't give a damn.

What I care about is what is happening today. The people's attitudes. The reality on the ground. The fact that many people believe that they are God's own gift on this earth and weaponise this belief to oppress others. The fact that a Dalit is one of the most oppressed and underprivileged person in this world. The fact that we are suffering. The fact that Dalit women are raped and killed by UC men and no one gives a shit, not even the police. The fact that we are accused of "politicising" every issue, bringing caste "unnecessarily" into everything but when we are raped, murdered or bullied to the point of suicide, suddenly it's not a caste issue anymore. Our suffering and our deaths are suddenly something that happens in a vacuum, divorced of everything.

So dear privileged Savarnas on desiblr, stop your unending debates about whether or not the caste system was as rigid before the British colonial rule and how being called out on your privilege once on the Internet now means you are "oppressed". These arguments matter very little when actual Dalit people are dying right now. Advocate for their basic human rights instead. And for the love of Ma Kali, acknowledge your damn privilege. Maybe you can't see your privilege because it's normalised to the point of invisibility in society, but I promise you, it is there.

Religious freedom is fine. You have a right to practice your religion and customs.

But you don't have the right to trample upon someone else's fundamental rights in the name of practising your "customs". If your customs advocates for the dehumanization of an entire class of people, then I don't give a fuck, your customs deserve to die, they deserve to be destroyed and dismantled.

[iqmmir]

Helllo mimifans

[books-and-the-occasional-meme]

This is not my typical airport read, but I have been putting this off for a really long time.

As a privileged upper caste person in India, people like me have dominated the narrative. In fact, I don’t even think I have read a Dalit author, in any form, ever. Even writings about the Dalit point of view have been from this lens.

I must re-emphasise I am not doing this out of whatever the brown version of white guilt is - but genuine curiosity and interest. I barely have a clue what it’s like.

I’m just on the introduction, will update more once I’ve been through it.

Also, must mention the publisher: Panther’s Paw is dedicated to the Dalit cause through writing by the community. They deserve all of our support for their intent.

[nohkalikai]

can't help but think of how my parents never taught me their languages because to them, being secular and westernised is ideal. it's not like they want me to be completely divorced from their respective communities. they just don't see them as important to my life? it's like an unimportant side quest that stays on ur menu for months because it seems insignificant and the rewards (in their minds) are paltry.

[purple-worm]

I meant lawyer idk why I said judge 🤦🏻‍♀️ and thank you so much for the details!!! I’ve had a bit of a week so I haven’t had time to read up on the details of what’s been going on. Im literally going off things family members or co workers have told me. Thanks for summarising it! Fingers crossed and hoping for a good ruling

Don’t worry about it! I just mentioned it because it’s v telling of how uneducated the side of the government is. ofc we were all expecting it, but it just exposes them for having zero understanding of sex and gender. and it’s so unfair that they even get to say a word in the supreme court, let alone be responsible for decisions that affect us.

also dont worry friend, we’re all having interesting and busy times in our lives and im happy that my rundown of the events helped💕

i've listed some of my fav parts from vrinda grover's statement here, and in other happy Indian queer news: Ramakka, a transwoman, is officially contesting for the Karnataka state elections from her constituency Kampli. She'd be the only one of 2500 candidates to be (openly) queer 💕

Good luck to her and good luck to all of us! 💕

[townpostin]

Protests Continue as Teli Samaj and OBC Burn Effigy of Nishikant Dubey

Nishikant Dubey’s remarks against Rajendra Prasad spark backlash; BJP faces criticism. The Teli Samaj and Moolvasi Sadan Morcha OBC burned an effigy of Nishikant Dubey in Jamshedpur, protesting his derogatory comments against their leaders. JAMSHEDPUR – The Eastern Singhbhum Teli Samaj and Moolvasi Sadan Morcha OBC organized a protest in Jamshedpur, where they burned an effigy of BJP MP Nishikant…

[lilithism1848]

[kitty-lemon]

Also I hope y'all have nuanced opinions on the Unacademy-Karan Sangwan drama....

[mahoutoons]

i'm feeling controversial today so here's another hot take. and before you type away at your keyboards, know that this is all coming from a south asian.

white leftists have got to stop acting like christianity is the only religion that deserves to be criticized and you cannot touch any other religion because that'd be racist and bigoted. because as an indian who's watching my country progress towards hindu nationalism, this attitude doesn't help at all.

white people see hinduism as this exotic brown religion that's so much more progressive but don't know the violence of the caste system, how it others a large portion of the population on the basis of caste, literally branding them as "untouchables". they teach us in school that this problem is a thing of the past but the caste system is still alive and shows itself in violent ways. and that's not even covering how non hindus are treated in the country. muslims especially are being killed, have their houses bulldozed, businesses destroyed, and are being denied housing, our fucking prime minister called them infiltrators and there's this fear among hindu extremists that they'll outnumber the hindus in the country. portraying hinduism as this exotic religion does a disservice to all those oppressed by the hindutva ideology

similarly, white people see buddhism as this hippie religion that's all about peace but have no idea how extremist buddhists in myanmar have been persecuting the rohingya muslims for years and drive them out of the country.

if anything portraying these religions as exotic hippie brown religions is a type of orientalism itself.

and also y'all have got to realize that just because christianity has institutional power in america doesn't mean there aren't parts of the world where they are persecuted on the basis of religion. yes karen from florida who cries christophobia because she sees rainbow sprinkles on a cake is stupid but christian oppression DOES exist in non western countries where they're a minority. pakistani christians get lynched almost on a daily basis over blasphemy accusations. just look up the case of asia bibi, a pakistani christian woman who was sentenced to death on blasphemy charges because of something she said when she was being denied water because it was "forbidden" for a christian and a muslim to drink from the same utensil and she'd made it unclean just by touching it (which is ALSO rooted in casteism and part of pakistani christians' oppression also comes from the fact that a lot of them are dalit but that's a whole other discussion). and that's just one christian group, this isn't even going into what copts, assyrians, armenians etc have faced and continue to face. saying that christians everywhere are privileged because of american christianity actually harms christian minorites in non western countries.

and one last thing because this post is getting too long: someone being anti america doesn't automatically mean they're the good guys. too many times i've been seeing westerners on twitter dot com praise the fucking taliban just because they hate america. yes, the same taliban who banned education for women, thinks women should be imprisomed at home, and consistently oppresses religious and ethnic minorities in afghanistan. yes, america's war on afghanistan was bad and they SHOULD be called out for their war crimes there. no, the taliban are still not the good guys. BOTH of them are bad. you cannot pretend to care about muslims and brown people if you praise the taliban. because guess what? most of their victims are BROWN MUSLIM WOMEN. but of course white libs who praise them don't rub their two braincells together to make that conclusion.

this post has gotten too long and i've just been rambling so the point of this post is: white "leftists" whose politics are primarily america centric should stop acting like criticism of ideologies like hindutva, buddhist extremism, and islamic extremism BY people affected by these ideologies is the same as racism or religious intolerance because that helps literally no one except the extremist bigots. also america is not the centre of the world, just because something isn't happening in america doesn't mean it isn't happening elsewhere

[incorrectmahabharatquotes]

"Caste based politics". This is how it always goes. When the savarnas engage in politics for their upper caste interests, we just call it politics. The minute dalit and adivasi people do it, it's "caste based politics". The burden and indignity of being othered and singled out remains on the marginalized while savarnas enjoy being the Default Person in India.

The humiliation of the marginalized continues as the young savarna generations continue to be as vile as their parents.

-Mod S

[metamatar]

October 10, 2022

Amit Kumar had everything going for him. After graduating in engineering and landing a decent job, Amit wanted to settle down with his childhood sweetheart Renu. The couple had known each other since Class IX and dreamt of a life together. The only difficulty was that Renu belonged to a Brahmin family and Amit was a Dalit.

With their homes barely a kilometre apart in Garhwa district of Jharkhand, Renu knew her family would never approve of the match. The couple decided to run away and tie the knot in another State. And thus began their tale of unending harassment and tragedy.

The couple married at a temple in Dehradun and got their marriage registered there. They had just about settled down at Paonta Sahib in Himachal Pradesh when, in a midnight raid, the Uttar Pradesh police took away Renu, claiming that she had been abducted. Amit and Renu have not seen or spoken to each other since that fateful night of August 13, 2021.

Amit’s life has been a quagmire of legal battles and dismissed habeas corpus petitions since then. “I fear my wife is no more,” he told The Hindu.

Activists say such tragic situations can be avoided if couples like Amit and Renu are provided safe houses and special protection by the State governments as mandated by the Supreme Court.

According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the number of “honour killings” in the country was 24, 25 and 33 in 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively. Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand topped the list in 2021 and 2020, while Manipur was on top in 2019.

The government in 2021 informed Parliament that there were 145 “honour killing” incidents in the country between 2017 and 2019.

Interestingly, though the NCRB report attributed only 25 deaths to “honour killings” in 2020, it said there were 27 deaths due to casteism and 1,558 due to “illicit relationship”. Similarly, in 2021, 33 deaths were listed under “honour killings”, but 1,544 and 1,532 under “illicit relationship” and “love affairs”, respectively.

So far, only Delhi, Haryana and Punjab have safe houses for inter-faith and inter-religious couples. Kerala has only announced the setting up of a safe house.

In fact, only 21 States have said that they have complied with the Supreme Court directives, which means that they have asked the police officers concerned of a State for strict compliance, according to Dhanak for Humanity, a non-governmental organisation which works with such couples, helping them solemnise their marriages and providing legal support.

The Supreme Court had in 2018 directed that safe houses be set up in every district as well as a special cell in States for couples facing opposition from families and community.

Gaurav Yadav, an engineer from IIT Chennai, said he was working with survivors of “honour crimes” and couples who are in hiding to petition the government for more safe houses across the country.

“Soon we will form an official grouping and petition the government to follow the Supreme Court directives on safe houses and special cells,” Mr. Yadav said, adding that he had organised a convention regarding the same in Delhi recently.

He said though couples had been demanding that safe houses be set up, the State administrations had looked the other way.

An example is of Ravikant Chandrawanshi and Alisha, who had a harrowing time getting married under the Special Marriage Act in Chhattisgarh.

The inter-faith couple at first decided to elope and marry in Bilaspur. However, a lack of support system and security, including finances, saw them return home in Kawardha within four days.

“As my wife’s family were well to do and politically connected, they kept up the pressure on us. Finally, we had to take legal recourse and approached the High Court asking them to direct the State administration to provide the mandated safe house and police protection.

“However, we were informed that there was no safe house and Alisha had to go to a sakhi centre or a women’s safe house,” Mr. Chandravanshi said.

Though the couple approached the highest of authorities, they were not given any police protection either and had to go into hiding for around six months after their marriage.

According to Asif Iqbal of Dhanak for Humanity, most States send the girl to a Nari Niketan after couples approach them. “It is here that the girl is the most insecure as her family mostly approaches her and puts pressure to go back. Many a time, this also leads to what is known as honour killing of the girl”.

Sanjay Sachadev of Love Commandoes, an organisation which rescues and shelters such couples, said, “The need of the hour is safe houses across the country. In almost every case, the police try and send the girl to a women’s shelter and the boy is left to fend for himself.”

A couple who are staying in a Delhi safe house and did not wish to be identified said that they could not have thought of living together had it not been for the security of the safe house.

Mr. Iqbal, whose organisation has helped many couples seek legal recourse to stay together and get married, said that of the distress calls he receives, the most were from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.