BV - May 2015 Yr 2 Issue 6 E

likeminded friends and after the meeting
whenever I would go and put him in the
particular bus for his home. Such breed is
rare today. He was unfit in today’s politics
which is actually ‘management’. For people
like him it was conviction which mattered
more and that is why all his initiative failed to
move because of absence of ‘management’
which became an ugly reality of the current
world. He would discuss issues, politics,
planning and actions and yet at the end of
the day at the absence of resources, it
became difficult but despite that he
continued to live in optimism and encouraged
people to form political formation that could
take on the brahmanical capitalist forces of
Hindutva. He knew that the shudras are
being influenced by the Hindutva forces and
hence working hard through his writings and
direct relations with the people to wean them
away to secular social justice platform. I was
amazed to see his eagerness to start any
political formulations, organisations and
parties. He was never tired off them and
believed that we have to do. He never
bothered about failures and always believed
that we must be in political action.
In the past few years, his mobility was
influenced due to age and eye sight yet he
would ensure that he is present in major
programme that were organized for the rights
of the people. For his friends, he was always
available. He would never ever bother to go
back home if we was in the company of
political activists. Age was never a deterrent
for him. While in his writings he promoted
Hindi to reach to the larger masses and
spoke eloquently in English as well whenever
an opportunity came to him though he
despised seminar culture meant for
‘academic brown Sahibs’. At all his forums,
he spoke extempore and with great courage of
conviction and did not really appreciate those
who ‘read’ texts in these seminars. A fierce
critique of Narsimha Rao’s politics which he
termed as anti-Dalit and anti shudraminorities,
Prempati was the voice of those
who are not even represented in these
marginalized sections. He felt that Rao’s
politics was meant to undo what VP Singh
had brought in public life through his Mandal
agenda. Prempati was a strong votary of
Mandal forces and felt it is they only who can
defeat the Sangha Parivar and the liberal
Brahmins of Congress and Left Parties. He
was among very few such as Bhagwan Das
who was never ever impressed with Bahujan
politics and was a fierce critique of both
Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati who he
claimed to have known much through friends
and relatives. He was upset that these two
politicians, who could have changed the
political history of India, were hobnobbing
with brahmanical forces of Congress and
BJP. That time, when Prempati was writing
against them, all condemned him but today
he has been proved correct as political forces
have been exposed and have connived with
their brahmanical masters. He felt that only a
Ambedkar-Marx-Phule-Periyar’s combine
thought could demolish the brahmanical
hegemony in India and place a truly
republican democratic government at the
helm of affairs of the country.
Prempati was a public intellectual though I
wish he had written more and extensively.
During our conversations, I expressed this
desire to him to start writing his memoirs as
well as critique the entire movement so that
people can learn from their failures. I feel he
did not do justice to his intellectual level as
most of the time he was preoccupied with
political groups, which could rarely make
their presence felt in the current
environment.
The passing away of D Prempati is a great
blow to the movement for social justice as he
was a friend, philosopher and guide who was
always ready to help and go to any extent to
support the cause of Dalits, OBCs and
minorities. Most of the time, people would
come to him to write a ‘parcha’ or theme for
their programme, philosophy of their ‘political
party’ or social movements and he obliged
them without any ifs and buts. At the time,
when the brahmanical forces are on the rise,
the demise of Prempati is a great blow to the
forces of social justice. Yet, he has left a large
number of friends who are contributing in
public life and I hope that with their
combined strength our battle against
brahmanical capitalist hegemony will
continue. The best tribute to Prempati would
be to keep our egos aside and join hands for
a greater cause of Secular India where each
citizen of the country can live in peace and
with his head high. The country is passing
through a crisis and hence his presence will
be severely missed.
● Year – 2 ● Issue – 6 ● May 2015 ● Buddhist Voice ● www.buddhistvoice.com ● Email: indian.buddhistvoice@gmail.com 46