September 2018
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www.theasianindependent.co.uk<br />
UNITED KINGDOM<br />
<strong>September</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />
5<br />
Hindus, Sikhs and BJP in nexus to<br />
repeal British Caste Legislation<br />
Good Evening everyone. Greetings<br />
to you all on the occasion of Indian<br />
Independence Day. I am not anti Indian.<br />
I wish the Indian people every happiness,<br />
good health, prosperity and<br />
wealth.<br />
Its on occasions like this that we take<br />
a few moments to reflect on what is<br />
happening in India today. There is no<br />
doubt independence deserves to be celebrated<br />
but there is a darker side that<br />
Independent India has not lived up to<br />
the dreams of its founding fathers.<br />
Blame game<br />
It is argued that 71 years is not long<br />
enough for a young democracy to<br />
resolve all its problems. All the ills are<br />
blamed on the British, if not the British<br />
then the Muslims, if not the Muslims<br />
then religious minorities and then Dalits<br />
– the scheduled Castes and Scheduled<br />
Tribes who number over 250 million<br />
people. Not much is said about taking<br />
personal responsibility. It is always the<br />
other that is blamed.<br />
Ideological Shift<br />
There is a shift towards right wing<br />
politics the world over accentuated by<br />
the election of the US president Donald<br />
Trump. India had already led the charge,<br />
on a national scale, towards right wing<br />
politics since the election of the BJP<br />
government in 2014. This lurch towards<br />
the right is also seen in Britain when the<br />
country voted to leave the European<br />
union. Clever politicians play into the<br />
fears and prejudices of people and try to<br />
befool and beguile the masses into a<br />
false sense of security. This lurch<br />
towards right-wing politics must be<br />
resisted as it threatens progressive and<br />
liberal values built over centuries.<br />
Indian constitution burned<br />
A strange event occurred on 9th<br />
August <strong>2018</strong>, in India at Jantar Mantar<br />
New Delhi when the Indian constitution<br />
was burned. I say strange because, firstly,<br />
the holding of the event was given<br />
clearance by the police and secondly,<br />
the Indian constitution was burned<br />
whilst the police were present at the<br />
scene.<br />
When burning the constitution, the<br />
Organisers were yelling slogans like :<br />
Savidhan jalao, desh bachao !<br />
Ambedkar Murda Bad ! Manuvad<br />
Zindabad ! SC /ST Act murda bad<br />
Not until a FIR was filed against the<br />
mob, with video evidence, that the<br />
police took notice and swung into action<br />
resulting in the arrest of two people as<br />
reprted by the media.<br />
The video showed 20-30 people (perhaps<br />
more) directly engaged in sloganising<br />
and burning the Indian constitution.<br />
The entire mob should have been<br />
charged and arrested under the<br />
Prevention of National Honour Act<br />
1971 which states that whoever in any<br />
public place or in any other place within<br />
public view burns, mutilates, defaces,<br />
defiles, disfigures, destroys, tramples<br />
upon or otherwise shows disrespect to<br />
or brings into contempt the Indian<br />
National Flag or the constitution of<br />
India or any part thereof shall be punished<br />
with imprisonment for a term<br />
which may extend to 3 years or with<br />
fine or both.<br />
During their probe, police found that<br />
two organisations — Youth Equality<br />
Foundation (Azad Sena) and Arakshan<br />
Virodhi Party held the protest at<br />
Parliament Street.<br />
No senior ranking politician of the<br />
BJP led government has condemned the<br />
burning of the Indian constitution.<br />
Mainstream Television channels have<br />
not condemned the incident and have<br />
moslt stayed silent. The dilution of the<br />
SC/ST Act by Justices AK Goel and UU<br />
Lalit caused a nationwide protest which<br />
has now resulted in the restoration of<br />
the SC/ST act by a recent vote in the<br />
Indian Parliament<br />
The burning of the Indian constitution<br />
came in the wake of the Indian<br />
Parliament passing that Bill to restore<br />
the SC/ST act on Thursday 9th August.<br />
You will recall , way back in December<br />
28, 2017, Union Minister Anant Kumar<br />
Hegde reportedly said that “Today, we<br />
follow Ambedkar ‘smriti’… it will<br />
change in the future. We are here to<br />
change the Constitution.” He later withdrew<br />
his remarks accusing the media of<br />
‘twisting’ his comments!<br />
So what do we see in India today<br />
under the present BJP-led<br />
Government<br />
In India Mob lynching has been<br />
taken to a whole new dimension. The<br />
cow is sacred but not human life. In the<br />
name of Gau-Rakshak, mobs are free to<br />
roam around to kill with impunity. I<br />
wish to share with you that during the<br />
Vedic period, the cow was ceremoniously<br />
slaughtered and offered in a sacrifice<br />
to the gods. No god came down to<br />
earth to consume the slaughtered cow<br />
but humans assumed the role of god,<br />
namely Brahmins who called themselves<br />
bhudevas to consume the slaughtered<br />
cow.<br />
Today, emboldened by the BJP in<br />
power, the rise of Hindutva ideology is<br />
threatening the social fabric of India<br />
with its escalation of attacks on religious<br />
minorities and Dalits in particular. This<br />
emboldened ideology is antinational.<br />
? Hindutva forces continue to<br />
unleash violent reign of terror and<br />
repression on Dalits, Muslims and<br />
other minorities.<br />
The president of India , Shri Ram<br />
Nath Kovind in his Independence day<br />
speech said that Gandhiji’s most noble<br />
mantra was to point out that the power<br />
of ahinsa is far greater than the power of<br />
hinsa.<br />
Unfortunately this mantra clearly has<br />
had no effect on the masses and those in<br />
power , especially Dalits and religious<br />
minorities continue to suffer violence.<br />
? According to the NCRB data. A<br />
total of 40,801 cases of crime against<br />
scheduled castes were registered in the<br />
country in 2015 compared to 38,670<br />
cases in 2015.<br />
? In 2016, the rate of crime against<br />
scheduled castes of total cognisable<br />
crimes in Madhya Pradesh was 43.4 per<br />
cent followed by 42 per cent in<br />
Rajasthan, 36.7 per cent in Goa, 34.4<br />
per cent in Bihar and 32.5 per cent in<br />
Gujarat. The all-India crime rate against<br />
scheduled castes was 20.6 per cent last<br />
year.<br />
What is the main cause of poverty<br />
in India?<br />
High population growth rate is one of<br />
major reasons of poverty in India. This<br />
further leads to high level of illiteracy,<br />
poor health care facilities and lack of<br />
Sat Pal Muman , Chair of<br />
CasteWatchUK, delivered a<br />
speech at the School of Oriental<br />
and African Studies, London on<br />
Indian Independence day, 15th<br />
August <strong>2018</strong>.<br />
access to financial resources. … Caste<br />
system and unequal distribution of<br />
income and resources is another reason<br />
of poverty in India as acknowledged by<br />
economists.<br />
Dr Ambedkar : Political and<br />
Communal Majorities<br />
Ambedkar said what’s the point in<br />
getting political freedom from the<br />
British only to continue in slavery under<br />
the caste Hindus. He demanded political<br />
safeguards for the Untouchables as he<br />
felt they would continue to be crushed<br />
by the Caste Hindus.<br />
During his early career, he tried to<br />
stir the conscious of the Caste Hindus to<br />
introspect about their religion. He wanted<br />
to transform Hindu Society. But to no<br />
avail.<br />
He then turned to the British as the<br />
sovereign authority to grant special protection<br />
for his people. His power of persuasion<br />
convinced the British that<br />
Untouchables are special case so<br />
deserve special protection in terms of<br />
political representation and social<br />
development. Congress Party under the<br />
leadership of Gandhi opposed the<br />
demands of the Untouchables. Gandhi<br />
went onto fast unto death on Sep 16,<br />
1932 resisting the political demands of<br />
the Untouchables.<br />
Gandhi conducted 17 fasts during his<br />
lifetime . None of them were fasts unto<br />
death apart from when Dr Ambedkar<br />
won over the British to grant separate<br />
electorates to the Untouchables.<br />
Despite universal suffrage granted as<br />
per the constitution, Dr Ambedkar continued<br />
to feel helpless for his people<br />
being able to exercise their vote effectively<br />
as they were too poor and illiterate.<br />
He started newspapers and established<br />
colleges to educate them.<br />
He demanded separate settlements for<br />
the Untouchables and also at one time<br />
out of desperation he recommended to<br />
the Untouchables they should migrate to<br />
foreign lands to escape the curse of Caste<br />
and Untouchability – subject I will return<br />
to later.<br />
On political and communal majority,<br />
Dr Ambedkar said, Majorities are of two<br />
sorts:<br />
(1) communal majority and<br />
(2) political majority.<br />
A political majority is changeable in<br />
its class composition. A political majority<br />
grows. A communal majority is born.<br />
The admission to a political majority is<br />
open. The door to a communal majority<br />
is closed. The politics of political majority<br />
are free to all to make and unmake.<br />
The politics of communal majority are<br />
made by its own members born in it.<br />
Today, Caste and Religion continue<br />
to dominate political discourse India.<br />
In August, 2016, the Gujarat<br />
Government withdrew a schoolbook on<br />
Ambedkar because it contained the<br />
oaths Dr Ambedkar which he had prescribed<br />
when he denounce Hinduism to<br />
embrace Buddhism in 1956.<br />
India’s darkest hour<br />
You will recall that 49 ex IAS officers<br />
wrote o the Prime Minister of India in<br />
the backdrop of Unnao and Kathua rape<br />
cases and called it India’s darkest hour.<br />
It was also reported that over 600 academics<br />
and institutions also wrote to the<br />
Indian PM expressing deep concern over<br />
the escalation of rapes and murders.<br />
Under the guise of developmental<br />
agenda the country is sliding towards<br />
dictatorship which is undermining and<br />
threatening the social fabric. This internal<br />
threat is far severe then any threat<br />
from external aggression. The very core<br />
of Indian polity is being torn to pieces<br />
by the policies of the BJP led government<br />
whether this be in the sphere of<br />
social welfare, education, human rights,<br />
law and order , judiciary.<br />
You will recall, there was an application<br />
filed for the impeachment of the<br />
Chief Justice of India . An event<br />
unprecedented.<br />
According to a recent NDTV survey,<br />
political hate speech has risen 500 %.<br />
Attacks on Dalits and religious minorities<br />
have escalated.<br />
After the Bhima Koregaon incident<br />
tens of thousands were falsely arrested.<br />
After the recent Bharat Bandh on 2nd<br />
April inflamed by the supreme court<br />
judgment that diluted the SC/ST<br />
Atrocities act , thousands were falsely<br />
arrested and charged and imprisoned.<br />
Today, Dalits are rising to assert their<br />
Social , Political and Human Rights as<br />
guaranteed by the Indian Constitution –<br />
values that are a direct challenge to<br />
BJP-RSS hegemony and the rise of<br />
Hindutva ideology who want to impose<br />
the manusmirti upon the people of<br />
India.<br />
In his book Pakistan or partition of<br />
India (1946 pages 354-355) , Dr<br />
Ambedkar writes that<br />
If a Hindu Raj does become a fact, it<br />
will, no doubt be the greatest calamity<br />
for this country … Hindu Raj must be<br />
prevented at any cost<br />
Ambedkar wrote in a memorandum<br />
on the Rights of States and Minorities<br />
dated March 24 1947 which he submitted<br />
to the sub-committee on<br />
Fundamental Rights, he wrote,<br />
Unfortunately for the minorities in<br />
India, Indian nationalism has developed<br />
a new doctrine which may be called the<br />
Divine Right of the majority to rule the<br />
minorities according to the wishes of<br />
the majority. Any claim for the sharing<br />
of power the minority is called communalism,<br />
while the monopolising of the<br />
whole power the majority is called<br />
nationalism.<br />
Later in the constituent assembly<br />
defending the special status of the<br />
minorities he forewarned<br />
To diehards who have developed a<br />
kind of fanaticism against minority protection,<br />
I would like to say two things.<br />
One is that minorities are an explosive<br />
force which if it erupts, can blow up the<br />
whole fabric of the state. The history of<br />
Europe bears ample and appalling testimony<br />
to this fact. The other is that<br />
minorities in India have agreed to place<br />
their existence in the hands of the<br />
majority… it is for the majority to<br />
realise its duty not to discriminate<br />
against minorities..’<br />
Ambedkar warned that there is danger<br />
of democracy giving place to dictatorship<br />
in India.<br />
Caste Legislation<br />
I will now return briefly to my earlier<br />
comment citing Dr Ambedkar’s<br />
advise to the Untouchables to escape the<br />
curse of Caste and Untouchability they<br />
should migrate to foreign lands<br />
Most of you will be aware that<br />
CasteWatchUK began a campaign in<br />
2003 to outlaw caste based discrimination<br />
in Britain which the British<br />
acknowledged does exist.<br />
After a long fought campaign the<br />
British Government caved into pressure<br />
from Hindus and Sikhs and announced<br />
on 23rd July <strong>2018</strong>, it will not be implementing<br />
the caste law as envisaged by<br />
Equality Act 2010 Section 9(5) but<br />
instead the government will now be taking<br />
steps to repeal the Caste provision.<br />
The government ran a public consultation<br />
from 28 March 2017 to 18<br />
<strong>September</strong> 2017.<br />
Of the 16,138 consultation responses,<br />
analysis indicated that:<br />
• 8,513 respondents were ‘in favour<br />
of relying on case-law’; • 2,885 respondents<br />
were ‘in favour of legislation’; •<br />
3,588 respondents rejected both<br />
options; • 1,113 respondents were ‘not<br />
sure’ which was the better option; • 1<br />
respondent was in favour of either<br />
option; and British Government says<br />
that a separate Caste provision is not<br />
required and suggest caste could be covered<br />
by an existing ethnic origins provision.<br />
This means reliance is placed on<br />
case law to develop. This means the victims<br />
will have to go through expensive<br />
long drawn legal battle to get justice.<br />
This alone is a massive deterrent for<br />
victims to seek justice to the delight of<br />
offenders who can continue to abuse<br />
and harass people on the basis of caste.<br />
In a press release , I said that :<br />
Government has not lived up to its bold<br />
commitment ‘that no one should suffer<br />
prejudice or discrimination on any<br />
grounds , including any perception of<br />
their caste’ and sold out to the opposing<br />
side, no doubt for political reasons with<br />
an eye on Hindu and Sikh votes , a section<br />
amongst them were the main antagonists.<br />
No doubt Government also had an eye on<br />
trade and commercial overseas interests.<br />
The National Council of Hindu<br />
Temples stated that it ‘ welcomes the<br />
Governments conclusion and the proposed<br />
course of action, regarding the<br />
issue of “Caste Discrimination”<br />
Legislation’ The NCHT stated that ‘ we<br />
established links with the Sikh and Jan<br />
communities and working very closely<br />
with the HFB, amongst other groups<br />
and together managed to encourage<br />
over 8,000 British Hindus to respond.’<br />
See on Page 8th