On Future of India by Dalit Writer Dr SL Dhani

Dalits have been deliberately engulfed by exploitative and oppressive Varna system. Dalits are recognizable only because of this system. They have come to have a common entity by this very oppressive system or Hinduism.
Any sect that has been formed as a reaction to this has been subsequently again counted as its branch. Even Constitution of India includes Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism in Hinduism.

Any community seeking release from this oppressive, unethical, selfish, divisive and anti-national system has no option but to fight it out only from within and by understanding all the strategies adopted by it through the entire historical period.
Dr B R Ambedkar himself could achieve recognition only by exposing this philosophy through his works, which kept him busy throughout his life. He had been able to pin point the modern real face of orthodox Hinduism in Gandhi and his Indian National Congress and struggled for giving a separate identity to the Depressed Classes or modern Dalits, at the Round Table Conferences. He had succeeded in achieving his objective through the Communal Award announced by the then Prime Minster of India, in 1932. His success was turned into defeat again by orthodox Hindus, working through Gandhi, who had been chosen by them as the sole representative of theirs at RTCs.

Poona Pact was also in the nature of reducing the impact of oppressive features of Hinduism. Government of India Act, 1935 continued the same legacy. The same legacy came to be included in Constitution of India, of which Dr. B R Ambedkar is known to be the Chief Architect. Still, he was utterly unhappy with the finally emerging spirit of the same Constitution. He had even retorted that he would like to go to the length of burning the Constitution. Present system of joint electorates has again kept the Dalits utterly divided and at the unfortunate mercy of Caste Hindus, who are religiously married to the same exploitative and oppressive Varna system or caste system.

Dr. Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism was also in the nature of reaction to Hinduism. His 22 vows are also in the nture of organized opposition to Hinduism, even after conversion of his and other followers of his. Since the ratio of those converted to Hinduism is very insignificant in comparison to the total population of Dalits in India, even Buddhists have come to be practically counted as another caste within India. Buddhists are qually hated by Hindus at large.

Unfortunately, the neo-Buddhists, as they are called, have ceased to continue the analysis of fight against Hinduism initiated by Dr. Ambedkar. Those remaining within the fold of the oppressive Hinduism, constitute the comparatively more ignorant lot among the Dalits. Consequently the leaders of the oppressive system feel free to be more aggressive against Dalits as compared the time of Dr. Ambedkar.

In view of the above, even now the emancipation of Hindu Dalits and the Neo-Buddhists depends on constant exposition of and fight against Hinduism. By and large, an average Dalit intellectual continues to be largely ignorant about his own weaknesses and strengths. Instead of peacefully fighting his oppressors, he is becoming an obstacle in the way of more knowledgeable individuals who are better qualified to give the Dalits the real leadership. The so-called Dalit intellectuals tend to excel in the art of making the real knowledgeable people irrelevant to Dalit emancipation. Whether they are doing so on their own or as a tools in the hands of Hindu orthodoxy on the pattern of Paswans and Uditrajis, is for anyone to examine.

Only the weaker sections stand to gain by the united society of all Indians. As such, the real future of India can be safe only in the hands of the masses, constituting the so-called Sudras. The real solidarity of India cannot be safe only in the hands of the believers of divisive and selfish caste system and its leaders. The leadership must ultimately get transferred to the masses and their genuine leaders, who have to seek the genuine support of their genuine think-tank.