NEW AGE, 11 March 2011
Hindu social order and human rights of Dalits by PR Biswas
THE members of Hindu community belonging to lower caste, according to Aryan concept, are known as scheduled caste, other backward class or OBC, different tribes and sub-tribes, and Dalits or untouchable, and they are gravely mistreated. Dr B R Ambedkar, a champion of the cause of the Dalits, hailed from an untouchable family from India, where about 85 per cent people belong to scheduled castes, OBC, Dalits and other tribes or sub-tribes. Through the tireless effort of Dr Ambedkar, untouchability was legally abolished in the Indian Constitution drafted in 1947-1948, and its practice in any form was forbidden there by the Protection of Civil Rights Act in 1955.
Ambedkar raised himself from dust to doyen, from the life of social leper to the position of a Constitution-maker, and his heroic struggle for raising the down-trodden to human dignity will constitute a golden chapter in the history of human freedom. He was the Father of the Indian Constitution and the first law minister of independent India. Before him, Jyotiba Phule was another prominent reformer of the caste-restrictions in India. Jyotiba’s family belonged to the mali caste. After reading Thomas Paine’s famous book ‘The Rights of Man’, Jyotiba was greatly influenced by his ideas. He believed that the enlightenment of women and lower caste people was the only solution to combat the social evils. Therefore, in 1848, he, along with his wife, started a school for girls. After tracing the history of the Brahmin domination in India, Jyotiba Phule concluded that the laws were made to suppress the Shudras and rule over them. According to him, lack of education leads to lack of wisdom, which leads to lack of morals, which leads to lack of progress, which leads to lack of money, which leads to the oppression of the lower caste.
In Bangladesh, 95 per cent of the people in the Hindu communities are from the lower caste. The number of Dalits is more than 70 lakh all over Bangladesh. Dalits are used to living in city corporation and municipality areas all over the country as their basic profession is sweeping. In addition to sweeping, they work in government and non-government offices as cleaners. For innumerable years, they have been mistreated and as a result, are deprived of enjoying their civic, social, economic, religious and political rights and liberties. The tendency to keep them reserved for working as a cleaner is dreadful. In order to lead the Dalit community for fostering higher life standard, Bangladesh Harijan Unity Council has been working. But the way promoted by their weak leadership is considered ineffective. Top leadership of the council is under controversy and thought by many to be contrary to the common interest of the community. They are alleged to be getting busy with their own interest and not that of their community people. Though Dalits are the integral part of Hindu community, they feel hesitant to identify themselves as Hindus. Racial discrimination is so embedded that they do not feel comfortable associating with other Hindus. Their life depends on the mercy of the city mayor, municipality mayor and government and non-government authorities. The colonies of Dalits provided by the authorities mentioned above are so congested and unhygienic that they lose ambition to stand on their own feet. Dalit community is also used to resorting to anti-social practices. Child marriage, lack of education, subjugation of women etc are prevalent. Women are treated as forced-labourers and they have no right to do any thing without the consent of their fathers, mothers, husbands, and in-laws. Dalit community leaders as well as the guardians of most families are not at all interested in educating their kids.
Hindu social order and human rights of Dalits are considered to be contradictory on the grounds of religion. The traditional Hindu social order continues to govern the thought process and behaviour of the large majority of Hindus in rural areas. Jyotiba Phule and Dr Ambedkar presented guidelines how to make Dalits and other lower castes stand on their own feet. Now the fortune of Dalits and other lower castes depends on their own efforts. They have to be aware of their fundamental rights as dignified human beings.
____________________________
PR Biswas is the executive director of Dr Ambedkar Foundation. Email:ambedkarbd@gmail.com
CHT-JUMMA 
April 18th, 2011 → 1:50 am
[…] Hindu social order and human rights of Dalits (jummacommunity.wordpress.com) […]