Equality a delusion? http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnist1.asp?main_variable=Columnist&file_name=prasad%2Fprasad217%2Etxt&writer=prasad
By definition, the caste order rests on the dogma of inequality from where Dalits can never pull off equality. Then what happens to all the Dalit movements whose sub-currents find origin in the idea of equality? And then there are other questions. Can Dalits and non-Dalits be equally placed in all the spheres - be it political power, asset ownership pattern and knowledge? Or, can all individuals irrespective of their social roots and abilities be equally affluent and powerful. Can, within Dalits, all be equally placed in all the spheres of public existence? If the answer is in the negative, or ambiguous, it is time that Dalit movements decide their notion of equality. Forget the Dalit masses, even within the Dalit families not all members are equally placed. In caste India, all are born unequally. Elsewhere too, all are born unequal, yet, they are free. In India, by birth, all fall into social groups innately unequal in caste hierarchies. Elsewhere, barring in multiracial societies, individuals are born potentially equal as their status is not predestined. Since Dalits' status is predestined, Dalit movements demand that basic grammar of pre-destiny to change, and hence, dream for equality. If equality doesn't exist as a reality anywhere on the planet, are we then chasing a delusion? Delusions are often self-elicited and lead people in dark tunnels of desperation. Russians and the East Europeans had that. Over a three-quarters of a century chase for equality turned out to be a nightmare. Now, they are chasing dreams in the Western Europe - the homeland of inequality. People in the unequal West Europe are happier than their Eastern counterparts. The class societies reject equality, but offer equal opportunities to all. Most leaders of Dalit movements belong to a class from within the larger Dalit mass. They are former and serving Government employees, school teachers, professors, professionals, parliamentarians and writers. They represent the entire Dalit mass - but do not fight the class divide within the community. Needless to say, without this accomplished class of Dalits, the Dalits would have remained voiceless. If the class division within the larger Dalit mass is a sign of advancement, the same must be true to the larger Indian society and the vice verse. That being the truth, then the notion of equality becomes a problem. When the Dalit leadership can't have problems with the class divide within, why should we then chase the dream of equality which has proved to be a delusion? As experience shows, delusion in formative stages makes people extraordinarily ignorant. The stages that follow only perpetuate that regime of ignorance. In between, victims of delusion loose self esteem, and either turn pessimistic or notional vagabonds. Already wronged by history, and perpetuated the same by the present, why should Dalits aspire for something which doesn't fit into any form of known social logic? The Dalit movements therefore, ought to chase the lifelike dream of equal opportunities. The agenda of the equality has to evolve through a logical social process - first to be born as a notion, and seconded into an ideology. It is here that the State has to play a role of social moderator. Since the society prevents Dalits/Adivasis from acquiring a stake in the public life - economy, political power, knowledge, culture, the State ought to launch an aggressive campaign to eliminate all those birth based denials and privileges. The affirmative actions thus become a compelling need of democracy. Dalit movements at the same time ought to bail themselves out from the prison of the equality delusion. The class society will do the rest. India is aspiring for a class society and that's why, the Indian capitalism is now thinking of affirmative actions. If India has to walk the path of progress, there has to be a change in their thinking. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Ours is a battle not for wealth or for power. It is a battle for freedom. It is a battle for the reclamation of human personality." - Dr BR Ambedkar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ greenyouth mailinglist is the activist support mailinglist for kerala To post to this group, send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
