S Simhadri
The tribal Kuki women getting paraded naked, raping and killing by right wing mobs in Manipur shocked India. The police of the state colluding with communal forces and the BJP government standing as silent spectator to the acts of lynching men and women and burning churches led to the undermining of the Constitution and the Idea of India. Unfortunately the Prime Minister has been evading for the last three months to act against mayhem and respond to the opposition in the parliament.
The riots by Bajrang Dal against Muslims/minorities in Haryana and earlier upper caste men raping and killing a Dalit girl in Hathras and BJP activists publicly disrobing OBC-Yadav woman in the day light in Uttar Pradesh and Shukla urinating on Tribal youth in Madhya Pradesh speak of subhuman mindset of the right-wing communal and casteist forces in India. And all these states are ruled by BJP which is a political wing of RSS.
No to caste-based census
The rejection of conducting Caste Census by BJP/NDA led union government sparked nation-wide demand by the backward classes and political parties. It made M K Stalin, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Akhilesh Yadav, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, INDIA alliance and several other states demanding for it speaks of the significance of the caste census. In fact RJD-JDU led government has already initiated the Caste Census in Bihar and it is cleared by the state High Court the other day.
The happenings against women, tribes, Minorities, Dalits and OBCs across the nation speak of the vulnerability and assertion of caste and identity groups in India. The civil society and political parties demanding caste census add the dimension of neglect of the backward classes. The assertion for Caste Census speak about the exclusion from employment and representation of the SC, ST, OBC, Minority, Women and the poor under the BJP/NDA led Union government in India.
There have been civil societal and political articulations taking place demanding constitutional justice and equality across India. We see series of movements around women, Tribals, Dalits, Backward Classes, and Minorities for improving their living conditions, social justice and representation. In this direction we also witness the policy responses partially or rejecting them out rightly. The known movements for caste equality in the Indian history are seen around Caste Census and Mandal movement, besides non-Brahmin movements or anti- caste movements. There are women, SC, ST and Minority Commissions recommending the needs of these aspirations but getting neglected over the years.
INDIA alliance
As part of INDIA alliance the parties are engaged in confronting the BJP’s hate campaign against Muslims/minorities and politics of exclusion of SC, ST, OBCs from employment and development. While recognising the developmental exclusion INDIA alliance came up with core strategy of developmental inclusion, caste census and strengthening federalism. This is how Idea of India has been talked about in building an inclusive India against the BJP’s exclusive casteist and communal India. A India that unites all its people and works for the inclusion of the Pichda, Dalit and Alpasankyak.
Though Rahul Gandhi talked about the idea of India, it need not be the same India that was built during Congress rule excluding backward classes and women. It doesn’t mean Dalits and minorities were given equal treatment. But the way the idea of India is conceptualised in the writings and speeches, the backward classes do not find space at all. This is where lie the significance of Pichda, Dalit, Minorities and women.
While responding to a TV interview on PDA-INDIA, Akhilesh Yadav has said, “PDA is a strategy and INDIA is about the alliance” which consists of the 26 nationalist parties across India. In fact PDA stands for Pichhada, Dalit and Alpsankhyak communities. The idea of India as explained by Samajwadi Akhilesh is going beyond the way the idea of India has been talked about over the years by the secular intellectuals and political parties. But in the context of NDA conceptualizing and practicing the idea of India is based on exclusion of Pichda, Dalit, Alpasankyak, women and the poor. It’s in fact none other than ‘Brahmanism that negates equality, justice and fraternity’ as told by Ambedkar. Lohia’s Socialist/Samajwadi strategy of India is about fighting for equality of caste, class, gender and making India, socialist, secular and democratic.
PDA target is bigger
PDA goes beyond Brahmanical caste system that emanates from caste inequality and social precedence. It is essentially based on recognising caste and it’s engagements against casteist domination, exclusion and oppression. We can say that PDA is Pichda and Dalit being anti-caste and together with Alpsankhyak/Minority for secular democratic India engaging in developmental inclusion.
Though the Pichda and Dalit have differences but they are in common in terms of aspiration and fighting domination and oppression. Both share the experience of exclusion and backwardness. They live in constant fear. However they often attempt defying it to get into the world of liberty and security.
Large social groups
Pichda, Dalit and minorities are the large social groups constituting about 90% of India’s population. In a democracy, in principle, majority is power but they are kept in the margins or outside of the power. It’s because of the fact that they are divided and engaged differently by different upper caste led political parties. They also suffer from developmental exclusion and therefore they suffer from poverty, unemployment, discrimination, illiteracy, malnutrition and ill- health. Under-development and Social backwardness form part of the social capital of these groups. In fact Mandal Commission saw the twin problems of India, poverty and social and educational backwardness and they are because of Caste.
While introducing Reservations for non Brahmins in 1902, Shahu Maharaj faced lot of opposition from Brahmins including Tilak. He said Brahmins will rule India once British leaves it.
Janata Dal headed Union Government under V.P. Singh had announced the implementation of the Mandal Commission in the parliament in 1990. There was a lot of opposition to OBC reservations from BJP and Congress and there was an upper caste led movement against it. Academic community, industry and business and casteist intelligentsia argued against Mandal. In that context a noted political scientist, Rajni Kothari said, “Caste, indeed, is the great seculariser in a society being pulled apart by convoluted religions bent upon tearing apart the social fabric”. He further argued that the Mandal Commission was…not on any attempt to exacerbate the pernicious influence of caste: It is the backlash from the upper and forward castes against the upsurge that is casteist, not the upsurge itself…Caste is a ‘bulwark against religious fundamentalism and it’s fascist overtones. It is caste playing secular historical role that we are witness to in the growth of social mobility that the Mandal Commission and it’s various antecedents have given rise to.”
He further argued that politicisation of caste acts as a facilitator of democracy and it will bring in social awareness.
The Indian Constitution that is based on the basic structure of equality not only guides the governance but also provides theoretical and ideological direction in conceptualising the Idea of India and that is where INDIA alliance should stand for.
Professor S Simhadri is President of Samajwadi Party in Telangana State
| 
