DALITS AND HINDU COMMUNALISM

Christian Conference of Asia - by Nalini Pandit: "The Dalits or the scheduled castes are not a homogenous community. They are divided by Caste, Class and Politics. There are three main castes amongst the Dalits in Maharashtra - Mahars, Chambhars and Matangas (The Mahar, in the middle ages was a government servant and an agricultural laborer, and as he had no occupation of his own, in later years, he became a soldier and a wage worker). Dr Ambedkar mainly mobilized the Mahars. A large number has migrated to the towns, has been converted to Buddhism, and is the main stay of the Dalit movement today.

Dr. Ambedkar's desire was to establish a broad based social democratic party as an alternative to the Congress. However, after his death, his party split into many different groups, (In the 1970's an attempt was made to establish a more radical party named Dalit Panther. That party also split in the eighties). Today the most important political groups among the Dalits in Bombay are R.P.I. (Prakash Ambedkar), R.P.I. (Athavale and Smyak Kranti Andolan Dhale)

Of these different groups the Athavale group has cooperated with the Congress (I) in the assembly and corporation elections and Mr Ramdas Athavale is now a Minister in the Maharashtra cabinet. The Shiv Sena has grown with the tacit support of the Congress (and some industrialists who used it to break the leftist trade unions). It took a prominent part in the Bhiwandi riots of 1970 and the Bhiwandi - Bombay carnage of 1984.

There is evidence to prove that in Dharavi the R.P.I. - Congress corporator M Y Shiude led mobs in Chamda Bazar in the December riots. Another Congress corporator S Polin Mary led a mob of Tamil Christian Dalits in the attack on Muslims (There are conflicting reports about another R.P.I. - Congress corporator in Tulsiwadi some saying that she sympathized with the Muslims and helped admitting those injured in police firing to the Nair Hospital while others say that she led an attacking mob of Hindus and was killed in police firing. A Janata Dal woman activist who is herself a Dalit reported that) in Golibar Colony in Santacruz where these was violent attack on Muslims the Shiva Sena Shakha Pramukh was a Buddhist named Pagare, the A.C.P. Zende was a Buddhist, the D.C.P. Kalpatri was a Buddhist and the guardian minister who did not intervene at any stage was also a Buddhist, Ramdas Athavale.

Though Ambedkar championed the cause of the untouchables he made no special effort to mobilize the Chambhars or the Matangas for his movement. As a result when reserved seats were granted to the S.Cs in the legislative assemblies; the Congress started patronizing the Chambhars. Most of the Congress candidates in his period including Shri Narayan Kajrolker who defeated Dr Ambedkar for the reserved seat in the Central Bombay double-member constituency in 1952 belonged to this community. However after the death of Ambedkar some sections from R.P.I. joined hands with the Congress and as they were more organized and more vocal, the Congress patronized them. There is no recognized leader of the Chambhar community today in Maharashtra. The rise in the price of raw leather and competition from plastic footwear has rendered them workless. The frustration with the Congress has made them responsive to the propoganda of the B.J.P. and many have actively participated in the riots. The smallest and the most marginalised caste among the Dalits is the Matanga. Shivsena has made a deliberate attempt to mobilize them. A Hindu Dalit Conference was held at Shivaji Park two years back with the active participation of Mr. Gopale, a Matanga leader. It seemed to be well attended. The Matangas feel that though the reservations were decided on the numerical strength of all S.C.s, the Buddhists alone have benefitted from them. For this reason they keep themselves away from Buddhist political parties.
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