Malda Violence and Silence of Secularists

Ram Puniyani

Communal violence has been the bane of our society. This violence is generally a part of far reaching communal politics. Communal politics in turn is not done just in the name of one religion, in South Asia; communal politics has been seen in the name of Buddhism (Myanmar, Sri Lanka) Islam (Pakistan, Bangla Desh) and Hinduism (India) in the main. To define communal violence is not that difficult as the rival groups being made to doing violence against each other suffers in the process. People of both involved communities so far were suffering in this dastardly act. The details of the violence differ from country to country. In India lately we saw that the violence could be unleashed against a particular community without the other community getting affected (2014 Dhulia, Maharashtra), prior to this we had seen that in our country the number of victims is much more from the minority community as seen in Gujarat and Mumbai carnages.

The violence in Malda poses the basic question, was it a case of communal violence or was it just a criminal act, an anti social violence. To sum up; on 3^rdJanuary, Malda witnessed a large Muslim crowd mobilized to protest against the statement against Prophet Mohammad by Kamlesh Tripathi, a Hindu Mahasabha worker, later disowned by the party. His statement was in turn a reaction to the derogatory statement against RSS by UP minister Azam Khan. The size of crowd as estimated by state government was around 30000 and section of media, while the spokespersons of BJP playing the slanging matches on TV shows, the shows mistakenly called debates, put the estimate of the crowd to be 2.5 lakhs! The crowd instigated by some mischievous elements attacked the police station and burned the records related to fake currency notes and smuggling of drugs. No significant injuries took place. No violence against Hindus. Now scholars will have to burn the midnight oil to classify this act of violence; was it a communal violence in any way. The dominating BJP workers and their ideological parents said that it was a pre planned violence meant to frighten the Hindus in the area; who are a minority.

Now; three views are prevalent about this tragic incident. Mamata Government is underplaying this just as a law and order problem, related to drugs and fake currency. BJP is shouting from house tops that it is a pre planned conspiracy to dominate the Hindu minority in the area. Congress and CPM are saying that it is a fixed match between Mamata and BJP; who want to reap the electoral benefits from the incident, in an area which so far had been a strong base of Congress party. In a way this also seems to be a case of 'double polarization', the phenomenon which was first witnessed in Muzzafarnagar in UP. Mulayam Singh let the events happen so that he can play as the savior to Muslims while BJP and company clearly saw the long term electoral benefits in the violence.

In Malda, Mamata Bannerjee's letting the incident take place and then downplaying it; does look to be aimed to polarize the Muslim community for forthcoming Assembly elections. While BJP presenting it as a communal incident and playing it up in a run up to elections; clearly shows that it is resorting to its usual game of communal polarization.

Coming back to whether to call it a communal violence or not? The best comments have come from Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR). Malda Chapter of APDR along with many local residents state that the violence 'was not communal in nature by a long shot'. APDR comes out with a incisive observation, "when policemen are killed in non-Muslim areas, it is termed 'lawlessness' and when a police station is set afire in a Muslim majority district, it is labeled communal" The long term result of this insane violence will be seen in the due course but one can say that it was a test case of analyzing the motives of diverse political players.

At another level one observed that as soon as violence took place the major shouting by BJP leaders assisted by social media supplement made the derogatory comments as to how come those who were coming out against Dadri are silent in this case? Where is the 'award returning' gang?  Why are secularists silent now? Choicest abuses were hurled against those who uphold pluralism and secularism. 'Why did you not condemn' cry is not new. Within a day of Godhra train burning 27^th February 2002, the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee criticized the minority groups for not criticizing the act enough. The fact even at that time was that most of the minority groups and human rights groups had condemned that incident right away. Which statements draw the popular attention and which fail to do so depend on the projection by the media. When thousands of Maulanas congregate in Delhi and Hyderabad and issue a fatwa that 'Terrorism is un-Islamic', this is tucked in some small columns in the middle pages, while Azam Khan or Owaisi get the lime light of front page banner headlines.

The secularists are always put on the dock with great amount of vehemence. Immediately after the Malda episode someone wrote an angry mail condemning this writer in the worst possible way, questioning nationalism and funding. The flood of emails from anonymous sources put out choicest abuses against 'sickularists'. The case of Dadri was clear cut, where the same shouting accusing brigade was justifying the lynching action of the mob for possession of beef as cow is our mother. The pain was that death had been planned, it was horrific, and it was part of an agenda.

Dadri cannot be compared to Malda in any way. Though; Malda incident is highly condemnable in forthright manner to begin with. The type of response by the community, where large number of Muslim can be mobilized in the name of insult to Prophet Mohammad or atrocities against Rohingiya Muslim in Myanmar is in a way the expression of pain of the hapless community, globally and locally. The real targeting of the community, the prevalence of Islamophobia has affected the popular perceptions in both the ways. The non Muslims will attribute all the acts of violence to Islam and Muslims while the Muslim community will perceive that injustices are being done against them are there for real. While this type of response is condemnable the underlying insecurity is there for real.

One remembers the attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq in particular. In our country one recalls the reckless arrests of Muslim youth in the wake of acts of terror like Makka Masjid (Hyderabad), Malegaon blast, Ajmer and Samjhauta blast. In the wake of Batla house encounter the Muslim youth from different districts of UP were recalled by their parents as Muslim boys came to be treated in a particular way. Similarly the hanging of Yakub Memon drew large number of mourners. It was perceived that they have come to support a terrorist. The other understanding was that in case of Mumbai violence of 92-93 no real punishment to anybody despite over thousand killings. The blasts that followed the violence, so many were hanged and punished. So where is the justice? And so why the hanging of the marginal player involved in the blasts?

The Malda violence was not directed against Hindus. It was a general mobilization to protest against the statement against the prophet. It was not directed against Hindus. One recalls that in the wake of Babri demolition angry Muslim youth pelted stones on the police station in Mumbai, this was not against Hindus but directed against the state for failure to protect the Masjid. There is a tendency to project the incident as if Muslims are having this pattern of violence, mobilization followed by indulging in wanton violence. Surely this pattern has repeated number of times. Azad maidan Mumbai and now the Malda-Purnia. Muslim communalism needs to be combated with full amount of firmness in a professional way. Guilty must be punished, no compromise on that. At the same time guilty of all acts of communal violence also need to be brought to book. But if people like Mayaben Kodnani and Babu Bajrangi, undergoing life imprisonment can get bail, where is the justice which can be the base on which our social policies should stand?

"पिपल अफ नेपाल छापिएपछि (बुवालाई) राजद्रोहको मुद्दा लगाउन लविङ भयो; नेपाल टुक्र्याउन खोजेको आरोप लाग्यो ।" - हिक्मत विष्ट

[सूचना विभागको डाइरेक्टर नारायण बाँस्कोटा (डा.अशोक बाँस्कोटाका बुवा) ले किताब छाप्छु भनेका थिए । पिपल अफ नेपाल छापिएपछि राजद्रोहको मुद्दा लगाउन लविङ भयो । नेपाल टुक्र्याउन खोजेको आरोप लाग्यो । देशका विविध जातजाति र तिनका भाषा-संस्कृतिबारे लेखेर सबैलाई सचेत गराइदिएकोमा हिन्दुकरणका पक्षपातीहरू आक्रोशित थिए । एकातिर राजा महेन्द्रले डोरबहादुर विष्टलाई राजद्रोह लगाउनपर्छ भन्नेका कुरा सुन्दै गर्दा तत्कालीन युवराज वीरेन्द्रको विदेशीलाई दिने उपहार नै पिपल अफ नेपाल बनिसकेको थियो । विदेश भ्रमण जाँदा होस् वा नेपालमै विदेशी भेट्दा 'नेपाल बुझ्न यो पढ्नुपर्छ'भन्दै 'पिपल अफ नेपाल' दिन्थे । सरकारकै निकाय (सूचना विभाग) किताब छाप्ने, युवराज किताब उपहार दिने लेखकमाथि राजद्रोहको मुद्दा लगाउन लविङ–गज्जबको अवस्था बनेको थियो ।]

- प्रश्तुति  सुजित महत

बुवा हराएको २० वर्ष बित्यो । जुम्लाबाट ११ जनवरी १९९६ मा नेपालगन्ज विमानस्थल उत्रिनुभएका बुवाको त्यही दिन काठमाडौं आउने टिकट थियो । काठमाडौंमा जाडो छ,केही दिन धनगढी बस्छु भनेर बस चढेपछि उहाँ सम्पर्कमा हुनुहुन्न । जनवरी १७ उहाँको जन्मदिन हो । यो समय परिवारलाई भावुक बनाउने,बिझाउने बेला हुन्छ । पहिला उहाँ हुनुहुन्न भन्ने लाग्थेन । कहाँ हुनुहोला, के गरिरहनुभएको होला भन्ने मनमा आउँथ्यो । 

समय घर्किंदै गएपछि हुनुहुन्छ कि हुनुहुन्न होला भन्ने लाग्न लाग्यो । तैपनि उहाँ हुनुहुन्छ भन्ने आस कायम छ । हराएको बेला ६९ वर्षका बुवा एकदम स्वस्थ्य हुनुहुन्थ्यो । कुनै रोगव्याधीले आक्रमण गरेको थिएन । बुवाका साथी उपेन्द्रमान मल्ल सक्रिय नै हुनुहुन्छ । विश्ववन्धु थापा उहाँभन्दा जेठो हुनुहुन्छ । यो बेला बुवाको विचार,अहिलेको अवस्थामा विचारको सान्दर्भिकतबारे परिवारमै छलफल पनि गर्छौं ।

पुख्र्यौली थातथलो कालीकोट हो । पृथ्वीनारायण शाहले काठमाडौं चढाई गर्नुअघि नै पुर्खा काठमाडौं भित्रिसकेका थिए । हाम्रो थातथलो ललितपुरको झरुवारासी हो । कालीकोटबाट उपत्यका छिरेका विष्टहरू अहिलेको ललितपुरमा धेरै छन् । बागमती नजिक अहिलेको ललितपुरमा विष्टहरू काठमाडौंमाभन्दा बेसी छन् ।

बाल्यकालमा फर्केर बुवालाई सम्झिन्छु । उहाँ हामीलाई सोझै पढ—पढ भनेर दबाब दिनुहुन्नथ्यो । बरु पढनका लागि वातावरण मिलाइदिने खालको स्वभाव थियो । त्यो बेला बुबाले चेस, स्क्र्याबल ल्याइदिएको सम्झन्छु । पकेट डिक्सनरी, एटलास उपलब्ध गराइदिने गर्नुहुन्थ्यो । उहाँको यो तरिकाले हामी सबै अभिभावकले पढ भनेर कर गर्नै नपर्ने किसिमको भयौं । अनि कुनै कुरा सिक्न खोज्दा हौस्याउने बानी थियो उहाँको । पौडी खेल्न जानुपर्‍यो भन्दा सिक्नुपर्छ भनेर हौस्याउने, रूख चढ्न पनि हुँदैन नभन्ने । 

यसरी छुट दिँदा बच्चा निर्भीक, आत्मनिर्भर बन्ने रहेछन् । यसैले उहाँ समय-परिस्थितिभन्दा निकै अघि सोच्ने हुनुहुन्थ्यो । तैपनि बुवाको खासै टाइम हामीले पाएनौं । उहाँ यायावर स्वभावको, घुम्ने-खोजी गर्न हिँडिरहने । घरबाट निस्केपछि महिनौं नफर्किने । विदेश गएपछि वर्षौ । छोराछोरीको प्रेरणा बनिदिनुभयो, डोहोर्‍याउन टाइम उहाँसँग थिएन । बुवाकै कारण सानैदेखि घुम्ने बानी बनेको थियो ।

सामन्ती प्रभावको समाजमा उहाँ दरबारले पत्याएका मान्छे । तैपनि त्यति पहिले नै यस्तो विद्रोही चेत कहा"बाट आयो होला भनेर घोत्लिन्छु । विष्टहरू हृष्टपुष्ट थिए, सैनिक हुन्थे । राणाकालको अन्ततिर लिम्बुवानमा विद्रोह भएपछि बबरशमशेरले मेरो हजुरबा मेजरलाई सैनिक टुकडी लिएर दमनमा जान भनेछन् । उहाँले सोझै नेपाली दाजुभाइसँग लड्न जागिर खाएको हैन भनेर इन्कार गर्नुभएछ । बुवामा विद्रोही स्वभाव रगतमै थियो होला ।

बुवा बडा अव्यवस्थित हुनुहुन्थ्यो । अनुशासित रुटिन थिएन । घरमा छँदा बिहान चाँडै उठेर बगैंचाको स्याहार गर्नु उहाँको नियमित काम थियो । लेखपढमा केही रुटिन थिएन । दुईतीन दिन पढेको पढ्यै पनि गर्नुहुन्थ्यो, दुईतीन दिन किताबै नछोइ पनि बिताइदिनुहुन्थ्यो । मुडअनुसार काम गर्ने स्वभाव थियो । लवाइमा तडकभडक थिएन । जागिरमा दौरासुरुवाल लाउनै पर्ने । अरूबेला जे सजिलो हुन्छ त्यो लगाउने गर्नुहुन्थ्यो । आफैं गएर राम्रा लुगा किन्ने उहाँलाई फुर्सद थिएन । दौरा च्यातिएछ भने तुन्द्याओ न त भन्नुहुन्थ्यो । तर सफा टक्टकार हुनुपर्थ्यो।

उहाँ त्रिचन्द्र कलेजबाट बीए पास । लेखपढमा औधी रुचि । शेर्पाबारे अनुसन्धान गर्न नेपाल आएका ब्रिटिस प्रोफेसर हाइमन्डर्फको सहयोगी भई शेर्पाको अनुसन्धान गर्न सोलुखुम्बु गएपछि उहाँको बाटो बदलियो । हाइमन्डर्फको संगतमा उहाँमा जातजातिको अध्ययन गर्ने प्यास जाग्यो र अनुसन्धान विधि पनि सिकायो । तर, तिनै हाइमन्डर्फ उनका अध्ययनमा तगारो बनिदिए । सन् १९६०–१९६२ उहाँ युनिभर्सिटी अफ लन्डनमा अध्यापन गर्नुहुन्थ्यो । उहाँले मानवशास्त्रमा डिप्लोमा गर्नुभयो । थप अध्ययन गर्ने वातावरण बिथोलिदिन थाले ।

हाइमन्डर्फ नेपाल बुझेको विद्वानको रूपमा पश्चिमा देशमा कहलिइसकेका थिए । सँगै काम गर्दा बुवाको मेधावी पनि नबुझ्ने कुरै थिएन । नेपाल विज्ञको आफ्नो ताज खोसिएला कि भन्ने डर भयो । यसैले उनले पश्चिमा देशमा पढ्न नदिन हरसम्भव प्रयास गरे । मैले पनि बीए पास गरेपछि मानवशास्त्रमा पीएचडी गर्ने भएँ । 'सहयोग गर्ने हो ? ' भनेर एकचोटी हाइमन्डर्फलाई जिस्क्याएको थिए" । उनले रातोपिरो मुख लाएर मलाई झम्टिउलाझै गरेका थिए । बुुवालाई रोक्न खोज्ने उनले मलाई सघाउने सम्भावना थिएन, उनको सहयोग लिनु पनि थिएन–खाली केभन्दा रहेछन् भनेर जा"च्न खोजेको थिए" । मैंले फ्रान्समा पढ्ने प्रबन्ध मिलाएँ, मास्टर्स र पीएचडी पेरिसमै सकाएँ ।

पहिलो किताब 'पिपल अफ नेपाल' (सन १९६७) ले नै बुबालाई चर्चित बनायो । लन्डनबाट फर्केपछि यूएसएआइडी ज्वाइन गर्नुभएको थियो, अनुसन्धानदाताको पदमा । त्यही रहँदा पिपल अफ नेपाल लेख्नुभयो । त्यो किताब लेख्दा हामी कालीमाटी बस्थ्यौं,बुवाको अफिस रविभवनमा थियो । लेख्नका लागि उहा"लाई राति अबेरसम्म बस्न पाउने सुविधा थियो । बुवा राति अबेरसम्म बसेर लेख्नु हुन्थ्यो । भाइ (केशरबहादुर विष्ट) र म टिफिन क्यारिअरमा भात लिएर यूएसएडको अफिसमा जान्थ्यौं । किताब सिध्याएपछि उहाँले जागिर छाड्नुभयो ।

सूचना विभागको डाइरेक्टर नारायण बाँस्कोटा (डा.अशोक बाँस्कोटाका बुवा) ले किताब छाप्छु भनेका थिए । पिपल अफ नेपाल छापिएपछि राजद्रोहको मुद्दा लगाउन लविङ भयो । नेपाल टुक्र्याउन खोजेको आरोप लाग्यो । देशका विविध जातजाति र तिनका भाषा-संस्कृतिबारे लेखेर सबैलाई सचेत गराइदिएकोमा हिन्दुकरणका पक्षपातीहरू आक्रोशित थिए । एकातिर राजा महेन्द्रले डोरबहादुर विष्टलाई राजद्रोह लगाउनपर्छ भन्नेका कुरा सुन्दै गर्दा तत्कालीन युवराज वीरेन्द्रको विदेशीलाई दिने उपहार नै पिपल अफ नेपाल बनिसकेको थियो । विदेश भ्रमण जाँदा होस् वा नेपालमै विदेशी भेट्दा'नेपाल बुझ्न यो पढ्नुपर्छ' भन्दै 'पिपल अफ नेपाल' दिन्थे । सरकारकै निकाय (सूचना विभाग) किताब छाप्ने, युवराज किताब उपहार दिने लेखकमाथि राजद्रोहको मुद्दा लगाउन लविङ–गज्जबको अवस्था बनेको थियो ।

राजा महेन्द्रले कुरा सबैका सुने तर मुद्दा लगाउन मानेनन् । महेन्द्रले सरकारी निकाय छाप्ने, युवराज उपहार दिने अनि तिमीहरू मुद्दा लगाउनुपर्छ भन्ने फटाहाहरू भनेरे भन्ने सुनियो । जातजाति, भेषभूषा, संस्कृतिका बारे छर्लंग पारेर जनजाति भर्सेज बाहुन-क्षेत्रीको कलह रोपिदियो भन्ने अनुदार अहिले पनि नभेटिने हैनन् । तर आफ्नै देशका जातजातिको परिचय लेख्नुलाई गलत ठान्ने कस्तो प्रवृत्ति होला ।

सन् १९७२ देखि १९७५ बुबा ल्हासामा महावाणिज्य दूत हुनुहुन्थ्यो । फर्केपछि ल्हासाकै परिवेशमा 'सोताला' उपन्यास र 'रिपोर्ट फ्रम ल्हासा' लेख्नुभयो । उहाँ एउटै काममा लामो समय टिक्नुहुन्थेन । ल्हासाबाट फर्केपछि सरकारी सेवा निरन्तरता दिन चाहनु भएन । अघि १९५२ देखि १९५७ आदर्श कन्या निकेतन, ललितपुरको हेडमास्टर हुनुभएको थियो ।त्यसपछि शिक्षकहरूलाई तालिम दिने जागिर खाएर डँडेलधुरा र धरानमा बिताउनुभएको थियो । ल्हासाबाट फर्केपछि पञ्चायत जाँचबुझ केन्द्रमा केही समय काम गर्नुभयो ।

१९९१ मा प्रकाशित 'फेटलिजम एन्ड डेभलपमेन्ट' ले नेपाली समाजलाई हल्लाइदियो । हिन्दुधर्मबाट विकृत भएर बनेको बाहुनवादले मुलुकको विकास हुन दिएन भन्ने उहाँको तर्क थियो । ब्राह्मण, क्षेत्री, वैश्य र शुद्रमा वर्गीकरण गरी हिन्दु धर्ममा कट्टर बनाउने काम मनुस्मृतिले सुरु गर्‍यो । तिमीले गर्ने काम जन्मिुनुअघि नै निर्धारित छन्, फुत्किन पाउँदैनौ भनियो । काम गर फलको आस नगर, जुन कामका लागि जन्मिएका हौं, त्यही गर भनियो । यो जुनीको फल अर्को जुनीमा पाउँछौ भनेपछि त मान्छेले काम नगर्ने भयो, अर्को जुनीको आश गरेर बस्नुपर्ने भयो । मान्छे परिणाममुखी बन्दैन । भाग्यमा विश्वास गर्ने भएपछि अन्ततः विकास भएन भन्ने उहाँको निष्कर्ष हो ।

धेरैजना रिसाए । ब्राह्मण साथीहरू 'म पनि बाहुन, खोइ म भाग्यवादी छैन' भन्थे । पढालिखा अधिकांश बाहुन भएकाले एउटा दृष्टिकोणले मात्र हेर्ने गरियो । यो बाहुनमाथिको हमला ठानियो । अहिले पढालिखा विद्वान अरू पनि छन् । बाहुन हुनुको फाइदा लिएर तरक्की गर्ने ब्राह्मणमात्र छैनन् । जुन प्रवृत्तिको कारण उहाँले समाज पछि पर्‍यो भन्नुभएको छ, त्यही प्रवृत्तिबाट फाइदा लिने, पक्षपोषण गर्नेले हमला गरेका हुन् । अहिले त्यो सोच त हाबी छैन । सैद्धान्तिक रूपमा प्रश्न गर्ने बाहुन, गैरबाहुन जोसुकै हुन सक्छ । उहाँको विचारलाई जुनबेला आवश्यक पर्छ उठाउने प्रवृत्ति छ । माओवादीले पनि कुनै बेला भाग्यवादको कुरा गरे । तर आफैं भैंसी पूजा गर्न थालेपछि त्यो मुद्दा उठाउने कुरा भएन । कसैको विरोध गर्नु थियो, मुद्दा उठाए । अब आफैं बाहुनवादमा डुबुल्की मार्न थाले ।

आफ्नो लागि केही पनि नगर्ने उहाँको बानी थियो । लुगाफाटो कहिल्यै आफू नकिन्ने । हामी सानै छँदा मुमाले ल्याइदिनुहुन्थ्यो, हामी ठूलो भएपछि बुवाको दौरा फाटिसकेछ ल्याइद्याओ भन्दिनु हुन्थ्यो । दौरा फाटेछ भन्दा तुन्द्याओ न त भन्नुहुन्थ्यो । जुत्ता फाटिसकेको हुन्थ्यो, चलेकै छ भन्नुहुन्थ्यो । यो त भएन भनेर ल्याइदिनपर्ने । एकचोटी बुवा जापानमा हुँदा म पनि पुगेँ । चिसो ठाउँ छ, बुवाले न्यानो लुगा लगाउनु भएको छैन । कोठामा खोजेँ, न्यानो लुगै छैन । अनि मैंले बजार लिएर गई लुगाहरू छानें, पैसा आफैं तिर्नुभयो ।

आफ्नो भएपछि अरूलाई दिइहाल्ने बानी थियो बुबाको । केही चीज पायो भने दिइहाल्ने । विदेशबाट केही सामान ल्यायो भने पनि कल्लाई दिउ कल्लाई दिउ हुन थाल्थ्यो । खल्तीमा पैसा भएपछि अब कल्लाई दिउ हुन्थ्यो । जसलाई आवश्यक छ भन्ने ठानेको हुन्छ दिइहाल्ने । बुढेसकालमा चाहिन्छ भनेर जोगाउने भन्ने थिएन । आफ्नो लागि नसोच्ने भएकाले यो पुगेन, त्यो पुगेन भन्ने गुनासो सुनिएन । राजा वीरेन्द्रले एकदम मन पराउँथे । वीरेन्द्रले डोरबहादुरले केही मागे हुन्थ्यो भने जसरी धेरैचोटी व्यवहार गरे । तर उहाँले कहिले माग्नु भएन । राजाको पनि इगो हात तल पारेर मागेपछि दिने हो । यही बानीको कारण बक्सिसमा केही पाउनु भएन, त्यो बेला बक्सिस पाउँदा गर्व हुने बेला थियो, अहिले हामीलाई नपाएकोमा गर्व छ ।

मानवको अध्ययन गरेँ, ती पछि पर्नुका कारण पनि खोतलेँ तर इतिहास थाहा पाउँदैमा के भयो त, तिनीहरू पिछडिनुको कारण लेखेर के भयो त अब तिनलाई विकास गरेर देखाइदिन्छु भनेर कर्णाली कर्णाली इन्स्टिच्युट खोल्नु भयो । विकासको एउटा मोडल देखाइदिन्छु भनेर सुरु गर्नुभएको थियो । खस जातिको थप अनुसन्धानका साथै विकास गर्ने उहाँको योजना हो, कर्णाली इन्स्टिच्युट । १९९१ मा सुरु गरिएको इन्स्टिच्युटले स्थानीय शिक्षकहरूलाई तालिम दिने, विदेशी स्वयम्सेवक बोलाएर तालिम दिलाउने,शैक्षिक सामग्री उपलब्ध गराउने आदि काम गर्थ्यो । कीर्तिपुरका सिकर्मी, डकर्मी लगेर कर्णालीमा तालिम दिइएको थियो । केटाकेटीलाई खेलकुदमा उत्प्रेरित गथ्र्यो । कर्णालीमा दुर्गन्ध आए, बस्ती आएछ भन्छन् । 

सरसफाइमा सचेत गराउने प्रयास गर्‍यो । आधारभूत स्वास्थ्यमा सचेत गराउने काम गर्‍यो । जेहेनदार विद्यार्थी काठमाडौं ल्याएर प्रयोजक खोजेर पढाउने काम पनि गर्‍यो । ठूलो दाताको सहयोगमा सुरु गरिएको थिएन त्यो । अर्थवाच भन्ने स्वयम्सेवी सञ्जालले सघाएको थियो । जर्मन राजदूतले आफ्नो फन्डबाट माइक्रोहाइड्रो आदिमा लगानी गरिदिएका थिए । बुवाले कन्सल्टेन्सी, लेक्चरबाट पाएको पैसा पनि यसैमा हाल्नुहुन्थ्यो । गाउँलेसँगै बस्ने, खाने, तिनलाई सचेत गराउने शैलीमा कार्यक्रम चलेको थियो । आठ वर्षको जागिरमा इसिमोडमा विरक्तिएपछि म पनि केही वर्ष बुवालाई सघाउन जुम्ला बसेँ । तर, डानिडाको स्थानीय स्वायत्त शासन कार्यक्रममा जागिर पाएपछि फर्किएँ । इन्स्टिच्युट सुरु भएको पाँच वर्षमै हराउनु भएकाले मोडल देखाइदिने उहाँको सपना पूरा भएन ।

बुवाले बीए पास गर्नुभएको । मैले मानवशास्त्रमै पीएचडी गरेँ । तर बुवाको पदचिन्हमा हिँड्न सकिनँ । मलाई कतिले ज्ञानी हुन बुवाजस्तै घरपरिवारको वास्ता नगरी यायावर भएर हिँड्नपर्ने रहेछ पनि भन्छन् । तर त्यस्तो हैन । ज्ञानी हुन यायावर नै हुनुपर्दैन । मेरो बुवा यायावर हुनुभयो । तर घरपरिवार सबै सम्हालेर पनि ज्ञानी भएका नेपालमै पनि छन् । मुख्य कुरा संकल्प हो । निस्वार्थ संकल्प भएपछि पूरा गर्ने बाटो विविध हुन्छन् । कसले घर गृहस्थी छाडेर गर्छन्, कसैले पारिवारिक दायित्व पूरापूर गरेर पनि लक्ष्य प्राप्त गर्छन् । मैले बुवाजस्तो दुःख गरिनँ ।

@ The Annapurna Post

Rising Ambedkarite assertion is the biggest challenge to brahmanical hegemony in India

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat

Hyderabad Central University scholar Rohit Vemula's tragic death has created a sense of grief and outrage all over the country. Students are at unease and the nation perhaps for the first time after years reflecting the somber mood that something terribly wrong has happened. Rohith's extraordinary letter in death has become a classic perhaps for every one of us to keep us, read and reread it and ponder over as who is responsible for Rohith's untimely death.

There are a number of people right from the right-winger to left thinkers to Ambedkarites who are decrying Rohith's suicide while many making this act as a heroic. I want to make it very clear that Rohith was not a coward even when his last act showed that he had lost hope from all corners perhaps including his own people who he might have thought would help him. We are happy that teachers are not taking classes and seeking revocation of the suspension of these students but why has it taken so long since August. Can't we understand and read a young sensitive mind who come under tremendous pressure with loads of hope from families that their children will study and will get a job. Definitely many become vocal in politics and social movements which is important but none can deny that the hope and aspirations of their parents is that they will study and find a stable honorable lives for them. Hence, Rohith did not get justice from the University, which remain absolute brahmanical in nature with Dronacharayas sitting and wanting every one to become an Eklavya. Today's Ambedkarite students are not ready to become Eklavya and that is the root cause of brahmanical games of 'saam daam dand bhed' to crush the revolutionary spirit of Ambedkarism which has become the main challenging ground to brahmanical hegemony.  Therefore, it is important to understand that while the parochial brahmanical forces were doing their work what did we do or plan to do in future to stop such desperation of our bright young children. We can't allow this to happen but for that we need lot of introspection, which people ignore deliberately in their blame game, which of course is well known to all of us. My only point is that it is time we create a strong support and solidarity group of people in every city which not only support them in their future endeavors but most importantly act on time to suggest the right guidance which does not destroy their life due to our rhetoric and jargons.

After May 2014 elections, the Hindutva forces have been active in the University campuses all over the country as education is the most important sector for the Sangh Parivar. ABVP is hyper active and they are after all those who differ with them. Ambedkarite students have become the 'biggest''threat' for them apart from the left. The Hindutva was quite comfortable with Congress's upper caste seculars who did not change radically. The left associations and student Unions in the past had been anti reservationists and therefore there was a huge credibility crisis particularly whenever question of their relationship with the Dalit Bahujan organisations came into focus but off late organisations like AISA have been raising this issue and worked more on the Dalit issues which is a positive side. Dalit groups too have understood that if there is a possibility of alliance it could only be with the left progressive elements who have to focus not just on imperialism and capitalism of international variety but Brahmin bania imperialism in India too. Unless we speak unambiguously on the brahmanical imperialism in India and the way it enslaved people and tried to crush their spirit, we can't really eliminate it. The Ambedkarite-Periyarist—Phule-ite Bahujan philosophy and social action has revitalized the entire movements and they become the real challenge for the brahmanical elite class who are ready to discuss 'pros and cons' of 'international terrorism', American imperialism and capitalism but glorify 'Indian' culture as the 'most''tolerant'. So the Hindutva is comfortable in countering every one on international ground or when you start speaking on Islam as they want to look more 'liberal' in all terms than the theocratic Saudi regime. Dalit Bahujan discourse is a nightmare for Hindutva intellectuals as well as those who claim to be 'liberal'. I can vouch many of the so-called intellectuals, sarkari babus in our secretariat; professors in our universities have filled with filth regarding Ambedkar. Once you speak to them their faces turn pale. Dalit Bahujan discourse actually exposes the brahmanical myth of tolerance and multiculturalism and therefore there are attempt to crush this spirit through various means. When you fail through a counter arguments then bring the 'power' of administration to suppress these voices. Yes, the biggest power to crush rising Dalit Bahujan assertion in India is actually brahmanical manipulation in power circles whether it is administration, judiciary and finally horizon of media which is totally in the control of corporate misinterpreting everything.

I would just narrate one incident on January 18^th at the Shastri Bhavan in Delhi when the students of various Universities in Delhi protested. The media was making a mockery of the students. Some of the photographers were aiming to take photographs of some of the girl students who were standing at one corner talking among them, perhaps smoking. The photographers wanted to take a photograph perhaps for a negative comment. There was verbal altercation when a girl stopped them to take photograph or video of a private affair. The reporter including the Times Now was angry and was shouting,' if we put our cemara down, the police will beat them up and none would care for them.. aukat samajh aa jayegi' he said. Many of the reporters wanted to walk out from the place but perhaps the incident was so powerful that they could not do so. At four when all the students came from JNU, the police did not give them time and started using water cannon. I was taking photographs but became very upset and in exasperation I shouted this is unethical. A media photographer who was taking photographs asked why you think police is wrong? How will they handle these students who are hooligans. Does the media feel that the protesters have no right to protest against something wrong has happened? We can understand police's duty but when there is section 144 then why police allow the protest? When the protest is there why cant the Ministers or bureaucrats come and speak to students? Why they allowed the students to be handled by the police who misbehaved with them.

Today, HRD Minister Smriti Irani said this is not a caste issue. BJP is trying to convey that Bandaru Dattratreya is a backward caste person. A TRS MP said on TV that the Rohith was not a Dalit. What do they want to convey. They say that Rohith has not charged any one in his letter written before suicide and that he was suffering from depression. We want to ask who called Rohith anti national? Why is the Sangh Parivar not allowing students to organize seminars, conferences of their choices including film, Mujaffarnagar abhi baki hai when they can bring a Subrahmanyan Swamy to Delhi University and organize a seminar on Ayodhya. The entire government machinery is clearly visible here in the service of brahmanical forces and the real threat for them come from the Ambedkar-Periyar-Phule discourse and therefore attempt to deify Ambedkar and deny his literature to people and crush the spirit of those who swear by his idealism. Many of our friends were upset with political leaders visiting Hyderabad University but why are two chief minister M/s KCR and Chandra Babu Naidu silent on the issue? The PM who tweet every day has kept quiet so far though he speak through his arrogant spokesperson appearing on various corporate channels.

Rohith's letter to Vice Chancellor on December 18th is widely been ignored where he calls him worst than Donald Trump and asked him to give suicide pills and a rope to all the Dalit students so that the University can live in peace. This is a castigation of the entire structure of Hyderabad University, which has seen shameless caste discrimination over the year. There are reports that around reports that in the past 15 years over 10 Dalit students have committed suicide inside the Hyderabad University Campus, which indicate how the University has become a slaughterhouse for the Ambedkarite Dalit students.  We don't know whether the University ever felt necessity to look into these affairs as why one community of students feeling suffocated and isolated. Unfortunately, in the caste ridden Indian academia the answer to these questions would be that they don't have 'merit' or the people suffering from depression or other psychological disorder as the Sangh Parivar elements are now claiming about Rohith.

Sangh Parivar's lie machine is at work. Having been exposed on the issue of their anti-Dalit stand, they are now trying to save face and charging Rohith and other students with various charges including being arrogant and terming every one  as 'brahmanical' who disagree with them. The fact is that Rohith's letter to vice chancellor is an eye opener and it is surprising why the VC did not even bother to speak to him and other boys. Was it because they were Dalits and particularly Ambedkarites ?  It is now coming to light now that the action taken against Rohith and his friends were on the basis of order from Union HRD Minister Ms Smriti Irani who claimed that her Ministry does not interfere in the 'University' administration'.  Ms Irani has become the hallmark of what is ailing our educational system. She has lost the plot as she continue to play in the hands of Sangh Pracharaks who are determined to destroy our education system and corrupt it with their brahmanical thoughts. It is not without doubt that people like Deenanath Batra are welcome in the HRD while a sinister campaign is launched against the respected historians terming them as 'left wing'. It looks as if the Ministry is on the fast mode to change everything, which has rightly been defined by Sitaram Yechury as Hindutva Revival Department (HRD). The letter written by Smriti Irani on the instance of another Minister from the state Mr Bandaru Datratreya clearly violate the autonomy of an institution which Ms Irani is claiming so proudly to show her innocence.

The worst part is the Hindutva machinery outside is terming now that Rohith was suffering from some mental disorder or depression because his friends had not supported him. Whether Rohith's friend supported him or not is another matter but in this case the Hindutva's monsters can not shy away from the fact that they are prima facie the people who were responsible for his death. The Vice Chancellor of the University was simply an administrator who did not stand in front of the pressure being put by the political leaders and a letter from HRD minister was treated like an order.

Today, many in the media are crying how a Dalit student has faced the wrath. Some are suggesting that this is not caste violence but a case of two groups fighting with each other and political leaders jumping in to support their group. This is a clear attempt to deflate the whole issue of caste prejudices prevalent in our institutions. Sangh's open agenda is to kill the rebellion spirit among students particularly those with Ambedkarite stream hence it is working on multiple agenda. One side, it is pushing Ambedkar to a demi god status by erecting memorials many of which were being demanded by Dalits for years but at the same point of time it need to be know whether the government is sincerely created these monuments or spending money from Special Component Plans for Dalits. At the time when Dalit scholars are not getting scholarship, when the government has stopped all the welfare measures in our villages, when the land and livelihood of our people are being snatched to make way for big corporations to loot them, it is Hippocratic to think that this government respect Ambedkar and his socialist vision. Ambedkar might have issues with various political leaders of his time but it does not mean he was pro Sangh or pro capitalist both of whom he despised terming the Hindu Raj as calamity for the nation. The government has clearly do not believe in Ambedkar's socialist agenda and hence the students and all the followers of Dr Ambedkar who are alive because of his writings and life for the cause have become a threat for the Hindutva status quoists. As Ambedkar said, he would love if there were Voltaire's here who could dissent against the brahmanical hegemony, which that was complete. Today, this hegemony is being challenged by none other than young revolutionary Ambedkarites who did not pick up guns but who with their thoughts and ideas have become the biggest dissenters of our time against Brahmanism which is being claimed by Bandaru Datratreya and others like him as being 'anti national'. Yes, speaking against brahmanical crookedness in India is next to being anti-national in the eyes of those who did nothing except selling this nation to foreign multinationals and were absolutely absent during our freedom struggle.

Institutions feel offended if you suggest you want to speak to student on Ambedkar's vision of India. We have faced this many times. At one premier institution in Delhi where I was a guest speaker two years back, I was not allowed to speak by a senior faculty when I raised caste question. Can you imagine this happen in a prestigious medical college of Delhi and student and faculty remain helpless as none wanted to disturb. The brahmanical status-quoists under this government have been blowing their trumpet very high. They have become extra powerful thinking they can do anything at their whims and fancies because they think nothing would happen to them.

The education system suffers from the Dronacharya syndrome. The teachers don't want Dalit students. If they are there, they want to make them 'mainstream' which means you don't ask any uncomfortable question but most of the time complains about you. Most of them are patronizing and at many central Universities, which I call, have been converted to merely primary schools where master scholars are suppose to just listen. Many of the students who wanted to speak to me about their subjects stop because they suggest that if they write of what I tell them will not fetch them good marks. So even if you don't like Lord Rama or can expose the entire Ramayana or Gandhi, you have to love them in your answer-sheets otherwise you may lose good marks. What kind of institutions are we making? What kind of students will we create where you have to just appreciate the brahmanical dharma as the best culture of the world, the most tolerant, vibrant and in this context the Dalit Bahujan thought is a direct challenge. None other apologetic of tolerance brand will challenge it as the brahmanical supremacy has to be exposed through their own mythological crookedness and when you force students to write about their greatness then one can understand what kind of scholar will we create from the corrupted institutions.

Go to any university and seek the books of social sciences. How many of our students in the schools and colleges know about Savitri Bai Phule, Joti Rao Phule, EVR Periyar, Sahu Ji Maharaj or even Bhagat Singh. All the students have known to these icons through their socializing and external efforts and not through our regular curriculum where you find Gandhi, Ram Mohan Roy, Vivekananda, Dayananda Saraswati and many more. Ambedkar is reduced to the constitutional drafter and Bhagat Singh, a hotheaded person who disagreed with Gandhi. Now we are getting new icons in history who are Deen dayal Upadhyaya and his integral humanism, Veer Savarkar who sought relief from the British and apologized, Shayama Prashad Mukherjee and many others who mostly sided with the British.

Definitely our educational institutions are under the brahmanical assault which got emboldened under the new power elite took over India but Rohith's death has a lot to be answered by all others who were he close associate. Many friends suggest he should have fought but we must realize he was fighting since August so what has happened? Why did he commit suicide? Why did he write that he is still alone and felt unwanted since childhood? A person who is with the social movements and yet feeling lonely is a big answer to many things. We must understand that as a student his first aim was to complete his education as he was carrying a lot of hope from the family and friends who were supporting that time.  Since August, he had not got his scholarship money from the university and for the past 12 days he was out in open. People came and joined hand but it too delayed response when the things were lying since August. Why is that we could not resolve this issue? Why is that friends in and around Hyderabad who might be in the faculty, teachers, academics, administrators ever tried to resolve this issue which should not have been a big deal even if the Sangh was asking for their rustication. Was Rohith frustrated that there was no solution in the sight and that merely sitting on hunger strike or dharna is not going to take him anywhere? It happens. We have seen when we fight for a cause. Many times the cause is left deep aside and the leaders carry one with the issue. Their interest is not in solving the issue but carrying it forward, making noise. These are dark realities of our time. You might be looking the issue from your 'big' angle but for those for whom every single minute remaining outside and losing their time is painful, agonizing is a terrible wait. People don't wait when justice is delayed whether by the delaying tactics of people or legalities of judiciary. For a young fresh sensitive mind, these are hard to bear. He fell to it. Definitely that is not a crime. It is our abject helplessness. When one sees no solution in sight he become a loner or at the end lose hope in everything including himself. When one sees becoming a tamasha himself a sensitive soul will walk out. That is the reality of our time. I can vouch for it as I have passed through this phases in my life feeling utterly lonely from childhood and it remain till today even when I am very active with people. It is terrible. We can fight with our enemies but we become helpless when those we expect to support and stand with us are not there or just using it. Dalit Students need peer support groups who are in effective positions around them, who can guide them and resolve the issue through negotiations or even by approaching to right authorities or courts. Young minds cannot sit on indefinite dharnas in front of those where none listen to you, this deaf and dumb government but from our side, we cannot afford to lose them and hence it is the duty of those who can influence administration and staff locally. Universities must be given clear guidelines, as they have no right to destroy the career of students and must be given everything in writing. The government departments whether educational institutions or secretariat never give anything in writing or never even acknowledge a letter. This must be made mandatory as what efforts the institution did to bring the students back to his studies. Universities or law cannot be for retribution otherwise there is no difference between us and IS.

The University Vice Chancellor need to own the responsibility apart from the Union HRD Minister and the other minister Bandaru Datratreya. As I said Dalit students face deep rooted prejudices in our campuses and isolation is not the issue. Will the government ask the universities to form special committees so when such cases come they are handed sensitively? Can we ask the government to make stricter law so that students do not face harassment because of their caste, identities and ideologies? Let universities and colleges become space for diverse opinion, dissent and sensitive to the cause of society, which will help India in creating an enlightened society. We must remember that youth will revolt against parochial and vicious 'moral policing' of all kind if allowed in the campus. Ambedkarites youths want a modern democratic republic of Dr Ambedkar's dream and perhaps that is the biggest challenge for those whose dream a Manuwadi India. Rohith's death has clearly shown the line that it is fight between Manuwad and Manavvad and you have to decide which side of ideology do you wish to associate as your decision will make or break India.

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आजकल

यह इनके रुखसती का वक्त है, अपढ़ों का खेल है कितनी देर टिकेगा ?

लोकसंघर्ष

गाँधी ही निशाने पर हैं, गोडसे की औलादें इधर भी हैं-उधर भी हैं

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The Hindutva agenda is all about killing the idea of India!As KU Klax Klan India launched hate campaign against Rohith as Manusmriti failed to defend indefensible!

Meanwhlie,Former Union minister and member of the BJP national executive Sanjay Paswan made a not-so-veiled attack on the government headed by his own party over the suicide of University of Hyderabad scholar Rohith Vemula.

 IIT students and faculties in different parts of the nation stand united against this regime of extreme fascism.

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Sanjay Paswan‏@sanjaypaswanbjp

the stake holders of power politics must take serious note of rohit vemula episode or be ready to face wrath , revenge , revolt , reactions

Palash Biswas

 IIT students and faculties in different parts of the nation stand united against this regime of extreme fascism.

It is rather inhuman that the criminal regime of apartheid exposed naked has opted for defamation having already played the OBC Trump Card.But singling out the untouchables might have been in vogue to continue Manusmriti rule,Manusmriti miserable failed as spokes person of the Indian neonazi KU KLAX Klan.

Now,Biranchi Baba has to address the Dalit Vote Bank as Mayawati visited Hyderbad Centarl university and as Dilip C Mandal infomed me different factions of Bamcef have already launched a mass awareness campaign,the Hindutva brigade has launched a hate campaign against dead child Rohith to kill the source of the inspiration for equality, justice, unity,tolerance and pluralism.

The significant pointI missed out is that some faculty members also participated in the demonstration on Wednesday!

IIT Kharagpur- Protest against Rohit's Death

I am sorry that we are quite unaware about the activities in our IITs and IIMs.It is general trend like some suprestition that we do not consider our best students and faculties whenever we tray to focus on real issues.

It is true that they understand economics ,politics and society better than us.

Without active support from these supreme institutions of knowledge in a free market economy governed by criminal hegemony of apartheid,we may not resist with a vision methodically.

We have been caught quite unaware that these students and faculties best known for hiring are not robots only,They belong to humanity and they are as much as concerned but so called.

We have information that IIT students and faculties in different parts of the nation stand united against this regime of extreme fascism.As soon as we get the details we would share.I would request friends in IIM to share their updates also.So that the mythical communication gap between these elite institutions and the people may be filled in the best interest of unity and integrity of India.

Thanks Dr.Arindam Roy to correct s and we correct with the feeling of enhanced solidarity.

Dr. Anand Teltumbde wrote:

Dear Palash,

From: Arindam Roy <roy.arindam469@gmail.com>
Date: 22 January 2016 at 02:49
Subject: Re: IIT Kharagpur- Protest against Rohit's Death
To: "Dr. Anand Teltumbde" <tanandraj@gmail.com>
Cc: ROHAN MUKHERJEE <rohanthesis@gmail.com>

Sir, 

Thanks for updating other activists about our move. We just want to mention a point to comrade Palash that it is not the first time that we have arranged a protest, last year during the Jadavpur student movement similar protest with sutudents and professors were carried out in IIT Kharagpur campus. Moreover, it needs mention that few Professors had also joined the protest yesterday.

Regards,

Meanwhlie,Former Union minister and member of the BJP national executive Sanjay Paswan made a not-so-veiled attack on the government headed by his own party over the suicide of University of Hyderabad scholar Rohith Vemula.

Mr Paswan, who had also headed the party's Scheduled Caste Morcha in the run up to the General Elections of 2014 tweeted that "the stake holders of power politics must take serious note of Rohith Vemula episode or be ready to face wrath, revenge, revolt, reactions."

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Sanjay Paswan‏@sanjaypaswanbjp

the stake holders of power politics must take serious note of rohit vemula episode or be ready to face wrath , revenge , revolt , reactions

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Referenc to:

For the first time,IIT Kharagpur students demonstrated for a cause which is not limited within the campus,which though still may boast of the pride of Hijli Barracks wherein the East India Company and the British Raj kept imprisoned the freedom fighters since 1757.

IIT Kharagpur students stand united with the students and youth countrywide.It is almost a history because these students are better known for RS Two Crore Campus recruitment and still it is the number one institution.Media would not cover the turnaround to focus the point that generation next cares for the nation and the masses and they also as Indian citizens are concerned most to ensure equality,justice,pluralism ,tolerance and peace.

Dr.Anand Teltumbde just returned from Hyderabad and would write ground zero report very soon.He called me and I requested him to send the IIT report that so that the best of our students in the best campus stand with the students and youth crying justice!He did it thanks Anand!

Palash Biswas

Dr.Anand Teltumbed wrote:

Previous two mails were on the protest demonstration against the Central University of Hyderabad that unleashed spate of harassment of the dalit students belonging to Ambedkar Students Association, which has already taken a toll of one brilliant life -- Rohith vemula.

The write up is the pamphlet that was distributed and the handwritten posters pasted on walls at prominent public places.

A march was conducted i which many students participated.  

"The value of a man was reduced to his immediate identity and nearest possibility. To a vote. To a number. To a thing. Never was a man treated as a mind. As a glorious thing made up of star dust. In every field, in studies, in streets, in politics, and in dying and living"

– Rohith Vemula

In any 'free' country, protests symbolize a 'healthy and functioning' democracy, however under the current political dispensation, the message is bold and clear, 'if you are not with us, you are against us'. Like Bush Junior's famous axis of evil, the list of anti-national elements is ever expanding, anyone who voices a 'different' opinion. Once you are stuck with such a label, the fascists enjoy the power of judge, jury and executioner over the hapless targets. Rohith's case is no different than this. He had potential and a bright future ahead. He might have been someone.

Rohith Vemula was a young Dalit research scholar and student activist of the University of Hyderabad, who was among five students suspended by the administration and protesting against it. Rohith was forced to kill himself because he did not stop at that cardinal sin of fighting for his own people. He dared to speak for all the marginalized ones, be it the minorities, the workers or women as a leading activist of the Ambedkar Students Association (ASA). He also protested against the capital punishment which sparked controversy between ASA and another students organization named Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).  The trouble took a sharp turn when ASA organised a protest march in August 2015 at the campus against the attack on the Montage Film Society in Delhi University by ABVP. They were attacked for screening a documentary movie 'Muzaffarnagar Baaqi Hai" that exposed the roles of Hindutva outfits in Muzaffarnagar riots in 2013. Local ABVP leader Susheel Kumar who posted a comment on Facebook calling ASA members 'goons' alleged that about 30 students belonging to the ASA had beaten him up and he had to be hospitalized. The University's Proctorial Board conducted an inquiry into the allegations with a medical examination which found no proof of injuries claimed by Susheel Kumar. But external political compulsion led to the formation of second proctorial committee which found Rohith and four others guilty of anti-national activities. This led to the eviction of Rohith and four others from hostel, library and campus public spaces. His stipend was also halted following this.

Despite the trouble and increasing tension on campus, while politicians prepared to fight on both sides, nobody bothered to reach out humanely to the students protesting by camping in the open. The suicide of students on India's best campuses is a tragedy that we do not wish to acknowledge or recognize. We ignored it.

He did not hate anyone or wish to use his final act against anyone, including those he was fighting against. He did not find space in the campus to pursue his true love — science. This intolerant situation forced Rohith to write "I always wanted to be a writer. A writer of science, like Carl Sagan. At last, this is the only letter I am getting to write"as he was sucked into the black-hole of mutual destruction by binaries that campus politics has become: You are either this or that, you are either with us or against us.

For the "murder-suicide", we blame the phantom limb of caste on which the pretentious democratic credentials of the republic are superimposed. The coward police secretly cremated Rohith's body, increasing the suspicion that it can be more than a institutional murder. We demand a detailed investigation and punishment of the guilty and oppose the institutional murder of Rohith Vemula.

A spectre will haunt the Brahmanical Academia, the spectre of Rohith Vemula!

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Disability Activists write to PM Narendra Modi on his new term 'Divyaang"

Delhi Solidarity Group strongly condemns the Institutional 'murder' of Rohit Vemula at the hands of Hyderabad Central University (HCU) and appeals to everyone to participate in the joint protest led by various students and student organizations  at MHRD, Delhi against the social boycott of 5 Dalit Scholars in HCU. The casteist, Brahminical HCU VC and the ABVP goons responsible for this caste discrimination and atrocity on dalit students should be arrested and punished immediately!!! 

We are more than 5!!!

We Demand Justice for all Dalit Scholars!!!

Date : 18 January 2016

Time: 2:00pm

At MHRD, Delhi 

 
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In Solidarity, 

Shefali

Delhi Forum 

F 10/12 (Basement),

Malviya Nagar,New Delhi-110017 

Phone: 011 - 26680883 (O), 9582671784 (M)

email: shefali@delhiforum.net 

Rohith Vemula, death of a philosopher to purify higher education

• Kancha Ilaiah, Hindustan Times
 |  
• Updated: Jan 20, 2016 08:35 IST

Police detain a student a protesting against the HRD Ministry in Delhi over the suicide of a PhD scholar Rohith Vemula. (PTI)

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The Dalit student whose suicide has generated political waves was a brilliant man. His letter to Prof Appa Rao, the newly appointed vice-chancellor of the university who was once believed to be anti-Dalit by the government, shows that at the time of his suicide, he was angry, upset and depressed.

In his letter to the VC, written on December 18, 2015, Rohith Vemula had said, "Give us poison or long ropes to hang ourselves". His suicide note was far more gracious — he blamed no one but himself to have been born in such a society.

Even in his final moments, Vemula made a major point. The institutions of higher education in India do not allow the Dalits to study and live with dignity. Obviously, what shocked him most was the letter of labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya that characterised his organisation — the Ambedkar Student Association (ASA) — as anti-national, casteist and extremist.

Rohith Vemula's memory will endure and damage the BJP

It was on the basis of this letter that the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) requested action against the five Dalit students who had allegedly organised a film show on the Muzaffarnagar communal riots and also held a discussion on Yakub Memon's hanging. Let us not forget it was just an academic discussion. Yet, members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) first disrupted that meeting and then set the political machinery in motion alleging an attack by the Dalit students on one of their activists.

Pressure mounts on Modi government to sack Dattatreya for Rohith's suicide

Since the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) stormed into power in 2014, this was the fourth major assault on Dalit rights and dignity in the country. First, the ban on the Ambedkar-Periyar Study Circle of IIT Madras, then the burning alive of Dalit children in Haryana and, finally, general VK Singh allegedly referring to them as animals. Now, it is Rohith's death and Dattatreya and the HRD ministry's perceived involvement in it.

The fact that the University of Hyderabad administration took action after the MHRD letter has raised questions on the autonomy of central universities and universities in general.

Students shout slogans and burn an effigy of Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya during a protest against the suicide of Rohith Vemula at Jantar Mantar. (Arun Sharma/ HT Photo Hindustan Times)

If vice-chancellors had a free hand to deal, without external pressure, with campus issues impartially, universities would not have become the den of suicides and violence that they are today. In the absence of such autonomy, there will be many more Rohiths.

Unfortunately, however, ever since the BJP came to power, political interference in learning institutions has seen an exponential increase. Earlier, universities were the privilege of the upper castes, but the reservation system has changed all that for the better. Non-political student organisations with modern ideologies today trump traditional, conservative groups like the ABVP in both talent and modern thinking — the creativity and dynamism of the ASA is just one example.

These small but effective student groups do not need guidance from a political party to take up contentious issues such as the beef ban or to write a new cultural idiom. Rohith was a by-product of this new cultural idiom. And, he gave up his life to spread the message that such discrimination and social boycott of Dalits/tribals can no longer be tolerated.

(Kancha Ilaiah is the author of 'Why I am Not a Hindu' and the director of Alberuni Centre for the study of social exclusion and Inclusive policy at the Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad.)

(The views expressed in this article are personal.)

 

Prof. Kancha Ilaiah Director, Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad Ph No.-040  23008335,  Mob-9704444692