Does Vajpayee deserve a Bharat ratna? maybe- he presided over the rising confidence of India and Indians. But was it all his doing alone? No doubt his government did provide a great lot of impetus- his bold initiatives like the N-test brought India right into the centre of the international community. But was he any different from say Narasimha Rao? Had Rao had his way, he would taken India past the N-post. He had a sounder anti-terrorism policy: his policies weaned the Sikh community away from external supporters of separatism, his actions immediately after the Mumbai blasts were exemplary. His economic policies laid the seed for the boom later in the decade. So in many ways, what Vajpayee precipated was infact the brew that Rao had stoked, but which was stalled by a few years of inept 'third front' governments. The Vajpayee government did a very poor job at managing its Pakistan policy, as well as its Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal policy- literally allowing the US and China to peddle their influence on our periphery! I would rate Rao many notches higher than Vajpayee, though Rao had none of the charisma of the latter.
Does Jyoti Basu deserve a Bharat ratna? I ask back 'are you joking?' What does Basu have to his credit apart from preserving over the ruination of such a prosperous and industralized state as WB? And filling WB with Bangladeshi infiltrators?
Does old Karuna deserve a Bharat ratna? again a good 'maybe'. Karuna deserves credit for steadying the ebullient and volatile ship Tamil nationalism, controlling it from drowning in separatist frenzy and directing it towards the path of reconciliation and development. He does have his many drawbacks and idisyncracies though. Although he has joined the mainstream of national politics, he has not faciliated a diaologue between the Tamils and the 'North'. Nor has he expanded the pan-Dravidian vision to faciliate a spirit of friendship between the Southern states. He has not managed to rationalize the promise of the Dravidian movement and realize a unified society - the legacy of the Dravidian movement today is the inexorable proloferation of so many caste-based outfits. Progress for Dalits is still distant. He hasnt shown a consistent Sri Lanka policy either- although that might still not be entirely of his doing, what can any one do with a mercurial personality like Prabaharan.
The only person currently being discussed, on whose behalf I will answer rather than pose the question: Kanshiram does deserve a Bharat ratna. Afterall in how many instances in the world do marginalized communities achieve social justice without 'slitting a single throat' ( see this rediff article)? His pupil and mentee Mayavati has shown the way forward for caste reconciliation in India. This man towers over all modern Hindu social reformers who in their bitterness dont think about long-term consequences of the politics of revenge.
7 comments:
You writing like this?
When did Mayawati ever achieve justice for the backward castes? May be the fact that a dalit woman has risen so high might have given dalits confidence, but is there anything more? Modi has at least GDP growth rate to boast about. Moreover she tries to woo brahmins by offering reservation to poor brahmins. She accuses Gandhiji for using an "unconstitutional" term like harijan and wants to stick to the victimization label "dalit". Communities are competing with each other to claim to being victimized - the most negative way of going about things.
The real instances of achieving ( relative ) social justice without "slitting throat" involve two phenomena :
1. Economic and concomitant social development.
2. Movements based on spirituality like Srinarayana Guru's. I would even include Gandhiji's movement. Not a trace of hatred against upper class, Britishers and the like, not a trace of running after the victim label...
BTW I am fascinated with your points regarding Vajpayee and Rao. After all that, Rao's own party treated him like trash.
Mandooka, I have nowhere claimed that Mayavati has 'achieved' social justice. Also you are mixing up the ploitics of the 'backward castes' in general with that of Mayavati: 'communities competing with each other claiming to be vicimised' is the result of the polictics of the 'Socialist' parties rather than that of the BSP. Mayavati on the other hand, has sought to unify the 'oppressed of all castes' recently- yes, I agree she isnt perfect, nor is she a saint totally, but she atleast has seen the necessity of social unity.
See the problem comes from two types of groups- the 'secularist' camp wants to 'remove' caste but in reality thrives on pitting castes against one another. The Hindutva extreme also wants to 'remove' caste, but often only speak from the point of view of the SavarNas, and almost want to deny any caste-oppression or even the evils of caste-discrimination.
I see the way BSP has moved recently, is to acknowledge caste as a reality, but rather work on reconciliation. I consider this a positive development.
now whether the term 'Harijan' is unconstitutional or not, it is certainly patronizing and Gandhiji perhaps was not the authority to confer the status of 'people of Hari' on someone. yes, 'dalit' is a victimization label, but has victimization stopped in India yet? 16% or more of India are the 'scheduled' castes and tribes- how many have seen the light of reform fully? how many are yet accepted among the other 'higher' castes? so using the term Dalit will not be off the mark for some more time to come.
I do agree that movements such as those of Sri Narayana Guru cannot be equalled. But I am not talking about such movements- perhaps have not clarified better in the piece I wrote, but thats the context- I am talking about socio-political movements. And as such movements go, the BSP certainly deserves a kudos for chosing the path of constitution, democracy and the ballet rather than that of anarchy, subversion (and conversion) and the gun.
finally I was just touching upon all this, merely as my reasons for Kanshiram being the most deserving among the currently discussed candidates for the Ratna- I am not even presenting an absolute case!
having said that, I will add that merely from the viewpoint of the recognizing the positive trends ( and not that of 'success'), the path that Kanshiram championed and which Mayavati follows in however inadequate a manner, is eminently worthy. He has not set society abalze with abrasive 'conversion is the solution' rhetoric.He has not militarized the society by a call to arms and by appeal to the apparent hopelessness of the Dalit masses. Rather he has shown that with self-belief, the Dalits can proudly be partners in an emerging new social order. That running away from the problem by seeking conversions is not a solution. That the Indian democracy and ultimately, Hinduism and Hindu society are not closed and oppressive but are rather willing to discard the old evils. In my mind, this is something extraordinary- if Dalits can come to an understanding and share power with Brahmins, it just shows that there was nothing except social prejudice disallowing that in the first place- not an effect of an ossified religious ductum and sanction.
one more thought- even movements like that of the great Guru Narayana have failed to fully integrate Ezhavas into the social order. yes, they have improved their lot, but what I mean is that there are many questions still unanswered. Is an endogamistic caste order ultimately good? what is the meaning of the carnas in the modern context- and then how are the various jatis to be reconciled with the varna system? should varnas be laid open now and should intermixing of jatis be sanctioned by the shastras? To answer such questions, it is best to have counter viewpoints and new ideas. even purely social and political movements can provide some ideas. It is in this context that movements such as those of BSP are interesting to me.
now you will see why I took so long to write the response- actually the response has enough material to make a new post!
and regarding Rao- what can we say, he was just in the wrong party! its a tragedy that Congress neglects the achievements of anyone outside the Dynasty.
9:28 PM
now whether the term 'Harijan' is unconstitutional or not, it is certainly patronizing
That depends on how you look at it. It is very tempting to give into western notions of political correctness. Well, I guess gAndhiji was just coining a name by which to call the oppressed classes, and instead of the negative "dalit" he came up with the name Harijan - quite possibly like parents name their son Hari; doesn't mean he saw a special liaison between the original Hari and these people. That said, if people feel bad with the name because of their own adhyArOpa, let us take it off.
And I don't know if Mayawati has seen the need for social unity. The moment there is the notion of specialized privileges for *all* oppressed groups rather than just what the constitutional founding fathers envisaged ( or any other fixed group ), there are bound to be communities vying to claim to being victimized/backward, just in order to gain privileges. Like it happened in Rajasthan with Meenas and Gujjars.
My problem is not with the term Dalit being off the mark - it represents a negative outlook. Just like we all have committed lots of sins but "the wretch who constantly harps on sin
becomes a sinner".
the most deserving among the currently discussed candidates
Point taken.
As for
even movements like that of the great Guru Narayana have failed to fully integrate Ezhavas into the social order.
Are you talking of them not occupying as high places as Nairs etc. do? Even if that were true, that needn't have anything to do with oppression. Most of the ayyangArs I have seen in academics are vaDakalais, though I am told that tengalais considerably exceed vaDagalais in number. Does that meen tengalais are oppressed now? Similarly tamizh people have scored higher academic achievements than malayALis - does that mean malayALis are oppressed? Broadcasting great ideas into every individual home is more or less impossible. As Nisargadatta Maharaj says, ( even ) incarnations come and go, they do great things and raise the consciousness of the humanity but talking of saving the world is an exaggeration.
Suppose you weren't talking about oppression but about the endogamy in social order. Is it so much of a deal as long as there isn't oppression and strife? Such things will change in the course of time - just as Swamiji observed how economics was naturally destroying caste by entailing Brahmin wine-shop-owners etc.
For all its defects, the VHP makes a lot of valiant effort to remove caste - it appoints dalit priests in its temples! Just that because of some crazy statements and activities of some of its leaders and media brainwashing it isn't popular enough to benefit as large a section of the populace as it could have.
saprEm,
kUpamaNDukaH
I will base my reply on a point you have accepted:
' Such things will change in the course of time -..'
indeed I say!
but this 'change in course of time' will not happen out of thin air. there will be movements and people who will bring this out. not all such movements will be purely spiritual, and ideas and actions will come from many sources [ and anyway there is nothing that is not 'spiritual' ultimately]- and I think this movement started by Kanshiram is one such.
'My problem is not with the term Dalit being off the mark - it represents a negative outlook'
and I say, indeed even that will change in course of time! let the oppressed classes express themselves first. they have been oppressed and suppressed into silence from ecnturies. Let them come out and give vent to their feelings- and thank god if they express it within the purvey of democracy and human rights rather than under that of the gun! after centuries of considering themselves beyond pale and lesser humans many of them have even begun to realize their equal humanity and divinity only recently- isnt it marvellous that they wish to express that? and they perhaps understandibly will be negative, given all this bitterness- they should be saints if they were not- but what of that? wont that 'change gradually in course of time' as well? when they see that the society around them accepts them, no longer ill-treats them etc?
What I said will change w.r.t. time are endogamy in castes etc., not oppression. Thanks to the efforts of Sri Narayana Guru etc. oppression has mostly been *wiped out* from Kerala - this was my point. As for endogamic caste order breaking down etc. what good is Kanshi Ram or Mayavati doing?
I can understand bitterness among Dalits etc., but I just don't agree with the political machinations of an enterprise that claims to stand for Dalits and does nothing for them. Only gAndhiji/SN Guru-type movements and economic development helps. Rhetoric doesn't. The connotation of "Dalit" as "victimized" might change over time, but why support a label that doesn't do any good - that is all my point regarding that is.
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