Dalits the Only Community to Tame Hindu Militant Groups

MUMBAI, 29 May 2007 — A campaign by a coalition of hardcore Hindu militant organizations to stop the mass conversion to Buddhism of over 150,000 Dalits from 42 nomadic tribes on Sunday came to an end with Hindutva organizations forced to face defeat. The coalition included the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), the Bajrang Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Their efforts came to naught as the Dalits embraced Buddhism in front of over half a million people at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse.

Presiding over the event, considered one of the biggest mass conversions in modern Indian history, was Ramdas Athawale, leader of the Republican Party of India (RPI).

Political leaders like Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Deputy Chief Minister R.R. Patil, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, and several others stayed away from the event. The Dalai Lama also did not attend citing health reasons.

Undeterred by Hindutva threats to halt the conversions, the Dalits looked strong after the recent victory of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The Dalits have become the first lower caste community to challenge the threats of Hindu militant organizations to halt conversions.

“We are no longer a weak community, nor tolerant like the Muslims or the Christians, who can be frightened by the Hindus. We are not Hindus nor will we worship any of their gods and goddesses,” said Anand Waghmare, a Dalit leader from Bhim Waghmare in the Nagpur district. He added that the Dalits would give a fitting reply if the Hindus attempt to create a disturbance.

The Dalit challenge scared off Hindu organizations, which backtracked from plans to stop the conversions. Making a U-turn, Kacheshwar Sahane, RSS chief in western Maharashtra, said that the RSS had decided to “ignore” the conversions on the grounds that Buddhism is a part of the Hindu religion, and that the RSS neither supports nor opposes the conversions of the Dalits and other nomadic tribal people. “It is their internal matter and their own decision. Why should we discuss it at all,” he said.

Sharad Kunte, the VHP regional publicity chief in Maharashtra, said that his organization was not much concerned about the conversions to Jainism, Sikhism or Buddhism.

Former legislator and writer Laxman Mane, hitting out at the comments of the Hindutva leaders, said, “The Dalits and tribals were never an integral part of the Hindu religion and never followed Hinduism, so there’s no point of relinquishing them. All these years, the Dalits and the tribals suffered at the hands of Hindus, now we want to live as human beings. Our literacy level is below 0.06 percent and we are reeling under poverty and unemployment. Buddhism will give us a sense of belonging,” Mane said.

Continuing with his attack, Mane was blunt in his criticism of the Hindu religion and said that the conversions were a necessity. He added that the Hindu religion cannot be equated with Buddhism, which is based on rationalism and gives rights to human beings. This is not a case with Hindu religion.

Mane, who is considered a close confidant of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president and federal Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, denied that there was any political color to the mass conversions.

Mane’s comments on the Hindu religion antagonized militant Hindutva leaders, who termed them as “anti-Hindu” statements. A senior RSS leader said, “If we keep silent and seal our mouths, then anyone, including the Muslims, will start speaking against the Hindus and the Hindu religion. But this does not mean that we have become impotent. We will respond strongly after discussing the matter in RSS meetings shortly where a decision would be taken as to how to deal with anti-Hindu forces.”


Tuesday, 29, May, 2007 ARAB NEWS