Author: Rakshit Sonawane
Publication: The Indian
Express
Date: September 12,
2000
Nashik Sept 11: The two-day
conference of Dalit litterateurs "Phule-Ambedkari Sahitya Melava-2000"
organised on the occasion of the golden jubilee of the Indian Constitution
concluded after Hindutva bashing, without discussing vital issues like
the new economy and its effects on the backward classes.
The conference was utilised
as a platform for abusing upper caste Hindus and portraying the Hindutva
organisations as enemies of the dalits. The tone of the speakers
was more emotional than logical and at the end of the two-day deliberations,
not even a single decision was taken to prepare dalits to face the challenges
of the new millennium. The only challenge seemed to be the Hindutva
organisations.
The chairperson of the
conference, Prof Mahendra Bhavre, lambasted established Dalit writers,
politicians and socialists for being pretentious, selfish and narrow-minded.
Ironically, while advocating equality and freedom of speech and expression,
he criticised those litterateurs who had participated in the activities
of the Samajik Samarasta Manch, which is an RSS outfit. He asked
the new generation to lead the "progressive movement" and suggested setting
up of NGOs, periodicals and reach out to the masses. The vice-chancellor
of the Mumbai University Dr Bhalchandra Mungekar also made a suggestion
of creating educational institutions, cooperatives, vocational training
centres and banks for the backward classes on the lines of those created
by other communities. However, at the end of the conference not even
a single such activity was formalised or initiated.
While pointing an accusing
finger at poet Namdeo Dhasal (who is one of the founder member of the Dalit
Panther) for his overtures towards the Shiv Sena, Bhavre chose to turn
a Nelson's eye towards the politicisation of the platform by deputy Chief
Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who inaugurated the conference. Bhujbal
used the occasion to call for a unity among dalit factions, indirectly
suggesting that the dalit unity should be at the disposal of the NCP for
a "common cause".
The other speakers were
more emotional than logical and none of them discussed the impact of the
global economy on Dalits, the cascading effects on job opportunities and
reservations and alternatives to stand up to the new challenges.
The conference passed a resolution congratulating Bhujbal for announcing
that the birth centenary of Dadasaheb Gaikwad (a close associate of Dr
Ambedkar) would be celebrated by the Maharashtra Government next year.
However, while applauding
the rise of Dr Mungekar as the vice-chancellor of Mumbai university, there
was no mention of a Dalit being made the president of the BJP. The
conference demanded that the Constitution review panel be disbanded as
it was an onslaught on the statute drafted by Dr Ambedkar, but there was
no reference to the numerous amendments in the past, especially those bulldozed
by the late Indira Gandhi.
The other resolutions
passed by the conference included the demand for financial aid on par with
the Marathi Literary Conference for Dalit literary conferences from the
state government; free and compulsory education upto SSC; and a ban on
TV serials promoting superstitions and communalism (without specifying
which ones).
On Sunday, Prof Mahendra
Bhavre had lambasted many Dalit litterateurs for their servile attitude
towards upper-caste Hindus and called upon the new generation to lead the
"progressive movement", which had come to a standstill.
In his presidential address
at the two-day conference, Bhavre pointed out that while politicians were
more interested in selfish gains, litterateurs were interested in creating
their own groups and getting facilities. He named several Dalit litterateurs
for putting self before society. Bhavre launched a scathing attack
on those Dalit literatures who jointed the Samajik Samarastva Manch (a
RSS outfit) calling them traitors. He observed that such litterateurs
were still under mental slavery of fascist Hinduism and wanted a stamp
of approval from established Hindus on their talents.
