A Dalit Perspective on NRC/CAA
By Raju Rajagopal, Co-founder, Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), USA
Martin Macwan, Dalit Shakti Kendra, Gujarat
On this Christmas Day, as India pauses from its resistance to NRC and CAA to celebrate Christmas, our good friend Martin Macwan reflects on how those legislations are bound to disproportionately impact the lives of Dalits, Adivasis, and other marginalized communities. He also reminds us of the historical significance of Christmas Day in the Dalit struggle for equal rights.
“How can one expect the Central government, which has failed to stop atrocities against its own citizens, to provide solace to those living in other countries?”, wonders Macwan, suggesting, what CAA is doing is to negate what top Dalit icon, Dr BR Ambedkar, did on December 25, 1927, to put on fire Manusmriti, the ancient treatise which gave religious sanctity to unequal status to Dalits.
A Dalit rights meet has been planned at the Dalit Shakti Kendra (DSK), Sanand, Ahmedabad district, to discuss implications of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), passed by Parliament on December 10-11, for Dalits, Adivasis and other marginalized sections. Announcing the decision, DSK director Martin Macwan said, the meet would take place on December 25,
Dalits rights meet planned on how citizenship law 'negates' Ambedkar's equality focus
Darmesh Ambedkar offers another perspective.
From the ‘Vaanam Festival’ Chennai, Dec 2018
Dr. Ambedkar set aflame a copy of the Manusmriti in 1927 as an act of defiant resistance against Hinduism and the entrenched caste system. Twenty years later, the newly independent nation entrusted him with the lead role in drafting a constitution, which sought among other things to right the historical wrongs against Dalits. While a lot of progress has been made under that constitution, sadly, ‘Manusmriti’ continues to live in some hearts and minds, and unconscionable acts of untouchability and violence continue unabated. HfHR wants to take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to Dr. Ambedkar’s dream of equality and reaffirm our commitment to live out a just and equitable Hinduism.