Dalit anger cheers DV as it enters 26th year

DALIT VOICE completes 25 years without even celebrating the silver jubilee event which we wanted to hold in Delhi in 2006.

We share these gloomy thoughts with our DV family members world-wide as we complete 25 years and enter 26th year of publication.

Not one “prediction” made in DV has gone wrong barring one or two.

We don’t want to repeat what all we have said. Everything is on record and hence verifiable.

HINDU TRICKS NOT WORKING

The only happy news came at the fag end of the year 2006: the loud and violent protest of the Maharashtra Dalits. Well done.

We are happy that they are finally becoming angry. And we want them to use this anger to oust their entire corrupt leadership which is keeping them doped so that they would not go against their Hindu bosses. Dalits of India had never taken to violence. Hindus play all sorts of tricks to keep our people cool and fool. But the December first week explosive outburst proves the Hindu tricks are not working.

The most important pre-requisite for social change is our dissatisfaction with the existing Brahminical Social Order. The anger of the Maharashtra Dalits made the Hindus literally tremble. We saw this in Bombay on Dec.6,2006.

We were in Bombay to attend the Chaitya Bhoomi homage to Babasaheb by lakhs of Dalits who poured into Bombay on that day. At the Marathi Brahmin-dominated Shivaji Park, where the Chaitya Bhoomi is situated on the bank of Arabian Sea, we were told that the entire residents had locked up their houses and taken a week’s holiday fearing Dalit violence.

Did not Babasaheb say “Hindus are cowards”? The Shivaji Park residents proved it. Did we not say that even if we Dalits, constituting 20% of the population — the country’s single largest— loudly shout in anger, the upper castes will catch the first flight and run away to America, their new paradise?

There is no need for us to become violent to tackle the cowardly Hindus. A mere show of anger is enough to drive them away. Once the existing corrupt Dalit leadership is out there is none to stop us from hounding the Hindus out.

Will the angry Dalits explode more and more and throw up new and revolutionary leadership to fulfil the dreams of their Messiah?

Hopes raised by Maharashtra Dalits cheer us and relieve us from the agony of our shattered dreams as we enter the 26th year — EDITOR.

History elevates Dr. Ambedkar but Gandhi dumped in dustbin

This is my first visit to your newly- formed Adivasi-dominated state separated from Madhya Pradesh. The greatness of your Chattisgarh state is it is very rich in minerals, forest and agriculture products but its people, mainly Adivasis, are deliberately kept poor.

This is because a tiny band of upper caste exploiters, mainly from outside your state, are ruling Chattisgarh (DV Dec.1, 2006 p.22: “Adivasi Chattisgarh State ruled by upper castes from outside”).

ROLE OF TATAS & RUIAS

Even your state legislature has a tribal majority. But your Chief Minister is a Thakur from outside. Your Assembly Speaker, Governor, Home and other important portfolios are all held by Brahmins, Thakurs, Banias etc.

The mineral wealth of your state is exploited by big industrialists from outside like the Tatas, Ruias of the Essar Group etc.

So much so the upper castes are becoming richer and the original inhabitants of Chattisgarh are becoming poorer (cheers).

Poverty, exploitation and the consequent violent atmosphere has created a new problem of naxalites to study which I have come all the way from Bangalore.

HOSTILE PRESS

I am neither a politician nor agent of any business group but a simple seeker of truth and a follower of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Yesterday, I addressed a press conference at the Raipur Press Club and distributed a press note elaborately dealing with the problem but no paper, either Hindi or English, covered it. Doesn’t matter. I was not in favour of meeting the press but my hosts were particular. I found the press people extremely hostile. I expected this.

“POONA PACT”

The naxalite problem is the result of decades of socio-cultural-economic exploitation of the Adivasis. But the ruling class is treating it as a police problem and shooting the innocent tribals dead. The Tatas and the Marwadi Ruias of the Essar Group are financing the Salwa Judam. RSS people have infiltrated the Salwa Judam. Day by day the problem is getting complicated.

(DV Oct.16, 2006 p.15: “Naxalism gets complicated with RSS & big business infiltration”).

To understand the naxalite problem which is a human problem I have come all the way to Raipur.

I will now go to the subject “Poona Pact” on which I was asked to speak

“Poona Pact”, signed at Pune in 1932 between M.K. Gandhi and Babasaheb Ambedkar, saw the beginning of the fall of Untouchables. Today’s Dalits, born much after the “Poona Pact” and enjoying the fruits of reservations, must make a deep study of this pact.

Do you know the meaning of the word “pact”? Pact is different from “agreement”.

An agreement is signed between to sections of people. But a “pact” is also an agreement but signed between the two “nations”. That means “Poona Pact” recognises the Untouchables, as represented by Babasaheb, as a separate, distinct “nation”.

It was an agreement signed between the two “nations”. The nation of Untouchables and the “nation” of Hindus as represented by Gandhi, the Gujarati Bania.

In this cunningly conceived Pact, the Hindus and their leader Gandhi deceived the Untouchables.

Babasaheb demanded “separate electorate” to Untouchables but Gandhi went on his fake “fast-unto-death” but never died of fasting. (laughter)

He died by the bullets fired by a Pune Brahmin, Nathuram Godse. (V.T. Rajshekar, Why Godse Killed Gandhi?, DSA-1997).

GANDHI DECEIVED DALITS

Gandhi deceived Dalits, Muslims, Christians, BCs, Sikhs. He deceived every section of the population except his Hindus. He helped Brahmins and the upper castes and made a Brahmin as the first PM of India.

But what did the Brahmins do in return? As soon as their job was done, a Brahmin came with a revolver and shot him dead like a dog.

And the RSS, the principal terrorist organisation of Brahmin, distributed sweets on the day. Even today on every Jan.31, Gandhi’s death anniversary, RSS distributes sweets and A.B. Vajpayee, wearing a kakhi half pant goes to RSS meeting and eats the sweets.

Please note: Gandhi was not killed by Dalits, Adivasis, BCs or Muslim/Christian/Sikhs — all of whom he deceived.

The whole of India is today suffering as a consequence of this Gandhian blackmail of the over 85% of Indian population.

Babasaheb was the only person who worked for the liberation of all sections of Indians. That is why Babasaheb is called the “Father of India”.

He occupies the highest place in “independent” India, much above Gandhi. Gandhi had a black heart — a heart that tried to destroy India. Babasaheb had a heart to lift India and liberate India. (loud cheers).

The Hindus called Gandhi “Father of the nation” But he is the father of which nation?

India is not a “nation” but a country of several “nations”, as declared by Babasaheb. Gandhi is the father of which nation?

Gandhi has been disowned by Muslims, Christians and Sikhs.

Babasaheb called Gandhi the Enemy No.1 of Untouchables. Please repeat it. Yes. He is our Enemy No.1. (loud cheers). Write this slogan on the wall both inside and outside your house.

When he is the enemy of over 90% of the people, he can at best become the “father” of only 10 to 15% of the people. And this 10-15% of the people constitute the “Hindu nation”. But it is this very nation that killed him. We did not kill him.

But Babasaheb worked and died for all the SC/ST/BCs and Muslim/Christian and Sikh.

Do you know he also worked for the Hindus? That is why all these people including the thinking section of Hindus have given him the highest place. He is called the “Father of India”.

This is the highest title. There is no title greater than this. “The Father of India” is much above the “Father of the nation” (laughter).

Gandhi is only the “Father of nation” — a nation of 15% Hindus.

But, Babasaheb is the Father of all nations. The nation of Dalits, Tribals, BCs, Muslim, Christian and Sikhs.

So he naturally gets the highest place. What is this place? “Father of India. (loud cheers).

There is nobody above him. History of “independent” India has given this supreme place.

Who is this Babasaheb? He is an Untouchable. Our man. (cheers).

Gandhi is thrown to waste paper basket —not by us. He was discarded, dumped and killed by the Brahminical rulers themselves. Tell all this to your children.

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Address to Dalit & Adivasi (Tribal) Conference on “Poona Pact” at Raipur, capital of Chattisgarh state, on Sept.24, 2006. Vishnu Baghel, a Dalit intellectual and chartered Accountant of Raipur, translated the speech on the subject: “Poona Pact” of 1932.

Failure of Christian identity over “caste identity”

Missionaries’ deep anguish on caste can be seen in the lines below: “The institutions of castes with hereditary possession assigned to each, is the most striking peculiarity of the Hindu system”. Elaborating their scathing criticism of castes, they said: “caste is in truth, the great bond of Hindu superstition and the upholder among that people of the empire of the enemy of mankind”. They tended to view caste as a religious institution sanctioned by and integrate to Hinduism. They therefore many a times choose not to work within the caste system but to condemn it. Meanwhile they observe, “caste sticks to the people as closely as their skin” and concluded “the blood of caste was thicker than the spirit of religion”.

Brahmin origin of caste system: Bishop Sergeant once observed, “caste is Hinduism and Hinduism is caste”. Sharrock commented as far back as 1910 “caste is far stronger and more hurtful in the south, where the converts are most numerous than in the north of India”. Missionaries considered caste as a great evil which must be uprooted from the church. Edward J. Hadey considers caste as an utter absurdity, contrary to both reason and revelation and also is so chameleon-like, that it can change its colour and aspects to suite every circumstance, evade every difficulty in society. Suggesting what efforts should be put forth to eradicate caste from the native mind he concludes “our observations will have principal reference to Brahmins as with them is the origin of caste and amongst them will is last throes be witnessed.”

Alexander Duff said: “Caste is like a cedar stuck its roots deep into every crevice of the soil of Hindu nature, wound itself, like the ivy, round every stem and branch of Hindu intellect. From the cradle to the funeral pile, it sits like a presiding genius at the helm, guiding, directing and determining every movement of the inner and outer man.”

Missionary frustration: Missionaries had thus made clear their frustration that caste was their single biggest obstacle and spoke of the need to break potential converts of their caste in order to free their souls for possible conversion. Meanwhile, the Madras Missionary Conference put forward a minute in which it was held that, “caste is one of the greatest obstacles to the progress of the gospel in India... whatever it may have been in its origin, it is now adopted as essential part of the Hindu religion”.

However, the persistence of caste in the church had been recognized by the Roman Catholics, and in 1599 a decree was issued whereby Christians were permitted “to refrain from touching persons of inferior caste, when in the company of heathen (Hindu) of superior caste...” which again deteriorated the condition when missionaries like, Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg and Heinrich Plutschau accepted a certain amount of caste behaviours in church congregation. In the churches, the Pariahs were seated separately from the upper castes and to use separate entrances.

CMS work in TN: John Walton prepared a resolution and presented before South India Missionary Conference in 1858 saying “it is the duty of all missionaries to expose the absurdities and falsehood, as well as denounce the wickedness of caste (to show its great injuriousness to all classes) and to renounce it”. John Lawrence said: “The system of caste can no longer be permitted to rule in our services”.

G.U. Pope of the Society for the Propagation of Gospel (SPG) said: “I do not allow caste distinction to be observed in the boarding school in our mission and I do not in general use caste titles”.

Reverend J. Hough, observing the miserable condition in the church due to casteism, appealed to the CMS to send their missionaries to Tiunelveli. In compliance with his request the CMS sent two missionaries, Rhenius and Shmid. However, though the battle axe against caste was raised by the two first CMS missionaries and wielded from time to time by their successors, the essence of caste was not entirely got rid of.

Paraiah - Nadar clash: Even among missionary groups, some of them choose to make caste friend rather than enemy in doing this. They embraced an adversary who would never become their friend. They sowed the seeds of pride, distrust and alienation in their congregations which brought forth abundant crops of rank and vexatious weeds. Missionaries who came later, Walter, Prersier, Dal and Bose decided to allow the distinction of caste in their church, for they found it very difficult to eradicate the deeply rooted caste prejudices even from among the grown up Christians”.

In Tirunelveli and some parts of Southern Tamil Nadu, caste conflicts inside the church sometimes ended in violent struggles between Nadars and Pariahs and Nadars and Vellalars. In Sawyerpuram village, near Tirunelveli, where the congregation refused to be instructed by a low-caste catechist on threat of secession, the Nadars occupied in the front pews of the church, while the Pallars sat in the back. In another caste which Sharrock reported that in one congregation, the Pariah pastor “never presumed to sit down in the houses of his Shanar (Nadar) flock because of his recognized inferiority of caste”, and when in yet another caste, in a village “a Paraiyan pastor did violate the proprieties of status, he was beaten by his congregation with slippers”.

This shows the utter failure of Christian identity over “caste identity” but cruel nature of casteism in the church at large.

Even though various missionary publications on the subject of caste show that caste is a more virulent and inveterate thing in South than in North in one way or other the blood of caste is becoming thicker and even more thicker than religious spirit. It once again reminds us that gods have arisen, had prior brief day of power and then passed into forgetfulness. Budhism shook the empire to its very centre and won over millions of its brightest intellects. Islam with its lust of empire and missionaries with their gospel of brotherly love, have fought against caste. However, missionaries could get only a partial success in their war against casteism in the church partly due to their “tolerate attitude” towards casteism and partly because of the Hinduism and its deep-rooted casteist tree in the minds of the converts.

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Caste is the ethnic identity of a person. It can’t be erased through religious conversion. The best Indian example for this is Punjab where under the inspiration of the great Gurus several castes embraced Sikhism to seek liberation. But today Punjab has turned into a bloody battle ground of the very different castes — all Sikhs. Neither Budhism, Christianity nor Sikhism could destroy the caste because no person would allow his or her ethnic identity to be destroyed. Islam also allows the identity to continue though to a great extent inter-dining and equality at religious places diminishes the impact of caste — EDITOR.

COMMUNICATION

Sikhs hated in Hindu India

Though I lost contact with you for the past six months, you can be rest assured that you will never go out of my memory. You are always with us as we shall not be able to find any other VTR in this life.

We have thought of a book on my important articles published in the last two decades. We are sorting out 150 articles.

We visited Nagpur on Oct.1. Our historical tour took us to Kranti Bhoomi, Maharashtra, after our first visit to Buddha Bhoomi (Bihar). We visited Sarnath, Patna, Vaishali, Rajgir, Nalanda, Bodh Gaya and many historical temples constructed by Budhists. We recorded our real history during the tour in Feb. to Sept.2006. We visited Aurangabad, Bombay, Pune, Bheema Koregaon and Nagpur. We want to record our history. We saw all the historical places where our great ancestors had lived and fought for our freedom from Brahminism though we could not complete our target in ten days. Yet we collected enough to show it to the world. Our people are more busy going to Hindu centres but they have no time or interest in seeing our own ancestral homes.

We are happy that we could do it though many more places are pending in our tour plans. We are determined to visit every place in all the corners of India.

During our long tour, we could make out the Hindu hatred towards Sikhs as we all (a team of 12) were Sikhs. Wherever we went the Hindus, whether upper caste or lower, looked at us with suspicion and hatred. In many places they showed their illwill. We were treated as strange human beings, not fit to the society. The police suspected us.

Immediately, we remembered the role played by the Hindu media which through films, serials, dramas has pictured the Sikhs as brainless donkeys and monkeys. This is a shame on the upper caste Sikhs who alone are responsible for bringing this Hindu insult on the Sikh community. And all those stupid Sikhs who love wealth, wine and women more than their Sikh society, pride and self-respect are responsible for bringing the shame upon themselves.

We had two Jat Sikhs in our team along with other Bahujan caste Sikhs — all displaying Babasaheb badge on our chest. We were all Ambedkarite Sikhs, followers of Budha.

Dalai Lama, a Brahmin in Budhist dress

This refers to your report: “No peace with China until Dalai Lama is kicked out” (DV Dec.16, 2006 p.7). You are fully right. All the statements of Dalai Lama are in support of Brahminism. I live very close to his Govt.-in-exile at Dharamsala. He is closely connected with VHP, BJP and all Brahmin leaders and NGOs. He even financially supported Brahminical programmes. We tried so many times to contact him but he avoids us. The ancestors of Dalai Lama were Brahmins who left this country and settled in Tibet at the time of Ashoka when he cleaned Budhism of Brahminism. Now they are back in India spreading Brahminism with the help of Indian Brahminical people. We congratulate DV for exposing this wolf in sheep’s clothings.

New communist party combines marxism with Ambedkarism

Several socio-cultural movements brought revolutionary changes in India’s social fabric by organizing and educating the toiling masses. Decisive blows were inflicted upon the caste system and Brahminical order and the Bahujan masses gained revolutionary consciousness in this process. Kabir, Nanak, Mahatma Phule, Narayan Guru, Periyar and many such great revolutionaries enlightened and led the masses.

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar analysed modern Indian society in terms of “governing class versus governed class”. He formulated that India’s governing class is the Brahmin with the principal ally, Bania; and the governed class is composed of shudras and Untouchables.

Babasaheb vision: He also asserted that the basic contradiction in Indian society is between Budhism and Brahminism. He specified Brahminism and capitalism as the twin enemy of Indian people. Further he traced the philosophical-ideological roots of fascism in Brahminism. Ultimately, he proclaimed that scientific socialism is the modern representation of Budha’s Dhamma.

Babasaheb gave a cultural-political vision and philosophy for the Indian people and the toiling masses in particular. That vision is the historical and dialectical materialist interpretation of Indian society with all its specificity and complexity. Accordingly he put forward the perspective that the governed class consisting of the shudras and Untouchables should become the governing class. He exposed capitalist democracy as the rule of the traditional ruling class in their own class interest and defined democracy as a situation when the ruling class fails to capture power. i.e. a situation when power is wielded by the immense majority in the interest of the immense majority. This is the meaning which Budha had adduced to democracy.

The ruling upper castes adopted a “development model” that suits global capital and domestic feudal forces. Land is still denied to the tillers, those who work on land. In the absence of agrarian revolution, the productive forces remain stymied and dependent capitalism has resulted in underdevelopment, deprivation and squalor of the vast majority of working class resulting in concentration of wealth, economic and political power in the hands of upper castes.

In India too the battle lines are being redrawn with the Adivasis, Dalits, peasants, workers and the toiling masses in general uniting for their battles for survival, democracy and liberation.

Aims & objectives of the party

1. Formulation of the proletarian communities of India into a class. 2. To constitute the proletarian communities themselves as the nation. 3. To establish Bahujan Raj and Bahujan Democracy through Bahujan Democratic Revolution. 4. To establish socialist state and society. 5. To establish a casteless and classless social order.

To achieve the above objectives the Bahujan Samaj has to capture political power. The programme of action to mobilize and organize the working communities and masses for achieving the objective shall be the following:

i) Land to all landless rural households. Viable, cultivable landholdings should be provided through radical land reforms involving abolition of landlordism and proper utilization of wasteland. ii) India should quit WTO, write off foreign debt and adopt a protected economy till we become capable of effective competition in the global market. iii) Foreign capital be confiscated and domestic monopoly capital be nationalized. iv) Equal opportunities and equal rights for women in all fields, including political power. v) Restrict daily working hours to four through parliamentary act. vi) Reservation for SC/ST/OBC in the private sector including higher educational institutions. vii) Constitutional guarantee for providing land, housing, food, drinking, water, health-care, education and social security for all. viii) Organise land struggles including forcible occupation of surplus land until all the landless, particularly Dalits, get adequate land. ix) Prevent alienation of Adivasi land. x) Boycott MNC products including finance and credit as long as MNCs remain in the country. xi) Establish collectives to take care of the economic needs of the working people and communities. The collectives would engage in production of goods and services, marketing including export. xii) The products of the Bahujan-Mehanatkash Collectives would compete with the monopolistic products of MNCs. xiii) The community collectives would strive to provide education, training, health-care, sanitation, nutrition, social security and housing for the community. xiv) Apart from supporting and fighting for the specific issues of different sections of the working people, namely organized sector, unorganized and unemployed, mobilizing them for liberation from capitalist-feudal oppression. xv) Develop revolutionary consciousness of the working people and community on the basis of the cultural and ideological ethos of the universal being rooted in secularism, human equality and social justice.

The above 15 items constitute our party’s action programme.

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The following is “political perspective” of the 2-day meeting of our Party in Delhi on Dec.9 and 10, 2006. V.T. Rajshekar, Editor of Dalit Voice, was invited to address the conference but he could not come.

The authors are the President and Gen. Secretary of the newly-formed Communist Party of India (Marxwadi-Ambedkarwadi). Address: 512 - Chandanwari Apts., 10/8 - Dwarka, New Delhi - 110 075.

INDIA SHINING

Yamuna becomes a gutter

New Delhi: If you ever wondered why the Yamuna resembles a drain most of the time, here is what the Supreme Court-appointed committee has to say: For nine months in a year, the river — in its journey through Delhi — receives only drain water and no fresh water supply. “The city withdraws clean water from Yamuna at Wazirabad for its use and returns only waste. In other words, the river in Delhi has no fresh water flow for nine months in a year and hence has lost its assimilative capacity”, the committee informed the SC through its interim report. The only time the river receives fresh water is during the monsoons.

—(Times of India, Nov.22, 2006).

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Sports—depressing scene

Here is a country of one billion plus performing dismally in every sport. We can see our dismal performance in Doha. China is way ahead of us. Sports are no longer the domain of amateurs. Professionalism is the name of the game. Here we failed.

—(Natwar Singh in Asian Age, Dec.5, 2006).

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Muslim prisoners

According to unofficial estimates, there are over 30% Muslim prisoners in most of the Indian jails. In proportion to the total population of Muslims, such a large number is a matter of great concern for which the biased attitude of police and courts is responsible. According to official statistics, the Muslim population of India is about 13.5%. But if we talk abut jails, the number of Muslims is estimated to be more than 30%. In jails of big cities like Delhi and Bombay, the condition is even worse where it is 35 to 40%.

—(Milli Gazette, Dec.1, 2006)

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78% villages without toilet

New Delhi: Over 78% of rural households in India do not have access to toilet facilities, the Union Rural Development Ministry’s new data has revealed. The most deprived state in this respect is Chhattisgarh, where 94.9% of households do not have toilets. Jharkhand (93.5%), Orissa (92.3%)(, MP (91.1%), Bihar (86.1%), TN (85.7%), Rajasthan (85.45), Karnataka (82.6%), AP (81.9%) and UP (80.8%) follow Chhattisgarh close behind, falling way below the national average of 78.1%

• (Times of India, Dec.8, 2006)

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Taj Hashmi, Canada (taj_hashmi@hotmail.com): The Nobel Peace Prize for Dr. Yunus and his Grameen Bank of Bangladesh proves again the Goebblian dictum that a lie uttered a thousand times becomes more credible than the truth. This prize for Yunus and his bank, on a “Friday the 13th” is a slap in the face of those who have been trying to bring the Third World out of the strangling grip of the global hegemony — the IMF, World Bank and others — who hate to see the Third World slipping out of their grip to become self-reliant with good accountable governments, rule of law and respect for human rights. This NGO business is the biggest business in the Third World. The IMF and World Bank, and most multi-nationals do not want too many Chinas, Taiwans, Malaysias, Thailands, Venezuelas, or even Singapores and South Koreas. They love countries like Bangladesh, Philippines, Egypt, Indonesia and Pakistan who either buy arms, technology and expertise from the West, or do not build industrial infrastructure and good governance. There is no substitute for good (honest and efficient) and accountable government. Why the Asian dragons and tigers did not adopt NGOs and microcredit for development is the billion dollar question. I pose the following questions to those who glorify Dr. Yunus and his bank:

Do you know in most cases it is the husband / father/ elder brother who controls the Grameen loan taken in the name of his wife/daughter/ sister? Do you know the bank charges around 30% interest? Do you know that the borrowers lend the borrowed money at 80% to 100% interest to fellow villagers? Do you know any other business where someone can still make a living by borrowing at 30% interest rate? Do you know in some villages (especially in Sylhet) men take three/four wives to get Grameen loan to run their lucrative money-lending business? Do you know that the poorest of the poor (as touted by Yunus, Clintons and others) are not eligible to Grameen loan as they cannot repay their loans in 52 installments at 30% interest? Do you know that only middle peasants (having some lands or assets) are eligible to the credit?

Why Monsanto, the giant US corporation engaged in marketing genetically modified seeds, is a big promoter of microcredit? Why Grameen Bank pays no income tax? Why did “Grameen Phone” (a joint Bangladesh-Norway cell phone company) pay any income tax till this year? This is the largest cell phone company in Bangladesh, charging for local incoming calls as well. Is there a link between this award and Grameen Phone’s (Dr. Yunus’s cell phone company) partnership with the Norwegian telephone company, Nortel? Do you know that Nortel has been siphoning off millions of dollars to Norway without paying any income tax to Bangladesh? And all of this money laundering is done in the name of charity? Nortel, for the obvious reason, found it convenient to invest in the Grameen cell phone company in Bangladesh. And sadly, this happened through the active collaboration of Dr. Yunus. Why did Yunus try to introduce Monsanto seeds in Bangladesh? And finally he had to scrap this project due to opposition. If micro-credit could alleviate poverty, why on earth hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis are going to Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait or Singapore, borrowing hundreds of thousands of takas (two lakh per head on the average) to work as menials? If borrowing 50 or 60 dollars could alleviate poverty, why are they doing so? Are they stupid?

People of Bangladesh should know that the Nobel Foundation itself is a zionist outfit and Yunus was selected after they found him an ideal person to strike at Bangladesh’s Islamic character. Already he has started interfering in the country’s politics calling for a “neutral person” to replace the two feuding female Muslim leaders. Bengali Brahmins headed by Debabrata Bhattacharya of Dhaka and guided by India’s RAW are actively involved in fomenting the current crisis so that the disgusted people would finally opt for the “neutral” Yunus to replace both Begum Zia and Hasina Wajed. We have already warned about this in our Dalit Voice Nov.16, 2006 p.11: “Bangladesh crisis & Yunus, the peace-monger” — EDITOR.

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Dr. K. Pugazhendhi, President, TN Dalit Medical Association, No. 1420, Phase-II, Sathuvachari, Vellore - 632 009: I am a life member of DV from its very beginning (1982). Please clear my following doubts on Budhism: (1) Why did Prince Siddhartha leave his palace and go to the forest? School books say that after seeing a sick man, dead man, he left the palace deserting his child, wife and parents. But Babasaheb Ambedkar in his book, Buddha & His Dhamma, says that in a river water dispute between the Sakyas and Koliyas, he sided the Koliyas. As it went against the decision of the Sakyas he had to leave for the forest. Which Budhist text Babasaheb consulted for his above opinion? Dalit Voice had an article by late Nanak Chand Rattu giving the references of certain original Budhist texts in support of Dr. Babasaheb’s views. (2) Did Budha, who did not believe in soul or god, believe in rebirth and if so what exactly he meant by rebirth? Though Babasaheb tries to explain this point, still it is not very clear to me. Hence I need clarification on “rebirth” as propounded by Budha. These two doubts had to be cleared for a proper understanding of Budhism.

We had read the Buddha & His Dhamma at least twice. This highly philosophical book was written in the style of the Bible. As we are not authorities on the subject, except simple Budhists, we request scholars on Budhism to clear the above doubts. However, we like to inform Brother Pugazhendi that as far as we Dalits are concerned there is no greater authority on Budhism than Babasaheb. All other Budhist organisations like the Mahabodhi Society etc. are only trying to confuse us, mislead us — EDITOR.

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Nazneen O.Saherwala, 8B, Sangam Apartments, Somnath Mahadev Road, Umra, Surat - 395 007: You are great. You have given voice to the voiceless. Your report, “Ugly display of female flesh forced more Muslim women to go for veil” (DV Nov.16, 2006 p.10) reflects truth. Muslim women have awakened. In seven Gujarati magazines, I have given a slogan to them:

Oh! women please, cover your body and uncover your soul. Muslim women are far ahead spiritually. Western women belong to the stone age. They are nude, drunkards. They paint their body like red Indians. Hindu women follow them blindly. It is a sign of their downfall.