Jati politics & crowning of caste
OUR CORRESPONDENTS

Bangalore: In the DV April 1, 2005 p.15 we published a report: "When Manuwadis became Manav-wadis". This is a further extension of the same play of jati politics. Upper caste journalists, who virtually control the country's politics and shape the society to the advantage of their jatwalas, are all agog that they have finally bent and broken the country's only Dalit party — BSP.

But they don't know that politics makes strange bedfellows. Their own Brahmana Jati Party (BJP) bent over backwards to woo Dalits and Muslims on the eve of the last parliament elections. Mayawati is resorting to similar political tricks to fool the upper castes particularly the Brahmins.

New Delhi: BSP has coined a new slogan of "Brahmin-Dalit bhai bhai". In a rather serious bid to plant itself deeper in the politically fertile soil of Uttar Pradesh, BSP is putting an extra legwork to connect with upper caste Hindus. Even as the RSS and the BJP, identified as organisations largely dominated by the upper castes, are engaged in the blame game and spat over their agenda and the leadership, BSP is moving ahead with new political alchemy in the state.

Brahmin conference
BSP would be visiting villages and holding meetings with people there to foster the feeling of brotherhood, according to National General Secretary of the party S.C. Mishra, a Brahmin. Interestingly, the party that till recently expressed total rejection for what Mayawati called "the manuwadi" camp has now planned to organise a state-level Brahmin Sammelan in the state capital which will be addressed by the party president.

The BSP had earlier organised a Brahmin Sammelan at various places in the state, particularly those considered strongholds of the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP). BSP's current move to entrench itself among the upper castes (Brahmin, Bania, Thakur) has come despite its disappointments with the upper castes MLAs who switched their loyalties to the SP after winning on BSP tickets.

According to sources, BSP is keen to encash on upper castes' drift away from the BJP and Congress' failure, as of now, to emerge as a viable political alternative in UP. A clever real politik as well as reformative move by Mayawati, whose party till recently mouthed the slogan, Tilak, Taraju aur Talwar, inko maro jutey char (beat up Brahmins, Banias and Thakurs with shoes). (Deccan Herald, April 14, 2005)

Wooing Kayasths
Lucknow: BSP on April 10 launched a series of Kayastha Sammelans all over the state to win over the Kayastha voters. Though Kayasth presence in the urban Uttar Pradesh is restricted to 3 to 8% the community is known to play a crucial role in moulding public opinion. According to BSP leader Ajay Srivastava, the party's first Kayastha Sammelan was held in Allahabad which, incidentally, is a city with largest Kayastha presence in the state and Kayasthas here have always played a proactive role in politics.

The campaign, led by BSP MP Satish Chandra Misra, has evoked a massive response from Brahmins who now seem to be more than willing to join the BSP. (Asia Age, April 14, 2005).
" Caste identity" thesis: What is important from the above two reports is the rise of "caste politics" in India. The crowning of the caste is now universally accepted. Bahujans have to celebrate this victory.
When the upper caste "national" parties woo Dalits, it is dubbed "casteist politics" but when Dalit parties seek upper caste votes they are praised as progressive steps. But what is actually happening in India is the supreme status acquired by caste. That caste has come to decide Indian politics proves our "caste identity" thesis.
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Marathas declare war on Brahminism
PURUSHOTTAM KHEDEKA,R Founder, Maratha Seva Sangh
English translation: P.S. Sadar
Foreword: V.T. Rajshekar

Brahminism as India's Enemy No.1
This is an important speech delivered by Brother Purushottam Khedekar, a firebrand Maratha leader, at the historic Sindkheda (Maharashtra) ceremony on Jan.12, 2005 when over a lakh of angry Marathas, the ruling community of Maharashtra, quit Hinduism and embraced the new religion of Shiv Dharma after a belated realisation that they have become victims of Brahminism. Dalit Voice earlier held a Debate on Shiv Dharma in which many Dalit intellectuals and even some Marathas joined. As expected the Brahminical toilet papers totally blacked out the news of this Jan.12 event. Since Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, the Father of India, has identified Brahminism as India's principal contradiction which has to be fought first and eliminated, as Ambedkarites it is our duty to support any such endeavour. Dalits as the worst victims of Brahminism, it is our duty to support all such struggles fighting Brahminism which is also our Enemy No.1. The speech sums up the havoc caused by Brahminism on the people of India. If the ruling Marathas, Maharashtra's single largest and the most powerful caste, is made mince-meat by the Brahmins, we can well imagine the fate of Dalits, the lowest of the low. The speech of Khedekar published in the Marathi daily, Deshonnati, Nagpur, Jan.24, 2005, and translated to English by P.S. Sadar, a member of the Dalit Voice family, was published in two instalments in Dalit Voice. We are bringing this reprint of the speech for wider circulation of the message and promote its translation to other Indian languages.

2005 Rs. 5
DALIT SAHITYA AKADEMY
No. 109 - 7th Cross, Palace Lower Orchards
Bangalore - 560 003. INDIA
email: vtr@ndf.vsnl.net.in
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Collected works of PERIYAR E.V.R.

Periyar was an original thinker. His thought process was the evolution of what he experienced with men and matters in day-to-day life, what he observed keenly around and what he came to know about the happenings in the world.
His ideas arose out of his keen intellect and compassionate heart in the light of practical affairs. He did not have his higher learning in the universities, nor did he make use of libraries. The world was his open book.
Though confined to Tamil Nadu, Periyar became so famous all over India that Dalit Voice ranked him next only to Babasaheb Ambedkar, the Father of India.

Contents
Periyar E.V. Ramasamy — A Biographical Sketch; Peryar, The Relentless Crusader; Makers of the Millennium; Unesco citation on Periyar

1. 1. Genesis of Self-Respect Movement,
2. Philosophy - Periyar's Perception,
3. Manu Dharma — A Code of Injustice to Non-Brahmins
4. Untouchability,
5. Call to youths
6. God and Man
7. Rationalist Thoughts
8. Why Communal GO?
9. Why Brahmins Hate Reservation?
10. March Towards Peace, Prosperity & Progress,
11. Rural Development
12. Periyar on Family Planning
13. Periyarana
14. Golden Sayings of Periyar
15. The Revolutionary sayings of Periyar
16. The Ramayana — (A True Reading).

2005 Third edition pp.672 Rs. 200
The Periyar Self-Respect Propaganda Institute, Periyar Thidal
50 - EVK Sampath Road, Vepery , Madras - 600 007.