Education is not necessary to gauge whether an action is unjust to the point of being depraved.
Ours is a society that digests (and shall I say thrives on) injustice on a day to day level. Never mind how educated we become. How much prosperity seeps into our middle class midst. How much of the rest of the world we see. As I have often repeated, we might have had only 3 ot 4 times in history where we have seen ideas emerge with leaders to execute them that were just. No wonder we have had so many years of foreign rule. I guess we need leaders again that will get the masses to rise - otherwise we will continue to bend societal institutions, effectively shut out new religions and corner the economic system. > in the country, with the best educational > institutions and > 'corruption free' and more India than Indians ?? > > cm > > The untounchables Part - II > > what upper castes do to dalits, the dalits do to > vannars > > Wretched of the Earth > > For Puthirai Vannars, the diktat is clear. They are > destined to live > as their ancestors did. And die everyday. Without > self-dignity or > aspirations. As slaves in modern India. That is why > they ask: Who > says India is free? > > By PC Vinoj Kumar > Chennai > Darkness Within: They carry the torch during wedding > processions > > There have been cases where dalit men have raped our > women. They bear > the cost of abortion and put an end to the matter. > The victimised > women don't go to the police. There have been cases > where dalit men > have exploited our women when they go to get food > from their houses - > Irusan Ragupathi, president, Tamil Nadu Harijan > Washermen Federation > If given a choice, most Puthirai Vannar families > would like to put an > end to the practice of begging for food. They long > for the day when > they can cook at home, for it would give them a > sense of > self-dignity. But dalits don't allow them to cook. > The reason is not > far to seek. When the Vannars beg for food, it > destroys their > self-worth. The tradition perpetuates the slave > mentality, pre-empts > and crushes a rebellious spirit. > > "It's worse than the slavery that existed in the > West," says > Professor A. Sivasubramanian, currently doing > research on the > community. "People bought the slaves there. To a > certain extent, they > were looked after well because the owners had to > suffer losses if > they fell sick or died. But the Vannars have no such > advantages. > Dalits treat them just as slaves but refuse to take > their > responsibility in terms of welfare." > > In most ways, this social oppression is the mirror > image of how > dalits are treated by the upper castes all over > India. Till date, in > many villages, the Vannars cannot sit in front of a > dalit. They are > not allowed to take water from their street taps. > "When there is a > death in a dalit house, we have to perform special > duties. We prepare > the dead body and make the padai (burial cast). As > people walk to the > crematorium, we are required to spread sarees on the > ground before > them to walk on it. After the rituals are completed, > we sit down > wearing a white dhoti and the mourners drop coins on > it," says > Santhappan of Velankani Nagar in Tiruvannamalai > district. > > According to another tradition, the Vannars are > required to carry > the 'theepantham' (a flaming torch) during wedding > processions. There > is fire in their hand, and darkness within. > > Those defying this ancient heirarchy are repressed > ruthlessly. There > have been instances when Vannars in some villages > have refused to beg > for food. But they have either been forced to fall > in line or driven > out of the village. Rosamma of Elanthapet village in > Cuddalore > district decided to stop this daily house-to-house > begging for food, > and instead started cooking food at home. But she > was forced to go > back after direct threats from dalits. "They forced > me to eat the > leftover food," she says. > > About two years ago, in Athanur in Villupuram > district, a man was > forced to eat leftover food by a dalit family. When > he refused to > eat, they chased him out of the village. The diktat > is clear. If you > are born a Vannar, you are destined for a > predetermined way of life. > Live as your ancestors did. Have no dreams or > aspirations. Die > everyday. > > All over the country, dalits suffer at the hands > of upper caste > people. As far as the Vannars are concerned, the > same dalits are the > perpetrators of atrocities against them. Irusan > Ragupathi, state > president of the Tamil Nadu Harijan Washermen > Federation, a Puthirai > Vannar outfit, talks of dalit atrocities. "In many > villages in Senji > taluk in Villupuram district, dalit men have raped > our women, then > they bear the cost of abortion and tell us to keep > shut. The > victimised women don't go to the police. There have > been cases where > dalit men have exploited our women when they go to > get food from > their houses." > > The Vannars face other forms of harassment as > well. In > Fathimapalayam in Villupuram district, instigated by > the upper > castes, dalits have been creating problems for about > 35 families > living there. "They want to take over our land. They > are using the > dalits to drive us out of our homes," say the > villagers. A case of > manhandling was registered against some dalits but > no action has been > taken so far. > > The younger generation, however, is getting > restless. They want an > end to this injustice. "Everyone says that the > country has attained > independence and we are now free. What independence > are they talking > of?" asks Esumuthu of Vandipalayam in Villupuram > district. This is a > question which no one wants to answer, especially > the political > establishment. > _______________________________________________ > Assam mailing list > Assam@pikespeak.uccs.edu > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam > > Mailing list FAQ: > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/assam/assam-faq.html > To unsubscribe or change options: > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/options/assam > ____________________________________________________ Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs _______________________________________________ Assam mailing list Assam@pikespeak.uccs.edu http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam Mailing list FAQ: http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/assam/assam-faq.html To unsubscribe or change options: http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/options/assam
