Part 6: Ruling Castes' betrayal of Adivasis

By Waman Meshram, National President, Bharat Mukti Morcha

‘Segregation’, one dangerous problem

If you look at it in ordinary perspective adivasis have lots of problems, but from the perspective of agitation, if we think then segregation is the biggest problem of adivasis. Biggest problem of SC people is untouchability and untouchability is dangerous slavery. Since today SC people have realized and that’s why they are standing up against the one who created the system of untouchability and are carrying the fight for the past 150 years. But the dangerous problem of segregation till today has not been realized by adivasis. There is no literature available in society about this problem.

Our enemies (people from ruling castes) broke some mulnivasi brother and made them untouchables. Those who were made untouchables realized their untouchability and that’s why they revolted against it. After adivasis were separated, they were segregated, but do adivasis themselves have realization of their segregation? No, because they do not have the information. Realization comes about afterwards, first they must have information. From information realization comes about. There is no history available that there was any agitation that took place in the past against the slavery of the adivasis. Enemy segregated adivasis but today adivasis want to keep themselves aloof.

In modern democratic system various political parties are founded. Gangs are always of dacoits, robbers, and anti-social elements. Like in India there is Congress Party, BJP Party, they are called national parties. Election commission has recognized them. Law recognizes them. But ever government recognizes gang? The party that has been given recognition by government is not parties, they are gangs. The anti-social elements of these parties after taking people’s verdicts carry on every type of anti-social activities. And these anti-social elements say that public has given us verdict to do ‘this’ way. These gangs create agents (dalals and bhadwas) amongst our people. Amongst adivasis too this process of creating anti-social elements is ongoing because our enemy wants keep adivasis segregated. What will happen with this? Adivasis population in India is 7.5%. Even if all these adivasis unite even then there will be no solution to their problem. That was no where it is evident that 100% people are united. Yet for a while lets accept that India’s 100% adivasis unite even then their percentage will be just 7.5%.

Based on 7.5% of the country’s population how can adivasis succeed in their freedom struggle? Logic, proof and wisdom tell us that based of 7.5% population it is not possible to fight the war of independence and succeed.

We are told that freedom struggle started in 1857. But in reality Adivasis struggle is ongoing since 1757. It is matter of self-reflection and self-evaluation to examine whether they have succeeded in struggle that has been going on since 1757. There is evidence in front of us that this struggle has not succeeded. Why it did not succeed? This is because only adivasis were involved in this agitation. Leaders were Adivasis, representatives were adivasis, public that was involved was also adivasis; that’s why enemy got the opportunity to suppress. The effect of this was that our enemy succeeded but adivasis did not succeed.

Amongst adivasis Jannayak Birsa Munda was a great fighter. He was not educated but even then he was a fighter. To be illiterate, and to become literate are separate ideas and to be a fighter is separate idea. It is not requirement that intelligence develops only through being literate. Intelligence develops by application of mind. This does not mean that there is no need to read-write. Certainly it is needed. We had our representatives, we had such a great fighters even then freedom struggle did not succeed.  The reason for this is that by staying in isolation and segregation this fight will not succeed. Staying in isolation will reward us only and only with beatings. We have an example in front of us when in 1984 Brahmins united to hatch a conspiracy and attacked Golden Temple that time religious sentiments of Sikhs were hurt. When attack took place on Sikhs that time all other non-Brahmin members of various religions such Jains, Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, all of them think that this is a problem of Sikhs, it is hardly our problem. After that on 6^th December 1992 Ayodhya Masjid was pulled down. When Golden Temple was attacked that time people from all other religions kept silent. When Babri Masjid was pulled down that time Sikh said this is a problem of Muslims, it is not our problem. Brahmin is clever that when he is beating Sikhs that time he takes Muslims along with him.

Sikhs has to be beaten up by keeping Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jains along the side of enemy. When Muslims are beaten up that time he (enemy) keeps Sikhs with him and Brahmin tells Sikhs that when last time Sikhs were beaten up in that Muslims were involved that’s why time has come to show Muslims their place. In this way Sikh begin to beat up Muslims this way. When Churches are attacked, Christian priests are attacked, Buddhist temple at Gaya attacked that time other people keep silent. Our enemy first separates people and then attacks them. Adivasis must take lessons from this example.

If adivasis remain in segregation then they will be beaten up, and will be beaten up again and again. Biggest struggle in freedom struggle is segregation. Adivasis have feelings of staying separate; the work is ongoing of boosting this feeling. Those who are trying to encourage adivasis segregation is tying keep adivasis enslaved. The ongoing work of making slave is of two types. One is innocently. The second one is through organized ignorance. We do not get to know anything about organized ignorance. We are made to think in such a way that we go about thinking that our thinking itself is correct thinking. When you are not willing to accept anything else, it is called organized ignorance. If because of this conspiracy segregation continue to persist then slavery of adivasis will never end. There is only one option to end slavery of adivasis; segregation of adivasis must be ended. After ending segregation they must be involved in the freedom struggle. The only way to make freedom struggle successful: first we have to search people are beaten up by the system.

When two beaten up people up people will meet them both of them will share the feelings of empathy, both will understand the pain of each other. Both will speak a common language. When the language of will be spoken then realization will come amongst people.